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Globalized Islam: The Search for a New Ummah (CERI Series in Comparative Politics and International Studies
The spread of Islam around the globe has blurred the connection between a religion, a specific society, and a territory. One-third of the world's Muslims now live as members of a minority. At the heart of this development is, on the one hand, the voluntary settlement of Muslims in Western societies and, on the other, the pervasiveness and influence of Western cultural models and social norms. The revival of Islam among Muslim populations in the last twenty years is often wrongly perceived as a backlash against westernization rather than as one of its consequences. Neofundamentalism has been gaining ground among a rootless Muslim youth--particularly among the second- and third-generation migrants in the West--and this phenomenon is feeding new forms of radicalism, ranging from support for Al Qaeda to the outright rejection of integration into Western society.
In this brilliant exegesis of the movement of Islam beyond traditional borders and its unwitting westernization, Olivier Roy argues that Islamic revival, or "re-Islamization," results from the efforts of westernized Muslims to assert their identity in a non-Muslim context. A schism has emerged between mainstream Islamist movements in the Muslim world--including Hamas of Palestine and Hezbollah of Lebanon--and the uprooted militants who strive to establish an imaginary ummah, or Muslim community, not embedded in any particular society or territory. Roy provides a detailed comparison of these transnational movements, whether peaceful, like Tablighi Jama'at and the Islamic brotherhoods, or violent, like Al Qaeda. He shows how neofundamentalism acknowledges without nostalgia the loss of pristine cultures, constructing instead a universal religious identity that transcends the very notion of culture. Thus contemporary Islamic fundamentalism is not a single-note reaction against westernization but a product and an agent of the complex forces of globalization.
In this brilliant exegesis of the movement of Islam beyond traditional borders and its unwitting westernization, Olivier Roy argues that Islamic revival, or "re-Islamization," results from the efforts of westernized Muslims to assert their identity in a non-Muslim context. A schism has emerged between mainstream Islamist movements in the Muslim world--including Hamas of Palestine and Hezbollah of Lebanon--and the uprooted militants who strive to establish an imaginary ummah, or Muslim community, not embedded in any particular society or territory. Roy provides a detailed comparison of these transnational movements, whether peaceful, like Tablighi Jama'at and the Islamic brotherhoods, or violent, like Al Qaeda. He shows how neofundamentalism acknowledges without nostalgia the loss of pristine cultures, constructing instead a universal religious identity that transcends the very notion of culture. Thus contemporary Islamic fundamentalism is not a single-note reaction against westernization but a product and an agent of the complex forces of globalization.
320 pages, Paperback
First published August 28, 2002
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711 people want to read
About the author
Olivier Roy
88 books199 followersA professor at the European University Institute in Florence (Italy); he was previously a research director at the French National Center for Scientific Research (CNRS) and a lecturer for both the School for Advanced Studies in the Social Sciences (EHESS) and the Institut d'Études Politiques de Paris (IEP).
From 1984 to 2008, he has acted as a consultant to the French Foreign Ministry.
In 1988, Roy served as a United Nations Office for Coordinating Relief in Afghanistan (UNOCA) consultant.
Beginning in August 1993, Roy served as special OSCE representative to Tajikistan until February 1994, at which time he was selected as head of the OSCE mission to Tajikistan, a position he held until October 1994.
Roy received an "Agrégation" in Philosophy and a Master's in Persian language and civilization in 1972 from the French Institut National des Langues et Civilisations Orientales.
In 1996, he received his PhD in Political Science from the IEP.
Roy is the author of numerous books on subjects including Iran, Islam, Asian politics. These works include Globalized Islam: The search for a new ummah, Today's Turkey: A European State? and The Illusions of September 11.
He also serves on the editorial board of the academic journal Central Asian Survey.
His best-known book, L'Echec de l'Islam politique; The Failure of Political Islam. It is a standard text for students of political Islam.
Roy wrote widely on the subject of the 2005 civil unrest in France saying they should not be seen as religiously inspired as some commentators said.
His most recent work is Secularism Confronts Islam (Columbia, 2007). The book offers a perspective on the place of Islam in secular society and looks at the diverse experiences of Muslim immigrants in the West. Roy examines how Muslim intellectuals have made it possible for Muslims to live in a secularized world while maintaining the identity of a "true believer."
