Authoritarianism, jihadist ideology, and renewal of the religious discourse in Egypt

Calls for renewing the religious discourse, which have become part of the Egyptian arena after the events of September 11, 2001, reflect a desire to challenge the threat posed by the jihadist ideology and the propagation of Islamophobic approaches. Such calls are not only a religious issue. Renewing the religious discourse is perceived by concerned intellectuals and activists as an important issue revolving around Egypt’s identity and as a requisite for democracy. However, the transition from declarations to a concrete program that deals with epistemological issues and with empirical problems has yet to occur. Furthermore, liberal calls have been met with criticism, marginalized, and even perceived as apostasy. This article examines the discussion and the initiatives that have come up in the last two decades, maintaining that the failure to renew the religious discourse is due not only to the resistance of conservative elements. Rather, this failure is an inseparable part of the political discourse and its limitations, manifested in the alliance between the regime and the religious establishment, which support each other.