The Politics of Islam: The Muslim Brothers and the State in the Arab Gulf

The book explores the development of state-Muslim Brotherhood relations since the 1950s in 5 Gulf States, tracing the variation in attitudes and approaches towards the organization. It argues that this disparity is at the root of the ongoing Gulf crisis that erupted in June 2017.

Format: Paperback / softback
Length: 256 pages
Publication date: 19 May 2023
Publisher: Edinburgh University Press

Compares state Muslim Brotherhood relations across Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab EmiratesTraces the development of state-Muslim Brotherhood relations since the 1950s in 5 Gulf StatesProvides a detailed account of the Muslim Brotherhood's internal dynamics that have characterised the organisation's evolution in the last 70 yearsExamines how Gulf States have incorporated religion in building their educational and justice systemsIn this book, Birol Ba?kan explains the variation in attitudes and approaches towards the Muslim Brotherhood across 5 Gulf States a disparity that he argues is at the root of the ongoing Gulf crisis that erupted in June 2017.The Muslim Brotherhood the oldest, largest and most influential religious movement in the Muslim world has often faced repression, most notably in its home country of Egypt. In the 1950s and 1960s, the Gulf States offered Brothers fleeing persecution a safe haven. However, this friendly reception has become increasingly hostile in the 21st century. Following a crackdown on the Muslim Brotherhood in Egypt in the summer of 2013, many Gulf States followed suit, with Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates both declaring the movement as terrorist in 2014. By contrast, Qatar has continuously offered a positive reception to the Muslim Brothers.

Dimension: 234 x 156 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781474490252