This volume addresses a number of central questions in the study of Islamist politics in the Middle East, focusing on the most popular and influential Islamist movements. Chapters by leading scholars in the field present original research on a wide range of Islamist movements and politics in Morocco, Egypt, Jordan, Palestine, Lebanon, Iraq, Turkey, and Iran. "The different papers in the book reflect the diversity of Islamic politics and address a number of themes... Together, their work captures much of the diversity of Islamic politics in the region and is a significant contribution to the scolarship on a region and topic that continues to hold world attention." - Elfatih A. Abdel Salam, The Muslim World Book Review, 33:2, 2013. Islamist Politics in the Middle East rejects the perspective that "Islamic fundamentalism" is a backward looking and anti-modern, religiously based political ideology. The essays in this volume challenge a Western framework [and] move past neo-colonial perceptions by examining the organization, collective authority, and diversity that create local politics, eschewing generalizations to look at the connections between local movements [?] This wonderful set of essays takes many different approaches to examine the diversity of political movements in the present day Islamist Middle Eastern setting and shows where the West is entrapped in the use of language and images that stifle analysis. Assembled in one space, the essays let us contemplate Shehata's introductory theme, the puzzle to the West of defining political Islamists. The West, staggering at times under its own unexamined truce between secular society and Christianity, is badly equipped to view impartially the ineluctable centrality of Islam in these states. Researchers and policy makers who wish to build a more practical and realistic view of the Middle East will find Shehata's book useful. Jacqueline Swansinger PhD SUNY FredoniaJournal of International and Global Studies Vol 4 No 2 April 2015 "...a valuable contribution to further our knowledge of the broad phenomenon of Islamic politics in practice...a valuable achievement"Frida Nome, Norwegian Institute of International Affairs, NUPI and Norwegian School of TheologyJournal of Islamic Studies, vol 26, no 2, September 2015, 345-347