ABSTRACT
The question of whether Islam is compatible with democracy has been a puzzle for some and a source of frustration for others, and this book sets out to resolve it.
Religion has re-entered politics in many ways in most parts of the world. Historical markers for this resurgence include the overthrow of the Shah of Iran and the attempts to develop local responsible government in Algeria. Although politically active Islam has received the lion’s share of media and policy attention, it is not alone in experiencing renewed political engagement. Catholicism was critical in the overthrow of the communist regime in Poland; Buddhism is politically engaged in Sri Lanka; conflict between religious groups in India shapes political agendas there; and Pentecostal Protestants have entered the political realm, starting in the United States in the early 1980s.
