The Clash of Values

Moaddel comes to the subject of values with deep knowledge of the politics and histories of Islamic nations, along with unparalleled skill and experience in doing surveys in those countries. He delivers the definitive analysis of how religious fundamentalism conflicts with liberal nationalism to varying degrees throughout the region. – Michael Hout, New York UniversityIs a new, more liberal cultural episode on the horizon for the Middle East? The Clash of Values offers new conceptualizations of religious fundamentalism and liberal values, along with clearly presented survey findings, to suggest that such a trajectory is entirely possible. – Valentine M. Moghadam, author of Globalization and Social Movements: Islamism, Feminism, and the Global Justice MovementThis is a timely book that traces political and cultural transformations across many countries in the Muslim world with sound empirical evidence and a nuanced theoretical framework. Moaddel explains the recent turmoil as an expression of ideational shift from Islamic fundamentalism to liberal nationalism, highlighting serious cultural change that accounts for the Arab Spring and other changes in the region. – Madawi Al-Rasheed, London School of EconomicsThe study is a certainly a major achievement and a must-read for students of the political culture of the “Muslim world.” The rich empirical evidence is proof of the vitality of liberal values in the region and contradicts all easy-handed assumptions about a fanatic and despotic region whose culture is incompatible with modern secularism, individualism, and democracy. * American Journal of Sociology *The sheer amount of cross-national data presented across the book makes it a strong point of reference for any researcher keen to trace post-2011 public opinion in the Middle East. * Choice *

Mansoor Moaddel is a professor of sociology at the University of Maryland, College Park. His many books include Islamic Modernism, Nationalism, and Fundamentalism: Episode and Discourse (2005) and Values, Political Action, and Change in the Middle East and the Arab Spring (2017).