New Wave of Islamism in the Arab World

Following the recent popular movements in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA)، many theorists believe that this wave is the continuation of the waves of democracy proposed by Samuel Huntington. He divided the democratic transitions in three waves، from 1820 to the present، to suggest that most parts of the world would be affected by these waves. Accordingly some seek to analyze the developments of the region in this context. However، Islamic Awakening proposes a different framework for understanding these developments. Explaining the significant role of religious trends in the Arab World under the theory of Waves of Islamism، the present article gives a critical analysis of Huntington´s views analyzing the situation of the Arab World. The main question in this research is: Can the movements of the region be considered as a new wave of democracy? Findings of researchers suggest that the above developments can be best understood and analyzed based on the theory of religious democracy rather than waves of democracy for the following reasons: the determining role of the Islamic Revolution of Iran، the background of Islamism and religious trends in the region، the expansion of democratic demands، and political awareness and fighting against tyranny. This is what the authors have termed it as the new wave of Islamism.