Abstract
Over recent years, the concept of Social Capital (SC) has attracted great scholarly and academic awareness. Despite the rise in the prominence of SC analysis, ‘relatively little scholarly attention has been given to the role of religion in social capital formation’ (Smidt 2003 p.2). The upshot has been an insufficient and unconvincing explanation for the phenomenal, recent and rapid rise of political Islam in most Muslim societies. It seems that thirty years since Iran’s Ayatollah Khomeini brought to the modern world the idea that Islam might be a formula for governance, political Islam has gained vast momentum in almost every Muslim and Arab state. From Morocco through Jordan to the Gulf, Islamists’ voluntary charities and networks seem to have transformed themselves into successful political parties and congregations, winning parliamentary elections or registering important victories in local, municipalities and professional associations. For most scholars and observers in the West, the recent political elevation of Islamic charity organisations is seen as a ‘surprise’ (BBC News 2006), unexpected, and even ‘ambiguous’ (Abdel-Latif 2005). Muslim societies are going through a crisis; ‘The crisis of Islam’ is reflected in political Islam itself and the political rise and prominence of voluntary religious organisations demanding large sacrifices.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution.
Buying options
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Purchases are for personal use only
Learn about institutional subscriptionsPreview
Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.
Copyright information
© 2009 Jane Harrigan and Hamed El-Said
About this chapter
Cite this chapter
Harrigan, J., El-Said, H. (2009). Social Capital, Faith-Based Welfare and Islam. In: Economic Liberalisation, Social Capital and Islamic Welfare Provision. Palgrave Macmillan, London. https://doi.org/10.1057/9781137001580_2
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1057/9781137001580_2
Publisher Name: Palgrave Macmillan, London
Print ISBN: 978-1-349-30033-4
Online ISBN: 978-1-137-00158-0
eBook Packages: Palgrave Economics & Finance CollectionEconomics and Finance (R0)