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Democracy & Reform

Policy Analysis on Democracy & Reform

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Articles & Testimony
Fueling the Islamic State's Engine
What makes someone become a violent Salafi rather than a non-violent Salafi depends on how they answer a basic question -- what makes someone Muslim?
May 5, 2016
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  • Jacob Olidort
Fikra Forum
Fikra Forum
Defining a New Italian Role in Libya and Africa
Half a decade after the 2011 Libyan uprising, the Libyan Eastern Army is fighting against Islamist militants in Benghazi while a unified interim government in Tripoli, guided by Fayez Sarraj and sponsored by the United Nations (UN), is attempting restore order according to the Libyan political agreement of last December
Apr 28, 2016
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  • Maurizio Geri
Articles & Testimony
The Caliphate as Geopolitical Challenge
Until ISIS declared its so-called caliphate in 2014, this Islamic theological term barely raised flags for the West.
Apr 28, 2016
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  • Jacob Olidort
Brief Analysis
Inside Iran's Runoff Election
A detailed look at what happened in the first round of this year's parliamentary elections and how it might affect round two.
Apr 25, 2016
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  • Patrick Schmidt
Articles & Testimony
Flipping the Script on ISIS
To curb the power of Salafi ideas, the West must help Middle Eastern countries rebuild even as they fight ISIS, so that the group's destructive, exploitative project is perceived for what it is.
Apr 18, 2016
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  • Jacob Olidort
Articles & Testimony
The French Disconnection: Francophone Countries and Radicalization
A recent article on the Francophone origins of foreign jihadists fighting in Syria shows a surprisingly shallow understanding of the French-speaking world.
Apr 12, 2016
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  • Olivier Decottignies
Articles & Testimony
The Islamic State, Extremism, and the Spread of Transnational Terrorism
For many at-risk Muslims in Europe, the Islamic State provided the opportunity to be a part of building something exciting, and local authorities are now dealing with the consequences of this recruitment wave.
Apr 12, 2016
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  • Matthew Levitt
Fikra Forum
Fikra Forum
The Alawites in Syrian Society: Loud Silence in a Declaration of Identity Reform
April 11, 2016 The “Declaration” presumably issued by Alawite notables and broadly covered by international media is a historic statement, irrespective of its political implications. While it commands international engagement, both to highlight its positive aspects and to invite its authors to expand on the less positive, it particularly ought
Apr 11, 2016
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  • Hassan Mneimneh
Fikra Forum
Fikra Forum
The Egyptian Police, Between Innocence and Guilt in the Regeni Case
April 8, 2016 On the afternoon of this past January 24th, while Egypt was preparing for the fifth anniversary of the January 25 Revolution, the young Italian academic researcher Giulio Regeni disappeared in the middle of Cairo. His body turned up several days later, tossed near a security outpost on
Apr 8, 2016
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  • Ahmad Al-Sawy
Brief Analysis
Amman's Showdown with the Muslim Brotherhood
By continuing to pressure the old-guard Brotherhood and cultivating more friendly Islamist factions, the palace seems intent on pursuing an ambitious counterradicalization strategy, but it still hopes to avoid a major confrontation.
Apr 6, 2016
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  • David Schenker
Articles & Testimony
Iraq: Are Shia Leaders Ready for Sectarian Healing?
Recent trips to Iraq indicate that the struggle against the Islamic State has rekindled the possibility of sectarian cooperation.
Apr 5, 2016
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  • Michael Knights
Brief Analysis
Iran Locks Itself Out of the International Financial System While Blaming Washington
Out-of-date Iranian banking practices and rank deception have made international banks leery of risking their reputations.
Apr 5, 2016
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  • Patrick Clawson
Articles & Testimony
Rethinking How We Rethink Political Islam
Policymakers and scholars need to tread carefully when describing how Islamist groups relate to and influence one another in their ambitions and priorities.
Mar 31, 2016
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  • Jacob Olidort
Video
Brief Analysis
Terror in Europe: Combating Foreign Fighters and Homegrown Networks
Current and former officials from the United States and Europe examine next steps for counterterrorism efforts after the Brussels attacks.
Mar 31, 2016
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  • Matthew Levitt
  • Olivier Decottignies
  • Eric Rosand
◆ Counterterrorism Lecture Series
Egyptian president Sisi speaks
Articles & Testimony
Strong Team Faces High Hurdles
Given the risks associated with further economic reform, Egypt's appointment of new and highly qualified cabinet ministers will not necessarily result in new policies.
Mar 30, 2016
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  • Eric Trager
Articles & Testimony
Theology in Foreign Policy: ISIS in Context
An exclusively hard-power approach to stopping ISIS could embolden its followers, while soft power alone is no match for the group's theological pull, so the U.S. government will need to look more closely at how its strategies are interpreted abroad.
Mar 29, 2016
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  • Jacob Olidort
Articles & Testimony
Is Turkey Coming in from the Cold in Europe?
Ankara may have scaled back its grand ambitions in the Middle East, but is the EU ready to hold its nose in dealing with Erdogan's authoritarian administration?
Mar 28, 2016
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  • Soner Cagaptay
Articles & Testimony
My Journey Through Brussels' Terrorist Safe Haven
Police and prevention officers in the Islamist hotbed of Molenbeek are eager to step up their counterradicalization efforts, but they are running short on resources and time.
Mar 27, 2016
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  • Matthew Levitt
Brief Analysis
Egypt Renews Its Crackdown on NGOs
By once again targeting foreign-funded NGOs, Sisi's government is reactivating the cycle of recriminations that nearly torpedoed the U.S.-Egypt relationship four years ago.
Mar 24, 2016
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  • Eric Trager
Brief Analysis
Anomalies in Iran's Assembly of Experts Election
Seemingly inflated vote totals and jumbled candidate lists raise questions about the transparency of the government's official election results and turnout estimates.
Mar 22, 2016
◆
  • Patrick Schmidt

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Supported by the

Project Fikra: Defeating Extremism through the Power of Ideas

Fikra n. [Arabic] "Idea"

The Washington Institute's Project Fikra is a multiyear program of research, publication, and network-building designed to generate policy ideas for promoting positive change and countering the spread of extremism in the Middle East.

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Featured experts

Catherine Cleveland
Catherine Cleveland
Catherine Cleveland is The Washington Institute's Croft-Wagner Family Senior Fellow and managing editor of Fikra Forum.
Ben Fishman
Ben Fishman
Ben Fishman is the Susan and Leonard Feinstein Senior Fellow in the Linda and Tony Rubin Program on Arab Politics at The Washington Institute, where he focuses on North Africa.
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