Islamic leviathan: Islam and the making of state power

Seyyed Vali Reza Nasr9780195144260, 0-19-514426-0

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.

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Table of contents :
Preface……Page 7
Contents……Page 9
Introduction……Page 13
I – The Making of The new States……Page 39
1 – The Colonial Legacy……Page 41
2 – From Independence to 1969……Page 58
II – The 1970’s……Page 77
3 – Secular States in Crisis……Page 79
4 – The Islamist Challenge is Malaysia and Pakistan……Page 92
III – The Heart of the matter……Page 113
5 – Malaysia, 1981-1997……Page 115
6 – Pakistan, 1977-1997……Page 140
Conclusion……Page 168
Notes……Page 179
Bibliography……Page 217
Index……Page 237