Global Salafism: Islam's New Religious Movement

by Roel Meijer

Overview

"Salafism" and "jihadi-Salafism" have become significant doctrinal trends in contemporary Islamic thought, yet the West has largely failed to offer a sophisticated and discerning definition of these movements. The contributors to Global Salafism carefully outline not only the differences in the Salafi schools but the broader currents of Islamic thought that constitute this trend as well. They examine both the regional manifestations of the phenomenon and its shared, essential doctrines. Their analyses highlight Salafism's inherent ambivalence and complexitites—the 'out-antiquing the antique' that has brought Islamic thought into the modern age while maintaining its relationship to an older, purer authenticity. Emphasising the subtle tensions between local and glocal aspirations within the "Salafi method", Global Salafism investigates the movement like no other study currently available.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780199333431
Publisher:	An Oxford University Press Publication
Publication date:	01/16/2014
Pages:	463
Product dimensions:	5.40(w) x 8.40(h) x 1.30(d)

About the Author

Roel Meijer teaches modern Middle Eastern history at Radboud University in Nijmegen and is Senior Researcher at the Netherlands Institute of International Relations, "Clingendael."

Table of Contents

Introduction
Roel Meijer

Part 1
SALAFIST DOCTRINE

1. On the Nature of Salafi Thought and Action
Appendix al-Qaeda's Creed and Path
Bernard Haykel

2. Between Revolution and Apoliticism: Nasir al-Din al-Albani and his Impact on the Shaping of Contemporary Salafism
Stéphane Lacroix

3. The Transformation of a Radical Concept: al-wala' wa-l-bara' in the Ideology of Abu Muhammad al-Maqdisi Joas Wagemakers

4. Jihadi-Salafism and the Shi'is: Remarks about the Intellectual Roots of anti-Shi'ism
Guido Steinberg

5. Salafism in Pakistan: The Ahl-e Hadith Movement
Mariam Abou Zahab

Part 2
SALAFISM AND POLITICS

6. The Salafi Critique of Islamism: Doctrine, Difference and the Problem of Islamic Political Action in Contemporary Sudan
Noah Salomon

7. Ambivalent Doctrines and Conflicts in the Salafi Movement in Indonesia
Noorhaidi Hasan

8. Commanding Right and Forbidding Wrong as a Principle of Social Action: The Case of the Egyptian al-Jama'a al-Islamiyya
Roel Meijer

9. Salafi Formations in Palestine: The Limits of a de-Palestinised Milieu
Khaled Hroub

Part 3
JIHADI-SALAFISM

10. Jihadi-Salafis or Revolutionaries? On Religion and Politics in the Study of Militant Islamism
Thomas Hegghammer

11. Debates within the Family: Jihadi-Salafi Debates on Strategy, Takfir, Extremism, Suicide Bombings and the Sense of the Apocalypse
Reuven Paz

12. "Destructive Doctrinairians": Abu Mus'ab al-Suri's Critique of the Salafis in the Jihadi Current
Brynjar Lia

Part 4
THE LOCAL AND THE GLOBAL IN SALAFISM

13. The Local and the Global in Saudi Salafi Discourse
Madawi Al-Rasheed

14. How Transnational is Salafism in Yemen?
Laurent Bonnefoy

15. Growth and Fragmentation: The Salafi Movement in Bale, Ethiopia
Terje Østebø

Part 5
SALAFISM AND IDENTITY

16. Salafism in France: Ideology, Practices and Contradictions
Mohamed-Ali Adraoui

17. The Attraction of "Authentic Islam": Salafism and British Muslim Youth
Sadek Hamid

18. Changing Worldviews and Friendship: An Exploration of the Life Stories of Two Female Salafis in the
Netherlands
Martijn de Koning

What People are Saying About This

Stephen Ulph

A unique book, the first of its kind to confront the phenomenon of Salafism as a whole and address the task of its definition. Despite being crucial, this is a relatively neglected field.

Faisal Devji

The first work of its kind on Salafism as a global phenomenon, this impressive collection of studies questions received wisdom about the movement as much as it reveals the diversity of its religious and political motivations.

Suha Taji-Farouki

This timely volume is a most welcome addition to the emerging scholarly literature on contemporary Salafism. It is a significant contribution to the endeavor both to elucidate its defining characteristics and to situate it in relation to other trends in contemporary Islamic thought and activism. Its particular value lies in its comprehensiveness-not only in terms of geographical scope but in addressing the very diverse articulations and outcomes of the Salafi approach. Highly recommended for anyone seeking insight into the complex and expanding world of this key trend.

Editorial Reviews

This book will prove exceptionally useful for the serious scholar and the thoughtful student alike.

Reviews in Religion & Theology - Douglas Pratt

This book will prove exceptionally useful for the serious scholar and the thoughtful student alike.

— Douglas Pratt

Reviews in Religion & Theology

"The first work of its kind on Salafism as a global phenomenon, this is an impressive collection of studies that question the received wisdom about the movement as much as they reveal the diversity of its religious and political motivations."—Faisal Devji, St Antony's College, Oxford University, and author of The Terrorist in Search of Humanity

"This timely volume is a most welcome addition to the emerging scholarly literature on contemporary Salafism. It is a significant contribution to the endeavour both to elucidate its defining characteristics, and to situate it in relation to other trends in contemporary Islamic thought and activism. Its particular value lies in its comprehensiveness—not only in terms of geographical scope, but in addressing the very diverse articulations and outcomes of the Salafi approach, from the apolitical to the militant. Highly recommended for anyone seeking an insight into the complex and expanding world of this key trend in the contemporary Islamic arena, it is also and invaluable teaching resource."—Suda Taji-Farouki, University of Exeter

"This is a unique book, the first of its kind to take the phenomenon of Salafism as a whole and address the task of its definition."—Stephen Ulph, Senior Fellow, the Jamestown Foundation, Washington, DC.

"This book is a stunning achievement and a major contribution to the study of contemporary Islam...The authors display a remarkable level of expertise on the topics discussed...The level of research is outstanding...This book should be required reading for anyone interested in contemporary Islamic activism.... It demands our attention, careful reading, deep engagement, and understanding."—Insight Turkey

From the Publisher