The Oxford Handbook of Islam and Politics

Since the last half of the 20th century, political Islam, i.e., “the attempts of Muslim individuals, groups, and movements to reconstruct the political, economic, social, and cultural basis of their society along Islamic lines” (p. 1), or Islamism (both extremist and mainstream), has increasingly played a significant role across the Muslim world, from the Middle East and North Africa, to Central, South, and Southeast Asia. Understanding its nature and significance, causes and consequences, and multiple and diverse manifestations, requires an appreciation of national, regional, and international politics and socio-economic conditions. (p. 4) In this direction, The Oxford Handbook of Islam and Politics, the work under review, which is written by prominent scholars and specialists in the field, is a single-volume comprehensive sourcebook that provides a comprehensive analysis of what we know and where we are in the study of political Islam. It will enable scholars, students, policy makers, and the educated public to appreciate the interaction of Islam and politics and the multiple and diverse roles of Islamic movements, as well as issues of authoritarianism and democratisation, religious extremism and terrorism, regionally and globally. (p. 2)