Synopses & Reviews
Islamic fundamentalism has had a significant impact in nearly every corner of the world in recent years. Bassam Tibi, a widely recognized expert on Islam and Arab culture, offers an important and disquieting analysis of this particular synthesis of religion and politics. A Muslim and descendant of a famous Damascene Islamic scholar family, Tibi sees Islamic fundamentalism as the result of Islam's confrontation with modernity. The movement is unprecedented in Islamic history and parallels the inability of Islamic "nation-states" to integrate into the new world secular order.
Tibi's study is not a litany of sensational events and outrageous tactics, but rather an in-depth analysis of the politicization of religion, a global phenomenon that extends beyond Islam. Such global issues must be addressed within the framework of worldwide solutions, says Tibi. As an alternative to religious fundamentalism he proposes a compact based on secular democracy and human rights. These twin goals should become the substance of an international cross-cultural morality, one that could bring people of different civilizations to live together in peace.
Islamic fundamentalism poses a grave challenge to world politics, security, and stability, Tibi maintains. He consistently draws a distinction between Islam as a religion and Islamic fundamentalism as a political ideology, a distinction not always understood in the West. The lack of appropriate Western policies and the insensitivity of some Western politicians contribute to the fundamentalists' sense of being threatened, in turn strengthening political Islam's stronghold. Tibi cites the fundamentalists' interpretation of the Gulf War and the war in Bosnia, the latter seen to be in continuity with the former, as recent examples of this perceived threat.
This is a book that is both timely and necessary, with a message that has relevance for decision makers throughout the world.
Synopsis
Long before the tragic events of September 11, 2001, Islamic fundamentalism was exerting a significant influence in nearly every corner of the world. Bassam Tibi, a widely recognized expert on Islam and Arab culture, offers an important and disquieting analysis of this particular synthesis of religion and politics. A Muslim and descendant of a famous Damascene Islamic scholar family, Tibi sees Islamic fundamentalism as the result of Islam's confrontation with modernity and not only--as it is widely believed--economic adversity. The movement is unprecedented in Islamic history and parallels the inability of Islamic nation-states to integrate into the new world secular order.
Description
Includes bibliographical references (p. 215-251 and index.
About the Author
Bassam Tibi was born in Damascus and is currently Professor of International Relations at the University of Gand#246;ttingen, Germany. He is the author of several books in English, including Islam between Culture and Politics (2001), Arab Nationalism (third edition, 1996), Conflict and War in the Middle East, 1967-1981 (new edition, 1997), and The Crisis of Modern Islam (1988).
Table of Contents
Preface
1. The Context: Globalization, Fragmentation, and Disorder
2. The Study of Islamic Fundamentalism and the Scope of the Inquiry
3. World Order and the Legacy of Saddam Hussein
4. The Sociocultural Background and the Exposure to Cultural Modernity
5. Cultural Fragmentation, the Decline in Consensus, and the Diffusion of Power in World Politics
6. The Crisis of the Nation-State: Islamic, Pan-Arab, Ethnic, and Sectarian Identities in Conflict
7. The Fundamentalist Ideology: Context and the Textual Sources
8. The Idea of an Islamic State and the Call for the Implementation of the Shari'a/Divine Law
9. Democracy and Democratization in Islam: An Alternative to Fundamentalism
10. Human Rights in Islam and the West: Cross-Cultural Foundations of Shared Values
Notes
Names index
Subject index