Islamic Identity and Development: Studies of the Islamic Periphery

InIslamic Identity and Development, Ozay Mehmet examines the Islamic revival which is occurring in many developing countries. He places Islamic reassertion and identity in the wider context of the dilemma of reconciling nationalism with Islam. Turkey and Malaysia, two countries on the Islamic periphery, have been both at the forefront of modernization and development, and subjects of an increasing revivalism disclosing a profound identity crisis. Ozay Mehmet views the Islamic revival primarily as a protest movement, concentrated among urban migrant settlements where uneven postwar growth has upset the traditional Islamic order. Currently, both countries are dealing with serious development and cultural issues. Arguing that Islamic societies must move towards greater openness and an organic relationship between rulers and ruled, Mehmet champions a public policy responsive to human material needs which also satisfies the ethical conditions of the Islamic social contract.