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Book SynopsisWhat is driving political extremism in Pakistan? In early 2011, the prominent Pakistani politician Salmaan Taseer was assassinated by a member of his own security team for insulting Islam by expressing views in support of the rights of women and religious minorities. Benazir Bhutto, the former prime minister, was killed by gunfire and explosive devices as she left a campaign event in December 2007; strong evidence links members of extremist organizations to her slaying. These murders underscore the fact that religion, politics, and policy are inextricably linked in Pakistan. In this book, Haroon K. Ullah analyzes the origins, ideologies, bases of support, and electoral successes of the largest and most influential Islamic parties in Pakistan. Based on his extensive field work in Pakistan, he develops a new typology for understanding and comparing the discourses put forth by these parties in order to assess what drives them and what separates the moderate from the extreme. A better understanding of the range of parties is critical for knowing how the US and other Western nations can engage states where Islamic political parties hold both political and moral authority. Pakistan's current democratic transition will hinge on how well Islamic parties contribute to civilian rule, shun violence, and mobilize support for political reform. Ullah's political-party typology may also shed light on the politics of other majority-Muslim democracies, such as Egypt and Tunisia, where Islamist political parties have recently won elections.
Trade ReviewDeftly written and superbly presented, Vying for Allah's Vote should be considered mandatory reading for anyone (especially U.S. congressional and administrative international relations policy makers) needing to understand the exploitation of Islamic fervor and fundamentalism to share and control political power in a fractured and conflicted contemporary Islamic state. Enhanced with the inclusion of illustrations, two appendices, extensive notes, a select bibliography, and an index ... especially recommended for academic library Pakistani and Islamic contemporary reference collections. Midwest Book Review The beauty of Dr. Ullah's thesis lies in his ability to distinguish between those Islamists in Pakistan and elsewhere who are interested in governing in a modern emerging world democratic setting as opposed to those who rely purely on ideology buttressed upon little apparent interest in governing unless they control all the reins of power. The former approach is pragmatic and positive. The latter is a delusion. Huffington Post A valuable study of Islamic parties in Pakistan, based on extensive research and informed by much theoretical literature. Choice Contains important analyses from an impressive collection of interviews and survey data, and forces a rethinking of the problems facing Pakistani political stability. Patterns of Prejudice
Table of Contents1. Introduction 2. Islam and Democracy in Pakistan 3. Islamic Parties in Pakistan 4. Muslim Democratic Parties: Origins and Characteristics 5. Islamist Parties: Origins and Characteristics 6. Islamic Voters in Pakistan: Motives and Behavior 7. Political Strategy: When Extremism Works 8. Lessons Learned: How Pakistan Informs the Arab Spring and Afghanistan 9. Foreign Policy Implications and New Trends Appendix 1Appendix 2NotesSelected BibliographyIndex