From 1984 to 2008, he has acted as a consultant to the French Foreign Ministry.
In 1988, Roy served as a United Nations Office for Coordinating Relief in Afghanistan (UNOCA) consultant.
Beginning in August 1993, Roy served as special OSCE representative to Tajikistan until February 1994, at which time he was selected as head of the OSCE mission to Tajikistan, a position he held until October 1994.
Roy received an "Agrégation" in Philosophy and a Master's in Persian language and civilization in 1972 from the French Institut National des Langues et Civilisations Orientales.
In 1996, he received his PhD in Political Science from the IEP.
Roy is the author of numerous books on subjects including Iran, Islam, Asian politics. These works include Globalized Islam: The search for a new ummah, Today's Turkey: A European State? and The Illusions of September 11.
He also serves on the editorial board of the academic journal Central Asian Survey.
His best-known book, L'Echec de l'Islam politique; The Failure of Political Islam. It is a standard text for students of political Islam.
Roy wrote widely on the subject of the 2005 civil unrest in France saying they should not be seen as religiously inspired as some commentators said.
His most recent work is Secularism Confronts Islam (Columbia, 2007). The book offers a perspective on the place of Islam in secular society and looks at the diverse experiences of Muslim immigrants in the West. Roy examines how Muslim intellectuals have made it possible for Muslims to live in a secularized world while maintaining the identity of a "true believer."
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August 12, 2013
A very difficult book to read, and even a more difficult one to summarize. But then again if you believe Taleb the best books don't lend themselves easily to summarization. The book is much more than an analysis of the meaning of political globalized Islam but also an in-depth exploration of the intersections among identity, culture, religion and ethnicity in the age of globalization.
What makes Olivier Roy a challenging writer is that he doesn't simplify things by framing everything in the context of a singular idea (e.g. Fukuyama’s ‘End of History’ or Huntington’s ‘Clash of civilizations’) but rather offers a very distributed, localized analysis and interpretation of a wide variety of interrelated factors. In that sense Roy is somewhat similar to Satanovsky (http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/...) who looks at Middle East region as an example of war of “all against all” and systematically goes through country by country illustrating its own internal conflicts, drivers and agendas. What Satanovsky accomplishes for national interests of various states, Roy accomplishes for cultural/religious dimensions of various manifestations of Muslim identity. Neither one offers any specific solutions, because such solutions do not exist, but both demonstrate the incredible complexity of the phenomena under investigation. I would add that most attempts to simplify the phenomena, although tempting, are counterproductive in the best case scenario and plain dangerous in most cases.
Here are some flavors of ideas that Roy floats through different parts of the book.
• The original vision of political Islam for a global Islamic state is intrinsically flawed. By entering politics Islam tends to lose its religious dimension. In practice politics corrupts religion, not the other way around. The vast majority of existing Islamic states had to sacrifice the idea of international Islam to the national interests of local state, demonstrating once again that nationalism of a specific country trumps any dreams of a transnational kingdom (be it global Islam, Marxism or Liberal Democracy for that matter).
• Neo fundamentalism acknowledges that political Islam has failed and in fact is the result of that failure. Unlike political Islam, it does not have a clear agenda for the future. Neo fundamentalists reject Islamists who have been secularized by politics. At various parts of the book Roy compares and contrasts neo fundamentalists, Islamists and traditional conservatives which is absolutely fascinating.
• Being Muslim to a certain degree has lost its meaning. Both Muslims and the West are struggling to narrow down the essential characteristics of Muslim identity – is it primarily culture, religion, ethnicity? This difficulty is only further exacerbated by the current age of globalization. Moreover this difficulty is not unique to ‘Muslims’ per se, but also to the ‘West’ itself. For example when speaking of ‘Western’ values do we mean Judeo-Christian, Hellenistic, Protestant, Catholic, democratic or secular values? Depending on the context it could mean one or more of those despite the fact that many are clearly in conflict with each other. Given that the ‘West’ itself has some issues with its own identity, it is not surprising that interpreting Muslims becomes a bit of a nightmare. For example Europeans want secular Muslims, Americans want Protestant Muslims. Secular France treats Muslim as a religion, while historically religious Britain (which has an official state church) treats Muslims as ethnicity. Many second-generation Muslims in Europe have no interest in the culture of their parents/ grandparents.
