SWEDISH SOUTH ASIAN STUDIES NETWORK

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Centre for Middle Eastern Studies, Regional Studies Section, School of Global Studies; Göteborg University:

Postal address: Institutionen för Globala Studier, Box 700, SE-405 30 Göteborg Sweden
Visiting address:Konstepidemins väg 2/ Övre Husargatan 36
Web page: http://www.globalstudies.gu.se/english/research/disciplines-subjects/regional-studies/

The centre moved location in late August 2005, to Campus Linné, and its three imposing old buildings – Annedalseminariet (Övre Husargatan 34), KK 2 (Konstepedimins väg 2). It is jointly administered within the framework of the new School of Global Studies at Göteborg University (SGSGU), and part of an effort to coordinate global studies across disciplinary and regional limitations.

Dr. Ann-Kristin Jonasson defended her doctoral dissertation on ”At the Command of God? On the Political Linkage of Islamist Parties”, on Friday 26 November 2004. It is a comparative study of Islamist parties in three countries (Turkey, Jordan and Pakistan), focusing on their political linkages and the way these parties relate to the people of their respective country. Faculty opponent was Prof. Lars G Svåsand, University of Bergen. The thesis was published as a book, included as number 89 in the series Göteborg Studies in Politics, edited by Bo Rothstein.
Abstract: Islamist parties – how are we to understand these parties? Can we use traditional theories originated in the west, to understand the logic of these parties, or do we have to develop other approaches? This study focuses on the political linkage of Islamist parties. In the study, three Islamist parties have been analysed: The Virtue Party in Turkey, The Islamic Action Front in Jordan, and the Party of Islam (Jamaat-e-Islami) in Pakistan.
The main conclusion of the study is that while the traditional theories on parties do provide a good help in analysing the linkage of Islamist parties, they cannot fully account for the way in which linkage is organised in these. Instead, there are indications that religious parties (Islamist as well as Christian Democratic) largely organise their linkage in a specific religious way, in accordance with what they interpret as the command of God.

Ann-Kristin Jonasson is currently involved in research on the Meditteranean area.