This is the first comprehensive guide to today's most important, yet least understood transnational ideology -- political Islamism. The movement takes many forms, ranging from electoral participation to revolutionary terrorism and global jihad, and influences the politics of virtually every country around the globe. The guide examines the movement's diverse groups, ideas, and activities, including the beliefs, organizational structures, and interactions of the different groups. It focuses on thinkers and ideologies, movements and parties, and responding government policies and repression.

The guide begins with two general essays. The first is an overview of contemporary Islamism that assesses its roots in the history of Islam and traces the rise of Islamist thought through the twentieth century to contemporary times. The second essay addresses the concept of "global jihad" and jihadist movements, especially in relationship to terrorism, and provides background to the various groups and movements discussed in the book.

Following these introductions, sections are organized geographically and cover the areas of intense, and known, Islamist activity -- Sub-Saharan Africa, Asia, Australia and the Pacific, Central Asia, North Africa and the Middle East, Europe, and the Western Hemisphere. Essays within the sections examine specific countries and regions, and detail the groups and activities within these areas. The essays include detailed bibliographic information for further research.

Selected Contents:

List of Maps
Preface

Introduction: An Introduction to Assessing Contemporary Islamism Barry Rubin

Global Jihad Reuven Paz

Sub-Saharan Africa
Africa David McCormack
Somalia Moshe Terdman
Sudan Harvey Glickman and Emma Rodman

Asia
Bangladesh Maneeza Hossain
China Dru C. Gladney
Malaysia Joseph Chinyong Liow
Thailand Tiffany Kay Hacker and Linda Michaud-Emin

Australia and the Pacific
Australia Leanne Piggott
Indonesia Greg Barton
The Philippines S.P. Harish and Joseph Chinyong Liow

Central Asia
Central Asia Zeyno Baran
Afghanistan Antonio Giustozzi
The Caucasus Zeyno Baran and Svante E. Cornell

North Africa and the Middle East
Algeria Luis Martinez
Egypt Israel Elad Altman
Iran Abbas William (Bill) Samii
Iraq Ibrahim Al-Marashi
Israel Mordechai Keidar
Jordan Curtis R. Ryan
Kuwait, Qatar, the UAE, and Oman Sean Foley
Lebanon Robert G. Rabil
Morocco Aziz Enhaili
Pakistan Ajai Sahni
Palestinians Hillel Frisch
Saudi Arabia Hassan Mneimneh
Syria Barry Rubin
Tunisia Aziz Enhaili
Turkey Ali Carkoglu
Yemen Laurent Bonnefoy

Europe
Belgium Brigitte Marechal
France Farhad Kosrovkhavar
Germany Guido Steinberg
Italy Kathryn Haahr-Escolano
Netherlands Edwin Bakker & Michael Andrew Berger
The Russian Federation Gordon M. Hahn
Scandinavia Magnus Norell
Spain Juan Jose Escobar Stemmann (Hansi Escobar)
United Kingdom Jonathan Spyer

Western Hemisphere
Caribbean Basin Moshe Terdiman
North America Judith Colp Rubin

About the Authors