Salafism in the Maghreb : Politics, Piety, and Militancy

Since the Arab Spring, the Arab countries of the Maghreb-Mauritania, Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia and Libya--have emerged as a vitally strategically concern for the United States and Europe, given their impact on hydrocarbon security, terrorism and Mediterranean migrant flows. The conservative Islamist trend known as Salafism has emerged as a major socio-political force on this landscape. While much attention has been focused on the disruptive, militant expressions of Salafi ideology like the Islamic State and al-Qaeda, Salafism is actually far more complex and dynamic. Informed by rich, on-the-ground interviews, Salafism in the Maghreb is the definitive yet accessible account of this oft-misunderstood current of Islamism.

The Arab Maghreb-the long stretch of North Africa that expands from Libya to Mauritania-is a vitally important region that impacts the security and politics of Europe, sub-Saharan Africa, and the broader Middle East. As Middle East scholars Frederic Wehrey and Anouar Boukhars show in Salafism in the Maghreb, it is also home to the conservative, literalist interpretation of Islam known as Salafism, which has emerged as a major social and political force. Through extensive interviews and fieldwork, Wehrey and Boukhars examine the many roles and manifestations of Salafism in the Maghreb, looking at the relationship between Salafism and the Maghreb''s ruling regimes, as well as competing Islamist currents, increasingly youthful populations, and communal groups like tribes and ethno-linguistic minorities. They pay particular attention to how seemingly immutable Salafi ideology is often shaped by local contexts and opportunities. Informed by rigorous research, deep empathy, and unparalleled access to Salafi adherents, clerics, politicians, and militants, Salafism in the Maghreb offers a definitive account of this important Islamist current.