What Explains the Rise of Revolutionary Islam in Algeria?
The rise of revolutionary Islam in Algeria is a product of several factors. Firstly, despite being a predominantly moderate Muslim Democratic political party, the growth of the FIS was pivotal because its support was based on a ‘dual monopoly’ over expressions of Islamism that encompassed both moderate and radical Islamism. The party thus provided a vehicle for the spread of radicalism by stealth through society, which was then compounded by its fracturing after the 1992 election cancellation. Secondly, the return of Algerian militants who had been fighting in Afghanistan brought global Jihadist ideologies to the country. The ‘Afghans’ were able to build support for revolutionary Islam by claiming it had been successful against the USSR and highlighting how moderate Islamism had failed to attain power elsewhere. Global revolutionary Islamist doctrines were further entrenched in Algerian opposition by group connections with Hezbollah, Iran and Sudan. Thirdly, the authoritarian nature of
