The end of the Cold War and the intensified worldwide trend of democratization have transformed the grounds for political and social activities in the Middle East like other regions of the world. The current of Islamism has been unquestionably affected by this environmental change. Focusing on changes in political Islam in Egypt, this article seeks an answer to the question what impact the current of Islamism has received from the rise of a strong alternative rival over the past quarter century, i.e. democratic values. The author tests the hypothesis that with the growing popularity of democratic values in the Middle East arising from the global trend of democratization, political minimalists (moderate Islamists) have attracted further public attention. The maximalists (radicals) have also divided into two groups: most of them have left violent means and act like political minimalists, and a minority, which insists on continuing previous militant ways, has been sidelined. In order to test the hypothesis, the author examines changes in statements and deeds within elements of Islamists as well as the occurrence of schisms in the 1990s.