instability, Husseinparticipatedinthe PLOscreation.

Oncemore, thesignif-
icanceof stampsandbanknotesislucidlyexhibited:
Althoughcreatingaflagandnational anthemareimportant stepsfor any
nation-buildingproject, theydonot represent substantial power. Theissu-
anceof banknotesandpostagestamps, whilealsoimportantfor thenation-
buildingproject, representthepower of anational state. (pp. 139-40)
The challenge of circumventing the popular notion of identity con-
structed around geographical and demographic realities is neatly met, as
Jordanian Jerusalem provides an expansiveregional overviewof therela-
tionship between state and non-state bodies, while affording a scholarly
insightintoalternativemechanismsactiveintheformationof identityduring
aperiodof national upheaval.
K. LuisaGandolfo
Ph.D. Candidate, Instituteof ArabandIslamicStudies
Universityof Exeter, UnitedKingdom
Faith in Moderation:
Islamist Parties in Jordan and Yemen
Jillian Schwedler
Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2006. 252 pages.
Much that has been writtenabout political Islamemphasizes thenegative
images of suicide bombings, bearded and seemingly blind proponents of
jihad, patriarchal gender ideologies, and intolerancetowardnon-Muslims.
JillianSchwedlerscomparativestudy of twoIslamist political partiesin
Jordan andYemen, respectively, is awelcomereminder that Muslims are
just as capableof protectingtheir faithin moderation as anyoneelse. Her
book provides a valuable record of the historical development of both
Jordans Islamic Action Front (IAF: Jabhat al-`Aml al-Islami) and the
Yemeni Congregation for Reform, better known simply as the Islah
(Reform) party.A political scientistwithfirst-handexperienceinbothcoun-
tries, shehasresearchedthepreviousliteratureon eachparty and conducted
over threedozen formal on-the-record interviews with party officials and
other relevantindividuals(andmorethan200political actorsoverall, p. 31).
Thebulk of theinterviews wereconducted between 1995and 1998, with
follow-uptripsasrecentlyas2003.
Thebookhastwomaingoals. Oneisthecomparativecasestudy, which
comparesand contraststheverydifferent political trajectoriesinboth coun-
Book Reviews 113
tries. Overridingthisisatheoretical concernwithexplanationsfor transition
to democracy, afield called transitology in political science. Of special
interest to Schwedler is theinclusion-moderation hypothesis, apragmatic
argumentthatincludingIslamistswill bothpromotemoderation andreduce
radicalism (p. 11). Thebooks first chapter is devotedto areviewof the
extensiveliteratureonthisissue, includingits applicationtoMiddleEastern
and/or Islamiccultural contexts. Someof thisliteraturereview, sonecessary
inthePh.D. process, maydiscouragereaderswhoarenotpolitical scientists,
asmightthesocial sciencein-narrativereferencingsystem(e.g., onp. 8over
threedozenauthor/datecitationsonthepagebreakthenarrativeflow). But
the authors argument is sound, and the detailed analysis of the political
processiswell worthcontinuingthroughtotheendof thebook.
Her fieldstudyleadsSchwedler tocorrect earlier simplistic causal sce-
nariosandissueacall for morenuancedstudyof Islamists inthepolitical
process:
Thisstudycallsfor detailedattentiontotheinternal dynamicsof particu-
lar groups, nottoidentifymoderatesfromradicalsbuttoreveal therange
of activities, alliances, anddebatesthat characterizeentitiesoftentreated
as unitary actors. It also underlines theneedto study political practices
outsideof formal stateinstitutions. (p. 214)
A very important finding, especially for political science, is that the
distinctionbetweenstate andnonstateactorsisnotalwaysclear (p. 83). As
ananthropologist I applaudher study, inwhichcareful observationof what
Muslimsbothsaytheywant todoandactuallydodifferentlyhonestheory,
rather thansubsumespolitical actorsintopre-existingandoftenself-serving
essentialist notions. Yet I wonder whythisperceptivecritiquedoesnot also
leadtoaquestioningof thewidelyvariabletermIslamist itself. If thereare
significant differencesintheJordanianandYemeni contexts, do wereally
needto label bothby atermwithprejudicial baggageinits popular usage
andmuchpreviousacademicreferencing?Areall partiesclaimingaMuslim
identityIslamist inameaningful way?
HavingconductedethnographicfieldworkinYemensince1978, I amin
abetterpositiontojudgethe casestudyof Islah. Schwedler givestheunique
backgroundof Yemenscontemporaryhistory, inwhichAli AbdallahSalih
(thecurrent president) andAbdallah al-Ahmar (themost significant tribal
leader) represent theloose coalitionof an emergingmilitary-backednation-
alismgraftedontothefiercely independent tribal baseof local community
action. It is unfortunatethat theauthor, when dealing withYemens tribal
114 TheAmericanJournal of IslamicSocial Sciences25:1
context, reliesalmost exclusivelyonPaul Dresch, whosequotedclaimthat
onlyabout 25percent of Yemenisaretribal inanymeaningful sense (pp.
136-37) would comeas asurpriseto themajority of Yemens population.
Previousethnographic studiesonYemeni tribalismby NajwaAdra, Steven
Caton, TomasGerholm, AndreGingrich, andShelaghWeir (not tomention
a slew of relevant Arabic books and journalistic accounts by Yemenis)
wouldhaveprovidedavaluablecorrectivetoDreschsnarrowdefinitionof
what constitutesmeaningful tribalism. Indeed, itmaybethetribal values,
shared by most rural Yemenis regardless of the formal tribal structure
adduced by an outsider analyst, that best definetheseemingly incoherent
baseof Islahasapolitical party.
Finally, thereareseveral printingerrorsandoneglaringhistorical mis-
statement that nodoubt wasacopyeditingslip: ImamAhmad, not hisfather
ImamYahya(p. 57), diedin1962ontheeveof theYemeni revolutionin
the north. In addition, there is no mention of ImamBadr, who, although
deposed, continuedthestrugglefor aZaydi statewithbacking fromSaudi
Arabiaandseveral northerntribes. Thesingular for tribeisqabilah andnot
qabil (p. 136), portral (p. 145) shouldbeportrayal, andal-Zidani (p.
188) shouldbeal-Zindani.
Daniel MartinVarisco
Chair, Department of Anthropology
HofstraUniversity, Hempstead, NewYork
Morocco: The Islamist Awakening
and Other Challenges
Marvine Howe
London and New York: Oxford University Press, 2005. 428 pages.
VeteranjournalistMarvineHowesbookonMoroccoisuniqueinitsgenre.
Though sheworked for Radio Maroc and as astringer for theNewYork
Times andTime-Lifein Morocco from1951 to 1962, Howehas covered
several topicsrelatedtothat countrysinceandreturnedfor aseriousTour
duMaroc withtwooldfriendsin2001. Her book, withitscountlessinter-
viewsof political and cultural personalitiesbefore and after her departurein
the1960s, ismorethansimplyjournalism. Howehasinvestedalifetimeof
studying Morocco and its people. This book, addressed to ageneral audi-
ence, reads likeacomprehensivestateof theunion survey of Morocco
today, in its variegated political, cultural, ethnic, religious, and economic
aspects all inalucidandoftenelegant prose.
Book Reviews 115