The rise of political Islam in the Middle East region and elsewhere, in the post-Cold War era, is one of the key geopolitical phenomena of our time. Political Islam tends to challenge the status quo culturally, socially, and more important, politically. This important new book explores the issue deeply, focusing particularly on real or perceived external threats to social identity; a neglected dimension of political Islam. Three cases are examined, those of Turkey, Egypt, and Algeria, where political Islam has challenged, sometimes quite seriously, the secular state structure.
Many policy implications, in terms of more effectively coping with these politico-religious challenges, are made by the study.
With its focus on understanding the link between social identity and religiously-driven social and political conflicts, the book will be a unique and valuable resource for policy advisors and think tanks, and all researchers, students, and scholars working on religiously-driven conflicts.
