There is little doubt that the landscape of Islamist groups in the Middle East has changed dramatically since the eruption of the Arab revolts. Salafis have become more politically active. Al Qaeda elements have adopted new strategies to establish roots within local communities where they operate. Shia groups have changed in ways that have yet to be properly understood and absorbed, from being more politically and militarily active to crossing borders for the first time to fight jihad.
But perhaps the most significant of all such developments is that of the Muslim Brotherhood. The organisation's evolution is particularly consequential because its post-Arab Spring rise has laid bare many established assumptions about the organisation, especially in western scholarship. These beliefs have sometimes guided western policies towards political actors, so rethinking them is key to better understanding the region's politics and religious dynamics.
One of these long-held assumptions is that the Brotherhood is moderate. The idea became popular after the September 11 attacks when experts with some knowledge of the region began to counter the myth that all Islamists are Al Qaeda. Also, those who worked in the security field began to look for alternatives to Al Qaeda, and saw in the Brotherhood a potential ally. But the little-developed notion was taken a lot further – by experts outside the region and by the Brotherhood and its sympathisers – to incorrectly label the organisation as “moderate”.
“They looked at the Brotherhood as ‘moderate’ because it participated in elections, said it supported rights for women and minorities, and renounced violence, albeit with some major caveats, ” said Eric Trager, Esther K Wagner fellow at the Washington Institute, a US think tank.
Mr Trager said that one of the problems with this notion is that experts did not look beyond the Brotherhood’s rhetoric – that the organisation represents the “islamiya al wasatiya”, or moderate Islam – and ignored how the group functioned in the real world. He said that the slogan of “we are not Al Qaeda”, which does not automatically make a group moderate, was exactly how the Brotherhood explained what their philosophy was.
“Many of the scholars who insisted that the Brotherhood would act ‘moderately’ or ‘democratically’ knew nothing about [the] internal features of the organisation. They were too obsessed with combating the silly all-Islamists-are-the-same argument,” Mr Trager said.
In fact, the danger of the Brotherhood is not that it is not a moderate organisation, but that its philosophy is slowly but surely dismantling the institutional moderation that has existed in Islam’s mainstream scholastic traditions for centuries. Its ideology makes power, or hakimiya, a fundamental part of religion rather than a means to safeguard the welfare of Muslims, as mainstream Muslim scholars have maintained.
The Brotherhood considers the political process as an end in itself, which leaves the window open for reinterpreting Islam to reach that goal. This tendency to subject Islamic principles to an overarching aim is often confused with being pragmatic. Mainstream Islamic scholars oppose many of the practices endorsed by clerics affiliated to the Brotherhood and jihadis, such as suicide bombing, by virtue of strict commitment to Islam’s principles. It is not surprising, therefore, that many of the violent groups in the modern Muslim world have historically emerged from, or have been influenced by, the Brotherhood.
While mainstream Islamic scholarship adheres to established orthodox norms, the ideologies of both the Brotherhood and Salafi jihadism are fluid, malleable and can be used to justify any means to reach goals. The irony is that orthodox Islam is often associated with extremism, sometimes for good reasons – because it is too slow to embrace modern practices. But it is important to distinguish between rigid religious practices and radical political ideologies that endorse violence and erode institutional moderation.
In terms of radicalisation, the Brotherhood is closer to Salafi jihadism and the ideology of wilayat al faqih (the rule of the cleric, which governs Iran and many Shia groups across the region), relative to traditional Salafism or mainstream Shiism, than academics are ready to admit. Another danger of the Brotherhood, even in comparison to openly jihadi ideologies, is that the perception of moderation and pragmatism helps it to normalise radical views within Muslim societies.
Of course, the Brotherhood has historically shown flexibility on certain religious matters, such as beards and niqabs. But it is important to recognise that the roots of such flexibility actually come from Salafi traditions, rather than being a trait the organisation can claim for itself. As Raphael Lefevre writes in his book Ashes of Hama: The Muslim Brotherhood in Syria, early Brotherhood thinking was shaped by reformist and moderate Salafi scholars. Reformist religious reasoning, or ijtihad, is at the heart of traditional Salafism, but the Brotherhood has used it to manipulate religious texts rather than using it to develop an interpretation of Islamic Sharia that upholds the moderation that the group is preaching in public.