• Neo fundamentalism is greatly aided by globalization and it embraces deculturalization wholeheartedly. It allows one to redefine own identity independently of one’s country of origin, country of immigration, ethnicity, or any particular manifestation of politicized religion. More importantly it allows neo fundamentalists to define their identity independently of the cultural norms they are currently in. Deculturalization is cross-cultural.
• In contrast to traditional conservative Islam, neo fundamentalists borrow heavily from the Western notion of individualism by stressing that as a true believer you are freed from all the norms, rules, cultural artifacts and laws that you may be surrounded by – your personal values and beliefs is all that matters. Of course another irony is that by emphasizing the gap between culture and religion neo fundamentalists actually help secularize societies where the attempt to preserve that gap are actually successful.
Anyway, these are just some of the points that Roy pontificates about, there is much more where it came from. My one criticism is that at times Roy’s writing feels overly intellectualized, but don't let the form prevent you from appreciating the substance. There's a lot to be learned here, but you will certainly have to work for it.
What makes Olivier Roy a challenging writer is that he doesn't simplify things by framing everything in the context of a singular idea (e.g. Fukuyama’s ‘End of History’ or Huntington’s ‘Clash of civilizations’) but rather offers a very distributed, localized analysis and interpretation of a wide variety of interrelated factors. In that sense Roy is somewhat similar to Satanovsky (http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/...) who looks at Middle East region as an example of war of “all against all” and systematically goes through country by country illustrating its own internal conflicts, drivers and agendas. What Satanovsky accomplishes for national interests of various states, Roy accomplishes for cultural/religious dimensions of various manifestations of Muslim identity. Neither one offers any specific solutions, because such solutions do not exist, but both demonstrate the incredible complexity of the phenomena under investigation. I would add that most attempts to simplify the phenomena, although tempting, are counterproductive in the best case scenario and plain dangerous in most cases.
Here are some flavors of ideas that Roy floats through different parts of the book.
• The original vision of political Islam for a global Islamic state is intrinsically flawed. By entering politics Islam tends to lose its religious dimension. In practice politics corrupts religion, not the other way around. The vast majority of existing Islamic states had to sacrifice the idea of international Islam to the national interests of local state, demonstrating once again that nationalism of a specific country trumps any dreams of a transnational kingdom (be it global Islam, Marxism or Liberal Democracy for that matter).
• Neo fundamentalism acknowledges that political Islam has failed and in fact is the result of that failure. Unlike political Islam, it does not have a clear agenda for the future. Neo fundamentalists reject Islamists who have been secularized by politics. At various parts of the book Roy compares and contrasts neo fundamentalists, Islamists and traditional conservatives which is absolutely fascinating.
• Being Muslim to a certain degree has lost its meaning. Both Muslims and the West are struggling to narrow down the essential characteristics of Muslim identity – is it primarily culture, religion, ethnicity? This difficulty is only further exacerbated by the current age of globalization. Moreover this difficulty is not unique to ‘Muslims’ per se, but also to the ‘West’ itself. For example when speaking of ‘Western’ values do we mean Judeo-Christian, Hellenistic, Protestant, Catholic, democratic or secular values? Depending on the context it could mean one or more of those despite the fact that many are clearly in conflict with each other. Given that the ‘West’ itself has some issues with its own identity, it is not surprising that interpreting Muslims becomes a bit of a nightmare. For example Europeans want secular Muslims, Americans want Protestant Muslims. Secular France treats Muslim as a religion, while historically religious Britain (which has an official state church) treats Muslims as ethnicity. Many second-generation Muslims in Europe have no interest in the culture of their parents/ grandparents.
• Neo fundamentalism is greatly aided by globalization and it embraces deculturalization wholeheartedly. It allows one to redefine own identity independently of one’s country of origin, country of immigration, ethnicity, or any particular manifestation of politicized religion. More importantly it allows neo fundamentalists to define their identity independently of the cultural norms they are currently in. Deculturalization is cross-cultural.
