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Sukran Vahide’s Islam inModern Turkey: An Intellectual Biography of Bediuzzaman Said Nursi is a timely contribution to the study of one of the most prominent Islamic thinkers of the twentieth century. This comprehensive study on Nursi’s life (1876-1960) and works would be appropriate for use in graduate and undergraduate courses in religious, Islamic, andMiddle Eastern studies departments. Vahide fills an important gap in the study of Nursi and his works, which has become increasingly popular among western scholars in recent decades. Prior to its publication, only a few brief biographies of Nursi existed, and those focused solely on presenting a chronological account of his life. Hence this book’s most significant contribution is, as pointed out in the subtitle, the fact that it is an “intellectual biography.” Although Vahide organizes the book into sections that correspond with the chronological developments in his life, the book is divided into three parts that denote the significant intellectual phases (also pointed out by Nursi himself in his writings): “The Old Said,” “The New Said,” and “The Third Said.” In this way, the author situates Nursi’s writings and ideas, which have inspired the most prominent faith movement in modern Turkey (approximately 7 million followers), into the historical context in which they were developed and transmitted to others at a much needed time in Turkish history ...

In recent decades, political Islam has increasingly become a focus of political science. Numerous branches of scholarship that analyze its dynamics within seemingly divergent theoretical frameworks have emerged. Some scholars have concentrated on international security threats stemming from political Islam (what can be called the outcomes of this phenomenon), whereas others have focused on the causes of religious resurgence in an attempt to identify what has led to political Islam’s revival. This review essay will evaluate the second branch of scholarship, which, I believe, explores the core of the overarching issue and helps identify the causes, the “how” and “why” of the matter, rather then providing a descriptive analysis of “what” is happening. How and why Islamic social/political movements (ISPMs) have emerged, as well as what sociopolitical circumstances determine where they are headed, is essential to studying political Islam effectively. To this end, I will narrowly focus on the literature of ISPMs in Turkey,1 whose “secular” identity makes it an intriguing and unique case in comparison to other predominantly Muslim countries, presumably with the exception of Tunisia. Thus, the emergence of strong Islamic movements in Turkey, how the interplay between the state and these groups have unfolded, and the future prospects have broader implications for social movements, civil society, and democratization in numerous countries. Moreover, the academic work on Islamic movements is highly dynamic, since current social and political events continuously shape these movements, which affect the country’s sociopolitical context ...

This article analyzes the impact of two key components of Kemalist ideology, populism and secularism, on the policymaking process of modern Turkey by utilizing historical institutionalism and the political-cultural approach. The Headscarf Ban Policy, which has been implemented discretionarily since 1981 and intensively since 1997, provides an illustrative case study of the broader debates over freedom of religion, secularism, and democracy, and helps to uncover the influence of populism and secularism, as well as the interaction between these two principles. The analysis reveals the principle of populism, which has been much overlooked in the literature, as a key determinant of state-centric reforms as well as a method of legitimizing the undemocratic version of secularism advocated by the state.

The “Second International Conference on Islam,” held at the University of Wisconsin-Madison on 24-25 April 2006, focused on the broad theme of Islam and globalization through the lens of dialogue and conflict. There were four keynote speakers and more then thirty presentations on a wide range of topics related to Islam and the experiences of Muslims throughout history as well as in the contemporary world. The conference was marked by its multidisciplinary diversity and strong emphasis on constructive intellectual exchange among scholars. The four keynote speakers, Jocelyne Cesari (Harvard University), Thomas Michel, S.J. (Georgetown University), Scott Alexander (Catholic Theological Union), and Kemal Karpat (University of Wisconsin-Madison), touched upon various aspects of Islam at the age of globalization. Cesari’s talk, entitled “Global Islam between Fundamentalism and Cosmopolitanism,” presented a typology of three forms of Islamic identity that are emerging in the global age, namely, diasporic, pan-Islamic, and cosmopolitan. In her words, diasporic refers to the localized relationships of Muslims who choose to maintain strong ties with their country or city of origin, pan- Islamic emphasizes the effectiveness of the ummah concept in today’s world, and cosmopolitan refers to a worldview that is reflexive, in a sense defined by the status of being “other.” In his speech, “Confrontation and Dialogue: A History of Catholic- Muslim Relations,” Alexander outlined the history of this relationship since the advent of Islam, pointing to elements of dialogue and confrontation. Kemal Karpat discussed a most current topic in his speech, “Turkey and the EU: The End of a Millennium of Confrontation?” and analyzed the positive consequences of Turkey’s membership in the European Union (EU). The first panel, “Global Islam and the West,” accommodated papers exemplifying the responses and contributions of Muslims to globalization ...

The “Muslims and Arabs in Western Politics” conference, held at Indiana University, Bloomington, on September 22-24, 2005 and organized by Abdulkader Sinno (assistant professor, political science and Middle Eastern studies, Indiana University), was highly enriching and intellectually stimulating. The two public lectures and five panels, ranging from civil rights and liberties to public perceptions of Muslims, shed light on various aspects of the complexities of this field and acquainted the participants with cutting-edge research by leading scholars from North America and Western Europe. James Zogby and David Cole delivered the two public lectures on “The Emergent Arab-American Political Constituency” and “Paradigms of Prevention: The Rule of Law and the War on Terror,” respectively. Zogby covered the development of the Arab-American community’s political mobilization and inclusion in mainstream American politics throughout the twentieth century. He narrated his personal experience as a Lebanese immigrant who had experienced the “hard times” of discrimination and exclusion. In addition, he reported on the significant increase in the political mobilization of Muslim minorities in the United States over the last few decades, combined with a growing interest from politicians. His speech ended on a positive note: He is convinced that the community’s trajectory will continue to move forward. On the other hand, David Cole’s talk focused on the state of constitutional law after 9/11. He argued that substantial negative inroads have been made to the five pillars of the rule of law, namely, equality before the law, transparency of procedures, fairness of procedures, checks and balances, and commitment to basic human rights ...