Book Review: Politicizing Islam: The Islamic revival in France and India

• DOI: 10.1177/1057567719874865
• