Abstract

What is Islam? What is the relation, if any, between terms such as ‘Islamist’, ‘Fundamentalist’, and ‘Muslim brotherhood’ amongst others? Where do Muslims see the role of Islam in their respective societies? Is Islam, in fact, ‘exceptional’ in nature or is it like any other religion? These are some of the questions that acclaimed author and Brookings Institute scholar, Shadi Hamid tries to answer in his book, Islamic Exceptionalism: How the Struggle over Islam is Reshaping the World. The book explores Islam and how it relates to political thought, especially with reference to the Middle East. It argues that democracy has failed to gain control in the Middle East as people elect ‘Islamists’ into power.