• In contrast to traditional conservative Islam, neo fundamentalists borrow heavily from the Western notion of individualism by stressing that as a true believer you are freed from all the norms, rules, cultural artifacts and laws that you may be surrounded by – your personal values and beliefs is all that matters. Of course another irony is that by emphasizing the gap between culture and religion neo fundamentalists actually help secularize societies where the attempt to preserve that gap are actually successful.
Anyway, these are just some of the points that Roy pontificates about, there is much more where it came from. My one criticism is that at times Roy’s writing feels overly intellectualized, but don't let the form prevent you from appreciating the substance. There's a lot to be learned here, but you will certainly have to work for it.
February 16, 2019
من الصعب مراجعة كتاب يحمل هذا الكمّ من المعلومات والحكي لكن تساؤل وحيد كان يشغل خاطري ، ما رأي الكاتب في عولمة الإسلام حاليًا ؛ نظرًا لأن الكتاب تم إصداره سنة 2003 يعني بعد ما يقارب ال 16 عام من التحولات والتغيرات التي حدثت سواءً على الصعيد السياسي أو الديني؟
May 9, 2025
يناقش روا في هذا الكتاب انهيار المرجعية الجغرافية للإسلام، وكيف أدت العولمة إلى تفريغ الإسلام من سياقه التقليدي دون أن تضعفه، لكن بإعادة تشكيله. ويرى أن ما يُعرف بـ”الصحوة الإسلامية” أو “إعادة الأسلمة” في الغرب هي ظاهرة ناتجة عن العولمة، لا عن رفضها لها. فالهوية الإسلامية الجديدة تُبنى على أساس فردي، مُفكك عن السياقات الثقافية الأصلية، وتعتمد على الإنترنت والرموز العابرة للحدود.
ويستشهد عليه بأمثلة لطيفة لم تغب عن لحظه: إسلام الفرد المعزول عن التقاليد، كالشاب المسلم في برلين الذي يكتشف إسلامه عبر يوتيوب، يتبنى ممارسات دينية موحدة (لباس، لغة دعوية، التزام شكلي) لا تعكس ثقافة بلده الأم (المغرب مثلاً)، بل تُمثّل هوية عالمية عابرة. أو المسلمة الماليزية التي ترتدي الحجاب “الشرعي” الموحد المتأثر بخطاب محلي ما، أو مقاتل داعش الذي لا تربطه رابطة بمذهب أو تقليد محلي، بل بخطاب عابر للحدود والهويات. ويرى أن إخفاق الحركات الإسلامية في إقامة دولة إسلامية أدى إلى تحول التركيز نحو الفرد، والمساهمة في بروز أشكال جديدة من التدين الفردي المتشدد.
ومن أبرز المحاور التي سلط الضوء عليها: بيان الفارق بين الإرث الثقافي والديني، ومجال تأثير كل منهما ومداه. والذي نتج عنه رفضه إرجاع تخلف الدول الإسلامية للإسلام، ووضع العوامل السياسية والاقتصادية والثقافية في الاعتبار، مستشهدا باختلاف واقع الدول رغم تقارب بعضها جغرافياً واتفاقها دينياً.
جانب كبير من الكتاب جاء في معالجة صور الجماعات الإسلامية السياسية المتشددة؛ لتصب في صالح الفكرة الأم من الأطروحة: أنها خطاب منفصل عن الجماعة ومنقطع عنها (صورة فردانية كبرى تشكل ذاتها مفتقرة لجذورها).
طرح مشغول بالواقع الإسلامي لا النظري، والجانب السلوكي لا الفكري. لا يخلو من أسئلة قمينة بالبحث، وإشكالات جديرة بالمعالجة، وأطروحات هي الأخرى قابلة للمراجعة والنقد والتمحيص، وإشارات خليقة بالتأمل والمثاقفة دون التسليم.