The pace of events in the region makes it hard to absorb the changes in the Islamist groups’ landscape. But urgency must be assigned to the trend of misrepresenting dangerous thinking and presenting it as moderate.
hhassan@thenational.ae
On Twitter: @hhassan140
At a glance
Global events: Much of the UK’s economic woes were blamed on “increased global uncertainty”, which can be interpreted as the economic impact of the Ukraine war and the uncertainty over Donald Trump’s tariffs.
Growth forecasts: Cut for 2025 from 2 per cent to 1 per cent. The OBR watchdog also estimated inflation will average 3.2 per cent this year
Welfare: Universal credit health element cut by 50 per cent and frozen for new claimants, building on cuts to the disability and incapacity bill set out earlier this month
Spending cuts: Overall day-to day-spending across government cut by £6.1bn in 2029-30
Tax evasion: Steps to crack down on tax evasion to raise “£6.5bn per year” for the public purse
Defence: New high-tech weaponry, upgrading HM Naval Base in Portsmouth
Housing: Housebuilding to reach its highest in 40 years, with planning reforms helping generate an extra £3.4bn for public finances
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Apple%20Mac%20through%20the%20years
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How much do leading UAE’s UK curriculum schools charge for Year 6?
- Nord Anglia International School (Dubai) – Dh85,032
- Kings School Al Barsha (Dubai) – Dh71,905
- Brighton College Abu Dhabi - Dh68,560
- Jumeirah English Speaking School (Dubai) – Dh59,728
- Gems Wellington International School – Dubai Branch – Dh58,488
- The British School Al Khubairat (Abu Dhabi) - Dh54,170
- Dubai English Speaking School – Dh51,269
*Annual tuition fees covering the 2024/2025 academic year
The White Lotus: Season three
Creator: Mike White
Starring: Walton Goggins, Jason Isaacs, Natasha Rothwell
Rating: 4.5/5
What are the influencer academy modules?
- Mastery of audio-visual content creation.
- Cinematography, shots and movement.
- All aspects of post-production.
- Emerging technologies and VFX with AI and CGI.
- Understanding of marketing objectives and audience engagement.
- Tourism industry knowledge.
- Professional ethics.
THE SIXTH SENSE
Starring: Bruce Willis, Toni Collette, Hayley Joel Osment
Director: M. Night Shyamalan
Rating: 5/5
The biog
Name: Abeer Al Shahi
Emirate: Sharjah – Khor Fakkan
Education: Master’s degree in special education, preparing for a PhD in philosophy.
Favourite activities: Bungee jumping
Favourite quote: “My people and I will not settle for anything less than first place” – Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid.
THE SPECS
Engine: 1.5-litre turbocharged four-cylinder
Transmission: Constant Variable (CVT)
Power: 141bhp
Torque: 250Nm
Price: Dh64,500
On sale: Now
Volvo ES90 Specs
Engine: Electric single motor (96kW), twin motor (106kW) and twin motor performance (106kW)
Power: 333hp, 449hp, 680hp
Torque: 480Nm, 670Nm, 870Nm
On sale: Later in 2025 or early 2026, depending on region
Price: Exact regional pricing TBA
WHAT IS A BLACK HOLE?
