Abstract
This work undertakes a comparative study of the Islamic revival movements in Tunisia and Morocco since the 1970s. The thesis of this dissertation is that Islamic revivalism is a response to the state's relegation of Islam to a subordinate social position and to the perceived inadequacy of secular-oriented models of development in addressing the problems of society. The Islamic movements, with their deeply-held convictions rooted in the cultural and historical matrix of Tunisia and Morocco, thus express political protest, challenge the legitimacy of the regime, and seek to reconstruct the religio-political base of society in response to the secular policies of the Westernized elite.
The study applies a historical-cultural approach as well as social movement analysis to provide a comparative analysis of the Islamic movements in Tunisia and Morocco. The historical-cultural approach traces the causes and evolution of the Islamic revival movements. Social movement analysis provides the necessary tools of analysis to assess the nature of the revivalist trend in Tunisia and Morocco. The sources compiled in the course of field research in Morocco, Tunisia, and France are comprised of personal interviews with government officials as well as leaders of various Islamic movements; extensive primary Arabic sources — the writings of Islamic thinkers such as Rashed al-Ghannoushi, Abdel Salam Yassin, and Abdel Karim Mouti’; official documents — the speeches of Habib Bourguiba, King Hassan II; and various books and publications in Arabic, French, and English.
Several conclusions are drawn. First, the Islamic movements are social protest/reform movements and not simply religious organizations. Second, members of the Islamic movements unanimously oppose the secularization process taking place in Tunisia and Morocco. Third, the leaders of these movements attempt to formulate an ideology of change in order to bring about the restoration of Islamic values in society. Fourth, due to the totality of their ideology and the nature of their message, the Islamic movements draw supporters from all social classes rather than from one particular class. Finally, the members of these movements are gradualist in orientation, not radical.
The study applies a historical-cultural approach as well as social movement analysis to provide a comparative analysis of the Islamic movements in Tunisia and Morocco. The historical-cultural approach traces the causes and evolution of the Islamic revival movements. Social movement analysis provides the necessary tools of analysis to assess the nature of the revivalist trend in Tunisia and Morocco. The sources compiled in the course of field research in Morocco, Tunisia, and France are comprised of personal interviews with government officials as well as leaders of various Islamic movements; extensive primary Arabic sources — the writings of Islamic thinkers such as Rashed al-Ghannoushi, Abdel Salam Yassin, and Abdel Karim Mouti’; official documents — the speeches of Habib Bourguiba, King Hassan II; and various books and publications in Arabic, French, and English.
Several conclusions are drawn. First, the Islamic movements are social protest/reform movements and not simply religious organizations. Second, members of the Islamic movements unanimously oppose the secularization process taking place in Tunisia and Morocco. Third, the leaders of these movements attempt to formulate an ideology of change in order to bring about the restoration of Islamic values in society. Fourth, due to the totality of their ideology and the nature of their message, the Islamic movements draw supporters from all social classes rather than from one particular class. Finally, the members of these movements are gradualist in orientation, not radical.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Publication status | Published - 1990 |
| Externally published | Yes |