ABSTRACT
The Arab Spring began, in October 2010, in Tunisia. It was an important focal point of political concerns, affecting many Arab-majority countries in the Middle East and North Africa. In sum, ten years on, the Arab Spring shows no sign of winding down or abating, while the unresolved civil war in Syria served both to internationalise the conflict – with unforeseeable results for the region. Turning to the specific role of religion in the Arab Spring since late 2010, while across the affected countries various identifiable religious actors have been, and continue to be, conspicuous by their involvement in anti-authoritarian and pro-democratisation. The overthrow of the Gaddafi government in Libya and the lack of consistent purposive action by the ‘international community’ in Syria to encourage President Assad to stand down highlight the problematic issue of foreign intervention in democracy promotion during the Arab Spring.
