Includes bibliographical references (pages 207-226) and index.
CONTENTS NOTE
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pt. I. The making of the new states. 1. The colonial legacy ; 2. From independence to 1969 -- pt. II. The 1970s: political turmoil and cultural change. 3. Secular states in crisis ; 4. The Islamist challenge in Malaysia and Pakistan -- pt. III. Heart of the matter. 5. Malaysia, 1981-1997: Islamization and capitalist development ; 6. Pakistan, 1977-1997: Islamization and restoration of state power.
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SUMMARY OR ABSTRACT
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Islamization is commonly seen as the work of Islamist movements who have forced their ideology on ruling regimes and other hapless social actors. There is little doubt that ruling regimes and disparate social and political actors alike are pushed in the direction of Islamic politics by Islamist forces. However, Islamist activism and its revolutionary and utopian rhetoric only partly explain this trend. Here, Nasr argues that the state itself plays a key role in embedding Islam in the politics of Muslim countries. Focusing on Malaysia and Pakistan, Nasr argues that the turn to Islam is a facet of the state's drive to establish hegemony over society and expand its powers and control.