Under what conditions does the Egyptian Society of the Muslim Brothers (SMB) fracture? The 1996 formation of the Wasat party by a group of former Muslim Brothers has attracted significant scholarly attention, although most studies focus on the ideological differences between the groups. By neglecting the organizational angle these studies are unable to explain why some ideological differences lead to group fracture, and why in the case of the SMB this occurred in 1996 and not before. This paper will argue that the SMB splits when high levels of state repression combine with internal organizational conflict, specifically the lack of stable, consultative internal dispute-resolution mechanisms. Empirical tests charting levels of state repression and SMB internal politics throughout the period 1981-2010, covering variation on the dependent, as well as both independent variables, strengthen the theory. / text

In this work I explored discussions of Islamic rationalism in the medieval Islamic period and the contemporary period in Egypt. I examine the evolution of Islamic rationalism from the works of Averroes (Ibn Rushd) to Muhammad 'Abduh in Egypt and subsequently his influence on the formation of the Wasat (Center) Party in Egypt after the wake of the Arab Spring.