ويستشهد عليه بأمثلة لطيفة لم تغب عن لحظه: إسلام الفرد المعزول عن التقاليد، كالشاب المسلم في برلين الذي يكتشف إسلامه عبر يوتيوب، يتبنى ممارسات دينية موحدة (لباس، لغة دعوية، التزام شكلي) لا تعكس ثقافة بلده الأم (المغرب مثلاً)، بل تُمثّل هوية عالمية عابرة. أو المسلمة الماليزية التي ترتدي الحجاب “الشرعي” الموحد المتأثر بخطاب محلي ما، أو مقاتل داعش الذي لا تربطه رابطة بمذهب أو تقليد محلي، بل بخطاب عابر للحدود والهويات. ويرى أن إخفاق الحركات الإسلامية في إقامة دولة إسلامية أدى إلى تحول التركيز نحو الفرد، والمساهمة في بروز أشكال جديدة من التدين الفردي المتشدد.
ومن أبرز المحاور التي سلط الضوء عليها: بيان الفارق بين الإرث الثقافي والديني، ومجال تأثير كل منهما ومداه. والذي نتج عنه رفضه إرجاع تخلف الدول الإسلامية للإسلام، ووضع العوامل السياسية والاقتصادية والثقافية في الاعتبار، مستشهدا باختلاف واقع الدول رغم تقارب بعضها جغرافياً واتفاقها دينياً.
جانب كبير من الكتاب جاء في معالجة صور الجماعات الإسلامية السياسية المتشددة؛ لتصب في صالح الفكرة الأم من الأطروحة: أنها خطاب منفصل عن الجماعة ومنقطع عنها (صورة فردانية كبرى تشكل ذاتها مفتقرة لجذورها).
طرح مشغول بالواقع الإسلامي لا النظري، والجانب السلوكي لا الفكري. لا يخلو من أسئلة قمينة بالبحث، وإشكالات جديرة بالمعالجة، وأطروحات هي الأخرى قابلة للمراجعة والنقد والتمحيص، وإشارات خليقة بالتأمل والمثاقفة دون التسليم.
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September 1, 2012لم اقرأه بعد .. لكن قرات ما كتبه الراحل حسام تمام عنه:
"يقف المؤلف وكتابه في صدارة كل ما أنجز عن عالم الأسلمة والحركات الأسلمة في السنوات الأخير. فمن دون مبالغة ربما كان هذا الكتاب أهم وأول كتاب صدر في الغرب لرصد الظاهرة الإسلامية ليس بالمعني الكلاسيكي( دراسة الحركات الإسلامية وما نتج عنها من مؤسسات وأنشطة ..ومحاولة تبني رؤية شاملة لتفسيرها) بل رصد ظاهرة الأسلمة نفسها التي تجتاح المجتمعات الإسلامية وتتخلل شتي مسارات حركتها، كما أنه الأول أيضا في تجاوز حدود التقسيمات الجغرافية وعدم الوقوف عن دراسة الظاهرة الإسلامية في الغرب أو العالم العربي والإسلامي، وهو الأول الذي يعالج قضية العلاقة بين الإسلام والتحديث ليس من باب الجدل النظري( العقيدة والنصوص الدينية) لكن من باب ممارسات الناس الفعلية إذ أن التحديث في رؤيته منفصل عن تجديد الخطاب الديني وهو بذلك يتجاوز السؤال التقليدي عما إذا كان الإسلام مع التحديث أم ضده؟ لأنه يري التحديث أمرا واقعا بعيدا عن جدل النظرية والجهد البحثي يجب أن ينصب في رصد مظاهر هذا التحديث وتحليلها."
للمزيد
http://www.islamismscope.net/index.ph...
"يقف المؤلف وكتابه في صدارة كل ما أنجز عن عالم الأسلمة والحركات الأسلمة في السنوات الأخير. فمن دون مبالغة ربما كان هذا الكتاب أهم وأول كتاب صدر في الغرب لرصد الظاهرة الإسلامية ليس بالمعني الكلاسيكي( دراسة الحركات الإسلامية وما نتج عنها من مؤسسات وأنشطة ..ومحاولة تبني رؤية شاملة لتفسيرها) بل رصد ظاهرة الأسلمة نفسها التي تجتاح المجتمعات الإسلامية وتتخلل شتي مسارات حركتها، كما أنه الأول أيضا في تجاوز حدود التقسيمات الجغرافية وعدم الوقوف عن دراسة الظاهرة الإسلامية في الغرب أو العالم العربي والإسلامي، وهو الأول الذي يعالج قضية العلاقة بين الإسلام والتحديث ليس من باب الجدل النظري( العقيدة والنصوص الدينية) لكن من باب ممارسات الناس الفعلية إذ أن التحديث في رؤيته منفصل عن تجديد الخطاب الديني وهو بذلك يتجاوز السؤال التقليدي عما إذا كان الإسلام مع التحديث أم ضده؟ لأنه يري التحديث أمرا واقعا بعيدا عن جدل النظرية والجهد البحثي يجب أن ينصب في رصد مظاهر هذا التحديث وتحليلها."
