Globalization and Islamism: Beyond Fundamentalism

"Globalization and Islamism is a gem of a book. Elegantly written, it effectively tears down essentialist accounts of the so-called phenomenon of political Islam."---Mustapha Kamal Pasha, University of Aberdeen

"Nevzat Soguk brilliantly subverts the conventional `Jihad vs. McWorld' discussion of Islam and globalization by unveiling both the intrinsic modernity of Muslimness and the Muslimness of modernity. An erudite, highly readable, and thoroughly human account of Islamic cosmopolitanism."---Peter Mandaville, George Mason University; author of Global Political Islam

This book explores non-Arab Islamic orientations, convincingly showing that Islam as a historical force has been characteristically more tolerant, pluralistic, and flexible than contemporary Islamist movements suggest. Nevzat Soguk argues that the current Western focus on Wahhabi fundamentalism has obscured past and present cosmopolitan Islamic traditions around the world. He highlights the often-overlooked forms of Islam in Turkey and in Indonesia, which holds the world's largest population of Muslims. By focusing on these two countries, he fills a significant void on the diverse role Islam is poised to play in shaping regional and global political futures. Original, timely, and humane, this book will be esential reading for all those concerned about repairing Western-Islamic relations.