In recent decades, the number of Muslims in the West has increased rapidly, and interesting transformations of Islam have taken place to some extent with repercussions in Islamic or predominantly Muslim countries in Asia and Africa. This new four-volume Major Work collection from Routledge helps to make sense of the burgeoning scholarship in this area.

Volume I ( Regions and History ) includes studies on the historical development of Islam, as well as key work on the current situation in various regions and countries. Volume II focuses on religion and culture, while Volume III ( Social and Economic Issues ) assembles vital materials on topics such as gender, family structures, class, poverty, and health. The final volume in the collection ( Politics and Law ) gathers the best work on, among other things, Muslim involvement in political life; Muslim presence in the public sphere; the media coverage of Islam; and issues of integration and so-called Islamophobia . Legal issues covered include laws on freedom of religion, minority rights, separate legislation, and debates about veils and halal slaughter.

With a full index, together with comprehensive introductions newly written by the editors, which place the collected material in its historical and intellectual context, Islam in the West is an essential new addition to Routledge 's Critical Concepts in Islamic Studies series.

This is the first volume of field work, based on western ethnological standard, about the Kazakhs of Kazakhstan since Alfred E. Hudson's work published in 1938. Based on fieldwork conducted throughout the region, the various articles reflect the contemporary life of rural and urban Kazakhs. A common theme is the socio-cultural aspects of how their way of life has changed since independence.

The various articles in this collection reflect the contemporary life of rural and urban Kazakhs. A common theme is the socio-cultural aspects of how their way of life has changed since independence.

Deals with the great variety and complexity that characterise Islam outside the Arab world. Case studies present Islam and the role of Muslims around the world, providing a historical background of the growth of Islam, but concentrate primarily and comprehensively on the contemporary situation.

Deals with the great variety and complexity that characterise Islam outside the Arab world. Case studies present Islam and the role of Muslims around the world, providing a historical background of the growth of Islam, but concentrate primarily and comprehensively on the contemporary situation.

A growing interest in China's borderlands accelerated after the 1991 breakup of the Soviet Union, which brought independence to new states like Kazakhastan as well as a new configuration of power to Central Eurasia. Despite renewed interest in the region and its peoples, information on the Kazakhs, and particularly on the Kazakhs living in China, has remained limited. This new study, based on Chinese publications and archival materials as well as on recent field-work, provides an up-to-date treatment of Kazakh history and culture, emphasizing the Kazakhs in twentieth century China and, in particular, their status today as one of China's minority nationalities.

A growing interest in China's borderlands accelerated after the 1991 breakup of the Soviet Union, which brought independence to new states like Kazakhastan as well as a new configuration of power to Central Eurasia. Despite renewed interest in the region and its peoples, information on the Kazakhs, and particularly on the Kazakhs living in China, has remained limited. This new study, based on Chinese publications and archival materials as well as on recent field-work, provides an up-to-date treatment of Kazakh history and culture, emphasizing the Kazakhs in twentieth century China and, in particular, their status today as one of China's minority nationalities.