ABSTRACT
The chapter examines the ideological and programmatic orientations of Islamists in economic matters and relates them to some of their competitors. After flirting with Marxist economics in the 1970s and 1980s, Islamist parties have subscribed fully to economic liberalism, defending the notion of “market Islam”. Very critical of the welfare state, they believe that the State must focus mainly on its sovereign activities. Accordingly, the state should not intervene much in the economy and should leave it to private initiative to carry out and manage economic activities. They also have good relations with employers’ associations and businesses. Not only do they defend the logic of the market and capitalism, but they also support the values that underlie these ideologies, extolling the merits of economic success and even self-realisation.
