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11/1/1994 - The Islamist: My Past Six Months by Katherine L. Roth

NOT FOR PUBLICATION KLR WlTHOt I WRITER SCONSENT INSTITUTEOFCURRENTWORLDAFFAIRS Katherine Roth San Yemen November Peter Bird Martin Institute ofCurrent World Affairs WestWheeiock Street Hanover NH03755 USA The islamists Mv Dear Peter The months pivotal Yemen region whole there arestrongsignsthatthecomingmonths determineeconomic socialand political relationshipsinthisregionformanyyearstocome Thishas beenthemostproductive andenlighteningphaseofmyfellowshipthusfarand Ifeelextremelyfortunatetobe experienceing events first KatherineRoth isaFellowoftheInstitute writing about tradition modernity Arab World Since Institute Current World Affairs Crane Rogers Foundation provided fellowships enable outstandingyoungadultstolive outsidetheUnitedStatesandwriteaboutinternationalareasandissues Endowed bythelateCharlesR Crane theInstituteisalsosu pportedbycontibuti0nsfromlike mindedindividualsand foundations Recognitionofthe stateofIsraelbyJordanhasprovidedanewalternativeforchange andmodernizationintheregionandatoughchallengeto Islamists whohavelong focussedtheirenergiesagainsttheJewishstate Althoughanyrealpeacewiththe Jewish stateremainsalongwayoff there isnoturningbackwthregard tothegrinding peaceprocess ThecontroversialmovestowardpeacewithIsraelhavegonealongway toward shiftingthe conflictherefroman Israeli Arabdispute towhat willlikelyprovea decisive Arab Arab struggle The Palestinianpeace treatywith Israelwas startingpoint foranewemin regionandhasmsultedin thethawingoftheborders limitsandconcepts thathave definedtheArabworldforcenturies Inresponsetothesemoves allpolitical socialand religiouspowersin thispartoftheworldhaveintensified theirstrugglesforspaceonthe newregionalmapnowbeingdrawn Cairo AmmanandJerusalem The clearestexamplesofthis turningpointare theJordan Israelpeacedealandthe recent Casablanca confere AspartoftheJordan Israelpeace IsraelpromisedJordan aspecialrole inJerusalem threateningPalestinianhopesformakingJerusalemthe capitalofamodemindependent Palestine TheJordanian PalestinianconflictwasmadepublicwhentheMufti JerusalemdiedandKingHusseinandYasserArafateachassignedadifferent Mufti Jerusalem Thecontroversialconceptofthe MiddleEastmarket firstproposedbytheIsraeli ForeignMinisterinhisbookANewMiddle E twasfinallydiscussedatarecent conferenceattendedbyover60countriesandsome influentialbusinessmen indudngArabs Jews others thejntematonalcommunty The hstofic conferencewassponsoredbytheU andRussiaandwshotedbyMorocco The purposeoftheCasablancameetingwastodiscusstheshapeand rulesofthenewmarket being formed treaties Israel The meeting resulted decision start international capital 9billion basednCairo develop region foundation nformation centerin Casablanca encourage cooperation development thenewmarket Another meeting continue begun Casablanca isscheduledtobeheldinJordanin Muslim activists already critical position their respective fights against existing Arabregimesintheregion arealreadymovingtheii fullfocusfromIsraeltotheregimes theyfeelhavebetrayedthem AsaleaderofthePalestnanJhadrecentlytoldmein Khartoum The frontline shifting TheMuslimBrotherhoodinJordanreiectedthe peacetreatywithIsraelandhasthreatenedtoresignfromparliament Muslimactivist groups across region reiected Casablanca conference 1OfficialMuslim leader 2TheonlyArabnations thatdidnotparticipatewereIraq Iya Sudan Syriaand Lebanon Further complicating changingpowerbalance created byimproved relations between Arab governments Israel crucial events occurred Arabian peninsula strong impact strength Islamist movement Lastmonth SaudiArabiaexperienced popular riots ofthousands ofSaudis against Sa udregime Thesewerethebiggestofpopularuprisingsinthenation scontemporary history3 occurred timewhen thenewgeneration ofSaudiWahabi Islamists4 accusedofcausingtheriotsS areenioyingthestrongsupportofyoungMuslim activists Algeria toYemen AtSaudi sbackdoorthewarinYemen