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The collapse of the Soviet Union a decade ago engendered both hope and fear about the future of Islam in Uzbekistan (and Central Asia in general). Many Muslims from other countries hoped that, freed from the constraints of the Soviet regime, Uzbeks and other Central Asians would rediscover their religious traditions and rejoin the broader Muslim world.1 Other observers feared that Islam would emerge as a political force and threaten the security of the region.2 As the decade progressed and militant Islamist organizations appeared, fear tended to overshadow hope. The events of autumn 2001 in Afghanistan, when fighters belonging to the Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan (IMU) played a prominent role alongside the Taliban, seemed to vindicate the darkest fears,3 and to justify the unremitting campaign that the regime of President Islom Karimov has waged against "religious extremism" since 1998.

The chapter examines the origins & often violent consequences of the "new" sectarian militancy in Pakistan. At once Islamist & sectarianist (ie, Sunni vs Shia) in thrust, this political movement at its essence engages questions about nationalism, identity mobilization, & ethnic antagonism. The effect has been a volatile political dynamics in which ideological fundamentalism converges with ethnic exclusiveness. Impelled by conflicts in Afghanistan & Kashmir as well as by the 1979 Islamist revolution in Iran, Pakistan's sectarian militants have gained considerable clout in institutional, political, social, & criminal arenas. The state, only recently cognizant of the extent of the militants' power, needs to address the root cause of sectarian militancy & rethink its support for the Taliban & extremists in Kashmir. K. Coddon

The chapter examines the origins & often violent consequences of the "new" sectarian militancy in Pakistan. At once Islamist & sectarianist (ie, Sunni vs Shia) in thrust, this political movement at its essence engages questions about nationalism, identity mobilization, & ethnic antagonism. The effect has been a volatile political dynamics in which ideological fundamentalism converges with ethnic exclusiveness. Impelled by conflicts in Afghanistan & Kashmir as well as by the 1979 Islamist revolution in Iran, Pakistan's sectarian militants have gained considerable clout in institutional, political, social, & criminal arenas. The state, only recently cognizant of the extent of the militants' power, needs to address the root cause of sectarian militancy & rethink its support for the Taliban & extremists in Kashmir. K. Coddon

This work looks at the Islamic character of the Acehnese state in the 17th century. It examines not only its Islamic institutions but also its political culture and policies towards Islam. It includes a comparison of Aceh with other Islamic states in the region, especially Melaka and Mataram.