Shortlisted for the 2011 ICAS Book Prize for Best Study in the Field of Social Sciences, International Convention of Asian Scholars "Islamist politics, argues Ahmad, are shaped by the dynamics of modern politics and cannot be explained simply by analyzing sacred religions texts. In this well-documented study, Ahmad supports this thesis by providing a historical account of the transformation of ... Read morethe Jamaat-e-Islami in India, one of the most important Islamist movements in the Muslim world, from its founding in 1941 to the present... [T]his well-crafted study will be of great interest to scholars, students of Islam, and policymakers."
Choice "The book is rich in detail, interviews, and scholarly overviews of both historical and contemporary events that have shaped the Jamaate-Islami... Ahmad has enriched Islamism and Democracy in India with an incredible amount of scholarship in his analysis of the incontrovertible distinction between Jamaat-e-Islami's moderation and SIMI's radicalization."
Edward M. Proctor, Digest of Middle East Studies "While a constellation of volumes exist on the nature of Islamism and the contemporary world, Irfan Ahmad's examination is a successful addition by way of its intellectual precision, innovative analysis, and diplomatic disposition."
Scott Nicholas Romaniuk, Central European Journal of International & Security Studies "Ahmad's book is an impressive analytical achievement, a convincing argument for differentiation, and a well-written and accessible read."
Raphael Susewind, Contemporary South Asia Show Less