ARAPSKO PROLJEĆE I REAKCIJE TRADICIONALISTIČKE ULEME
THE ARAB SPRING AND REACTIONS FROM TRADITIONALIST ULAMA

Summary/Abstract: The article examines reactions from the official Egyptian ʽulamā’ and the circle around the Jordanian Prince Ghāzī as the representatives of traditionalist ʽulamā’ to the protests in several Arab societies during 2010-2013 and to the counter-revolution that followed in the summer of 2013. It particularly pays attention to the arguments used in justifying their views. The consistency of their arguments is examined in the light of the available facts and other interpretations of the same events. The author concludes that the relationship of traditionalist ʽulamā circles has, by and large, not evolved and that one cannot count on them as allies in efforts for social reform. The reasons for their position should not be sought in the integrity of traditionalist ʽulamā’ only, but also in systemic and structural reasons which make ʽulamā’ existentially dependent on governments in Muslim societies. Without an increase in the autonomy of religious institutions, it remains unrealistic to expect the traditional ʽulamā’ to come out of the embrace of autocratic governments.

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