Transnational Political Islam

Amid the escalating conflicts and polarizations separating “Muslim” from “Westerner,” the book under review is a helpful contribution to the academic and policy literature. Prominent anti-immigrant right-wing movements, such as those led by Pim Fortyn (the Netherlands) and Jean-Marie Le Pen (France), have seen their perspectives enter and influence mainstream politics. Recently, Dutch movie director Theo van Gogh was murdered by a Muslim on the grounds that he had demeaned Islam. Demonstrations against the brutal murder and attacks on Muslim institutions followed. The alreadyoverheated climate of antagonism has risen by several degrees. These developments are echoed in other clashes in Europe revolving around identity politics, such as the hijab issue in France. Western states are coping with the dual demands posed by integration and police work: seeking to integrate Muslims into European and American societies while simultaneously pursuing terrorist cells and networks. Azza Karam’s edited volume considers such questions as the relationship between political Islam and violence, distinguishing extremism from moderate Islam (often presumed to be “mainstream” Islam), and how Muslims in the West relate to these. Karam’s volume includes articles covering France, Germany, Sweden, the Netherlands (all described as non-English speaking countries with less English scholarly literature on these topics) ...