للمزيد
http://www.islamismscope.net/index.ph...
January 31, 2023
Պարտադիր կարդալիք։ Հեղինակի շնորհիվ շատ բաների սկսում ես ուրիշ տեսանկյունից նայել։
Հ.գ.։ մերսի պարոն Քոչարյանին, որ "ստիպեց" կարդալ 😂
Հ.գ.։ մերսի պարոն Քոչարյանին, որ "ստիպեց" կարդալ 😂
November 18, 2017
Roy's Globalised Islam is one of the most ambitious book about normative Islam I have ever encountered. As much complementary and a direct sequel to his Failure of Political Islam thesis, Roy skillfully weaves an exposition not only about Islam globalised, but also Islam around the globe. Focusing on the epiphenomena of globalisation such as deculturation, deterritorialisation, and secularisation (and Westernisation), Roy explains re-Islamisation in terms that saw Muslims-pious or not-reacting to a changing world that is also experienced by their non-Muslim counterparts. This is where Roy's adroit use of examples outside of the Muslim world (such as the extreme Left movements in the Cold War era and the rise of evangelical Protestantism) shines the most, for he situates the particularity of this phenomenon he termed neofundamentalism within the universal; the radicals being products of globalised change rather than leftovers insulated by change-despite their discourse heavily favouring the latter. For the most part, the book kept to its titular promise that is to be global. Not only are the conducts, movements, and discourses of Muslims discussed in both Muslim majority and minority contexts, the different modalities of action of such groups, from the quietists to the militants, were charted on the same fabric in a manner that evades the popular, yet sometimes too essentialising 'conveyor belt' theory.
If one were to nitpick, the book's weaknesses lies in its over-reliance towards the experiences of second-generation Muslims in Europe to explain neofundamentalism. After all, such forms of beliefs are also highly visible in Muslim majority settings and while the author accedes to such explanation (his constant mention of Saudi exceptionalism), insufficient parallels (and attention) were drawn to usher in a more complete view of neofundamentalism, particularly with regards to its relationship to the many re-Islamisation projects of Muslim semi-authoritarian regimes. Second, the book places militant Islam within the realm of possibility of neofundamentalism but did not make a more pronounced effort to mark the variables that gave rise to the two distinct outcomes. Considering the book's emphasis on the non-violent nature of most neofundamentalists (radical, no doubt), more labour should be committed to support such an assertion if not the conveyor belt theory the author fervently guards his theory against would again barge in. A militant strategy also runs against one of the basic tenet of the author's prescription of neofundamentalism, which is changing the state through changing society so it begs one to question if Islamist militancy is in fact a comfortable entry to the neofundamentalist register, though some overlapping is expected. In any case, as Roy has published another book on ISIS, I am confident that he will be able to parse with the matter more comprehensively there.
What Roy has done here is a fascinating re-reading of Islam (the Islam practised not the one ordained by God) that combines a broad swath of impressive qualitative historical and discursive evidence with a focused line of theorising that seeks to analyse, adumbrate, and articulate an Islam deculturalised, deterritorialised, and decentralised. Roy has gone deeper than most in understanding the mundane (as seen in his footnotes which are mostly speeches and sermons from quotidian websites), and thankfully eschew the mundane explanation such as by those who can't even differentiate globalised Islam from civilisational Islam (assuming that's still a thing today).
