Following the Arab uprisings last decade, Islamists appeared set to dominate politics in many parts of the region. Electoral and military defeats since then have raised questions about Islamism’s long-term durability and, more broadly, about the role of Islam in politics. Academics have typically approached these questions through the study of individual Islamist movements. However, this focus on individual movements has struggled to shed light on more diverse fields of political actors in which religious concepts can play a dynamic role in politics, including amongst actors with no explicit Islamic leaning.
My PhD research investigates the significance of religious ideas and values across different socio-political lines. It explores arenas in which Islamic values have been contested and proposes a new framework in which Islamic concepts provide the lens through which to explore the role of religion in politics.
