Iraq, Democracy and the Future of the Muslim World

Ali Paya is Senior Visiting Research Fellow at the Centre for the Study of Democracy at the University of Westminster, UK, and Associate Professor of Philosophy at the National Research Institute for Science Policy in Iran.John Esposito is Professor of Religion and International Affairs and of Islamic Studies at Georgetown University, USA, and Founding Director of the Center for Muslim-Christian Understanding: History and International Affairs in the Walsh School of Foreign Services.

• Introduction Section 1: Iraq 1. Religion, Sect, Ethnicity and Tribe: The Uncertainties of Identity Politics in the New Society Faleh Abdul-Jabbar2. Lessons from Iraq Laith Kubba 3. Kurdistan: Democracy and Future of Iraq Salah Aziz 4. Forging a Third Way: Sistani's Marjaiyya between Quietism and Wilayat al-Faqih Abbas Kadhim Section 2: 5. Humble Democracy? On the Need for New Thinking about an Aging Ideal John Keane 6. Islamic Democracy: A Valid Concept of an Oxymoron? Ali Paya 7. Promoting Democracy Bhikhu Parekh 8. The Democratic Freedom Deficit in the Middle East Beverley Milton-Edwards Section 3: The Future of the Muslim World 9. World of Islam, Historical Perspectives and Modern Political Discources Seyyed Mohammad Khatami 10. The Saga of Islam and Democracy in the Middle East John Esposito 11. Islam's Future Imperfect: Fighting over Camels at the End of History Abdelwahab El-Affendi 12. Triumph through Destabilization: The Future of Politcal Islam Mohammad Samiei 13. Reason and revelation in Islamic Political Ethics Abdulaziz Sachedina