The Kemalists

Abstract

The range of titles in Prometheus Books’ “Islamic Studies” section is quite intriguing. According to its webpage, this “leading publisher in philosophy, popular science, and critical thinking” appears to be dedicated to covering Islamic-related topics of interest in a comprehensive manner for a post-9/11 western audience. Recnet publications include The Legacy of Jihad: Islamic Holy War and the Fate of Non-Muslims (the author is a professor of medicine), The Myth of Islamic Tolerance (authored by the “director of Jihad Watch”), and Leaving Islam: Apostates Speak Out and Why I Am not a Muslim (both by the notorious Ibn Warraq). The book under review fits into this series due to its apologetic character and narrow perspective on Islam – a perspective that sees political enunciations motivated by Islam as threatening and in direct contradiction to the (presumably universal) modern. The front book flap sets the tone and caters to a broad readership: “A clash of civilizations – between the secular traditions of the West and the fundamentalist Islamic revival in the East – has plunged the world into serious crisis.” First of all, it has to be stated that The Kemalists is neither an academic book nor an “Islamic Studies” book. It is filled with methodological problems and utterly incorrect statements about Islam. One particularly blatant example should suffice to make this point: On page 198, Kaylan lumps together as brotherhoods the “reactionary” Muslim Brotherhood, the “Shafis” (sic), the “Maliki Brotherhood,” and the “liberal … Melami and Bektashi brotherhoods” – apparently not understanding the differences between a modern Islamist movement, schools of law, and Sufi orders. To be fair, the author does not claim to be an Islamicist; however, it is disturbing to see how politically motivated treatises such as his gain publicity under an “Islamic Studies” label ...