The twentieth century saw the rapid rise of groups of Muslims who use Islam as an ideological weapon for their political ends. This is commonly referred to in scholarly and media writings as Islamism, and its proponents are designated as ‘Islamists’, not Muslims, in order to stress that they are attributing an ideological dimension to Islam. There are many Islam-oriented groups, but, as might be expected, the use of scriptural language is a common characteristic of their rhetoric. For instance, they all use scriptural references as an immutable source of authority in the social, ethical and political spheres. While they do not always share the same strategies and goals, these groups nevertheless resort to the same sources of authority and deploy similar terms of reference.
Unlike some Islam oriented parties, the Party of Justice and Development (PJD) in Morocco does not focus on commonly used precepts such as madawiyya (a return to Islamic principles), shumuliyya (a comprehensive application of Islam in all spheres of life) and al da’awa al nidaliyya (a call for struggle to bring about the Islamization of both state and society).
Over recent decades, there has been an increasing presence of mass Islam-oriented movements and parties with an important role in national politics. The PJD represents a good regional sample for measuring the impact of different internal politics and political contexts on Islam-oriented political movements and parties’ ideological orientations and political communication in Morocco. This book explores the PJD’s political ideologies since its re-emergence under its current name, and investigates the factors which shape its political ideologies. In addition, it examines the party’s political communication, and uncovers its use of communication technology, particularly the Internet, in its political advertising strategies.
