The Ideological Shift in the Discourse of Jordan’s Muslim Brotherhood Movement in the Aftermath of the Arab Spring

Abstract

Objectives: This study seeks to offer a comprehensive exploration of the ideological shifts within the discourse of Jordan’s Muslim Brotherhood movement in the aftermath of the Arab Spring. It intends to reevaluate relevant approaches and studies, proposing a novel perspective. Furthermore, it aims to pinpoint the factors that influence the movement’s ideological discourse.

Methods: The study employs discourse analysis to investigate the shifts within the ideological discourse of the Muslim Brotherhood movement in Jordan. Hence, the study primarily adopts a critical approach to trace the relationship between the movement and the political system in Jordan, recognizing its pivotal role in shaping the ideological discourse of the movement.

Results: The study reveals a radical shift in the discourse of the Muslim Brotherhood movement in recent years, leading towards increased politicization and decreased spirituality. Despite strained relations with Jordan’s political system post-Arab Spring, this shift has rendered the movement more open to political ideologies like pluralism and democracy, as evidenced by the movement’s basic documents. Consequently, the shift defies the expectation that the evolution of the Islamic movements’ discourse depends solely on the openness of political systems.

Conclusions: The study demonstrates that the shifts in the ideological discourse of Islamic movements are primarily connected to political involvement and adaptability. It shows that the “politicization” of such movements is characterized by willingness to embrace political concepts. Therefore, using terms like “moderation” or “extremism” to describe the movement’s discourse is significantly subjective and ambiguous, especially in the context of the Arab Spring.