Despite their similar titles, these are very different books. Weiss's edited volume contains valuable studies on the specific ways in which Zia ul-Haq has implemented an Islamic order in Pakistan, looking at such issues as ethnicity, economics, welfare, and women. Ann Elizabeth Meyer's chapter on changes in the tax laws is outstanding, managing to turn a seemingly mundane issue into a major tool of analysis. Richard Kurin's fine piece highlights the unexpected effects of Islamization on the quiet majority who live in the rural areas.
In contrast to these small but detailed studies, Ahmed looks at the debate over the role of Islam in public life. Unfortunately, he interprets this fascinating controversy with the tools of current political science theory. This serves as a kind of filter through which the Pakistani thinkers are viewed — abstracting them from their environment and making them bloodless. Only the author's intelligence and knowledge of the subject save the work. The reader who does not already know Islam and Pakistan will find The Concept of An Islamic State rough going; but whoever does know them will find it a moderately useful guide to the debate.
