Islamism, Secularism and Support for Democracy after the Arab Spring

The Arab Spring and its aftermath reignited the debate about the relationship between Islamism and democracy. This analysis improves upon previous research by utilizing more precise measures of support for democracy and Islamism. Differentiating between support for a political role of Islam, the conformity of laws with Sharia and the notion that Sharia constitutes the word of God as opposed to the human attempt to interpret it, this study offers robust evidence for the problematic impact of Islamist exclusivism. Specifically, it provides evidence for the close link between support for democracy and support for the 'twin toleration' (Stepan) of political and religious elites. Respondents to the third wave of the Arab Barometer Survey who support a greater political role of religion and those who subscribe to a literalist interpretation of Sharia are less likely to support democracy in principle and to view democracy’s performance positively. The anti-democratic impact of such Islamist exclusivism stands in stark contrast to the strong support for democracy among the Arab world’s supporters of religious freedom and gender equality. This finding is of considerable significance for academics and policy-makers interested in the relationship between secularism and democracy in the Arab world.