Abstract
The chapter analyzes the recent history of the Muslim Brotherhood (MB), in relation to the mimetic theme of resentment. MB is presented as an important case study because of its implications regarding the compatibility of political Islam with pluralistic democratic structures. A historical overview leads to the conclusion that the rise of MB in Egypt can be attributed to social resentment as its breeding ground. ‘Resentment’ as a philosophical theme is considered by Girard, drawing on Nietzsche and Scheler, but the picture is complicated by additional social and spiritual impulses. The theme of social justice is key; the writings of Qutb and Catholic Social Teaching both show elements of a vision of integral humanism. While the Nietzschean understanding of a necessary connection between religion and resentment is rejected, the temptation to dualism must be overcome by MB if a non-resentful participation within a pluralist society is to be realized.
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Notes
- 1.
Muhammad M. Al-Hudaibi, 2000, The Principles of Politics in Islam (2nd ed.). Cairo, Egypt: Islamic Inc. Publishing and Distribution, p. 11.
- 2.
As an example, take Ehrenfeld, Muslim Brotherhood (Ehrenfeld 2011).
- 3.
The MB failed to establish the real democracy the rebellious movements were striving for and therefore was soon accused of being autocratic: see Monier and Ranko (2013, p. 120). In contrast to the Brotherhood, Salafism for the most part refuses democracy, as incompatible with Islam: see Lübben (2013, pp. 171, 174). Nevertheless Salafist political parties appeared after the 2011 revolution.
- 4.
Bonhoeffer argues against compromise as well as radicalism. In the case of pragmatic compromise, ‘[t]he ultimate stays completely beyond daily life and in the end serves only as an eternal justification of all that exists’ (2005, p. 154). The alternative he gives is the way of Jesus, who as God entered into human existence. This means holding human existence in high esteem while criticizing its defective practice. Nevertheless I am using the term ‘compromise’ here to emphasize that we have to prepare the way of God within imperfect circumstances.
- 5.
- 6.
Monier and Ranko (2013) show that the el-Sisi government has immediately returned from a transnational Islamist project to pure nationalism in Egyptian politics.
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Guggenberger, W. (2019). Muslim Brotherhood, Social Justice and Resentment. In: Kirwan, M., Achtar, A. (eds) Mimetic Theory and Islam. Palgrave Macmillan, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-05695-7_11
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