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Given the volatile nature of relations between the Middle East and the Western world, many Westerners, particularly Americans, have a skewed view of what comprises Islamic fundamentalism. Many wonder, are these beliefs based in religious doctrine, political motivations, or even irrational rhetoric? This book offers a highly accessible introduction to the topic that covers the movement's origins, goals, and doctrine, and shows how it has developed into the modern force we see on today's global stage. The third edition includes important updates as well as a new chapter on the recent wave of demonstrations and protests known as the Arab Spring.Organized both chronologically and topically, Islamic Fundamentalism: An Introduction, Third Edition reviews the basis for the Islamic and Muslim worldviews, examines the modern phenomenon of Islamic fundamentalism through the development of the Muslim states of Iran and Saudi Arabia, and analyzes the Western view of this ideology.