Religion and state in Syria : the Sunni Ulama from coup to revolution / / Thomas Pierret.

• Author: ProQuest (Firm); Pierret, Thomas.
• TeilnehmendeR: ProQuest (Firm)
• Year of Publication: 2013
• Edition: 1st English ed.
• Language: English; French
• Series: Cambridge Middle East studies ; 41
• Physical Description: xiii, 276 p.
• Notes: First published in French as Baas et islam en Syrie : la dynastie Assad face aux Oulemas by Presses universitaires de France 2011.

"While Syria has been dominated since the 1960s by a determinedly secular regime, the uprising that began there in 2011 has raised many questions about the role of Islam in the country's politics. This book, which is based on the author,sÌÆ extensive fieldwork in Syria,sÌÆ mosques and schools and on interviews with local Muslim scholars, is the first comprehensive study of the country,sÌÆ little-known religious scene and its most influential actors, the ulama. It demonstrates that with the eradication of the Muslim Brothers after the failed insurrection of 1982, Sunni men of religion became the only voice of the Islamic trend in the country. Through educational programs, the establishment of charitable foundations, and their deft handling of tribal and merchant networks, they took advantage of popular disaffection with secular ideologies to increase their influence over society. In recent years, with the Islamic resurgence, the Alawi-dominated Ba,tÌ́™¯hist regime was compelled to bring the clergy into the political fold. This ambiguous relationship was exposed in 2011 by the division of the Sunni clergy between regime supporters, bystanders, and opponents. This book affords an entirely new perspective on Syrian society as it stands at the crossroads of political and social fragmentation"-- Provided by publisher.

Table of Contents

Machine generated contents note: 1. The era of the 'founding sheikhs' (1920-79); 2. Landscapes after the battle (1979-2007); 3. (Re)defining orthodoxy against reformist trends; 4. The turban and the chequebook: political economy of the Syrian religious elite; 5. Ulama and Islamists in the political field; 6. Reforms and revolution; 7. Conclusion.