Devout Neoliberalism?! Explaining Egypt’s Muslim Brotherhood’s Socio-economic Perspective and Policies Khalil al-Anani Doha Institute for Graduate Studies Abstract: How can we explain the neoliberal orientation of Islamist movements in the Middle East? This paper attempts to answer this question by exploring the case of the Muslim Brotherhood in Egypt. It analyzes in depth the Brotherhood’s socio-economic vision and policies when it was in power between 2012 and 2013. It argues that the Brotherhood adopted a market-oriented vision, which encouraged the private sector, liberalized the economy, and appealed to foreign investments. As a socio-political movement, the Brotherhood attempted to strike a balance between its constituency, which is rooted in the lower, middle, and upper-middle classes, and its commitment to neoliberal policies. However, this paradoxical balance burdened the movement and affected its popularity. The article also contends that the Brotherhood’s neoliberal leanings can be explained by three key factors: the movement’s pragmatism, its “devout” bourgeoisie, and the appeal for international acceptance and recognition. INTRODUCTION The rise of Islamists in the wake of the Arab Spring was remarkable. Islamist groups and parties have played a key role in shaping the Middle East polity after the removal of the longstanding despots and dictators in Egypt, Tunisia, Libya, and Yemen. They took power in major Arab countries such as Egypt and became influential actors elsewhere in the region from Yemen to Morocco. However, the rise of Islamists did not occur without problems and challenges. Islamists who replaced authoritarian regimes had to provide practical answers and solutions to the longstanding socio-economic Address correspondence and reprint requests to: Khalil al-Anani, Doha Institute for Graduate Studies, Doha, Qatar. E-mail: khalil.alanani@dohainstitute.edu.qa 1 Politics and Religion, page 1 of 20, 2020. © Religion and Politics Section of the American Political Science Association, 2020 doi:10.1017/S1755048320000085 1755-0483/20 terms of use, available at https://www.cambridge.org/core/terms. https://doi.org/10.1017/S1755048320000085 Downloaded from https://www.cambridge.org/core. Georgetown University Library, on 11 Feb 2020 at 15:29:41, subject to the Cambridge Core