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The Many Faces of Political Islam: Religion and Politics in the Muslim World |  | Author: Mohammed Ayoob
Publisher: University of Michigan Press
Category: Book
List Price: $24.95
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Seller: abobooks
Rating:  5 reviews
Sales Rank: 234693
Media: Paperback
Pages: 232
Number Of Items: 1
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.7
Dimensions (in): 8.9 x 6 x 0.6
ISBN: 0472069713
Dewey Decimal Number: 320.557
EAN: 9780472069712
ASIN: 0472069713
Publication Date: November 19, 2007
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
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Product Description
Analysts and pundits from across the American political spectrum describe Islamic fundamentalism as one of the greatest threats to modern, Western-style democracy. Yet very few non-Muslims would be able to venture an accurate definition of political Islam. Mohammed Ayoob's The Many Faces of Political Islam thoroughly describes the myriad manifestations of this rising ideology and analyzes its impact on global relations. "In this beautifully crafted and utterly compelling book, Mohammed Ayoob accomplishes admirably the difficult task of offering a readily accessible yet nuanced and comprehensive analysis of an issue of enormous political importance. Both students and specialists will learn a great deal from this absolutely first-rate book."
---Peter J. Katzenstein, Walter S. Carpenter, Jr. Professor of International Studies and Stephen H. Weiss Presidential Teaching Fellow, Cornell University "Dr. Ayoob addresses the nuances and complexities of political Islam---be it mainstream, radical, or militant---and offers a road map of the pivotal players and issues that define the movement. There is no one as qualified as Mohammed Ayoob to write a synthesis of various manifestations of political Islam. His complex narrative highlights the changes and shifts that have taken place within the Islamist universe and their implications for internal Muslim politics and relations between the world of Islam and the Christian world."
---Fawaz A. Gerges, Carnegie Scholar, and holds the Christian A. Johnson Chair in International Affairs and Middle Eastern Studies, Sarah Lawrence College "Let's hope that many readers---not only academics but policymakers as well---will use this invaluable book."
---François Burgat, Director, French National Centre for Scientific Research (CNRS) and the Institute for Research and Study on the Arab and Muslim World (IREMAM), Aix-en-Provence, France "This is a wonderful, concise book by an accomplished and sophisticated political scientist who nonetheless manages to convey his interpretation of complex issues and movements to even those who have little background on the subject. It is impressive in its clarity, providing a badly needed text on political Islam that's accessible to college students and the general public alike."
---Shibley Telhami, Anwar Sadat Professor for Peace and Development, University of Maryland, and Senior Fellow, Brookings Institution Mohammed Ayoob is University Distinguished Professor of International Relations with a joint appointment in James Madison College and the Department of Political Science at Michigan State University. He is also Coordinator of the Muslim Studies Program at Michigan State University.
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| Customer Reviews:
 Essential reading for anyone who wants to understand Islamic politics January 10, 2008
Matthew Smith (TN USA)
11 out of 12 found this review helpful
Mr. Ayoob has just done readers in the U.S. a great service by writing this book. This book is essential reading for policy makers, students and anyone who really wants to understand what's going on in the Islamic world.
The main problem with many books from the West on Islam and "Islamism" (political Islam) is that they are written from a Western perspective, and so they have inherent biases within them. This is of course a big part of the misunderstandings we have with this part of the world, the fact that we only see these societies and groups through the prism of our own standards and values which is not always concurrent with their own values. Indeed we seem to rarely ever be in synch with the realities of the area. This book puts political Islam into a vernacular that is ready for consumption by a U.S. audience.
One of the most interesting things I found was the author's discussion of the affects that contact with democracy, no matter how limited the democracy, has had on Islamic political groups. The Muslim Brotherhood, Hamas, Hizbullah and many other groups have had contact with some forms of democratic participation with varying degrees of success. The Muslim Brotherhood went from being a group that was suppressed to being allowed limited participation in elected government. When it became clear how much support they had they were once again violently suppressed. The question becomes will they continue down the path of moderation and participation or will their suppression lead to frustration and a recurrence of violence. The Mubarak and U.S. governments have a lot to say about what happens in the future to this group, if they decide that this group is to dangerous and must be suppressed there is a good chance that parts of the organization will become disillusioned and may resort to violence, but if they are allowed to become an active participant there is a real possibility that participation will have a further moderating affect.
