Islamic Leviathan Islam and the Making of State Power

by Nasr, Seyyed Vali Reza

• ISBN13: 9780195144260
• ISBN10: 0195144260
• Format: Hardcover
• Copyright: 2001-09-13
• Publisher: Oxford University Press

Summary

Islamization is commonly seen as the work of Islamist movements who have forced their ideology on ruling regimes and other hapless social actors. There is little doubt that ruling regimes and disparate social and political actors alike are pushed in the direction of Islamic politics by Islamist forces. However, Islamist activism and its revolutionary and utopian rhetoric only partly explain this trend. Here, Nasr argues that the state itself plays a key role in embedding Islam in the politics of Muslim countries. Focusing on Malaysia and Pakistan, Nasr argues that the turn to Islam is a facet of the state's drive to establish hegemony over society and expand its powers and control.

Author Biography

Seyyed Vali Reza Nasr is Associate Professor of Political Science at the University of San Diego.

Table of Contents

Introduction: Defining the Problem	3	(28)
PART I. THE MAKING OF THE NEW STATES
The Colonial Legacy	31	(17)
From Independence to 1969	48	(21)
PART II. THE 1970S: POLITICAL TURMOIL AND CULTURAL CHANGE
Secular States in Crisis	69	(13)
The Islamist Challenge in Malaysia and Pakistan	82	(23)
PART III. HEART OF THE MATTER
Malaysia, 1981-1997 Islamization and Capitalist Development	105	(25)
Pakistan, 1977-1997 Islamization and Restoration of State Power	130	(28)
Conclusion: The Islamization Period in the Balance	158	(11)
Notes	169	(38)
Bibliography	207	(20)
Index	227