Book Review: The Fall and Rise of the Islamic State by Noah Feldman
Just finished Feldman’s review of the Islamic state in history. Feldman looks at the constitutional history of the Islamic state, particularly the importance of sharia and the scholars, as well as how the Islamic state has evolved. From the beginnings of Islam to the Ottoman Empire to Saudi Arabia and modern Iran, Feldman shows how sharia and the scholars have been ultimately undermined (in the case of the Ottoman Empire) or risen to dominance (in the case of Iran). Feldman leaves us with a lot of questions about the future of the Islamic states as Islamist parties continue to see success in Muslim-majority countries, but he provides a lot of good background information.
