Ideological Shifts in the Modern Middle East: The Quest for Liberation

Muhammad Amasha, Yale University

In 2019, on the anniversary of Egypt's 2011 January Revolution, Al Jazeera Arabic aired "In Seven Years," a documentary tracing the radical ideological shifts of young Egyptian activists after the Arab Spring. Some joined Islamist militant groups, while others abandoned Islam altogether. Though these transformations are discussed in academic literature—whether as radicalization, depoliticization, or secularization—they are often treated in isolation (Amasha 2024; Amin 2021; Drevon 2016; Hendawy 2022; Allam 2022; van Nieuwkerk 2021). A 2024 Al Jazeera report highlighted a similar phenomenon: Arabs who, following October 7, shifted from irreligiosity to deep religious commitment (Al-Hashimi 2024). Such transformations echo past ideological shifts in the region, such as the move from Arab socialism and Marxism toward Islamism. Sociologist Mohammed Bamyeh (2019) explains Islam’s persistent relevance through its adaptability: it provides a language for political participation when alternatives fail. This could be said about any ideology and aligns with pragmatist theories of action—people continuously experiment with available discourses to address pressing problems. For many in the region, liberation from colonialism, dictatorship, and economic hardship is a persistent struggle. While change in public culture is generally framed as unidirectional, my fieldwork with young Egyptian activists reveals a striking volatility of personal culture: some change ideological perspectives every few years, oscillating between opposing worldviews. One constant remains, however—their enduring hostility toward oppressive regimes they see as the root of their suffering. I argue that revolutionary situations, such as those that have characterized the region for decades—especially during moments of intensification like the Arab Revolution—accelerate people's quest to resolve the problems causing them pain. When such problems are difficult to solve, the search for new ideologies and solutions becomes more urgent.

No extended abstract or paper available

 Presented in Session 116. Politics of the Middle East