ABSTRACT

Within the context of world politics, the Islamic world has taken on a prominence today that can hardly be ignored. In making that simple observation, however, challenging, confusing and misleading terminology is necessarily employed. The precise reference of “the” Islamic world is unclear. The basis upon which that singular category has been created is not immediately evident or sufficiently enunciated. Even if one assumes that the religion of Islam must play a role within the definition of that world, it is immediately apparent there is a problem: it is well known that not everyone in that geographical region is, in fact, Muslim. It is also clear that, even of those who consider themselves Muslims, there are many different manifestations of that faith itself. Further, it may be debated whether the faith itself is, in fact, the defining feature of the interaction of that geographical region with the rest of world. The extent to which the realities of contemporary power structures play a role that overwhelms issues that might be thought to be grounded in religious values does, on many occasions, seem evident. To undertake an investigation of what it is that we mean by “the Islamic world,” then, is a task that is both important and complex.