Islamist radicalisation in North Africa : politics and process / edited by George Joffé.

"Born out of a conference held in June 2009 under the auspices of the Middle East Centre of the Faculty of Asian and Middle Eastern Studies and the Centre of North African Studies in the Department of Politics and International Studies, both in the University of Cambridge."

Includes bibliographical references and index.

1. Introduction: antiphonal responses, social movements and networks / George Joffé -- 2. Islam in Libya / Alia Brahimi -- 3. Social change, regime performance and the radicalisation of politics: the case of Libya / Zahi Mogherbi -- 4. Tunisia: the radicalisation of religious policy / Mehdi Mabrouk -- 5. Radicalisation in Tunisia / Alison Pargeter -- 6. The causes of radicalisation in Algeria / Zine Mohamed Barka -- 7. Trajectories of radicalisation: Algeria 1989-1999 / George Joffé -- 8. Morocco's radicalised political movements / Rachel Linn -- 9. Salafism in Morocco: religious radicalism and political conformism / Abelhakim Aboullouz, with an introduction by Mohamed Tozy -- 10. The paradoxes of Islamic radicalisation in Mauritania / Zekeria Ould Ahmed Salem.

In the current climate of political extremism and violence, much attention has been directed towards "radicalisation" as the reasons behind such courses of action, along with a conviction that those who are radicalised represent an irrational deviation from the conventionally accepted norms of social and political behaviour. This book focuses on the current issues and analytical approaches to the phenomenon of radicalisation in North Africa. Taking a comprehensive approach to the subject, it looks at the processes that lead to radicalisation, rather than the often violent outcomes. At the same time, chapters expand the discussion historically and conceptually beyond the preoccupations of recent years, in order to develop a more holistic understanding of a complex individual and collective process that has represented a permanent challenge to dominant political, social and, on occasion, economic norms. With contributions from academics and policy-makers within and outside the region, the book is a comprehensive investigation of Islamist Radicalisation. As such, it will be of great interest to academics and students investigating North Africa and terrorism, as well as specialists in radicalism and extremism.