The doctoral thesis by researcher Shalil Shalil, titled "Islamists and the Practice of Governance and Authority in Morocco and Tunisia: A Comparative Study," was conducted at the Faculty of Legal, Economic, and Social Sciences at Mohammed I University in Oujda, under the supervision of Dr. Miloud Boutariq. This scholarly work falls within the field of comparative political studies, aiming to understand the phenomenon of political Islam during a critical transitional moment in the history of the Arab region. The thesis goes beyond mere description, offering a complex explanation of the Islamists' experience in governance, originating from the interplay of three levels: history, revolutionary context, and the requirements of the modern state.
The study was published as a book by the Al Jazeera Center for Studies, and from the very first pages, the researcher situates his problem within the context of what he terms the "radical transformation" witnessed in the Arab region since the end of 2010. This period of popular protest led to the downfall of longstanding political regimes and opened the door for new actors, particularly Islamic movements, to enter the political arena. Here, the researcher treats the rise of Islamists not as a sudden event but rather as a result of a long accumulation of factors, given that these movements had remained present in the social and advocacy domains, albeit marginalized from the official political sphere.
Power Redistribution in the Arab Spring
The researcher emphasizes that the moment of the "Arab Spring" was not merely an explosion of protests but a moment of power redistribution that revealed a profound imbalance in the structure of the Arab national state. The state, which was formed after independence according to colonial borders, has failed to accommodate societal diversity or achieve political development, making it vulnerable to collapse at the first genuine test. In this context, Islamists emerge as an organized force capable of filling the political vacuum, leveraging their social networks and mobilizing rhetoric.
However, the researcher does not stop at this structural explanation; he links it to a deeper issue regarding the nature of the state itself in the Arab world. He argues that the emergence of the nation-state came at the expense of the cultural and social extension of communities, creating a gap between the state and society, which allowed alternative forces, including Islamic movements, to present themselves as the "authentic" representatives of societal identity. Within this framework, the researcher poses a central question: How did the Islamists transition from being in opposition to assuming power, and how did they manage this transition? Were they able to reconcile their ideological references with the requirements of governance?
To answer this question, the researcher traces the intellectual roots of political Islam, following its evolution from religious reform movements in the nineteenth century to political organizations in the twentieth century. He highlights that this trajectory was not linear but rather characterized by profound transformations, where Islamic thought shifted from attempts to reconcile with modernity to efforts to establish an alternative state model. The researcher dedicates significant space to analyzing the role played by thinkers such as Jamal al-Din al-Afghani, Muhammad Abduh, and Rashid Rida, who sought to redefine the relationship between religion and politics before this reform project transitioned into a movement project with the establishment of the Muslim Brotherhood by Hassan al-Banna, who presented a comprehensive vision of Islam as a "system of life." With Sayyid Qutb, the researcher notes a qualitative shift towards a more confrontational vision based on the concepts of governance and ignorance, which has deeply influenced many Islamic movements later.
Contrasting Cases of Tunisia and Morocco
When moving to the applied level, the researcher chooses two primary cases: Morocco and Tunisia, including the Egyptian case as a comparative reference. This choice is justified by the fact that these countries witnessed a clear rise of Islamists following the Arab upheaval, each within differing political contexts, thus allowing for a comparison that reveals the impact of political structures on the behavior of these movements. In Tunisia, the researcher notes that the Ennahda Movement transitioned from underground work to public engagement amid a complete revolutionary context, where the previous regime collapsed, and the movement found itself in a leadership position. This rapid shift from opposition to governance posed significant challenges for the movement, particularly within a divided political community and a secular elite wary of the Islamic project.
This led to a state of acute polarization, culminating in the movement adopting a consensus option and conceding some power positions to maintain political stability. In Morocco, however, the context is fundamentally different, as the country did not experience a regime collapse but rather gradual reforms that allowed the integration of Islamists into the political process. Here, the researcher posits that the Justice and Development Party did not rise to power from outside the system but rather from within it, making it more pragmatic and less confrontational. This pragmatism was reflected in its political behavior, opting to work within the available power structures instead of attempting to change the rules of the game.
This contrast between the two experiences allows the researcher to draw an important conclusion: the behavior of Islamists in governance is determined not only by their ideological references but also by the nature of the political system in which they operate. Yet, despite their differences, both experiences reveal a common issue—the difficulty of transitioning from an opposition mentality to a state mentality. In opposition, the discourse is based on criticism and slogans, while in governance, political actors are required to manage reality in all its complexities, which necessitates profound revisions that may occasionally contradict their previous rhetoric. One of the key findings of the researcher is that the experience of Islamists in governance has revealed a gap between theory and practice. While political Islam presents itself as a comprehensive project, its application in reality faces numerous constraints, including the nature of the state, internal and external pressures, and the complexities of economics and politics.
Furthermore, the researcher observes that when Islamists reached power, they were compelled to adopt a significant degree of pragmatism, leading to a transformation in their political discourse from a focus on identity to a focus on governance and administration issues. However, this transformation was not easy, occasionally resulting in a loss of part of their popular base that anticipated the realization of grand promises. In this context, the thesis posits an important idea: Islamists did not necessarily fail in governance, but rather encountered a reality that was more complex than they had anticipated. The modern state is not merely a tool that can be easily directed; it is a complex system of institutions and balances that imposes clear limits on political actors.
Finally, the doctoral thesis emphasizes that the crucial moment in the trajectory of Islamic movements was not merely the rise to power but rather the functional transformation from a da'wah movement to a political actor obligated to manage the state. This transformation was not merely a change in position but a shift in the nature of their role. As the researcher clarifies, Islamic movements originally emerged as reform movements seeking to "re-Islamize society," a long-term goal based on education and gradualism. However, their arrival at power placed them in a radically different reality, where they were required to provide immediate solutions to complex issues such as the economy, unemployment, and international relations.
In this context, the researcher points out that Islamists found themselves in a difficult equation: either maintaining the purity of their ideological discourse or engaging in political pragmatism. Most of these movements chose the latter option, resulting in profound changes in their discourse and practice. Issues of reconciling Islamic references with the requirements of modern governance remain a significant challenge that Islamic movements continue to grapple with, as they navigate the complexities of contemporary political landscapes.
As reported by aljazeera.net.
