ABSTRACT
The basic foundation of all rule for the followers of Islam is derived from the Quran, and the mandate "Obey God and the Prophet". The long process of removing Islam from the workings of the Turkish government included abolishing the Sultanate in 1922 and the Caliphate in 1924. In Turkey a totally secular path was chosen under Kemal, and the Turkish government, stressed nationalism and ethnicity to legitimatize its rule. Nevertheless, 99 percent of the Turkish population remains Muslim, and Islam provides the basis for the opposition groups now contending with Turkish proponents of secularization. Esposito uses animated historical narrative as well as dispassionate analysis to explain the Islamic orientation of states such as Saudi Arabia. John Esposito's third edition of Islam and Politics is an engaging book that clearly addresses many issues facing Muslim societies, while providing enough history to clarify contemporary upheavals.