If one were to nitpick, the book's weaknesses lies in its over-reliance towards the experiences of second-generation Muslims in Europe to explain neofundamentalism. After all, such forms of beliefs are also highly visible in Muslim majority settings and while the author accedes to such explanation (his constant mention of Saudi exceptionalism), insufficient parallels (and attention) were drawn to usher in a more complete view of neofundamentalism, particularly with regards to its relationship to the many re-Islamisation projects of Muslim semi-authoritarian regimes. Second, the book places militant Islam within the realm of possibility of neofundamentalism but did not make a more pronounced effort to mark the variables that gave rise to the two distinct outcomes. Considering the book's emphasis on the non-violent nature of most neofundamentalists (radical, no doubt), more labour should be committed to support such an assertion if not the conveyor belt theory the author fervently guards his theory against would again barge in. A militant strategy also runs against one of the basic tenet of the author's prescription of neofundamentalism, which is changing the state through changing society so it begs one to question if Islamist militancy is in fact a comfortable entry to the neofundamentalist register, though some overlapping is expected. In any case, as Roy has published another book on ISIS, I am confident that he will be able to parse with the matter more comprehensively there.
What Roy has done here is a fascinating re-reading of Islam (the Islam practised not the one ordained by God) that combines a broad swath of impressive qualitative historical and discursive evidence with a focused line of theorising that seeks to analyse, adumbrate, and articulate an Islam deculturalised, deterritorialised, and decentralised. Roy has gone deeper than most in understanding the mundane (as seen in his footnotes which are mostly speeches and sermons from quotidian websites), and thankfully eschew the mundane explanation such as by those who can't even differentiate globalised Islam from civilisational Islam (assuming that's still a thing today).
March 6, 2019
An investigation into the future of Muslims in the West. Comes to rather different conclusions than most other similar studies, probably because of its radically different methodology. The author doesn't use written sources hardly at all; in particular he does not reference the Quran trying to reason out the "theory" of Islam. Rather his method is to simply talk to as wide and deep a range of Muslims as possible, look for common patterns, and apply just a bit of analysis.
His principal finding is: Muslims in the West are "assimilating" and have little or no connection with either their country of origin or any sort of "ummah". The assimilation process for people from such different cultures is proving pretty tough, and the stress erupts all over the place. One of the ways the stress erupts is in "terrorism", which practically has little to do with either the country or the religious structures of origin, but rather is a byproduct of the West absorbing more and more Muslims.
Seen in the larger context of their whole society, what terrorists literally say is radically misleading. They tend to be the "outliers" of their society, don't have the self-awareness necessary to see themselves accurately, and say what they _wish_ was true rather than what's actually true.
(Caveat: it took me a very long time to read this not because of the quality of the book but rather because I read only a few pages each time in a specific situation: waiting for one of my prescriptions to be filled.)
His principal finding is: Muslims in the West are "assimilating" and have little or no connection with either their country of origin or any sort of "ummah". The assimilation process for people from such different cultures is proving pretty tough, and the stress erupts all over the place. One of the ways the stress erupts is in "terrorism", which practically has little to do with either the country or the religious structures of origin, but rather is a byproduct of the West absorbing more and more Muslims.
Seen in the larger context of their whole society, what terrorists literally say is radically misleading. They tend to be the "outliers" of their society, don't have the self-awareness necessary to see themselves accurately, and say what they _wish_ was true rather than what's actually true.
(Caveat: it took me a very long time to read this not because of the quality of the book but rather because I read only a few pages each time in a specific situation: waiting for one of my prescriptions to be filled.)
December 1, 2015
A key take away I took from this book is that secularism and religion are not necessarily at odds with one another. Roy stresses that religion is becoming more and more individual. A neofundamentalist reforms society by reforming individuals first. If you reform enough individuals, you reform society. Thus, a religious purist may want to keep religion out of politics and actually be an agent of secularization. Thus secularism does not seem to be the enemy of religion as it is often portrayed as. Other themes that are developed are a deterritorialized Ummah, and how practice and outward signs of faith are superseding theology in present day discourse. The book is very heavy on jargon, but still not overly difficult to read.
November 3, 2015
An extremely important read for everyone that seeks to peel back layers of the growing tension between Christian communities and immigrant Muslim communities in Europe and North America - especially above the level of analysis pop-media gives to these complicated dynamics. The book is extremely relevant today with the ongoing Western military involvement in Muslim counties' happenings and the mass migration of people from Muslim countries to Western Europe. Not a quick or easy read, but Olivier Roy's analysis is thorough and sound.
