Moslem fundamentalist movements and their impact on Middle Eastern politics.

Abstract

Most observers of the Arab world point out that Islam has and is currently playing a significant role in the region's political life. In particular, the more fanatical, religiously based political movements have and are determining the internal stability of the Middle East and consequently affect the United States' political and economic position in the world. The success of the Iranian Islamic Revolution has dramatically underscored the United States' ignorance of the political impact of Islam. Not only has the revolution embarrassed the United States but it has also threatened the stability of those regimes which America currently depends upon economically and politically; specifically, Saudi Arabia and Egypt. Given the political influence of Islam and the importance of Saudi Arabia to the United States, the question must be asked concerning Saudi Arabia's ability to withstand the current wave of Islamic revolutionary activity. Through an analysis of two previous politically influential Islamic Fundamentalist Movements in the Middle East; the Moslem Brotherhood of Egypt and the Iranian Islamic Revolutionary Movement, as well as an in depth analysis of Saudi Arabian society and politics, this thesis will prove that Saudi Arabia cannot withstand the strains presented by Islamic fundamentalist activity. Specifically, it will confirm that certain, identifable socio-political phenomena exist in Saudi Arabia today that were common to both Egypt and Iran and ultimately will lead to a change in relations between the United States and Saudi Arabia, if not a dramatic upheaval in Saudi Arabian society and internal politics.