perhapsthe firsttraditional styleinternalwar betweenIslamist andsecularforcesinthemodernArabworld hasgivenwaytowhat effectthebeginningofamodem Islamic state WatchingYementransformduringand afterthewarhasbeen invaluableinbetter understandingtheconfigurationoftheIslamistmovement asawhole crucialpoint inhistory Islah Reform themainIslamistpartyinYemen nowholdsnearlyathirdof thecountry sparliamentaryseatsandafullthirdofthetopministerialposts Inaddition IslamistswithintherulingPeoples GeneralCongressParthaverisen inpowerand salafi 7Islamists associatedwiththeJihadmovementhavebecomeanimportantpart ofthesecurityforcesinandaroundAden Intheexpansiveeasternregionof Hadramaut thesilentthirdsideofthewarhe traditional Islamicpowerstructure 3hthe1970s oilworkersintheeastern mostlyshiite proxmcewentonstrikeandrioted 4Saudilegithnacyisbasedonapactmadebetween literalistreligiousscholarSheikhMohamedWahaband tribal leaderSheikhMohamedibll Saudhi theeighteenth centtWwherebyWahabwas toprovide religious directionandSaudwasnilepoliticallyhaccordancewithIslamiclaw ThenewgenerationofWaliabis which becamewiddyhlfluentialdurhigtheGulfwar believes thatwith itsconthmedcomiptionandunvdllhignessto reform theSaudregimehasin effectbrokenthepactandsoissomehowillegitimate 5andwidelysuspected offimdhg Islamicmovements throughout theregion 6rheseIslamistsareideologicallyabouthlhewiththeMuslhnBrotherhood Theyaremembersofthe MuslimBrotherhoodwhodecidedtojoinupwith tilemlhgGPCandchangethesystemfromwithhas opposedtoremainingopponentsofthegovernment ForthistheywereexpelledfromtheofficialMuslhn Brotherhood organization although theyremahon rdativelyfriendlytermswith theMuslim Brotherhood 7Themodemsalafi authen sdoolofIslamicthoughtbeganhthelate70sandearly80sandisclosely associatedwith SaudiWahabiideology Forsalafis whotendtobeliteralist anduncompromisingh approach IslamichistorystopsafterthefourthCaliphate InmostpartsoftheArabworldtheyrefuseto participateingovernmentbecametheyseeitasanhfidelhvention SalafhYemen forexample commonlyrefertodeparliament Assemblyofhfidels Alflough salafimovemeathasonly recentlybegun inYemen wherethemoremoderateMuslhn Brotherhood continues todominate Islamist fliought midhasonlyasmallfollowhig filevastmajorityofAlgerian youflisproudlyrefertofliemselvesas salafi SalafisdespefileMuslhnBrotherhoodandarehiconstmltoppositiontofileIslamistpartyhere which isnowsemi officiallyrunbytheMuslhn Brotherhood salafisbecame apart ofthesecurityranks afterthewarbecause oftheirimportantrole inbeatingthe Socialistseparatistforces The2ndBrigade whichwasbasedtothenortheastofAden ledbySalafiswho hadfoughtinAfghanistan Incidentally thecommanderofthatBrigade wasAliMohsen oneofe President brothers midamanwidelybelieved thenumbertwoman country dominatedbyfamilies descendedfrom ProphetMohamedis experiencing renaissance ThepowerstrugglethereisnolongerbetweenoldstyleIslamistsand Sodsts butbetweenoldstyle IslamistsandtheIslah party referredtonHadramaut Republican Islam Becauseofstrongregional identitiesandoverriding tribal loyalties tomention deepdivisionsbetween traditionalZaydis nostalgicoftheImamate whichbrought cohesionbetweendifferent tribesandminkrnzed corruption Islah membersseen alien because oftheir links NaidiWahabismand Turabi Muslim Brotherhood ideology Yemen riskbecoming anything another Iran Nowhereintheregionisthedialoguebetwee Islamists asopenandasrich currentlyisinYemen ploringthisnew ealthl Islamist oguehasbeen invaluable coming betterunderstandingofthe dynamicsofthe Islamist movement theArab world although movement somewhat distinctive I veexploredelsewhere Oneofthemoststrikingthings I velearnedfromtheunique simationhere differencesinIslamistideologyrundeeperthat previously imagined Whereas Islamistsare easilygroupedtogetherwhenheyhaveaCommonenemyandappearasa commonconservativeblock without thisbindingenemyideologcalhatredsquickly cometosurface InthecaseofEgypt example anyobserversarguethatextremiSt groups liketheIslamicGroupandtheJihadlormthearmedwing