Routledge Handbook of Political Islam

The Routledge Handbook of Political Islam provides a multidisciplinary overview of the phenomenon of political Islam, one of the key political movements of our time. Drawing on the expertise from some of the top scholars in the world, it examines the main issues surrounding political Islam across the world, from aspects of Muslim integration in the West to questions of political legitimacy in the Muslim world.

Bringing together an international team of renowned and respected experts on the topic, the chapters in the book present a critical account of:

• Theoretical foundations of political Islam
• Historical background
• Geographical spread of Islamist movements
• Political strategies adopted by Islamist groups
• Terrorism
• Attitudes towards democracy
• Relations between Muslims and the West in the international sphere
• Challenges of integration
• Gender relations

Presenting readers with the diversity of views on political Islam in a nuanced and dispassionate manner, this handbook is an essential addition to the existing literature on Islam and politics. It will be of interest across a wide range of disciplines, including political science, Islamic studies, sociology and history.

Shahram Akbarzadeh is Research Professor of Middle East and Central Asian Politics and holds the prestigious ARC Future Fellowship. He is Deputy Director (International) at the Alfred Deakin Institute for Citizenship and Globalization, Deakin University, Australia, with an active research interest in the politics of Islam and the Middle East.