Books

Islam and International Relations: Contributions to Theory and Practice conceives of International Relations (IR) as an intellectual platform, and not as a unilateral project. It is in this vein of thought that each contributor explores Islamic contributions to the field, addressing the theories and practices of the Islamic civilization and of Muslim societies with regards to international affairs and to the discipline of IR. The inclusion of Muslim contributions is not meant to create an isolationist, judicious divide between what is Islamic and what is not. Instead, this study supports the inclusion of that knowledge as a building block in the field of IR. An outcome of the Co-IRIS team (International Relations and Islamic Studies Research Cohort), this study draws together the combined expertise of scholars of Islam in international affairs.

Contributors: Ali Akbar Alikhani, Lili Yulyadi Arnakim, Seyed Mohammad Marandi, Faruk Yalvaç, Ahmed Al-Dawoody, Carimo Mohomed, Rodolfo Ragionieri, and Muhamad Ali

Citation: Abdelkader, Deina, Nassef Manabilang Adiong, and Raffaele Mauriello (eds.) Islam and International Relations: Contributions to Theory and Practice. London: Palgrave Macmillan, 2016.

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International Relations and Islam: Diverse Perspectives presents the idea of finding a middle way or common ground of understanding between two bodies of knowledge conceived from two different hemispheres of the world; namely, International Relations (IR), a social science discipline conceived in the UK and the US (the West), and Islam or Islamic Studies which was conceived in the Arab world and developed in Iran, Pakistan, Turkey, Malaysia, Indonesia and many non-Arab countries. The book is divided into two main sections; the first being general perspectives from different backgrounds or cases concerning Islam. The second part specifically examines Turkey, offering various perspectives on the significance of this country and its democratic experience. The contributions included in this volume range from discussions on the Islamic veil and its associated stereotypes to an article on Islamic feminism. Other subjects discussed include the issues of Muslim integration, Turkey’s international relations, and Islam’s relationship with democracy, in addition to a biographical representation of the current Minister of Foreign Affairs of Turkey, Ahmet Davutoğlu, detailing his scholarship and its impact on Turkey’s foreign policy. This edited book is part of the mission-vision of the IR-IS Research Cohort, an e-networking community interested in advancing comparative research between International Relations and Islamic Studies.

Contributors: Jessica L. Daniels, Didem Doğanyılmaz, Gökhan Duman, Alessandra L. González, İştar Gözaydın, and Ari Varon.

Citation: Adiong, Nassef Manabilang (Ed.). International Relations and Islam: Diverse Perspectives. Newcastle upon Tyne, UK: Cambridge Scholars Publishing, 2013.

Notes: Thanks Alexander Niedermeier for recommending this book to your students as part of reading materials in your course on “Political Thought, World Order Ideas and Global Governance Concepts in Islamic Civilization.”