ofthebannedbut toleratedMuslimBrotherhood lilethis maybesomewhattruewhendifferent ideological groups acommonenem inhecase ofYemen alliances broke downassoonasthatcommonenemywas SalafisinYemen whohelpedthe MuslimBrotherhood influencedgovernmentwin thewaragainstSoCialist separatists stillrefuse topartiCipate intheregimeand sayiftheywereforcedtojoinoneofthetwo leadingpartiestheywouldsignupwiththeGPC againsttheMuslimBrotherhood Islah party 9Becausemostofthe laidbelonged these families priorto So cialist privatization thathascome alongwithSan svictorymeansthesefamilieshaverenewedwealth Theyarealsoinastrongposition becausetheyare traditional local leaders atatimewhen manyHadramies althoughdeyaregladde Sodalists aregone flmyfearwhatdmyconsider miOccupation bystrangersfromdenordl 10TheIslamistmovementYemenisdistinctiveintwomainaspects It isatop downmoreflanabottom upsortofamovement IncountrieslikeAlgeriaandEgypt themovementwasfirstsocialandonlylater becameapartofthepoliticallandscape InYemen however thesocialpartofthemovementhasonlybegun ineamestinthepastyearortwo ThemainIslamistpartywasfoundedfouryearsago Themovementin YemenisnotreactingtoWesterninfluence WhereasIslamistsincountrieslikeAlgeriaandEgyptarereacting toEuropean influenceswhich appearto contradict Islam YemeniIslmnists arerespondingmoretothe weakeningofthetraditionaltribalstructureinfilefaceofanincreasinglymodemsocialstructure Itisno accident dieleaderofthe Islah partyisa tribal Sheikh almosttwentypercentoftheExecutive Committeeofthepartyconsistsofthesonsoftriballeaders LeadersofdieJihadmovementin fileSouthare alsopredominandythesonsoftribalsheikhs Keeping these sharp ideological differences important lesson experiencingthistransitiontimeinYemenhastaughtme thatsegmentsoftheIslamist reformmovementmaybetheonlyoneswhocan effectivelycombatIslamist terrorism WithinthelasteightmonthsYemenandSudan bothexperiencedtheirfirstinternal Islamist terrorist bynationals against regimes level Islamist participation In Sudan Islamists entered capital important Salafi mosque andopenedtim killingoveradozenworshippers InYemenMuslim activistsinAden accused ofblowingup Sufi influencedmosque desecrating tombs another Sufi mosque While incidents Egypt Algeriaand elsewhere marked beginningofacontinuingspateofviolence thelargelyIslamistregimesofSudanand Yemen seemed problem effectively K hartoum Islamist violence since February incident there violent Islamist incidents inYemensince thissummer smosquebombing TheYemenisolutiontotheproblemwasespeciallyinteresting Inresponsetothe attacks theregimedidnot jailthosesuspectedofthecrime membersoftheJihad movement Instead thesetopsuspectswereamongthoseputonacommitteeto investigatethe terroristincidentsandwere called toparticipatenttelawenforcement process MuchtightersecuritywasprovidedforSufimosques inAdenandsomepublic celebrationsofmysticalIslam suchas traditionalpilgrimages tosaintstombsin Hadramaut whilemoreattentionwasalsopaidtotheconcernsoforthodoxMuslims whowereencouragedtopursuetheircomplaintsthroughlegalchannels Noan weremadeasaresultoftheAdenattacks3 AlthoughtheSufisofAdencontinueto practice their beliefs other terrorist attacks camed against Arafat cannot violence byHamas asegment ofHamas expressed willingness tonegotiatewithIsrael Ifthetrackre cordsofYemenandSudanareareanyindication theseIslamistsmaybetheonlypeoplewhoCAN stoptheviolenceand itisessential thatwebetterunderstand theirplaceon theideologicalmapoftheArabIslamist movement Unprecedented changes underwayin region thing seems remain bloodshed The violence Arab world Islamic 11Inmid October accompaniedaddegationofleadingYemeniIslamiststoKhartoum thecapitalofthe IslamicStateofSudan where discussedthemeaningoftheIslamicmovementwifliHassanTurabi creator ofthe Sudan sbrand ofIslamism Saddek EI Mehdi anopponent ofTurabi whosegrandfaflier founded first everIslamic state Sudan priorto British midanumberofIslamist intellectuals Khartoum leading Islamic think 12Aselsewhereintheregion