JTA: The Global News Service of the Jewish People

The impetus for conservative Islam

By Uriel Heilman · December 24, 2008

How do Arab students rebel? They embrace conservative Islam. Thirst for political change and social justice are driving young people to conservative Islam, The New York Times finds in a piece from Jordan.

The long-term implications of this are likely to complicate American foreign policy calculations, making it more costly to continue supporting governments that do not let secular or moderate religious political movements take root. Washington will also be likely to find it harder to maintain the policy of shunning leaders of groups like the Brotherhood in Egypt, or Hamas in Gaza, or Hezbollah in Lebanon, which command tremendous public sympathy.