Trajectory of Islamist Parties

This chapter concludes the book’s examination of the path followed by Islamist parties in various contexts. Following the literature on Islamism and the six-case studies that followed, this concluding chapter concentrates on the contention that the trajectory of Islamist parties is contingent on the success of their policymaking in the face of competition and exogenous challenges. Since Islamist parties compete with other religious authorities for legitimacy, they must distinguish themselves as a political entity by going beyond the “Islam is the solution” rhetoric. Otherwise, they might be voted out such as in Morocco and Tunisia. Islamist parties could also choose majoritarianism when competition is eliminated, as in Turkey after two decades of Islamist party rule. The chapter concludes with a recommendation for future research to expand to other countries that may be more politically restrictive and to include countries outside of the Sunni Islamic world. In addition, the research on the policymaking of Islamists that has been started in this book should be expanded in a more methodical manner.