Abstract
The interwoven relationship between Islam and politics is as old as the religion itself. In the late nineteenth century Islamic revivalist movements spurred and influenced anti-colonial nationalist movements in different parts of the world. The end of the Ottoman Empire and the formation of numerous states in the wider Middle East temporarily pushed back the Islamists. For a while the secular pan-Arab socialism was the dominant political platform in the Arab and Islamic world. The Islamic republic which overthrew the Shah marked a new trend in the region. Though other countries did not follow the Iranian example of ulema-dominated polity, it accelerated the formation of various Islamic movements such as the Hezbollah and Hamas.
The ongoing popular protests in different Arab countries mark a new phase in the discourses on Islam. In most Arab countries Islamic movements were suppressed and in the early days they were not in the forefront of popular protests. However, they were able to capitalize on the popular yearning for good and transparent governance and political reforms. The electoral victory of Islamists in countries such as Tunisia, Egypt, etc. has challenged some of the traditional notions of Islam being incompatible with democracy. Furthermore, the successive electoral victories of the Adalet ve Kalkınma Partisi (AKP, the Justice and Development Party) have also added a new dimension to the debates on political Islam.
Within this broad contour, on November 12–13, 2013, the Kolkata-based Maulana Abul Kalam Azad Institute of Asian Studies (MAKAIAS) organized an international conference on Understanding the Trajectories of Contemporary Islam. The conference was possible because of the generous funding from MAKAIAS and tireless efforts and support from its Director Dr Sreeradha Datta. This special issue of Contemporary Review of the Middle East (CRME) is the result of that endeavor, with Dr. Datta as the guest editor.
I am grateful to all the contributors for their cooperation and participation in this endeavor. They worked on an extremely tight schedule, balancing other commitments, often at great personal inconvenience. Ever since the idea was conceived, James Bond has been a great source of support. Special mention is reserved for the resourceful Dipanwita, Manjari and Muddassir who helped me in numerous ways.