The Machiavellian Mufti: Alliance Realpolitik and Ideological Amnesia

One of the most revealing tests of any movement claiming divine righteousness is how it chooses its friends. Over the decades, religious parties have demonstrated a remarkable capacity for ideological amnesia. Parties that once branded secular nationalists as apostates or western puppets have repeatedly joined hands with those same secular actors in pursuit of cabinet posts, municipal power, or strategic political protection.

During election seasons, theological opposition melts away into pragmatic seat-sharing deals. Complex religious rulings (fatwas) are quietly reframed or shelved to justify backing secular coalition partners, only to be resurrected once the coalition dissolves. This recurring cycle proves that political Islam, when practiced inside competitive party systems, is driven by the same Machiavellian calculations of patronage and survival as any secular movement—rendering the claim of 'politics as pure worship' little more than an electoral slogan.