Islamist politics, or political Islam, have long been one of the most dynamic political forces in the Middle East. Islamist movements have had a tremendous impact on regional as well as international affairs, yet the nature of, the reasons behind, and the long-term effects of these movements continue to be topics of much debate. This volume addresses a number of central questions in the study of Islamist politics in the Middle East, focusing on the most important and influential Islamist movements. Chapters by leading scholars in the field reflect the diversity of Islamist politics and address a number of themes. Drawing upon detailed case studies of the Egyptian Muslim Brotherhood, Hamas, Hizbullah, Morocco's Justice and Benevolence, the Jordanian Muslim Brotherhood, the Sunni Insurgency in Iraq and Islamist politics in Turkey and Iran, the authors present empirical research on a wide range of Islamist movements and politics across the region. Rejecting a common approach to Islamist politics as necessarily anti-modern, anti-rational, and anti-democratic, this thorough and detailed examination of this key feature of Middle Eastern politics will be an important resource for students and scholars of Middle East studies, politics and Islamic studies.