Arab elites push back political Islam
Seasons come and go, yet Arab countries remain in ongoing turmoil. They called it an "Arab Spring", but even if that "spring" ever existed in the form that the media portrayed it, it never really lasted and has now morphed into something far more complex.
But there is no "Islamic winter" either, a foreboding term favored by Israeli policymakers and analysts. The Islamic dimension of Arab rebellions - some of which turned into bloody civil and regional wars - should have been palpable from the start to anyone who understands political realities beyond their usefulness as a propaganda tool.
Islam has and will always be a component in shaping collective understanding of Arab nations. Political Islam is at the heart of the ongoing strife, which is in some ways a manifestation of a century-long struggle between Islam as a platform of political expression, governance and jurisprudence against Western trends.
http://www.atimes.com/atimes/Middle_East/MID-01-070813.html
Ramzy Baroud is a Palestinian author and editer.