Islam in Foreign Policy

Originally published in paperback in 1985, this book was designed to analyse the complex roles which Islam plays in the formulation and implementation of the foreign policies of a number of states in which all, or a considerable part, of the population is Muslim. The countries under study are Iran, Saudi Arabia, Libya, Pakistan, Egypt, Morocco, Iraq, Nigeria, Indonesia and the Soviet Union, and in each case a well-known authority looks at the influence of Islam on the process of foreign policy. This book provided a source of information and insight for readers with a serious interest in the subject, including those in politics, international affairs and journalism.

This book is a collection of ten case studies analysing the role and influence of Islam in the foreign policies of states with substantial Muslim populations. Its rationale rests in the belief that the analysis of 'foreign policy' is a different intellectual exercise from 'domestic politics'. As such, it complements the book Islam in the Political Process (ed. J. Piscatori, CUP 1983) by concentrating on the role Islam plays in the foreign policies of such countries as Saudi Arabia, Iran, Libya, Pakistan, Egypt, Morocco, Iraq, Indonesia, Nigeria and the Soviet Union. This is probably the first comprehensive attempt at scrutinizing not only Islam's role in foreign policy, but also its competition with other values and interests in influencing the making and conduct of the external relations of countries boasting substantial Muslim populations.