Edited by Martin S. Kramer, Ph.D. 1982

Islamism is the doctrine of state in Iran and Sudan, and the ideology of opposition across the Middle East. Is Islamism driven by religious fervor, social protest, or nationalist xenophobia? Is the rise of Islamism a threat to stability, tolerance, and order? Or is it the first step towards reform, participation, and democratization? Does repression of Islamists radicalize them or tame them? Are Islamists in power guided by their ideals or their interests? Should the governments of the West base their policy on human rights or realpolitik? Does Islamism have the momentum to remake the future, or is it a rearguard action that is already falling? These are just some of the questions debated by the contributors to this volume. Nine authors - leading protagonists in the Islamism debate, from the United States, France, Britain, and Israel - argue their cases with varying combinations of evidence, analysis, and polemic.