This essay will focus on the psychological ideology of Islamist groups. To gain an understanding of this form of ideology we need to enage in empirical studies of what political groups say and do, espically when they are in, or trying to gain, power (Butler, Penniman and Ranney, pp27-30, 1981 and Haas, pp114-115, 2022).
This process faces its own challanges, espically for understnading the Muslim Brotherhood. Scholars looking at political parties to decide what groups think often enage with a set of key data: manifestos, expert opinions and the views of senoir members (Ecker et al, 2022 and Braun, 2023) as well as how the movements act when they are in power (Butler, Penniman and Ranney, p28, 1981).
However, in mulitple of these areas there are limitations. With regards to the Muslim Brotherhood they were only in power for two years (https://www.cfr.org/backgrounder/egypts-muslim-brotherhood), although this gives us some evidence into how they would act, this is still a very short period of time. This is further limited by crackdowns on the group which has meant that they have been unable to particpate in elections and outline manifstos (https://www.cfr.org/backgrounder/egypts-muslim-brotherhood).
In studying both groups we are still able to rely on experts who have enaged in interviews with members of both groups and these experts have formed the backbone of this study.
The study of Hamas faces fewer problems as there is a long period of time inwhich we can study how the group has operated in government (Brenner, 2016). Despite Hamas not particpatin in elections, they have, since their take over, effectivly produced a new manifesto with the release of their new charter in 2017 which outlines the groups goals and thinking (MEE staff, 2017).
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