ePub Islamic Exceptionalism: How the Struggle Over Islam Is Reshaping the World by Shadi Hamid in History

Review

23 of 25 people found the following review helpful. Important PerspectiveBy Fats YamaguchiA highly-readable; well-argued survey of how Islam's political impact in the Arab World is shaped by a different view of religion's role in government; law and politics. Unlike earlier arguments (i.e.; Huntington; Lewis; Pipes); Hamid goes beyond generalities to explore the specifics of how Islamists see their political role. The result is a fascinating perspective on the dynamics of how Egypt; Tunisia; and Turkey have grown more polarized since the 2011 Arab Spring.Unlike Christianity and Judaism; which have evolved to largely separate faith from government; Islam has been political from the start. This difference will continue to play a role in Arab politics and state-building. Attempts to foster democracy must take into account the deep divisions within Muslim societies over how Islam should shape government and society. Hamid does a good job of illustrating how today's Islamist groups grew out of modern challenges and have shaped their politics of gradualism to placate authoritarian rulers and suspicious secularists. He also gives some attention to the divisions between Islamist groups such as the Muslim Brotherhood and Ennahda and the Islamic State. Many analysts focus on Islamists as a threat to democracy. Hamid concedes the point; but notes that many of the most draconian "Islamic" legislation has come from secular groups attempting to play the Islamic card. Hamid also draws from the failures of the Arab Spring; particularly the 2013 coup in Egypt; to argue that secular liberal sensitivities over perceived Islamic threats also undermine democratization. Not all readers will agree with all of Hamid's conclusions; but his perspective is a valuable contribution to the discussion. Highly recommended.7 of 7 people found the following review helpful. Extremely Informative and Eye OpeningBy Chris and SharonI had some knowledge of Islam prior to reading this book but the author's ability to explain to a "Westerner" how Islam differs fundamentally from Christianity and how those differences make a gradual modulation of Islam to something compatible with Western democratic processes was eye opening. The chapter on ISIS was transformative in how I understood its genesis and what the West can expect its future to be. (It ain't just going to go away. You can kill as many true believers as you can but you can't kill the ideal that drives these people.) The chapters on Turkey and Tunisia got a bit "long." Anyone hoping for easy answers to "the problem;" is going to be disappointed.9 of 10 people found the following review helpful. Islamic Exceptionalism - a perspective to ponderBy Dennis C. RobertsNot until Shadi Hamid’s Islamic Exceptionalism (2016) had I seen an attempt to define Islam; Islamism; or any Islamic governmental state as exceptional in any way. His careful analysis of the conditions following the end of the Ottoman Empire; the geographic boundaries imposed after it; and the strife of the last 50+ in the Middle East and North Africa make a strong case for Islam being unique in both religious and political perspective. Islamic “exceptionalism” is; in fact; defined as a fusion of religion and politics that stands in contrast to the generally accepted notion that governments must be secular in order to be modern and democratic.Hamid’s analyses included the three cases of Egypt; Turkey; and Tunisia. These cases are distinct in terms of the types of changes sought; who was involved; and the process of change. Much can be learned from these examples; the bottom line is that; in the face of rising Islamic fervor; where a number of political actors are present; and where the state is strong enough to be worth capturing; there is no question that ideological and religious polarization will follow. This polarization and reformation will take many years to work out and both those who endure the strife of the Middle East as well as observe and struggle with it from afar; will be better served to understand the history behind the various Islamist movements and how that impacts the alliances that form and dissolve as the process works toward an eventual solution.