Salafism in Lebanon : from apoliticism to transnational Jihadism /

This book provides an in-depth portrait of the conservative Islamic movement in Lebanon over the past century. Rabil (Middle East studies, Florida Atlantic Univ.) is the author of Embattled Neighbors (CH, Sep'03, 41-0503), Syria, the United States, and the War on Terror in the Middle East (CH, Jan'07, 44-2934), and Religion, National Identity, and Confessional Politics in Lebanon (CH, Mar'12, 49-4116). He makes use of a wide variety of primary and secondary sources in profiling the movement and writes at a level intended for Middle Eastern and Islamic specialists. However, the inclusion of a glossary helps make the work more approachable. Rabil begins by profiling the modern Salafist movement as the product of both the broader Islamist movement and Wahhabist radicalism in Saudi Arabia. He details the doctrinal differences among three streams of Salafism in Lebanon: quietist, activist, and jihadist. These categories help give form to a history of the movement and its involvement in the ongoing Syrian civil war. This unique account of Lebanese Salafism is pertinent, timely, and important reading for students of the Middle East. Summing Up: Highly recommended. Upper-division undergraduates and above. --Paul Rowe, Trinity Western University