The New Politics Of Islam

This is a timely study of the international relations of Islamic states, dealing both with the evolving theory of pan-Islamism from classical to post-caliphal times and the foreign-policy practice of contemporary states, especially Saudi Arabia, Iran and Pakistan, from the colonial period to the global aftermath of September 11. With a concise but analytic style, the book engages one-by-one with the questions of political theory, political geography and political sociology as they relate to international Islam. Its primary empirical investigation is centred on the Organization of the Islamic Conference (OIC), a powerful pan-Islamic regime, sometimes referred to as the 'Muslim United Nations'. In its theoretical deliberations on Islam and the postmodern condition, the book reconstructs contemporary understandings of how religious ideas and identities influence international politics in the Islamic world. Review: 'This short, yet ambitious study by a Muslim scholar departs to a large extent from the bulk of the literature of its type ... the author has a passionate style, with not infrequent wit and flair.' - International Affairs 'A significant contribution to the prevalent literature on Islam in the area of International Relations.' - Muslim World Book Review