Juan Cole Shi'ism and Social Protest | sku-810660625

Juan Cole listing for Shi'ism and Social Protest (Paperback), categorized under Religion & Religious Studies Books (SKU sku-810660625). The book surveys Shi'i political activism in countries where it has been significant, including the Iranian revolution in 1978-79 and events in Lebanon.

It asks why Twelver Shi'ism moved from quietism toward political involvement and considers Lebanon, the Iran-Iraq war, Soviet attitudes toward Afghanistan and Iran, and United States policy in the Middle East. Its contributors discuss the factors behind the rise in activism.

They find that national identities have often mattered more to Shi'i Muslims than transnational religious solidarity and that many groups have sought greater access to national resources and political life instead of separatism or clerical rule. They argue that future political activity depends largely on whether local demands are met.

The description says Shi'i Muslims make up eleven percent of the population of Islamic nations and presents the book as the first overview of this activism across the relevant countries. Gary G. Sick, author of All Fall Down, calls it a useful guide to Shi'i history and tradition.