The death of Yusuf al-Qaradawi, a prominent author of Islamist thought, recalls attention to the decline of Islamism in the Sunni world. For decades, its proponents have championed al-Qaradawi’s brand of Islamic governance with democratic and pluralist qualities across the Middle East. But their rising irrelevance indicates that the ideology’s purchase on regional politics is spent. Since Islamism emerged as a vigorous force in MENA politics in the latter half ...