Between Democracy and Islam: The Rise of Islamists’ Political Awareness in Jordan Between 2011 to 2024 and Its Effects on Religious, National, and Political Identities

This article traces the strengthening of Muslim movements in Jordan, emphasizing the period that marked the beginning of the regional upheaval (2011). It aims to examine whether and how this strengthening affected religious, national, and political identities. The article examines the interrelations...

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Main Authors: Yael Keinan-Cohen, Gadi Hitman, Elad Ben-Dror
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: MDPI AG 2025-03-01
Series:Religions
Subjects:
Online Access:https://www.mdpi.com/2077-1444/16/3/388
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author Yael Keinan-Cohen
Gadi Hitman
Elad Ben-Dror
author_facet Yael Keinan-Cohen
Gadi Hitman
Elad Ben-Dror
author_sort Yael Keinan-Cohen
collection DOAJ
description This article traces the strengthening of Muslim movements in Jordan, emphasizing the period that marked the beginning of the regional upheaval (2011). It aims to examine whether and how this strengthening affected religious, national, and political identities. The article examines the interrelationships between the Hashemite regime and the Salafi movements in Jordan during and after the Arab Spring. This examination shows that there was a deterioration, aggravation, and erosion in these relations, on the one hand, and, on the other hand, also an understanding on the part of the regime that despite this the Salafis are interested in taking part in the Jordanian political game. In this discourse between the Salafi movements and the regime, we will also examine whether the movements sought to change the regime’s nature and, thus, the nature of society in Jordan from a Hashemite national identity to a Salafi identity. The article is based on secondary and primary sources that unfold a fascinating picture of dialectics and dialog between the ideological extremes of democracy and Islam. The main findings are that these processes, during and after the Arab Spring, tend to contain religious groups that will also participate in politics, out of recognition of the supremacy of the law of the state, which is not necessarily religious.
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spelling doaj-art-2fb0a9c8fbdd42a0893848aab6565efe2025-08-20T03:43:51ZengMDPI AGReligions2077-14442025-03-0116338810.3390/rel16030388Between Democracy and Islam: The Rise of Islamists’ Political Awareness in Jordan Between 2011 to 2024 and Its Effects on Religious, National, and Political IdentitiesYael Keinan-Cohen0Gadi Hitman1Elad Ben-Dror2Department of Middle Eastern Studies & Political Science, Ariel University, Ariel 4070000, IsraelDepartment of Middle Eastern Studies & Political Science, Ariel University, Ariel 4070000, IsraelDepartment of Middle Eastern Studies, Bar Ilan University, Ramat Gan 5290002, IsraelThis article traces the strengthening of Muslim movements in Jordan, emphasizing the period that marked the beginning of the regional upheaval (2011). It aims to examine whether and how this strengthening affected religious, national, and political identities. The article examines the interrelationships between the Hashemite regime and the Salafi movements in Jordan during and after the Arab Spring. This examination shows that there was a deterioration, aggravation, and erosion in these relations, on the one hand, and, on the other hand, also an understanding on the part of the regime that despite this the Salafis are interested in taking part in the Jordanian political game. In this discourse between the Salafi movements and the regime, we will also examine whether the movements sought to change the regime’s nature and, thus, the nature of society in Jordan from a Hashemite national identity to a Salafi identity. The article is based on secondary and primary sources that unfold a fascinating picture of dialectics and dialog between the ideological extremes of democracy and Islam. The main findings are that these processes, during and after the Arab Spring, tend to contain religious groups that will also participate in politics, out of recognition of the supremacy of the law of the state, which is not necessarily religious.https://www.mdpi.com/2077-1444/16/3/388Jordanian identitySalafismMuslim BrotherhooddemocratizationArab Springreligious identity
spellingShingle Yael Keinan-Cohen
Gadi Hitman
Elad Ben-Dror
Between Democracy and Islam: The Rise of Islamists’ Political Awareness in Jordan Between 2011 to 2024 and Its Effects on Religious, National, and Political Identities
Religions
Jordanian identity
Salafism
Muslim Brotherhood
democratization
Arab Spring
religious identity
title Between Democracy and Islam: The Rise of Islamists’ Political Awareness in Jordan Between 2011 to 2024 and Its Effects on Religious, National, and Political Identities
title_full Between Democracy and Islam: The Rise of Islamists’ Political Awareness in Jordan Between 2011 to 2024 and Its Effects on Religious, National, and Political Identities
title_fullStr Between Democracy and Islam: The Rise of Islamists’ Political Awareness in Jordan Between 2011 to 2024 and Its Effects on Religious, National, and Political Identities
title_full_unstemmed Between Democracy and Islam: The Rise of Islamists’ Political Awareness in Jordan Between 2011 to 2024 and Its Effects on Religious, National, and Political Identities
title_short Between Democracy and Islam: The Rise of Islamists’ Political Awareness in Jordan Between 2011 to 2024 and Its Effects on Religious, National, and Political Identities
title_sort between democracy and islam the rise of islamists political awareness in jordan between 2011 to 2024 and its effects on religious national and political identities
topic Jordanian identity
Salafism
Muslim Brotherhood
democratization
Arab Spring
religious identity
url https://www.mdpi.com/2077-1444/16/3/388
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AT gadihitman betweendemocracyandislamtheriseofislamistspoliticalawarenessinjordanbetween2011to2024anditseffectsonreligiousnationalandpoliticalidentities
AT eladbendror betweendemocracyandislamtheriseofislamistspoliticalawarenessinjordanbetween2011to2024anditseffectsonreligiousnationalandpoliticalidentities