Of course when one looks at the example of how Hamas was treated the prospects do not look good. One of the main points from Mr. Ayoob's is just how much of a moderating affect democratic participation can have on Islamic groups as evidenced by Turkey's AKP party. In a strange twist it is now the secularists in Turkey who have become authoritarian while it is the moderate conservative Islamic parties that have become ingrained in the political system that seems to be the voice of reason and moderation. Unfortunately Hamas' experiment in democracy seems to be heading toward abject failure due to circumstances beyond their control. They have not been given the opportunity to really join in the democratic process since they have been assailed from outside from the very beginning of their electoral victory.
This hypocrisy of the West has not gone unnoticed by the Muslim world. How the West purports to advocate democratization but only as long as the right groups get elected. The U.S. especially is generating ill will from this part of the world while at the same time pursuing policies that inhibit moderation. The rhetoric that comes from the U.S. about the moderating influence of democracy may well be true, but until we honestly pursue democratic change, no matter what the outcome for us, then we will be stuck with the same illegitimate, authoritarian regimes that are breeding grounds for disenchanted and potentially violent people. Islam is not inherently violent as some would have us believe, but just like all human beings given the right circumstances they can be forced into lashing out against the objects of their torment, whether that is authoritarian regimes or governments that back those regimes.
Mr. Ayoob does an excellent in job with very few pages detailing for the reader just how divergent political Islam really is. The author speaks of how we in the West tend to think of political Islam as being a "monolith", and he does an excellent job dispelling that myth and showing how each brand of Islamism, while many times espousing a universalistic agenda, is unique to its on context. Each Islamic group incorporates different aspects and theories of Islam to suit their unique situations. While there may be some violent, extremist elements they are a small minority. Many of these groups such as the AKP have shown themselves ready to join in the representative process and attempt to achieve their aims within the system. The author has given us plenty of examples of how democracy has a pronounced moderating affect on these Islamic organizations. It is up to us to focus our attention from the vocal and violent minority and focus our attention on helping the moderate majority, even when this help seems to be in contradiction to our own interests because in the end when these groups join the democratic process we all win.
This is a fantastic book that needs to be read and reread. I am eagerly awaiting the next publishing from this author.
Get beyond the surface April 13, 2010
Niel Smith (Leavenworth, KS, USA)
Dr. Ayoob's work on political Islam is a timely assault on many of the myths surrounding the nature and threat of Islamic activism that is often portrayed in popular American media. Dr. Ayoob characterizes the majority of these groups under the title of "Political Islam", which he defines as "a form of instrumentalization of Islam by individuals, groups, and organizations that pursue political objectives." In essence, political Islam seeks to apply Islamic principles to the execution of modern government through acquiring the power of the state.
The appeal of political Islam is multifaceted. The author cites the most basic appeal as the romantic notion of a "Golden Age" of Islam at the time of the Prophet and the first four caliphs. The golden age was modeled most prominently in the city-state structure of Medina during this period. Popular conception of this period has been idealized in popular literature and stories much the way the "founding fathers" are venerated in America. This appeal has been maintained throughout the centuries and found major revival in the 19th and 20th centuries as the majority of the Islamic world was brought under European domination during the colonial period.
Dr. Ayoob contends the rise of Arab dictatorships in the mid-20th century has greatly aided the growth of political Islam due to the repressive natures of the regimes which often restricted or outlawed public dissent. Therefore dissent was often voiced through religious, rather than political means, and thus has reinforced the perception that religion and politics are inseparable in Islam. In fact, political repression is often so extreme that if many of these governments fall a religious replacement is the only organized option in many states.
A number of myths regarding the threat of political Islam are addressed in this book. Dr. Ayoob successfully takes on several key contentions of the pundit masses regarding Islam as a monolithic religion. He asserts that "no two Islamism's are alike", and notes that almost every Islamist movement has characteristics specific to its local character despite similar rhetoric. Dr. Ayoob contrasts six political Islamic movements in Saudi Arabia, Iran, Pakistan, Egypt, Turkey, Indonesia, and finally the insurgent groups Hamas and Hezbollah to prove his case.
Dr. Ayoob studies each case where a political Islamic group has risen to power and the resulting effect on civil society. In every example the political Islamist groups have either failed to achieve their lofty goals of a religious state (such as Saudi Arabia and Iran), moderated extreme religious principles for democratic unity (Turkey and Indonesia) , or taken a balanced path (Pakistan and Egypt). In each case, the impact of political Islam was far less radical in execution than rhetoric. One of the key problems for many groups is a common vision of what a perfect Islamic state would look like. Dr. Ayoob largely assigns this to the requirements of governing large and complex societies.
