Dynamics of public opinion towards Islamists in the Arab Republic of Egypt at the beginning of the 21st century

Abstract

The article describes the process of restructuring the Egyptian political field in the context of confrontation between representatives of the military elite and religious political movements in Egypt on the eve and after the events of the Arab Spring. The data of sociological surveys conducted by the Arab Barometer Center on the attitude of citizens towards Islamist parties and religious leaders in the MENA are analyzed. As a result of a comparative analysis of data for 2012–2014 with data obtained in 2018–2019, conclusions were drawn about a decrease in the level of trust of the population of the region in Islamists and a decrease in the level of religiosity in general. As a result of the historical analysis, the reasons that influenced this process are named, including the unsuccessful reforms of the Islamists and the rise of the extremist movement.