Across the Middle East, Barack Obama?s election generated hope for a brighter relationship between the U.S. and Arab states. Just months after taking office, Obama addressed the worldwide Muslim community in a groundbreaking speech at Cairo University and promised a new American approach to international diplomacy. Still, Obama was saddled with high expectations during his first year in office, and nowhere has excitement over the new U.S. president deflated faster than in the Arab world. For many, an optimistic first impression of Obama faded in light of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and the American response to human rights violations. As the U.S. adjusts its foreign policy and attempts repair the damage of the past several decades, it will reshape its stance on political Islam.

New Political Islam and the Obama Era

This issue of Arab Insight features a discussion of political Islam on the world stage, starting with an examination of two Islamist challenges: jihad and ijtihad. In the past decade, radical Jihadists attacked targets around the globe from the United States to India; they also claimed countless lives of fellow Muslims. Nations that were once friendly, or at least accommodating, to the Jihadist movement, such as Yemen, Saudi Arabia, and Pakistan, have recently begun to crack down on radical Jihadism within their borders. Still, the loose-knit global network has found ways to adapt and survive. In his article 'Is the Age of Global Jihad Over'? Murad Al-Shishani discusses
how Jihadism responded to a shifting political landscape by reorganizing into decentralized cells.

Tunisian academic Mohamed al-Haddad touches on the historical roots of ijtihad, the independent interpretation of religious sources used to make a legal decision. A dormant practice for nearly a millennia, ijtihad was revived during the 20th century. While many Islamic scholars feel that the time for ijtihad has passed, others see it as a tool to integrate Islam with institutions that would otherwise appear problematic, such as democracy and scientific inquiry.

Although the U.S. developed an elaborate strategy to confront violent Islamists, Egyptian scholar Moataz A. Fattah notes that America has not created a cohesive strategy towards non-violent Islamists, who make up the majority of Islamists in the world. In the long term, Fattah argues, American security will benefit from identifying and engaging with nonviolent Islamist actors. Khaled Hroub, a Jordanian author, analyzes the frustration within the Muslim world regarding Obama's presidency, particularly his treatment of Islamists and his efforts at democracy promotion.

Islamists and Israel

Where does the relationship between political Islam and the state of Israel stand? Islamists show no intention of lessening their rhetoric against Israel, and Israel shows no sign of easing its hard line against Palestinians. One can hardly discuss a topic in the modern Middle East without touching upon either Israel or Islamists?but the intersection between these entities is often overlooked. Egyptian expert Khalil al-Anani looks at how major Islamist groups from the Muslim Brotherhood to Al-Qaeda differ in their perception of Israel. Using the charismatic leaders Amr Khaled and Aaidh al-Qarni as case studies, Amr Abdel-Atty discusses the trend of modern Muslim clerics who embrace technology, the so-called 'new preachers,' and their position on Israel.

Yemen's Challenge

Burdened with a high unemployment rate and a heavily armed population, Yemen is no stranger to political instability. However, in the wake of the attempted Christmas Day Bombing over Detroit in December 2009, Al-Qaeda?s operation in Yemen has become front-page news. This issue of Arab Insight would be incomplete without a discussion of Yemen?s political crisis.

Since 2003, Saudi Arabia and Yemen have been waging an assault on Al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP). Abdul Elah H. Shayea describes how, in the face of such opposition, AQAP has only managed to survive but has become the most active branch of Al-Qaeda.
As alarming as Al-Qaeda?s presence in Yemen is, no struggle exists in a vacuum. Zuhair al-Harithi examines how the regional power-play between Iran and Saudi Arabia affects Yemen?s internal struggle between the national government in Sana?a, Houthi rebels, and Al-Qaeda.