Review of Mbaye Lo, Political Islam, Justice and Governance

Abstract

Mbaye Lo‟s Political Islam, Justice and Governance is unique in its attempt to supply an explanation based on the comportment of the Islamists in power. This practical aspect distinguishes Lo‟s oeuvre from other discussions on the field. Structurally, the book consists of nine chapters divided thematically into three sections. Within this context, the first four chapters outline the premises of Lo‟s argument (i.e. the Islamist project is based on a militant notion of justice; the neoliberal state relegates justice to a question of marginal importance; Islamist justice agenda finds justification in recurrent Qur‟anic invocations and traditional juristic elaborations; therefore, all Islamists are similar in their commitment to this agenda). The next four chapters involve his case studies (namely, the Egyptian revolution, ISIS, the Islamists‟ reign in Sudan, and Morsi‟s brief tenure in Egypt) used to prove these premises. Finally, the last section serves as the concluding remark.