salafisinSudanopposethegovemmentthatrolestheircountry Thefactthat theirs isanIslamicregimedoesnotseemtomakemuchdifference Thedifferenceisinhowtheyaredealt bytheregime 13Although there reports thatt hesecularist militia ofAli NasserMohamedexpelledyoung Salaf police station thedayaftertheincidentandheldthemprisonerforashort period reformists avoiding regional changebyreaching theArabmasses14 byArab regmesescapngtheirdomesticturmoilbyreachingout toIsrael isescalating Thesearedecisivetimesand itseemsclearthat Islamistideologicaldifferencesrun determinehowvariousimams groups offollowers different situationsand Islamistsmaybetheyonly oneswhocanstopIslamistterrorism When Ibeganthis Islamicjourney ayearago Irealizenowthat Icommittedafault manyobserverscontinuetomakeinlumping Islamists inthesamecategory DifferencesbetweenIslamistsareinfactsodeepthat itwouldbepossibletodrawasort ofideologicalmap IslamistmovementIhavewatched evolve Arab world Had I known difference between Sumfi Salafis Salafis I attendingthemosqueofSheikhAbdel MalekintheAlgierssuburbofHydra example Iwouldh aveunderstoodwhytheI slamistfamily Iknew bestinAlgiersand which livedbytheteachingsofAbdel Malek wasnevertempted tojoinviolentgroups suchastheArmedIslamic movement IfdiplomatsberninYemenhadanideological mapoftheregiontheymightknow thattheSalafi instituteneartheSaudiborderwith YemenattendedbythrongsofenthusiasticyoungAlgerians Egyptians Yemenisand otherArabs isnotaterroristtrainingcampbntananti Sururischoolinwhichyoung Islamistsweretaught thepropercriteriaforiihadandthefalacyofviolentgroups theEgyptianJihadand islamic Group If anideologicalmapexisted outsiderscould betterunderstandwhythe Algerian Hamas andYemeni Islah organizations enthusiastic participating government Other Islamist groups Ideological borders arejust important national Such indispensable ideologicalmapdoesnOtyetexist however andmostpeoplecontinuetogroup Islamists together terrorists price ofthis generalization grows higher The various ideological branches ofthemodemIslamistmove traced whentheEgyptianMuslimBrotherhoodswasfounded tothepresentWahabi ishnportant torememberthat asArabgovernments signonwith Israel theymaybelosing remindersofsupporttheyenjoyedfrommanyoftheircitizens Arabsaretiredoffleirlargelyinefficient govemments formanythepeace dealswifl Israel finalproofthat theyhavebeen abandonedbytheir leaders Reformmovements bothsecularandIslamic aresweepingtheregion Wlfilethelanguageandactionsofflesecularistshwafiablyfailtowhpopularsupport however symbolic languageofIslam continues prevail hsituationswherethe literacyrate islowand themost easily understoodsigns ofintdligenceand education ClassicalArabicpronunciationand literaryallusion topoets oftheMiddleAges thoseeducatedhfleQor anhaveadisthctadvmtagehpublicrdations Whereagl ofupperclasswomendrivinghaSaudiparkinglotfailed tomobilizethemasses younghnamscrisply enunciathgtheClassicalArabicvowelsofthelanguageofGod aremakinghistoryhtheArabworld Itisth eageofdomestic reformhereandifterroristssucceeditisnotbecausefleyarepopular becauseArabs arenolongerwillhg todefend thegovernmentswhich fleynolongerperceive representative TheIslamistsArabsvoteforwhengiven thechance aretheveryIslamistsmostabletostop theviolence 15nowan intemationalMuslim sectmorethan organization perse KLR revival Therearealsoimportantnon politicalsegmentsofthemovementsuchasthe Jama aTabligh which isthedoortotheIslamicreformmovementformanyArabyouths Althoughtheconceptseems straight forward suchamapofthemovementdoesnotyet exist andwould invaluable forunderstanding copingwith these pivotal times Fornow though IheadforJordan thelaststoponmy Islamicjourney witha renewed consciousness ofthe depth andvariety ofthe Islamicmovement knowledge thatas Iendmyjourneyandrecommencemyprofessional lifeasajournalist IcannolongerapproachIslamists orfundamentalistsastheyarestilloftencalled homogenous ideological block Times changed omuch Assalamuqlaykumwa rabmatAllah barakam Received Hanover