Islam and Nationalism with Special Reference to the Muslim Brotherhood in the Eastern Arab Area

In international politics, we need to answer the question of why Islam attracts so much attention. The image of Islam in general and a series of international crises create Islamophobia in the West. However, the political process of Islamic countries is by no means monolithic. The understanding of Islamic jurisprudence is diverse. The relationship between political system and Islam varies worldwide. Therefore, it is necessary to grasp the development of Islam in a pluralistic manner according to the actual situation of the Islamic world. In other words, to understand politics and Islam in the Middle East, we need to study the transformation of Islam from diverse perspective. The Muslim Brotherhood shows a pioneering movement of Islamic politics in the Middle East. The democratic process in Jordan is now in transition and the Muslim Brotherhood faces organizational crisis. This study suggests that to survive, the Muslim Brotherhood should seek to improve people’s livelihood rather than trying to achieve the ultimate goals called forth by their religion.