Understanding the 'Islamist wave'

Editor’s note: CNN’s Nicole Dow speaks with Marc Lynch, author of "The Arab Uprising," about the myths surrounding Islamist parties in the Arab world, democracy in the Middle East and whether Syria is cooperating with al Qaeda. The views expressed are his own.
There’s often a belief that the removal of dictatorships in the Arab world will pave the way for Islamists to rise to power. Based on what we’ve seen in Egypt recently with the outcome of its presidential election, is this view becoming more prevalent?
Yes, people certainly say this more often, but it's a bit more complicated than that. Nobody should have been surprised that Islamists did well in many transitional elections in the region. After all, they are in most cases the best organized and largest political movement in the country, and aren't tainted by association with the former regime. Public culture across the region has been moving in an Islamic direction for decades. The activists who drove the revolutions in places like Egypt and Tunisia just didn’t have the numbers, the organization, or in many cases the interest in seriously contesting elections.  Once politics shifted from the street to the ballot box, Islamists were going to have a leading place.
But those early advantages won’t necessarily last. Non-Islamist forces will likely get their act together, and be more competitive in future elections. Islamists in power face all kinds of challenges, from translating their vague promises into real change to dealing with skeptics at home and abroad.  There’s real support for Islamists, but also real opposition – and not just from “liberals.” And the Islamists themselves are seriously divided, competing with each other over both politics and ideology. I think it’s far too soon to simply assume that Islamists have won the Arab spring.