MACMILLAN Islamicity Indices: The Seed for Change (Political Economy of Islam)

The extent of Islamicity, or what Islam demands, is measured to confirm that self-declared Muslim countries have not adopted foundational Islamic teachings for rule-compliant Muslim communities. Western countries, on the other hand, are demonstrated to have better implemented fundamental Islamic teachings for a thriving society. Review "This concise, yet comprehensive, book is a valiant effort to make a difficult subject accessible to the general public and is a must-read for those who wish to pre-empt the Bernard Lewis-Samuel Huntington fantasy of the 'clash of civilizations' from becoming a reality." Abbas Mirakhor, First Holder of the INCEIF Chair in Islamic Finance, International Centre for Education in Islamic Finance, Malaysia "The attentive public is familiar with the five pillars of Islam, which prescribe how Muslims should behave at the individual level. Much less is known, however, about injunctions by the Quran and the Prophet on the distinguishing social, economic, and political features of the just Islamic order, enabling self-proclaimed 'Islamists' and pundits to fill the void. Askari and Mohammadkhan have rendered an invaluable service by distilling the primary socio-economic and political teachings of Islam in the form of measurable Islamicity Indices. The disparity between what is and what ought to be in Muslim majority countries is sobering, but the Islamicity Indices light the path forward." Dariush Zahedi, Director of the Berkeley Program on Entrepreneurship and Development in the Middle East, University of California, Berkeley, USA "It is hard to pick up a newspaper today without some mention of Islam or Islamic practices being introduced or expanded in a country. To the uninitiated reader these actions appear to be part of a growing trend in the Muslim world to roll back the secular state and return to an earlier time when religion encompassed all aspects of life. What Askari and Mohammadkhan offer here is a cutting-edge, constructed index to objectively assess policy actions in Muslim countries and differentiate these countries in terms of their seriousness in striving for a society based on core Islamic principles. Traditional efforts in evaluating the extent of societal change brought on by the reintroduction of Islamic teachings have hit a dead end. By providing a fresh framework, Askari and Mohammadkhan are opening up a whole new area for scholarship which will enable observers to better appreciate the positive efforts coming out the region as we assess which countries are serious in their efforts versus which are using the trappings of Islamicity to justify other actions." Robert Looney, Distinguished Professor of National Security Affairs, Naval Postgraduate School, USA About the Author Hossein Askari is Iran Professor of International Business and International Affairs, George Washington University, USA.