Transnational Islamic groups are also addressed; primarily the Al Qaeda movement and also the "Caliphate" movement that have so captured western attention. Dr. Ayoob contends that for all the scare-mongering, the idea of a renewed Caliphate is a fringe idea, with its base of support among British expatriates. He cites numerous surveys to document the extremely small amount of support these groups have and contends western (primarily US) over-reaction is slowly increasing what little support these groups do enjoy. While dangerous, Dr. Ayoob contends that they have no chance of achieving their lofty rhetoric of Islamic domination. On the contrary, most affiliated groups have local, not transnational, goals.
Overall, the book was a fascinating insight into a subject that is much misunderstood and often demonized in the American media. Dr. Ayoob's dispassionate analysis succeeds in dispelling many myths of an Islamic juggernaut bent on establishing a new world Caliphate. Indeed, most of these movements are local in nature, and political responses to repressive regimes which fail to address the needs of their peoples. The book was highly readable for the student or casual observer. In compiling this book, Dr. Ayoob has done a great service. I would like to see a more mainstream circulation and discussion of these issues in the mass media.
An excellent comparative book May 20, 2009
Ahmet Kuru (the US)
1 out of 2 found this review helpful
Mohammed Ayoob's "The Many Faces of Political Islam" is a very timely book that de-constructs several of essentialist myths about Islam and Islamist groups. The first and second chapters provide a conceptual overview with clear definitions. The empirical chapters include systematical comparisons of self-proclaimed Islamic states (Saudi Arabia and Iran), leading Islamist groups (Muslim Brotherhood in Egypt and Jamaat-i Islami in Pakistan), Muslim democracies (Turkey and Indonesia), Islamist national resistance movements (Hizbullah and Hamas), and transnational Islamists (Tablighi Jamaat, Hib-ut-Tahrir, and al-Qaeda). The conclusion points to the need of democratization in Muslim countries and re-orientation of US foreign policy as solution alternatives to ongoing problems.
A Concise, Enlightening Must-Read on Internal Political Contexts and Dynamics in the Majority-Muslim World April 28, 2009
AmericanDreamer
1 out of 3 found this review helpful
I try to read up on developments in the Islamic world from current events, political, historical and comparative religious perspectives. I learned a great deal from this book about some of the specific dimensions along which political Islam differs in different contexts and some policy-relevant lessons we in the US should take away from such an enriched understanding.
The case studies the author chose were of countries--Egypt, Pakistan, Turkey, Indonesia, Iran and Saudi Arabia--and movements--Hizbollah, Hamas, al qaeda, and 2 other Islamic organizations with a transnational focus---which in addition to being important in their own right are also topical and important for the US to understand and adopt sensible policies towards.
I came away feeling more optimistic than I had expected to about the medium and longer-term prospects for improved living conditions for ordinary people living in majority-Muslim countries--including but going beyond greater freedom of worship and political speech--particularly if the US does not adopt ham-handed policies which impede internal dynamics that we should on the whole welcome.
 Three and a Half Stars May 19, 2010
Will Jerom (Florida, USA)
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
Content Summary: Ayoob's book reviews the many political faces of Islam over several countries: Turkey, Indonesia, Pakistan, Iran, Saudi Arabia, Israel and Lebanon among them. He demonstrates that there is no one monolithic understanding of Islam the world-over, and that politically also there is also a diverse array of movements in Islam, from the democratic (such as Turkey), to the fringe terror groups such as Al-Qaeda (whose impact he says, on Islam, is actually quite limited). His intention was to write an introductory text on Islam and Politics, and in this he partially succeeds. It is a good book, but not necessarily accessible for beginning readers.
Analytical Review: I have to commend Ayoob for a deft and subtle understanding the nuances in religion and politics all over the Islamic world. Readers should be persuaded that there is in fact no one singular Islamic religious or political world-view, and that there is quite some diversity in the approaches and challenges Muslims today are facing. Ayoob is strongest in his analytical overview (the how and why) but weakest in his concrete, historical overview (the who, what, and when). Quite frankly, I suspect many students who are novices who read this book will become lost in many places. For example, he assumes contextual knowledge of major figures such as Mustafa Kemal Ataturk, without giving them more than line or two. The Shah's overthrow, our support for Mossadeq, get only a line or two also - this knowledge is assumed not imparted, as is knowledge of Khomeini, Sadat, etc. In short he assumes a lot more concrete historical knowledge of Islamic societies than he actually relays, and this will unfortunately detract from the important impact of his thesis. Experts, go ahead and read - but novices I'd advise you to read up on your history first.
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