Islamism: A History of Political Islam from the Fall of the Ottoman Empire to the Rise of ISIS

by Tarek Osman

Overview

An incisive analysis of Islamist movements in the Middle East

A political, social, and cultural battle is currently raging in the Middle East. On one side are the Islamists, those who believe Islam should be the region’s primary identity. In opposition are nationalists, secularists, royal families, military establishments, and others who view Islamism as a serious threat to national security, historical identity, and a cohesive society.
 
This provocative, vitally important work explores the development of the largest, most influential Islamic groups in the Middle East over the past century. Tarek Osman examines why political Islam managed to win successive elections and how Islamist groups in various nations have responded after ascending to power. He dissects the alliances that have formed among Islamist factions and against them, addressing the important issues of Islamism’s compatibility with modernity, with the region’s experiences in the twentieth century, and its impact on social contracts and minorities. He explains what Salafism means, its evolution, and connections to jihadist groups in the Middle East. Osman speculates on what the Islamists’ prospects for the future will mean for the region and the rest of the world.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780300230963
Publisher:	Yale University Press
Publication date:	10/24/2017
Edition description:	Reprint
Pages:	328
Product dimensions:	5.10(w) x 7.70(h) x 1.40(d)

About the Author

Tarek Osman is the author of Islamism: A History of Political Islam from the Fall of the Ottoman Empire to the Rise of ISIS and Egypt on the Brink. He wrote and presented several BBC documentary series including "The Making of the Modern Arab World" and "Islam Divided: Sunni-Shia". Tarek has spent two decades researching Middle Eastern politics and societies, and is a regular contributor on the Arab and Islamic worlds at leading newspapers worldwide.

Table of Contents

Introduction vi

1 The Islamists' Coming to Power 1

2 Halal Money, Halal Regimes 23

3 The Salafists, from Cultural Salons to Jihadists' Battlefields 45

4 The Islamists' Fall from Power 77

5 The Secularists' Predicament 98

6 The Minorities' Fears 120

7 The Gulf's View of Islamism 142

8 Turkish Islamism as a Model for the Arab World 161

9 Iranian Islamism as a Model for Arab Islamists 189

10 Islamism and the West 217

11 The Dilemmas of Islamist Thinking Now 242

Conclusion 256

Notes 263

Bibliography 284

List of Illustrations 295

Index 297