New media and Islamism in the Arab Winter: A case study of Huda TV in pre-revolutionary Egypt

Although Islam promises to play an increasing role in the public life of Muslim societies, scholarly analysis often falls short in comprehending the complex and diverse nature of this revival. As Middle Eastern societies open to wider public participation, the emergence of an active Muslim polity seems irrepressible. Yet onlookers from afar worry that Islam will only find political expression through narrow and intolerant ideologies that subvert democratic principles. This article seeks to understand the complex evolution of Islamism, and explain how its restricted and often superficial expression through media may reflect a stunted beginning rather than a permanent state of regressive fundamentalism. Through a case study of Huda TV in the era immediately preceding the rise of social media, this article shows how the powerfully repressive context of Middle Eastern media ensured the enduring stagnation of a nascent political discourse.