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Book Review – December 27, 2004
The Muslim World: Fundamentalism,
Constitutionalism and International Politics
Author Maimul Ahsan Khan
By Prof. Klinghoffer from the State University of New Jersey
Khan, a scholar specializing in Islamic law, endorses a moderate interpretation of the Quran and opposes what some label as “radical” or “political” Islam. He also believes that legal doctrines dating back to the time of Mohammed have been altered by governments and colonialism so that what now exists in practice is really “Muslim law” rather than true “Islamic law.” He calls extremists “Muslim fundamentalists.” This study is strong on historical, religious, and philosophical analysis, and the author's discussion of the “Medina Charter” of 622 is quite illuminating.
Basically, Khan presents an excellent account of the development of Islamic law, but he does not really examine human rights in any detail in terms of examples or case studies. His regional focus disproportionately emphasizes the former Soviet Union and Afghanistan, so readers will find little of note on current human rights issues in Iran, Saudi Arabia, Sudan, or northern Nigeria.
This book also lacks any concluding chapter. Nevertheless, this fascinating book is a great read to examine before attempting to delve into contemporary human rights cases in the Muslim world.
Summing Up: Highly recommended. Graduate students as well as upper-level undergraduates with some background in Islam.
Khan discusses the various religious and ideological perceptions of Muslim peoples, and dichotomies between sociopolitical, economic, and cultural aspects of Muslim statehood and the military buildup that accompanies a nation-building process. Among his topics are Islamic legal philosophy and human rights, the new dynamics of relations between the US and Iran, and the nuclear arms race and poverty in South Asian politics.
Description of the book by the Carolina Academic Press:
Human Rights in the Muslim World presents a comprehensive study of Islam, the main tenets of Islamic Law, and fundamentalism. It offers an insider's unique view of human rights, rule of law, and fundamentalist trends in the Muslim world. The complex and problematic relationship between the institutionalization of Islamic doctrine or religious practice and the modern universal human rights doctrine and the opinions Islamists hold towards democratization and the implementation of human rights in Muslim countries are discussed. Khan focuses on the dichotomies of sociopolitical, economic, and cultural life in Muslim statehood and the military build-up within the nation-building process. He explores where the main breeding grounds for Muslim fundamentalist forces are and how such forces operate and are governed. In exploring such issues, he presents an ongoing discussion and analysis of Muslim fundamentalism that puts atheistic, anti-religious, secular ideologies, and political movements in religious and spiritual perspective. This book is a serious, scholarly attempt at finding objective answers to many questions regarding Islam.
A Short Table of Contents
Table of Contents
Preface
Acknowledgments
Ch. 1 The Emergence of Muslim Nation-States: Colonialism, Nationalism, and Socialism 3
Ch. 2 Fundamentalism: Political and Economic Dimensions 85
Ch. 3 Islamic Legal Philosophy and Human Rights 143
Ch. 4 Socialist Constitutionalism: Muslim Statehood and Human Rights 245
Ch. 5 Soviet-Afghan Relations: The Rise and Fall of the Taliban 287
Ch. 6 New Dynamics of U.S.-Iran Relations: A Lesson from International Politics 357
Ch. 7 Regional Economic Cooperation under the ECO: Political and Legal Implications for Human Rights 373
Ch. 8 Religious Factors in South Asian Politics: The Nuclear Arms Race and Poverty 409
Appendix of Documents 443
Glossary of Islamic Terms 457
About the Author 473
Index 475
A Detailed Table of Contents
Preface ix
Acknowledgments xv
The Emergence of Muslim Nation-States: Colonialism, Nationalism, and Socialism 3 (82)
The Industrial Revolution and Muslim Rulers 3 (4)
Muslim Countries under European Colonial Rule 7 (4)
Secular Character of Muslim Statehood in the Post-Colonial Era 11 (4)
Democracy and Modern Methods of Governance 15 (10)
Socialism in the Muslim World 25 (7)
The Greatest Setback for Muslim Political Thought 32 (7)
The Islamic Revolution in Iran: A New Era for the MFF 39 (6)
Nationalism in Arab and Non-Arab Muslim Nations 45 (8)
Ritualism: Across the Muslim Masses 53 (4)
Sufism and the Rule of Shariah in Muslim States 57 (10)
Ottoman Rule and Western Christendom: Legal System Reforms 67 (18)
Fundamentalism: Political and Economic Dimensions 85 (58)
Muslim Nation-States and the Shariah Law 85 (15)
Interrelationships among the Sources of Shariah and Legal Reforms 100 (13)
Rights and Duties: Corresponding Relationship and Convergence 113 (5)
Creation of Wealth and Distribution: The Core Legal Issues 118 (12)
Forms of Jihad and Their Legal Implications 130 (8)
Military Might of the Muslim Governments and Their Race for Nuclear Weapons 138 (5)
Islamic Legal Philosophy and Human Rights 143 (102)
The Islamic Doctrinal Legal Philosophy: The Earliest Documents of Muslim Statehood 143 (3)
The Medinah Charter 146 (4)
Treaty or Constitution? 146 (3)
The Territorial Integrity of Medinah 149 (1)
Nationhood and Citizenship of the State of Medinah 150 (2)
The Issues of War and Peace 152 (2)
Principles of the Law of Crimes 154 (1)
Status of Head of the State 155 (2)
Muhammed and the Opposition Parties in Medinah: The Rules of the Battles of Badr and Uhud 157 (3)
The Siege of Medinah 160 (2)
The Security of Medinah and the Jewish Tribes 162 (5)
The Treaty of Hudaibiyah: A Peace Treaty or a Constitutional Document?
