The world is evolving, and Islam is a religion that has been under scrutiny since the tragic events of September 11, 2001, and more recently after the terrorist attacks in Europe, with regard to its future role in the process of democracy building in Middle East and North Africa and in relation to global politics. When viewed in this light, an analysis of the democratic aspirations of contemporary Muslims is an urgent philosophical and sociological task for scholars of Islamic and Middle Eastern studies around the world.

In this volume, Ali Mirsepaasi, a professor of Middle Eastern studies and sociology at the Gallatin School at New York University and Todd Graham Ferneé, an independent scholar and specialist of the Maghreb, attempt to fill the gap that exists vis-à-vis the “study of citizenship, state and globalization in societies historically influenced by Islamic traditions and institutions”