Secular Power Europe and Islam: Identity and Foreign Policy

Secular Power Europe and Islam explores how Islam confronts the EU's existential anxieties about security and secular identity, challenging Eurocentric assumptions about democracy, revolution, and human rights. It encourages the reader to reconsidered secularism as a bedrock principle of IR and diplomacy.

Format: Hardback
Length: 208 pages
Publication date: 08 June 2021
Publisher: The University of Michigan Press

Secular Power Europe and Islam presents a compelling argument that secularism should not be considered the sole principle governing international relations, but rather as one belief system that exerts significant influence on global politics. By delving into the secular identity of Europe, often perceived as the normative framework, author Sarah Wolff demonstrates how Islam challenges the EU's existential concerns regarding security and its secular essence. Islam disrupts Eurocentric notions of democracy, revolution, and human rights, prompting the reader to reevaluate secularism as a fundamental principle in the realm of international relations and diplomacy.

In this book, Wolff argues that the EU's engagement and diplomatic actions in relation to religion, particularly Islam, are significantly shaped by the unwavering commitment to a European secular identity. However, she suggests that this perspective should be reevaluated in areas such as religion and foreign policy. Through three compelling case studies, Wolff encourages the reader to unpack secularism as a cornerstone principle of international relations and diplomacy.

By examining the interplay between secular power, Europe, and Islam, this book offers valuable insights into the complex dynamics shaping global politics. It challenges the notion that secularism is solely a Western concept and highlights the ways in which Islam contributes to shaping the international landscape. It also sheds light on the challenges and opportunities that arise from the EU's engagement with Islam, emphasizing the need for a nuanced and inclusive approach that respects the diverse religious and cultural backgrounds of nations.

In conclusion, Secular Power Europe and Islam is a thought-provoking and insightful book that challenges conventional narratives about international relations and religion. It provides a valuable contribution to the ongoing debate about the role of secularism in global politics and offers practical insights for policymakers and scholars alike.

Weight: 400g
Dimension: 229 x 152 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9780472132539