Salafism meets populism: the Al-Karama coalition and the malleability of political salafism in Tunisia
Lorch, Jasmin / Hatem ChacrounExternal Publications (2020)
Washington D.C.: Middle East Institute
At first glance, Salafism and populism might easily look like antipodes. In its traditional, quietist form in particular, Salafism is characterized by a highly orthodox, scriptural understanding of Islam, a strict focus on Islamic piety linked to a rigid set of Islamic rituals, and the uncompromising adherence to the oneness of God (tawhid). Populism, for its part, is generally associated with personalized politics, flamboyant leadership, and the use of excessive, and sometimes vulgar, rhetoric. However, while, for a long time, Salafism was known almost exclusively in either its apolitical quietist or its violent jihadist form, recent research3 points to the increasingly important role being played by political Salafists that operate within different types of existing political systems.
