The portrayal of Islamic movements as a tide of religious fanaticism threatening the West, and major participants in the coming "clash of civilizations", has provoked a multifaceted debate of great significance to the future of international relations. This text argues that political Islam's desire to restore a culture distorted by colonization does not necessarily compromise its progress to more democracy and greater tolerance. From Rabat to Gaza, through Algiers and Cairo, the author carried out his enquiry through interviews with prominent Islamists, and he allows them to speak for themselves in the book. Among the issues addressed are the relationship between Islam and modernity, Islamism and women, and questions of violence.

A text which argues that political Islam's desire to restore a culture distorted by colonization does not necessarily compromise its progress to more democracy and greater tolerance. Among the issues addressed are the relationship between Islam and modernity, Islamism and women, and violence.

About the Author
Francois Burgat, a political scientist and Arabist, is Researcher at the CNRS in Paris. Having spent 7 years in Algeria, and a further 5 years in Egypt working on this book, he now directs the Centre Francais d'Archeologie et de Sciences Sociales in Sana'a, Yemen.

Reviews
"Complex, nuanced, and lucidly presented, Burgat's argument is worth taking seriously... Highly recommended." -T. Le Vine (emeritus, Washington University), Choice



Book Information
ISBN 9781860642135
Author Francois Burgat
Format Paperback
Page Count 248
Imprint I.B. Tauris
Publisher Bloomsbury Publishing PLC
Dimensions(mm) 216mm * 138mm * 19mm