167 (5)
Some Defining Points of Constitutionalism in Muslim States 172 (7)
Quranic Law: The Naskh, Mansukh, and Kadi Systems 179 (4)
Theory of Abrogation (Mansukh) of the Quranic Laws 183 (20)
Kadi System: Independence of the Judiciary 203 (8)
Some Doctrinal Human Rights Issues: Muslim Perspectives 211 (2)
Humanism and Freedom in Islam: Doctrinal Dichotomies 213 (2)
Spiritual Dimensions of Human Rights in Islam 215 (11)
Muslim Political Authority and Rights of the Non-Muslims 226 (4)
Muslim Nation-States and Human Rights 230 (4)
Islamic Constitutionalism and Human Rights 234 (6)
Islamic Concepts of Human Rights and Realities in the Muslim World 240 (5)
Socialist Constitutionalism: Muslim Statehood and Human Rights 245 (42)
Humanism and Liberalism: Socialist Vis-a-Vis Capitalist 245 (4)
The Success and Failure of Socialist Human Rights 249 (2)
Socialist Regimentation and Liberalization: The Soviet Legacy 251 (7)
Regime of Work and Human Rights: Constitutional Framework 251 (6)
Soviet Technology and Human Rights 257 (1)
Dichotomy in Socialist Humanism 258 (3)
Soviet Constitutional Paradigms: Survival of the Muslim Nationalities 261 (2)
Russian Nationalism and Muslim Factors: A Historical Perspective 263 (6)
Declaration of Sovereignty by the Soviet Republics: Muslim Vis-a-Vis Russian 269 (7)
Gorbachev's Legacy and the CIS: Muslim Independent States 276 (2)
The Russian Federation and the Successor Independent States 278 (4)
Marxism in Russia Ends in Gorbachevism 282 (5)
Soviet-Afghan Relations: The Rise and Fall of the Taliban 287 (70)
Soviet-Afghan Relations: The Bedrock of Afghan Politics 287 (1)
Afghanistan: A Security Problem for the Bolsheviks up to the 1940s 288 (7)
Soviet-Afghan Relations before Military Intervention: Ideological Battles 295 (8)
Soviet Occupation of Afghanistan: Security and Religious Issues 303 (7)
Afghanistan with New Security Dimensions 310 (4)
The Revisited Russian Military Intervention in Afghanistan 314 (2)
The Rise and Fall of the Taliban Government: Internal and External Factors 316 (1)
Role of the Loya Jirga 317 (4)
Talibanism Vis-a-Vis Wahhabism 321 (10)
Pakistani and Soviet Factors in Taliban Ideology and Crisis 331 (7)
Western Policies Toward the Taliban 338 (4)
Western Policies Toward the Taliban: Regional and International Ramifications
342 (6)
Human Rights in Afghanistan: Ideological and Violent Confrontation 348 (9)
New Dynamics of U.S.-Iran Relations: A Lesson from International Politics
357 (16)
Regional Economic Cooperation under the ECO: Political and Legal Implications for Human Rights 373 (36)
The CIS and Central Asia 375 (2)
The Economic Importance of Central Asia 377 (4)
The ECO and Central Asia 381 (2)
The Founding Members of the ECO: Economic Cooperation in a Dilemma
383 (3)
The ECO and Volatility in Afghanistan 386 (4)
The ECO and Economic Crisis in Russia 390 (3)
Some Specifics of the ECO Members 393 (2)
Structure of the ECO 395 (2)
Major Hurdles of the ECO 397 (2)
Prospects of the ECO 399 (2)
The ECO: Dilemma of Muslim Economic Cooperation 401 (8)
Religious Factors in South Asian Politics: The Nuclear Arms Race and Poverty 409 (34)
Colonial Legacy and Irrational Muslim Politics 410 (3)
Cold War Factors in South Asian Politics: A SAARC Perspective 413 (5)
The Arms Race in South Asia: Regional and Global Ramifications 418 (11)
Regional Economic Cooperation: A Political Agenda in South Asia 429 (4)
Concluding Remarks on South Asian Politics 433 (10)
Appendix of Documents 443 (14)
The Treaty of Medinah, or the Medinah Charter 443 (5)
Pact with the Tribe of Juhaina 448 (1)
Pact of Bani Dhamra 448 (1)
Pact of Bani Ghadaya and Bani Uraiz 449 (1)
Pact of Najran 450 (1)
Pact of Saqeef (Taif) 451 (3)
Pact of Akbar bin Abdul Qais 454 (1)
Treaty of Hudaibiyah 454 (1)
Farewell Sermon of Muhammed, Prophet of Islam 455 (2)
Glossary of Islamic Terms 457 (16)
About the Author 473 (2)
Index 475
Product Information:
Format: Paperback
Subject Law and Human Rights
ISBN/SKU: 0890890455
Author: Maimul Ahsan Khan
Publisher: Carolina Academic Press
Publish Date April 2003
Price $45.00
Available at these locations :
http://www.cap-press.com/bookinfo.php3?id=1208
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/0890890455/ref=pd_rhf_p_1/103-1876475-3384613?v=glance&s=books&n=549066&no=*
http://www.booksmatter.com/b0890890455.htm
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