Is political Islam replacing Arab dictators?

ALJ azeera english Inside Story

With a victory for Islamist parties in Tunisia and Morocco, is political Islam now spreading across North Africa? Inside Story Last Modified: 01 Dec 2011 12:59 inShare12

The Arab revolution spread accross the Arab world as the population demanded political change. But in Morocco protesters did not bring down the government. The Moroccan monarch quickly responded to their demands by amending the constitution, giving parliament and the prime minister more powers, and calling for early elections, which were held last week. It resulted in a resounding victory for the Islamist Justice and Development party. And now, its leader Abdelilah Benkiran has become prime minister, a post that had nothing to do with democracy previously. In the past, the king chose whomever he wanted to head the government regardless of the will of the country's 33 million people. With the victory for the Islamists in Tunisia and the Muslim Brotherhood expected to gain political clout in Egypt, is the Arab world about to become home to political Islam? And can these parties bring an alternative to corruption and dictatorship? Inside Story, with presenter James Bays, discusses with guests: Mustapha Khalfi, a member of the leadership of the Justice and Development Party; Miguel Rozas, a political analyst; and Barbara Zollner, a lecturer in Islamic Studies at Birbeck College, University of London.

Source: Al Jazeera

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