Nationalism and Minority Identities in Islamic Societies

Download or read book Nationalism and Minority Identities in Islamic Societies written by Maya Shatzmiller and published by McGill-Queen's Press - MQUP. This book was released on 2005-04-29 with total page 361 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The essays focus on identity formation in five minority groups - Copts in Egypt, Baha'is and Christians in Pakistan, Berbers in Algeria and Morocco, and Kurds in Turkey and Iraq. While every minority community is distinctive, the experiences of these groups show that a state's authoritarian rule, uncompromising attitude towards expressions of particularism, and failure to offer tools for inclusion are all responsible for the politicization and radicalization of minority identities. The place of Islam in this process is complex: while its initial pluralistic role was transformed through the creation of the modern nation-state, the radicalization of society in turn radicalized and politicized minority identities. Minority groups, though at times possessing a measure of political autonomy, remain intensely vulnerable.