Islamic Activism

Abstract

This book, an exciting development in the study of Islamic activism, is destined to become a landmark text. The reason for this, as Kurzman observes in his conclusion, is as simple as it is strange: The authors treat Islamic activists as normal human beings who make decisions about activism in ways that are similar to decision-making methods used by non-Muslim activists. Were it not for the persistent notion in both academic and popular circles that Islamic activists are their own species, one that is motivated by an irrational fanaticism, any such conclusion would be seen as humdrum. Such is the isolation of Islamic studies from theoretical developments in other fields that it was not until the turn of the twenty-first century that scholars began to study Islamic activists from the vantage point of state-of-the art insights on social movements. For this, Wiktorowicz and the contributors to his book are pioneers who deserve our appreciation. Islamic Activism is divided into three parts: “Violence and Contention,” “Networks and Alliances,” and “Culture and Framing.” It also features a foreword by Charles Tilly, an introduction by the editor, and a conclusion by Charles Kurzman. Each chapter is a strong contribution based on solid empirical research with Islamic activists from various Muslim societies. Many chapters also provide synopses of social movement theory before moving on to a discussion of their particular case study. Due to the profundity of social movement theory, this never becomes repetitive, and a nonspecialist reader will gain an understanding of social movement theory while learning more about Islamic social movements. For this reason, both Tilly and Kurzman note that the study of Islamic social movements is not just a one way street – applying theoretical insights in social movement theory derived from the study of non-Muslims to Islamic activists. Rather, the broadening and deepening social movement theory itself is accomplished via the empirical study of Islamic activists ...