The New Politics of Islam: Pan-Islamic Foreign Policy in a World of States

by Naveed S. Sheikh

Overview

This is a timely study of the international relations of Islamic states, dealing both with the evolving theory of pan-Islamism from classical to post-caliphal times and the foreign-policy practice of contemporary states, especially Saudi Arabia, Iran and Pakistan, from the colonial period to the global aftermath of September 11. With a concise but analytic style, the book engages one-by-one with the questions of political theory, political geography and political sociology as they relate to international Islam. Its primary empirical investigation is centred on the Organization of the Islamic Conference (OIC), a powerful pan-Islamic regime, sometimes referred to as the 'Muslim United Nations'. In its theoretical deliberations on Islam and the postmodern condition, the book reconstructs contemporary understandings of how religious ideas and identities influence international politics in the Islamic world.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781135789756
Publisher:	Taylor & Francis
Publication date:	08/29/2003
Series:	Routledge Islamic Studies Series
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	224
File size:	354 KB

About the Author

Naveed Sheikh is Honorary European Trust Scholar at Churchill College and a doctoral candidate at the Centre of International Studies, University of Cambridge.

Table of Contents

Foreword Acknowledgements 1. Introductory Remarks: The Transcendental Ontology of the OIC 2. The Pan-Islamic Paradigm: Adjusting to the post-Caliphatic Order 2.1 Statement of Intention and Methodological Orientation 2.2 The Trans-Islamic Umma: Political Taxonomy and Epistemic Community 2.3 The Organization of the Islamic Conference: Catalyst, Conception, Inception 2.4 The Charter of the Islamic Conference: Etatism as Fait Accompli 3. A Geo-Political Genealogy of the OIC: The Secular Rationale 3.1 Statement of Intention and Methodological Orientation 3.2 The OIC and Saudi Foreign Policy: Depoliticizing International Islam 3.3 The OIC and Iranian Foreign Policy: Unilateral Multilateralism 3.4 The OIC and Pakistani Foreign Policy: The search for security 3.5 Comparitive Evaluation: A Triangle of Neutralization 4. Self-Identity in Foreign Policy: Bringing Islam Back In 4.1 Statement of Intention and Methodological Orientation 4.2 The Clash of Civilization: Reinventing "Geo Culturalism" 4.3 "Rhetorical Islam": The Dialectics of Rationale and Discourse 4.4 Post modern Pan-Islamism: The Synthesisof Rationality and "Aspirationality" 5. Concluding Reflections: A Mighty Myth-Rise, Demise and Resurrection 6. Appendix A: Member States of the OIC-Territory, Demography, Economy 7. Appendix B: The Institutional Structure of the OIC-A Comprehensive Listing 8. Appendix C: The Triangle of Neutralization: A Schematic Overview 9. Select Bibliography

Editorial Reviews

The argument is cleverly-constructed, and bases itself on the most up-to-date research... It strikes me as one of the most fresh and incisive contributions to the clash of civilizations literature that I have seen and is likely to attract widespread notice and comment.
—Faculty of Divinity, University of Cambridge

T. J. Winter

Can Muslims overcome their knee-jerk acceptance of the war between the East and the Beast as a mirror image of the alleged war between the West and the Rest? The pioneering study by Naveed Sheikh analyzes the extent to which the three leading states of the Muslim world have used pan-Islamic verbiage to promote overriding agendas of nationalistic self-service... [But] pursuing vision in a pragmatic world by focusing on opportunity rather than threat is the most challenging of all tasks. Naveed Sheikh's new book does this better than anything I have ever read. Essential reading for policy advisers after September 11.
—Former US Ambassador to the UAE, President, Center for Policy Research

Robert Dickson Crane

A necessary corrective for anyone disposed to believe that Huntington's Clash of Civilizations has an empirical basis, or that Islam is a simple and unified community.
—KCMG, DL Former UK Ambassador to Bahrain and Syria, President, British Society for Middle East Studies

Roger Tomkys

An important contribution to the understanding of post-caliphatic international Muslim politics. It sees through the religious semantics and unveils the objectives of realpolitik behind the main movers of the OIC.
—MIL Secretary General, Islamic Party of Britain

Sahib Mustaqim Bleher

'This short, yet ambitious study by a Muslim scholar departs to a large extent from the bulk of the literature of its type ... the author has a passionate style, with not infrequent wit and flair.' - International Affairs

'A significant contribution to the prevalent literature on Islam in the area of International Relations ... pioneering research that maintains an impressive balance between both theory and praxis and knowledge of international relations and Islamic studies.' - Muslim World Book Review

'This book contains a wealth of information on diverse areas of Islamic politics which the author knows how to convey in accessible, even entertaining language, despite the scientific terminology of the subject matter - a rare accomplishment in this field.' - Rezensionen

'This short, yet ambitious study by a Muslim scholar departs to a large extent from the bulk of the literature of its type ... the author has a passionate style, with not infrequent wit and flair.' - International Affairs

'A significant contribution to the prevalent literature on Islam in the area of International Relations.' - Muslim World Book Review

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