Lähi-idän hauras demokratia : islamismi kansanvallan kehittäjänä Jordaniassa?

Authors

• Aini Linjakumpu
• Ilkka Pyysiäinen

Abstract

The relationship between Islam and democracy is a widely discussed subject in research. De­mocracy is often considered to be in conflict with the doctrine and practices of Islam. On the other hand, people think that a possible democratization process will decrease Islamic extremist activity. This article focuses on the relation between Islam and democracy in the light of existing practices. I examine the Jordanian Muslim Brotherhood and its political wing – the Islamic Ac­tion Front (IAF). The objective is to examine how the party’s activities have furthered democratic development in Jordan and, on the other hand, what types of negative dimensions they may entail in terms of democratization. As a background for the study I reflect on problems related to de­mocracy in the Middle Eastern context in general. The theoretical frame of reference is based on the idea of gradual democratization and the role of parties in it.