Pankhurst - The Inevitable Caliphate?

Reza Pankhurst provides a unique and probing examination of modern thinking on the Caliphate. This detailed analysis of the ways in which the Muslim Brotherhood, Hizb ut-Tahrir, and al-Qaeda, as well as smaller groups, reformulate and use the concept today is both judicious and informed. It provides the most reliable guide available to an idea and political symbol that holds attraction for many Sunni Muslims while inciting anxiety, even fear, among others, including many non-Muslims and Shia.

James Piscatori, Professor of International Relations, Durham University

Until now, no scholar has tried to examine systematically how the Caliphate has animated and inspired Islamic intellectuals and activists, or how alternative conceptions of the Caliphate have been formulated and fought over. Against this backdrop, The Inevitable Caliphate? provides a carefully crafted and well documented treatment of the diverse ways in which the Caliphate has figured in the global politics of Islam over the past ninety years. A very illuminating and instructive book.

John T. Sidel, Sir Patrick Gillam Professor of International and Comparative Politics, London School of Economics and Political Science

Reza Pankhursts deftly argued, thought-provoking book addresses the significant yet neglected topic of the Islamic Caliphate, focusing on the attempts of Muslim thinkers and activists to resuscitate the institution following the collapse of the Ottoman Empire in the 1920s. What stands out is the authors ability to situate the contributions of the Muslim Brotherhood, Hizb ut-Tahrir, Al-Qaeda, and other advocates of the Caliphate within the context of normative Islam, rather than weigh them against the yardstick of liberal democracy. This important book, which examines the Caliphate on its own terms, will challenge the way scholars and other observers of political Islam conceive of their subject.

John Calvert, Associate Professor of History, Creighton University and author of Sayyid Qutb and the Origins of Radical Islamism

In the wake of the Arab Spring and the sustained re-imagination of political possibilities in the Middle East, The Inevitable Caliphate? is especially relevant. From Rabat to Riyadh Arabs have re-asserted the right to think about political alternatives, demonstrating the grassroots popularity of Islamic frameworks of legitimacy and laying the groundwork for a renewed and far-reaching conversation about Islamic governance paradigms. Ideas about the Caliphateas precedent, as social contract, as imagined communityare bound to shape and be shaped by these debates.

Alia Brahimi, Research Fellow, London School of Economics and Political Science and author of Jihad and Just War in the War on Terror

The Inevitable Caliphate? is a timely and much needed contribution to our understanding of the modern Caliphate as a political concept and goal. It is a must-read for scholars, students and anyone who is interested in the post-1924 debate over the restoration of the Caliphate.

Emmanuel Karagiannis, Assistant Professor of International Relations, Department of Balkan, Slavic and Oriental Studies, University of Macedonia, and author of Political Islam in Central Asia: The Challenge of Hizb ut-Tahrir

An authoritative blend of historical fact married with current Islamic political thought, Pankhurst offers an excellent insight on the institution of the Caliphate in Islam. Gripping, extremely learned, but accessible, this book is a must-read.

Shahrul Hussain, Lecturer in Islamic Studies, Markfield Institute of Higher Education, Leicestershire

REZA PANKHURST

A History of the Struggle for Global Islamic Union, 1924 to the Present

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Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Pankhurst, Reza.

The inevitable caliphate? : a history of the struggle for global Islamic union, 1924 to the present / Reza Pankhurst.First edition.

p. cm.

Includes bibliographical references and index.
ISBN 978-0-19-932799-7 (alk. paper)
eISBN 978-0-19-025760-6

1. CaliphateHistory20th century. 2. IslamUnity. 3. Ikhwan al-MuslimunHistory20th century. 4. Qaida (Organization)History20th century. 5. Hizb al-TahrirHistory20th century. I. Title.

BP166.9.P36 2013

297.2720904dc23

2013014744

In the Name of Allah, the Most Merciful, the Most Beneficent

O Allah, I ask you for Your love, and the love of whomever loves You, and the love of every action that brings me closer to Your love

O Allah, the One who changes hearts, keep our hearts firm upon your din (religion/way of life).

To all my familywhose love and support has been constant throughout. To my beautiful wife, Hodan, and my childrenthe tests and difficulties you faced while I was away for almost four years far outweighed any tests I faced. You kept me company at night through all your letters, and your steadfastness and courage in waging the campaign to build awareness and gain some semblance of justice for us, despite all the obstacles you faced, can never be taken away from you. To my mother, who sacrificed her time and much more to keep us as well fed, read and entertained as possible while inside. As mentioned by a friend in jail, a fifteen year sentence would have been worth it for your prayers, and your remaining constant in them. To my step-father, who has always been and will always simply be Dad, whom I love greatly and has never treated me as anything less than a son. Your Islam is one of the most precious things to me. To my sister, whom I love and always wish the best for. To my wifes family for all their support, especially while I was away. To all the others in my family, as well as close family friends, near and far, for their support and love.