This number is a special issue on authority and Islam from a cultural studies perspective. It contains various discourse analyses which reflect on the authority claims by Muslim social and political actors around the world.

The introductory article examines the evolution of Islamic religiosity after 11 September 2001: it has created a new social context in which legitimacy and legitimate violence are easily disconnected from the institutionalised authority.

Salvatore deals with Muslim communities in Europe, their interaction with the societies they live in, looking also at the implications of the secularism advocated by states like France. Werbner analyses the interconnections between traditional and modern forms of Islamic social identification in France and the UK; Modood/Ahmad document the position of Muslim intellectuals in the UK towards the multicultural society.

Of special interest is Keyman's analysis of Turkey: according to him, the Turkish government policy presented Islam and secularism as opposite models of identity formation and thus increased the tensions.