Emin Poljarevic

This chapter explores the role of middle-ground reformist Islamism, or waṣaṭīyya, in shaping the civil societies of the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) or rather the Southwest Asian and North African (SWANA) region. Drawing on contemporary research in social movement theory and political sociology, the analysis reveals that middle-ground reformist Islamists, on the whole, symbolize modernist expressions of Islamic public ethics, which challenge restrained public spheres in SWANA states. The chapter further demonstrates how contemporary interpretations of Islamic principles, expressed through a broad spectrum of waṣaṭī movements, calls for political pluralism, Muslim civility, and public ethics. The chapter shows that, despite unprecedented levels of repression, including organized disinformation campaigns against waṣaṭī activism, plus difficult internal challenges, these movements continue to pose a serious challenge to the regimes in the SWANA region. As such, middle-ground reformist Islamists hold significant potential to influence future reforms, sustaining their capacity to shape the socio-political landscape of the region.

The Arabic word jahada is the root word of the term jihād and its derivatives, and it means to strive, to exhort effort. Despite the straightforward translation of the word, there are few terms and concepts that are as contested, politically loaded, and ambiguous as jihād. The great variety of meanings, interpretations, and appropriations depends primarily on who uses the term and what it is used to describe. The most common understanding is that the concept directly corresponds to the Late Medieval Catholic notion of holy war (bellum sacrum). Another understanding is that jihād is another term for the Islamic duty to conquer non-Muslim territories wherein cause/case for war (casus belli) is to establish political, not necessarily religious, supremacy of Muslims over others. Yet another understanding is that jihād means little more than an individual Muslim’ s struggle to maintain one’ s faith and spirituality in the face of various adversities. The complexity of the term lies in its comprehensiveness and wide conceptualization by its original users – the early Muslims.

Politics in Islām is concerned primarily with construction of a morally guided social order and power relationships within and without a Muslim majority society based on explicit principles dictated by the sharī ’ah. Arguably, this suggests that the Islamic religious doctrine and politics are deeply intertwined, if not inseparable. On the social level, the sharī ’ah’ s religio-ethical framework would ideally delineate commercial, cultural, and other interpersonal dealings on the level of civil society.

The special issue, “Contemporary Islamic Political and Social Thought Be-fore and After the Arab Spring: Mapping the Field,” emerges amidst a year of war in Gaza and the West Bank. As of August 30, 2024, Israeli military actions have resulted in the deaths of 40,602 Palestinians, 52% of whom are women and minors, with an additional 93,534 injured in Gaza alone.1 Journalists and medical personnel have been disproportionately targeted, intensifying an al-ready dire humanitarian crisis. This ongoing conflict reveals the deep-seated challenges confronting Muslim societies and states today. With the notable exceptions of Iran, Hezbollah in Lebanon, and the Houthis in Yemen, most Muslim-majority governments have confined their responses to expressions of diplomatic concern, thus offering little in the way of substantive action to end this televised genocide.