Ioana Emy Matesan
Can Islamist activists find empowerment in exile? When exiles belong to formal organizations, their response to constraints and opportunities abroad are shaped by organizational dynamics. Focusing on the Tunisian Ennahda and the Egyptian Muslim Brotherhood, this article shows that whether Islamist activists understand empowerment in exile as tied to or separate from the Islamist group depends on how effective and responsive they perceive that organization to be. This perception of efficacy is influenced by how groups restructure in exile and how leaders adapt their messaging. Islamist movements can sustain the loyalty of their members when they foster organizational efficacy, and leaders articulate a vision of agency that resonates across the ranks. Reversely, when tension arise between religious and liberal articulations of agency, and Islamist groups are not seen as responsive to their members, their constituents may distance themselves and seek empowerment outside of the organization.