ABSTRACT
This chapter explores how the Islamic forces are evolving in the new environment – by examining both social and political movements and state institutions related to Islam. Egyptian society has engendered a wide variety of Islamist movements, organizations, and associations over the past century; in the period after the 2011 uprising, many of these plunged enthusiastically into the political arena in an effort to guide the country's course. The first two years after Egypt's 2011 uprising were very heady ones for the Muslim Brotherhood, an organization that had been suppressed, hounded, and demonized for over half a century. For the Brotherhood, then, the real challenge of post-revolutionary politics was how to continue to be so many things at the same time – to maintain its old mission of reforming the individual and society with the new ones of organizing a political party and governing. Salafis largely absented themselves from political life as did most Brotherhood supporters.
