The Battle for the Soul of Islam

Beschreibung

“Who will shape Islam in the 21st century? In this well-documented and engaging book, James M. Dorsey presents Indonesia (with its 90-million-strong movement, Nahdlatul Ulama) as a competitor of Saudi Arabia, UAE, Qatar, and Turkey. It successfully analyses various aspects of this global competition-history, theology, political economy, and foreign policy.”
—Ahmet T. Kuru, author of Islam, Authoritarianism, and Underdevelopment: 
A Global and Historical Comparison 

This book describes the battle between major Middle Eastern and Asian Muslim-majority states to control the definition of Islam in the 21st century. Focusing on United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, and Indonesia, the book explores how the outcome of this battle will significantly empower the winner, or winners, to wield religious soft power, secure leadership of the Islamic world, and project strategic influence worldwide.

The result of the rivalry will determine which notions of a ‘moderate Islam’ will prevail including the degree to which these notions embrace religious and political pluralism, tolerance, gender equality, secularism, and human rights as defined by the Universal Declaration of Human Rights or remain vague, as in current Saudi and Emirate usage of the term moderation, which is designed to mask these states’ failure to systematically integrate these values into their domestic and foreign policy agendas.

Ultimately, the battle for the soul of Islam will significantly impact how Muslims worldwide understand and practice their faith. Waged in diverse arenas across the globe, this complex religious and geopolitical struggle will play a significant role in determining the prospects for peace and security not only in the vast region extending from the Atlantic coast of Africa to the Philippines but also in the United States and Europe.

James M. Dorsey is an award-winning journalist, acclaimed scholar and Adjunct Senior Fellow at Singapore’s S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies. James has reported from all corners of the Islamic world and lived in multiple Muslim and non-Muslim countries as a foreign correspondent for major media, including The Wall Street Journal, Financial Times, and The New York Times.

This book describes the battle between major Middle Eastern and Asian Muslim-majority states to control the definition of Islam in the 21st century. Focusing on United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, and Indonesia, the book explores how the outcome of this battle will significantly empower the winner, or winners, to wield religious soft power, secure leadership of the Islamic world, and project strategic influence worldwide.

The result of the rivalry will determine which notions of a ‘moderate Islam’ will prevail including the degree to which these notions embrace religious and political pluralism, tolerance, gender equality, secularism, and human rights as defined by the Universal Declaration of Human Rights or remain vague, as in current Saudi and Emirate usage of the term moderation, which is designed to mask these states’ failure to systematically integrate these values into their domestic and foreign policy agendas.

Ultimately, the battle for the soul of Islam will significantly impact how Muslims worldwide understand and practice their faith. Waged in diverse arenas across the globe, this complex religious and geopolitical struggle will play a significant role in determining the prospects for peace and security not only in the vast region extending from the Atlantic coast of Africa to the Philippines but also in the United States and Europe.

Autor*in

James M. Dorsey

Themen in »The Battle for the Soul of Islam«

Islam and Politics Islam and Soft Power Muslim-majority states in the Middle East and Asia Religious Soft Power Leadership of the Islamic world Geopolitical Power Islam and United Arab Emirates Islam and Saudi Arabia Islam and Indonesia

Stimmen zu »The Battle for the Soul of Islam«

“This book is a descriptive account of an ongoing, intensifying contestation by Muslim groups over the semantics of Islam in the twenty-first century. ... This book will naturally appeal to anyone especially interested in international relations, Islamic studies, foreign policy, political economy and theology. The main takeaway here is understanding that the Muslim World is anything but static. Everything is to play for, at the top as well as at the bottom.” (Zeeshan Mahmood, the Muslim World Book Review, Vol. 45 (3), 2025)

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