Perhaps because they know that they cannot secure an outright majority in any election, Arab Islamists are opposed to a presidential system in which the head of state is directly chosen by universal suffrage. They also know that it is much harder for pro-democracy parties and groups to come together to form coalitions than it is for Islamists. Instead, Islamists demand a new constitution aimed at creating a British-style system in which the parliament is the centre of power with the prime minister as its executive arm. Here, too, both Turkey and Iraq serve as models for Islamists in the "Arab Spring" countries.

Accepting elections has not been easy for most Islamists who believe in the Islamic system of shura (consultation) under which the caliph or the wali al-amr (the emir or the ruler in charge) decides all matters with advice from the ulema. In Islamic tradition power does not emanate from the people's will as expressed through elections, a Western tradition. Islamic power derives from bay'ah (fealty) as expressed by the ulema, the notables and tribal leaders. Thus most Islamists enter elections holding their noses. To them, the move represents a major theological-ideological concession to the "Zionist Crusader" political thought developed in the West. Not surprisingly, many radical Islamists consider participation in elections as a tactical move designed to propel them into power. Once in power, they would drop the electoral system and revert to "Islamic" politics.

We should welcome the elections and recognise their results. These provide instant pictures of the state of opinion in countries where fear and silence prevented us from knowing what exactly was going on in the minds of the people. Now we know that parties harping on Islamic themes have not been able to win the support of anything more than a third of the electorate. If one takes into account the average size of the turnouts, Islamists of all shades represent between 20 and 30 per cent of the electorate across the Arab world. And that is in countries where between 85 and 100 per cent of the population are Muslims.