1. Black holes are objects whose gravity is so strong not even light can escape their pull
2. They can be created when massive stars collapse under their own weight
3. Large black holes can also be formed when smaller ones collide and merge
4. The biggest black holes lurk at the centre of many galaxies, including our own
5. Astronomers believe that when the universe was very young, black holes affected how galaxies formed
RESULT
Los Angeles Galaxy 2 Manchester United 5
Galaxy: Dos Santos (79', 88')
United: Rashford (2', 20'), Fellaini (26'), Mkhitaryan (67'), Martial (72')
Honeymoonish
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Film: In Syria
Dir: Philippe Van Leeuw
Starring: Hiam Abbass, Diamand Bo Abboud, Mohsen Abbas and Juliette Navis
Verdict: Four stars
A MINECRAFT MOVIE
Director: Jared Hess
Starring: Jack Black, Jennifer Coolidge, Jason Momoa
Rating: 3/5
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MATCH INFO
Syria v Australia
2018 World Cup qualifying: Asia fourth round play-off first leg
Venue: Hang Jebat Stadium (Malacca, Malayisa)
Kick-off: Thursday, 4.30pm (UAE)
Watch: beIN Sports HD
* Second leg in Australia scheduled for October 10
The specs
Engine: 4.0-litre flat-six
Torque: 450Nm at 6,100rpm
Transmission: 7-speed PDK auto or 6-speed manual
Fuel economy, combined: 13.8L/100km
On sale: Available to order now
The specs
AT4 Ultimate, as tested
Engine: 6.2-litre V8
Power: 420hp
Torque: 623Nm
Transmission: 10-speed automatic
Price: From Dh330,800 (Elevation: Dh236,400; AT4: Dh286,800; Denali: Dh345,800)
On sale: Now
Napoleon
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Mercer, the investment consulting arm of US services company Marsh & McLennan, expects its wealth division to at least double its assets under management (AUM) in the Middle East as wealth in the region continues to grow despite economic headwinds, a company official said.
Mercer Wealth, which globally has $160 billion in AUM, plans to boost its AUM in the region to $2-$3bn in the next 2-3 years from the present $1bn, said Yasir AbuShaban, a Dubai-based principal with Mercer Wealth.
“Within the next two to three years, we are looking at reaching $2 to $3 billion as a conservative estimate and we do see an opportunity to do so,” said Mr AbuShaban.
Mercer does not directly make investments, but allocates clients’ money they have discretion to, to professional asset managers. They also provide advice to clients.
“We have buying power. We can negotiate on their (client’s) behalf with asset managers to provide them lower fees than they otherwise would have to get on their own,” he added.
Mercer Wealth’s clients include sovereign wealth funds, family offices, and insurance companies among others.
From its office in Dubai, Mercer also looks after Africa, India and Turkey, where they also see opportunity for growth.
Wealth creation in Middle East and Africa (MEA) grew 8.5 per cent to $8.1 trillion last year from $7.5tn in 2015, higher than last year’s global average of 6 per cent and the second-highest growth in a region after Asia-Pacific which grew 9.9 per cent, according to consultancy Boston Consulting Group (BCG). In the region, where wealth grew just 1.9 per cent in 2015 compared with 2014, a pickup in oil prices has helped in wealth generation.
BCG is forecasting MEA wealth will rise to $12tn by 2021, growing at an annual average of 8 per cent.
Drivers of wealth generation in the region will be split evenly between new wealth creation and growth of performance of existing assets, according to BCG.
Another general trend in the region is clients’ looking for a comprehensive approach to investing, according to Mr AbuShaban.
“Institutional investors or some of the families are seeing a slowdown in the available capital they have to invest and in that sense they are looking at optimizing the way they manage their portfolios and making sure they are not investing haphazardly and different parts of their investment are working together,” said Mr AbuShaban.
Some clients also have a higher appetite for risk, given the low interest-rate environment that does not provide enough yield for some institutional investors. These clients are keen to invest in illiquid assets, such as private equity and infrastructure.
“What we have seen is a desire for higher returns in what has been a low-return environment specifically in various fixed income or bonds,” he said.
“In this environment, we have seen a de facto increase in the risk that clients are taking in things like illiquid investments, private equity investments, infrastructure and private debt, those kind of investments were higher illiquidity results in incrementally higher returns.”
The Abu Dhabi Investment Authority, one of the largest sovereign wealth funds, said in its 2016 report that has gradually increased its exposure in direct private equity and private credit transactions, mainly in Asian markets and especially in China and India. The authority’s private equity department focused on structured equities owing to “their defensive characteristics.”
Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
Test
Director: S Sashikanth
Cast: Nayanthara, Siddharth, Meera Jasmine, R Madhavan
Star rating: 2/5
