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| Barakat (movement) | |
|---|---|
| Name | Barakat |
| Native name | بركات |
| Founded | circa 2010s |
| Founder | Unknown / collective origins |
| Headquarters | Multiple urban centers across the Levant and North Africa |
| Ideology | Islamism; populist anti-corruption; pan-Islamic social welfare |
| Area | Middle East; North Africa; diaspora communities in Europe |
| Leaders | decentralized leadership; local councils and prominent clerics |
| Status | Active |
Barakat (movement) is a socio-political movement originating in the early 2010s in several urban centers across the Levant and North Africa. It emerged amid waves of popular mobilization associated with the Arab Spring, combining elements of Islamic social doctrine, anti-corruption activism, and community service. Barakat rapidly spread through neighborhood networks, mosque-based charities, and online platforms, influencing municipal politics in cities such as Cairo, Tunis, Tripoli, and Beirut.
Barakat developed in the aftermath of the 2010–2011 Tunisian Revolution and the Egyptian Revolution of 2011, drawing on precedents set by movements like Ennahda Movement, Muslim Brotherhood, and Hizb ut-Tahrir while distinguishing itself from parties such as Al-Nahda and Justice and Development Party (Morocco). Early networks coalesced around local relief efforts during the Libyan Civil War (2011) and the Syrian Civil War, collaborating with humanitarian organizations including branches of Islamic Relief Worldwide and informal coalitions of neighborhood committees reminiscent of the Tahrir Square organizing structures. By the mid-2010s, Barakat-affiliated councils participated in municipal elections influenced by dynamics involving Rashid al-Ghannushi-inspired activists and ex-members of Muslim Brotherhood affiliates. Regional crises such as the Yemen Civil War and the rise of Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant indirectly shaped Barakat's trajectory as local security vacuums increased demand for community governance.
Barakat advances a synthesis of Islamic social welfare principles found in texts associated with Imam Malik and contemporary interpretations promoted by clerics like Yusuf al-Qaradawi, combined with populist anti-corruption rhetoric similar to that used by activists from Kefaya and April 6 Movement. Its stated goals include reduction of graft as addressed in policy debates involving institutions such as Transparency International, strengthening Zakat-based social safety nets comparable to models pursued by Malaysia's Zakat institutions, and promoting localism akin to the municipalism championed by activists in Barcelona and Istanbul. The movement frames its agenda through references to landmark events and documents like the Universal Declaration of Human Rights for social services, while rejecting alignment with parties such as Hamas or Hezbollah on matters of state strategy.
Barakat operates through decentralized local councils and charismatic community figures rather than a single hierarchical party structure, resembling organizational patterns of groups like Movimento 5 Stelle and grassroots networks observed in Occupy Wall Street. Prominent figures associated with Barakat have included social entrepreneurs, clerics trained in the curricula of institutions like Al-Azhar University, and former municipal officials from cities such as Alexandria and Sfax. Decision-making frequently occurs in neighborhood assemblies modeled on practices from Madinah's historical shura and contemporary civil society forums like Arab NGO Network for Development gatherings. Funding streams combine community donations via platforms similar to GoFundMe and Zakat collection systems analogous to those in Kuwait and Saudi Arabia's charity councils.
Barakat's activities have ranged from delivering emergency relief during conflicts linked to the Syrian refugee crisis and the Iraqi insurgency to running sanitation, education, and microfinance projects inspired by initiatives in Renaissance of Islamic Society-style programs. Campaigns have targeted municipal corruption scandals comparable to investigations into Hosni Mubarak-era procurement and petition drives echoing tactics of Tunisian National Dialogue Quartet. On digital fronts, Barakat utilizes social media strategies paralleling those of Wael Ghonim and diaspora mobilizations seen among Syrian opposition groups, while also organizing public health outreach during outbreaks referenced in regional responses by World Health Organization offices. In some locales, Barakat-backed candidates contested local councils, engaging with electoral frameworks shaped by post-revolution constitutions such as those in Tunisia and Egypt.
Barakat has influenced local governance in municipalities where it provided reliable services, prompting comparisons to service-providing actors like Hezbollah in Lebanon (social wing) and Hamas in Gaza (civic projects), though Barakat typically eschews armed wings. International observers from organizations such as United Nations Development Programme and academics from universities including American University of Beirut have studied Barakat's role in informal governance and social capital formation. States have reacted variably: some ministries of interior in countries like Morocco and Jordan monitored Barakat's activities, while municipal offices in Tunis cooperated with local councils sharing Barakat-affiliated personnel.
Critics allege that Barakat's decentralization masks opaque funding channels reminiscent of scrutiny faced by groups such as Muslim Brotherhood branches and that its social programs can create parallel authorities similar to patterns seen with Hezbollah and Hamas. Secularists, human rights organizations including Amnesty International, and liberal parties akin to Congress for the Republic (Tunisia) have raised concerns about potential restrictions on civil liberties and gender equality in neighborhoods influenced by conservative clerics linked to Barakat. Security services in states such as Egypt and Algeria have at times accused Barakat-affiliated cells of undermining state institutions, leading to arrests and legal actions comparable to prosecutions of members of Islamic State-affiliated networks, though Barakat publicly rejects violent tactics.
Category:Islamic movements Category:Social movements in the Middle East Category:Organizations established in the 2010s