Peaceful Islamist Mobilization in the Muslim World

In this book, Julie Chernov Hwang addresses a very important puzzle in the study of Islamist mobilization. Why do some groups pursue Islamist goals peacefully, through established channels of political participation, while others choose violence? By including a broad range of cases outside of the Middle East, she paints a nuanced picture of Islamist mobilization that shows great diversity of forms, including through democratic means. She offers an important corrective that shifts the debate away from the narrower focus on violent mobilization that has dominated the study of Islamist groups. Hwang usefully refocuses our attention on the role of state institutions and channels of participation through a careful examination of several detailed cases. It is a fine example of focused comparative analysis that opens up new directions of inquiry and provides useful new insights on the study of this important question.’ – Jacques Bertrand, Associate Professor of Political Science, University of Toronto, Canada