November 19, 2011
Excellent academic study detailing the change in Muslim neofundamentalist attitudes as ordinary Muslims find themselves objectifying and defining Islam in the global culture. Olivier's grasp of the mood swings in te Islamic milieu are pretty exact. He seems to have studied and experienced some of the target groups at close hand. It's a must read for any Muslim living in the West looking for answers to justify the current Islamic trends.
August 9, 2013
هذا الكتاب ليس عاديا. وهذا المؤلف يعرف ما يتحدث عنه جيدا. انبهرت بذلك الفهم الكبير للإسلام لدى أوليفيه روا
الكتاب كان رفيقي في حلي وترحالي. سلاسة اللغة ومباشرة الطرح تساعدك على تركيز فهمك على ما يطرحه روا والانتقال من قراءة النص الى مراجعة الفكرة اثناء التصفح
رائع ومهم جدا
في هذا الكتاب تحليل مهم لواقع الاسلام المعاصر في ظل صعود الاسلام السياسي والحركات الأصولية وهو يضع تفسيرا للظواهر يتماشى مع الفهم العميق لدى روا للفرق بين الدين الاسلامي والأسلمة المعاصرة
الكتاب كان رفيقي في حلي وترحالي. سلاسة اللغة ومباشرة الطرح تساعدك على تركيز فهمك على ما يطرحه روا والانتقال من قراءة النص الى مراجعة الفكرة اثناء التصفح
رائع ومهم جدا
في هذا الكتاب تحليل مهم لواقع الاسلام المعاصر في ظل صعود الاسلام السياسي والحركات الأصولية وهو يضع تفسيرا للظواهر يتماشى مع الفهم العميق لدى روا للفرق بين الدين الاسلامي والأسلمة المعاصرة
February 16, 2018
Good and believable theory, but the lack on actual quantitative research bothered me.
December 30, 2018
Roy geeft in zijn boek interessante concepten en ideeën om na te denken over moslims in het westen en hoe zij vorm geven aan hun geloof. Echter is het boek wel lastig te lezen en soms voelt het wat chaotisch in hoe hij zijn argumenten weergeeft.
July 28, 2022
كتاب مميز ..!
March 22, 2025
أولى قراءاتي لأوليفيه، لم تكن ماتعة على الرغم من إنه مفكر وبروفسور وباحث جيد، وأحتاج أن أقرأ كتابه الأول تجربة الإسلام السياسي قبل العولمة.
May 1, 2007
Roy examines the sociology of Muslim response to globalization, focusing on identity politics, as many Muslims (specifically in Europe) respond to what he terms the "deterritorialisation" produced by globalization by a resurgence of "neofundamentalism." Thus, he locates the Islamic response to globalization within a larger religious response to modernity, thereby offering strong parallels to Christianity.
February 16, 2012
As we will see later, Roy makes sense of a number of complex issues of nationalism, identity, and religion. His analysis is bottom-up, featuring a host of websites of various "neofundamentalists" along with more established texts. Much like Reza Aslan, Roy places radicals in context. This is not recommended for the faint of heart or for amateurs, but it's an excellent examination of the current Muslim world.
April 20, 2009
Roy's knowledge of the different phenomena and currents in contemporary Islam is quite astonishing, and he has many incisive comments. Unfortunately, the book suffers from a lack of organization and logical exposition that makes his central themes difficult to track and conceptualize clearly. Still, lots to chew over.
January 5, 2017
I had a complicated relationship with this book. While well-written and interesting to read, I didn't agree with many of his arguments or premises and at times it felt a bit too simplistic. At times it felt incredibly orientalist, and at others he seemed to hit the nail. Very blunt author.
May 7, 2021
Un essai écrit par Oliver Roy juste après les attentats du 11 septembre. On voit que l'auteur maitrïse parfaitement le sujet. Il a apporte également des nouvelles perspectives et ses hypothèses sont extrêmement intéressantes. Je continuerai de lire cet auteur.
August 1, 2012
Since hearing lecture at the Camden conference, Roy has always shade a different perspective on political Islam.
January 17, 2008
Good academic description of globalization of religious radical groups.
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