Summary

The Routledge Handbook of Political Islam provides a multidisciplinary overview of the phenomenon of political Islam, one of the key political movements of our time. Drawing on the expertise from some of the top scholars in the world it examines the main issues surrounding political Islam across the world, from aspects of Muslim integration in the West to questions of political legitimacy in the Muslim world.

Bringing together an international team of renowned and respected experts on the topic, the chapters in the book present a critical account of:

Presenting readers with the diversity of views on political Islam in a nuanced and dispassionate manner, this handbook is an essential addition to the existing literature on Islam and politics. It will be of interest across a wide range of disciplines, including political science, Islamic studies, sociology and history.

Choice Review

This essay collection on topics related to contemporary Islamist movements, edited by Akbarzadeh (Asian politics, Univ. of Melbourne, Australia), makes important contributions to the literature on political Islam. The organization is haphazard, and the book does not claim to provide comprehensive, encyclopedic coverage. It includes some sophisticated analyses--likely useful to nonspecialists, though not to complete novices--of Muslim movements within several countries in the Middle East and as far afield as Indonesia, as well as some of broader geographical significance (e.g., the Muslim Brotherhood and Hizb ut-Tahrir), the Muslim diaspora in Europe, and topics of a transnational nature, including democracy and women's issues. There is a notably penetrating classification of movements in terms of ideal types by Bernard Rougier. The book ends with a critique of "clash of civilizations" theory in relation to Islam that unfortunately shows little evidence that the authors understand most of Samuel Huntington's ideas or even have read much of what he wrote. The editor's introduction contains wise analysis, stressing the modern nature of Islamist movements and explaining them as outlets for dissent and as protests against the status quo. Summing Up: Recommended. General readers; upper-division undergraduate students and above. G. E. Perry emeritus, Indiana State University