ABSTRACT
Democratization in Egypt has fluctuated with the regime's efforts to contain the Islamist challenge. Islamists have used the modest increases in the margin of freedom granted by the regime and its occasional tolerance toward the moderate element of the Islamic movement to make gains. The regime has been determined to exclude Islamists from political participation. Exclusion has been accomplished by a combination of coercion and containment. The socioeconomic context for the conflict is that Egypt has poor resources and a huge population. The most salient manifestation of the Islamist trend is the burgeoning of various groups which are striving to move Egypt toward their vision of an Islamic order. These groups are of two distinct kinds: the radical militant groups and the mainstream or moderate Islamic ones, particularly the Ikhwan. Moderate Islamists include the durable Ikhwan and a loose cluster of other groups and individuals who believe in the gradual Islamic reform of society and state.
