Doctoral Dissertation Research in Political Science: The Dynamics of Radicalization and De-radicalization in Egypt and Indonesia

Syracuse University, Syracuse NY

Investigators

Abstract

This project seeks to understand the dynamics of radicalization and de-radicalization of Islamist movements, and to offer a nuanced analysis that can answer why violence is legitimized in some contexts and denounced or abandoned in others. The central question that drives this study is: why do some Islamist opposition groups remain non-violent, whereas others adopt violence when confronted with similar pressures? This question will be answered by analyzing four groups: the Muslim Brotherhood (Egypt), the Gama'a Islamiyya (Egypt), the Nahdlatul Ulama (Indonesia) and the Jama'a Islamiyya (Indonesia). The Egyptian Muslim Brotherhood and the Nahdlatul Ulama are both crucial cases to examine in-depth on their on terms, and excellent cases for a structured focused comparison of why Islamist groups react differently in response to similar state and international constraints. The Egyptian Gama'a Islamiyya and the Indonesian Jama'a offer relevant comparisons to their national counterparts and to each other, facilitating a better understanding of why groups adopt different strategies in the same national context, and why some processes of de-radicalization succeed whereas others fail. Building upon work already conducted, this project will pursue archival research in Cairo and Jakarta and individual interviews with experts and members of the Islamist groups. These sources can provide essential yet otherwise unavailable information about organizational decision-making processes and governmental policies towards Islamist groups. These pieces of data are necessary in order to accurately trace the process of organizational change and examine how domestic, international and organizational factors interact to spur the adoption of either violent or non-violent strategies. The intellectual merit of the project is connected with its deep assessment of Islamist groups through a direct investigation of four important groups. The research will provide the first systematic cross-regional analysis of both radicalization and de-radicalization of Islamist groups. Methodologically, this study will bring a unique contribution to the study of Islamist movements by combining process-tracing and structured focused comparisons to explore not only why particular tactics are adopted, but also why the outcomes we expect don't always occur. This project will also open new lines of inquiry in the field of terrorism studies, by shifting the focus away from solely examining violent outcomes and offering new ways to examine the causes of organizational, tactical, and ideological change. The project's broader impacts are especially connected to its importance for policy-makers. As an increasing number of Islamist groups are vying for power in the Muslim world, understanding what factors influence their choice of strategies and why their beliefs change is crucial for both American foreign policy in general and for devising policies that promote nonviolence in particular. The project will offer a more in-depth understanding of Islamist groups as both religious and strategic actors, and will contribute towards a better understanding of political Islam in its various manifestations.