Political Islam: A Critical Reader by Frederic Volpi

At the dawn of the 21st century, political Islam has become an influential religious and social force in many post-colonial states, from North Africa to South East Asia. In the context of war in Afghanistan and Iraq, and the ‘War on Terror’, much has been written. Little has been written, however, to enable a holistic understanding of political Islam. Though some work has been done by Western scholars like Olivier Roy, the post-9/11 world has a different dynamic in which political Islam is used by terrorists to set the global discourse on the West’s treatment of Muslims. In these circumstances, Frederic Volpi provides a comprehensive introduction to the study of political Islam. Offering a clear route to the most influential literature in the field, the diverse range of viewpoints presented give the reader a detailed, authoritative, critical and cosmopolitan perspective on the pressing questions of the post-9/11 era.