Is Islam compatible with democracy? Despite the seemingly endless debate on this issue, Moataz Fattah’s study is a rare investigation of actual Muslim beliefs about democracy across numerous and diverse Islamic societies. Fattah’s survey analysis of more than 31,000 Muslims in 34 countries (including 3 countries in which Muslims live as minorities), enhanced by focus group discussions, offers a nuanced portrait of the link between Islam and democracy. His work advances discussion on this critical topic to a new, more sophisticated level. “Careful and balanced. This is a thoughtful and interesting study based on unusually rich and varied empirical data.”—Bruce Rutherford

MOATAZ A. FATTAH is assistant professor of political science at Cairo University and Central Michigan University.