Suchergebnisse

A review essay on 14 books that deal with Islam & Islamism compares varied approaches to defining & describing religion & its relationship to culture. Differences in understandings of fundamentalism from the viewpoint of religion, social anthropology, political science, & history are pointed out. Consideration is given to such issues as the importance of Islam in both the private & public lives of Muslims; Western perceptions of Islam as hostile to democracy & modernity; global perspectives of political Islam; reasons underlying Muslim rage; & distinctions between Islamists in general & jihadists in particular. In spite of the wide range of topics covered by these books, it is contended that not enough attention has been given to the social background of Islamists, especially jihadists. Like activists in any radical political movement, the leaders & followers of militant Islamist groups are young. As such, Islamism is described as a "phenomenon of transition," which is connected to modernization & may lose its strength when newly mobilized followers grow older or adapt to the new environment. J. Lindroth