Islamic Activism and Democratization in the Middle East and North Africa

Political Science; European Union

Background to the conference: the WRR-report on Islamic activism. In recent years violent Islamic activism has unleashed a perilous process of action, reaction, and confrontation. Not only international relations, but also relations between population groups within states are under great pressure. Fear of Islam has also increased in Europe along with mistrust between Muslims and non-Muslims. Opinion leaders, politicians, and citizens render harsh judgments regarding ‘Islam’, which is often considered incompatible with core values like democracy and human rights.