Reviews of two SEAF-related books

islamism book
The core of Islamism:  Contested Perspectives on Political Islam (Stanford University Press, 2010), ed. Richard Martin and Abbas Barzegar, is a debate between Hofstra University anthropologist Daniel Varisco and SEAF director Donald K. Emmerson on the (dis)utility of the word "Islamism," with comments by other analysts of Islam.   Writing in the Journal of Islamic Studies, 23: 2 (2012), Thomas Hegghammer (Norwegian Defence Research Establishment, Oslo) concluded his review of the book by arguing that it would "have been interesting to get a perspective from at least one scholar not invested in the study of the Muslim world.  A mainstream political scientist or language philosopher might have refreshed this distinctly in-house debate.  On the whole, however, this is an important book and a valuable contribution to the literature on political Islam."
 
Writing in the online review journal Plurilogue:  Politics and Philosophy Reviews on 23 April 2013, Meryem Akabouch (LUISS University, Rome) concludes her review of Islamism by noting that "there is still no consensual definition of the real intention and message of Islam as a religion.  The difficulty of defining Islam as a spiritual and social doctrine or as a political and economic programme makes it particularly hard to define 'Islamism', let alone decide whether or not to abandon the use of it.  Nonetheless, the book remains a brilliant contribution to the ongoing debates between the Muslim world and the West about Islam and violence, providing the reader with a valuable framework for understanding multiple dimensions and challenges facing the modern Muslim community."
 
Ten experts on Southeast Asian affairs contributed to Hard Choices:  Security, Democracy, and Regionalism In Southeast Asia (Institute of Southeast Asian Studies, Singapore, 2009), ed. Donald K. Emmerson.  In the Canadian Journal of Political Science, 43: 1 (March 2010), Richard Stubbs (McMaster University) described the book as "an invaluable collection of analyses."  He regretted its not having covered "the rise of China as a regional power and particularly China's decision in 2003 to sign ASEAN's Treaty of Amity and Co-operation (TAC). ...  Yet this is a minor point.  Overall, this is an important set of essays that helps to shed light on the continuing evolution of one [of] the world's most intriguing regions and one of its most important regional organizations [ASEAN[."