Islamic Exceptionalism

Author(s): Shadi Hamid

Current Affairs

In Islamic Exceptionalism, Brookings Institution scholar and acclaimed author Shadi Hamid offers a novel and provocative argument on how Islam is, in fact, "exceptional" in how it relates to politics, with profound implications for how we understand the Middle East. With unprecedented access and drawing on hundreds of hours of interviews with lslamist activists and leaders across the region, Hamid argues for a new understanding of how Islam and lslamism shape politics and how the practice of politics shapes Islam. Despite the hopes of the Arab Spring, ideological and religious polarisation has actually worsened. Divides among citizens aren't just about power but are instead products of fundamental disagreements over the very nature and purpose of the modern nation state. Offering a panoramic and ambitious interpretation of the region's descent into violence, The Last Caliphate is a vital contribution to our understanding of Islam's past and present, and its central role in the struggle over the future of the Middle East.

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A dramatic inside account of the Arab Spring and its violent aftermath, based on years of research, travel, and first- hand access to participants in several nations. From the founding of Islam in the seventh century, there had always been a dominant Muslim empire, or "caliphate." But in 1924, the Ottoman Caliphate was formally abolished. Since then, there has been an ongoing struggle to establish a legitimate political order in the Middle East. At the centre of that struggle is the vexing problem of religion and its role in political life.

Shadi Hamid provides an invaluable corrective to Western interpretations of Islam, Islamism, and the future of democracy in the Muslim world. Whatever debate remains to be had cannot take place without reference to this insightful and sympathetic document. Lawrence Wright, author of "The Looming Tower" and "Thirteen Days in September" A riveting account of the Arab Spring and all that followed, by one of the world s leading scholars on political Islam. Shadi Hamid explains convincingly that Islam and the political movements it spawns are truly exceptional and likely to frustrate the liberal determinists who believe that history inevitably gravitates to a secular future. A hugely important book. General David Petraeus (Ret.), former director of the CIA and commander of coalition forces in Iraq and Afghanistan "Islamic Exceptionalism" is an honest, deeply researched, and at times anguished effort to make sense of the Middle East after the failure of the Arab Spring and the rise of ISIS. Particularly rich and subtle on the crisis facing the Muslim Brotherhood, the book offers both a snapshot of a painful moment and a long-view inquiry into the meeting between Islam and democracy. Sobering, urgent reading for anyone who cares about the region, past and future. Noah Feldman, Felix Frankfurter Professor of Law, Harvard Law School and author of "Cool" "War," "Scorpions," and" The Fall and Rise of the Islamic State""A smart and highly readable book by one of the leading experts on the topic. Hamid examines the defining problem in the modern Middle East: how to mix religion and politics. His heartfelt fear is that in the age of ISIS a solution won t come quickly because the features of a modern democratic state are often at odds with the path to God. David Gregory, former host of "Meet the Press" and author of "How s Your Faith" Hamid offers readers a vital road map to navigate the chaos and confusion that is the post Arab-Spring Middle East. Reza Aslan, "New York Times" bestselling author of "Zealot "and "No" "God but God" Beyond the zero-sum proposals of Islam or liberalism, Shadi Hamid boldly wrestles with how these two can negotiate the future of Muslim polities. Along the way, he educates us, challenging entrenched stereotypes and blind presumptions, especially the notion that the Muslim world must, can, or should go the way of the West. Islam is a constant not a variable. "Islamic Exceptionalism" suggests that this may be the beginning of wisdom for anyone wishing to understand, let alone shape, the political future of majority Muslim states. Sherman A. Jackson, King Faisal Chair in Islamic Thought and Culture, University of Southern California"

Shadi Hamid is a senior fellow in the Center for Middle East Policy at the Brookings Institution and a contributing writer for "The Atlantic." An expert on Islamist movements, he previously served as director of research at the Brookings Doha Center. His first book "Temptations of Power: Islamists and Illiberal Democracy in a New Middle East" was named a "Foreign Affairs" Best Book of 2014. Hamid lives in Washington, D.C.

General Fields

  • : 9781250061010
  • : St Martin's Press
  • : St Martin's Press
  • : May 2016
  • : 236mm X 154mm X 16mm
  • : United States
  • : June 2016
  • : books

Special Fields

  • : Shadi Hamid
  • : Hardback
  • : 1
  • : 297.272
  • : 256