The Politicisation Of Islam: A Case Study Of Tunisia ... (ISBN 0813338883)

Worth reading for anybody interested in Islam and politics:
I bought this book as background reading for a trip to Tunisia, not expecting too much after knowing little more than the title. I have actually read quite a lot about Islam, politics and society a couple of years ago, and this little volume has positively surprised me. While the author admits that he has been part of the movement described, he shows a very critical and differentiated attitude towards the Islamist's claims. For those interested in Tunisia, he offers insight in the power struggle between the government and the Islamic opposition between 1970 and 1990. For those interested in political Islam, the example of an Islamist movement in an extremely westernised and liberal Arab country shows a lot of differences to other countries, for example a positive attitute towards democracy that is theoretically based on the Islamic principle of shura'.