Radical Islam’s Rules

A major feature of the rise of Islamism in the Middle East, Asia, Africa and parts of the West is the current rapid growth of a starkly repressive version of shari'a, Islamic law. In this book, noted human rights activists and scholars trace the growth of such law in Saudi Arabia, Iran, Pakistan, Sudan, Nigeria, Malaysia, and Indonesia; document its threat to the status of women, religious freedom, and democracy itself; and suggest how the rest of the world should respond. Published in cooperation with Freedom House's Center for Religious Freedom.

A major feature of the rise of Islamism in the Middle East, Asia, Africa and parts of the West is the rapid growth of a starkly repressive version of Islamic shari'a law, often fueled by funds and support from Saudi Arabia. The central purpose of Islamists, including terrorists, is to impose such law in all Muslim lands, and then throughout the world in a new Caliphate. Despite its importance, this worldwide growth of extreme shari'a is under-documented and little understood. By a comparative study over the last twenty-five years of Saudi Arabia, Iran, Pakistan, Sudan, Nigeria, Malaysia, and Indonesia, this book shows its terrible effects on human rights, especially the status of women and religious freedom, of Muslims as well as religious minorities, and on democracy itself. It also shows that such laws are a direct threat to the American interest of advancing democracy and human rights, that the United States lacks a policy for dealing with the spread of extreme shari'a, and concludes with policy recommendations for the United States regarding specific countries confronting extreme shari'a.

Chapter 1 Foreword
Chapter 2 Preface
Chapter 3 Acknowledgments
Chapter 4 About the Center for Religious Freedom
Chapter 5 Introduction: The Rise of ExtremeShari'a
Chapter 6Shari'a in Saudi Arabia, Today and Tomorrow
Chapter 7Shari'a Law in Iran
Chapter 8Shari'a in Pakistan
Chapter 9Shari'a in Sudan
Chapter 10 Nigeria:Shari'a in a Fragmented Country
Chapter 11 Islamization and PartialShari'a in Malaysia
Chapter 12 Islamization, CreepingShari'a, and Varied Responses in Indonesia
Chapter 13 Democracy and Islam in the New Constitution of Afghanistan
Chapter 14 Conclusion: American Responses to ExtremeShari'a
Chapter 15 Index
Chapter 16 About the Contributors