This book provides an overview of contemporary issues in Sudan, Africa's largest nation, examining the country's history and current scene to help readers develop a deeper understanding of how much Sudan matters in today's world. With deep connections to the Sahel and savanna to the west, the African world to the south, the Horn of Africa to the east, and the Middle East to the north, Sudan is important strategically, legally, geopolitically, and militarily-but too often overlooked, or underestimated. Sudan, the country of residence of Osama bin Laden for six years, has played, and will continue to play, a significant role in worldwide security matters. An analysis of the causes, resolutions, and implications of the ongoing Sudanese conflicts (including the genocide in Darfur), this book is essential reading for policymakers, researchers, and students alike.

This book considers Sudan's historical foundations, examining how the agendas of countries to the south, east, and north have influenced Sudan's people and government. The author also explains the origins and context of the Darfur conflict, laying out possible steps toward a resolution. Questions concerning Sudanese oil-where is it? how much is there? to whom does it belong?-help focus any discussion of Sudan's emerging importance in the contemporary world. Other issues-such as the influence of Islamism or the Sudanese activities of the Arab League, China, or the African Union-underline the uncertainties that confront the people of Sudan today.

There is a growing consensus among experts and the educated public alike that democratization will reduce the many problems of the Muslim world. The question that remains is how Islam should be incorporated into the public sphere. Islamic Democratic Discourse is in itself a dialogue that explores the multi-faceted relationship between Islam and democracy. Each chapter, by a preeminent scholar of the Muslim tradition and its contemporary challenges, provides insight into Islamic political thought and its connection to Western democracy. Tamara Sonn and Tarek Ramdan consider the elements of government in classical Islam. Osman Bakar and Ali Paya provide regional studies of the search for compatibility between Islam and democracy. And finally, editor Muqtedar Khan and Marc Lynch are among those who offer a global perspective on the discourse on Islam and democracy. Unlike many recent efforts which seek to either underscore or dispute the compatibility of Islam and democracy, this eclectic collection begins a comprehensive conversation on Islam's role in the public sphere and charts a course toward an authentic Islamic theory of democracy. Islamic Democratic Discourse is a crucial addition to the libraries of scholars interested in the future of Islam in the modern world.

There is a growing consensus among experts and the educated public alike that democratization will reduce the many problems of the Muslim world. The question that remains is how Islam should be incorporated into the public sphere. Islamic Democratic Discourse is in itself a dialogue that explores the multi-faceted relationship between Islam and democracy. Each chapter, by a preeminent scholar of the Muslim tradition and its contemporary challenges, provides insight into Islamic political thought and its connection to Western democracy. Tamara Sonn and Tarek Ramdan consider the elements of government in classical Islam. Osman Bakar and Ali Paya provide regional studies of the search for compatibility between Islam and democracy. And finally, editor Muqtedar Khan and Marc Lynch are among those who offer a global perspective on the discourse on Islam and democracy. Unlike many recent efforts which seek to either underscore or dispute the compatibility of Islam and democracy, this eclectic collection begins a comprehensive conversation on Islam's role in the public sphere and charts a course toward an authentic Islamic theory of democracy. Islamic Democratic Discourse is a crucial addition to the libraries of scholars interested in the future of Islam in the modern world.