The Contemporary Arab Reader on Political Islam

"A fascinating examination of a range of Arab interpretations of Islam and Islamism, including reflections on jihad, Israel/Palestine, and responses to the West since 9/11. Abu-Rabi's comprehensive introduction provides a cohesive context for these studies. Highly recommended for students of Islamist movements, contemporary political developments in the Middle East, and Islam in general." Jane Smith, Harvard Divinity School "With a clear headed and judicious selection, Professor Abu-Rabi' has opened up a panorama of modern political thought that we scarce knew existed. The result is an absolutely indispensible compendium on contemporary Islamist movements that no student of current affairs on a global scale can ignore." Hamid Dabashi, author of Islamic Liberation Theology: Resisting the Empire "These essays by the actors and experts of Islamism are the most enlightening documents that I have ever read. The ideological and geographic range of the essays is unmatched in its richness and analytical depth. This is a volume which allows major figures of the Islamic movement to take the reader beyond the West's fixation on Qutb and his violent rendition of Islamic thought." Ghada Hashem Talhami, D. K. Pearsons Professor of Politics, Emerita Lake Forest College "Ibrahim Abu-Rabi', the leading scholar on contemporary Muslim thought, has drawn together the seminal writings on Islamism from across the Arab world. Finally, in one volume, we can engage the foundational and current thinking of a diverse movement that will demand the attention of both scholars and the educated public for many years to come. This book needs to be close at hand for all those working and thinking about the Islamist movement, Political Islam, modern trends in Islam and the Middle East.... Most of the essays have been translated into English for the first time and the masterful introductory essay by Professor Abu-Rabi' is worth the price of the volume on its own." David J. Goa, Director, Chester Ronning Centre for the Study of Religion & Public Life, University of Alberta "This book presents a needed and valuable worldview of Islamism, as presented by many of its leading thinkers and ideologues. Most of the articles, written during the past ten years, here appear in English for the first time and cover wide-ranging topics. The interpretations are varied and, as put together in one volume, clearly and in a scholarly manner refute the simplistic and often incorrect generalizations about Islam and Islamism that are too often expressed in the Western world. Anyone interested in modern trends in Islam, the Middle East and/or comparative religious movements should read this book." Norton Mezvinsky, Emeritus Professor of History and President, International Council for Middle East Studies "An excellent collection of recent articles, originally written in Arabic by contemporary Islamist thinkers and never-before-seen by an English-speaking audience. Translated specifically for this volume, these articles provide rich insight into the recent history and future prospects of the Islamic movement in the Arab world. Among other topics, the book explores the impact on the Islamic movement of the collapse of the Soviet Union and of the emergence of a unipolar New World Order; diversity within the Islamic movement; and relations between Islamism and the West. As well, it offers critical reflections on the contemporary Islamic movement and the ruling political elites in the Arab world. Studded with intellectual gems, this valuable volume will help the serious student of Islam-and of Islam as political discourse-to better understand not only the pluralistic nature of the Islamist movement, but also the complexity of political cross currents and political turmoil in the Arab world." Baha Abu-Laban, Professor Emeritus of Sociology, University of Alberta