Promotional Information

This is an outstanding historical and ethnographic account of one of the most influential Islamist movements in South Asia. It is the result of courageous fieldwork at a time of increased Hindu-Muslim tension in India. The book's thesis that even a radically antisecular Islamist movement can be transformed into supporting secular democracy is an extremely important contribution to today's global discussions. It is essential reading for political scientists, sociologists, anthropologists, historians, and students of Islam. -- Peter van der Veer, author of "Imperial Encounters" Irfan Ahmad's book could not be more timely or important. At a time when cliches about "Islamists" and "Islamic terrorists" abound, he demonstrates the ideological transformation of one of the twentieth century's most important Islamist movements, India's Jamaat-e-Islami, in support of active participation in a secular, plural democracy. Ahmad's work is essential reading not only for scholars, but for policymakers and concerned citizens alike. -- Barbara D. Metcalf, University of Michigan This is the most important book written on Muslims in India in the last three decades. Ahmad traces the incremental shift of most adherents of Jamaat-e-Islami to moderation and participation in Indian democracy, showing that from its inception the movement has been thoroughly modern. He deals with an aspect of India that is frequently neglected and engages the main debates concerning the relation of Islam to democracy. -- Dale F. Eickelman, Dartmouth College This is an important and valuable contribution to our understanding of Muslim societies, providing us with a window into Indian Islamism by skillfully weaving politics, anthropology, and religion in innovative and insightful ways. What Ahmad shows is that Islamism in India has moved far beyond its founding discourses and invectives against secularism and democracy. This ethnography makes the material come alive and gives depth and context to the issues. -- Ebrahim Moosa, Duke University

Table of Contents

List of Illustrations and Tables ix Preface and Acknowledgments xi Notes to the Reader xvii Abbreviations xix Introduction 1 Part I. Fieldwork and Historical Context Chapter 1: Doing Fieldwork in Times of War 31 Chapter 2: Contextualizing the Formation and Ideology of Islamism 49 Part II. Zigzags to Allah's Kingdom Chapter 3: Educating the Children 83 Chapter 4: Mobilizing the Young 111 Chapter 5: Defining Islam: Conflict and Democratization 137 Part III. Opposition and Negotiation Chapter 6: Invoking Jihad 163 Chapter 7: Negotiating the Idol: Secularism, Democracy, and Allah's Kingdom 188 Conclusion 217 Appendixes 241 Notes 245 Glossary of Urdu-Hindi Terms 263 Bibliography 265 Index 295

About the Author

Irfan Ahmad is an anthropologist and assistant professor of politics in the School of Political and Social Inquiry at Monash University in Australia, where he helps lead the Centre for Islam and the Modern World.

Reviews

Shortlisted for the 2011 ICAS Book Prize for Best Study in the Field of Social Sciences, International Convention of Asian Scholars "Islamist politics, argues Ahmad, are shaped by the dynamics of modern politics and cannot be explained simply by analyzing sacred religions texts. In this well-documented study, Ahmad supports this thesis by providing a historical account of the transformation of the Jamaat-e-Islami in India, one of the most important Islamist movements in the Muslim world, from its founding in 1941 to the present... [T]his well-crafted study will be of great interest to scholars, students of Islam, and policymakers."--Choice "The book is rich in detail, interviews, and scholarly overviews of both historical and contemporary events that have shaped the Jamaate-Islami... Ahmad has enriched Islamism and Democracy in India with an incredible amount of scholarship in his analysis of the incontrovertible distinction between Jamaat-e-Islami's moderation and SIMI's radicalization."--Edward M. Proctor, Digest of Middle East Studies "While a constellation of volumes exist on the nature of Islamism and the contemporary world, Irfan Ahmad's examination is a successful addition by way of its intellectual precision, innovative analysis, and diplomatic disposition."--Scott Nicholas Romaniuk, Central European Journal of International & Security Studies "Ahmad's book is an impressive analytical achievement, a convincing argument for differentiation, and a well-written and accessible read."--Raphael Susewind, Contemporary South Asia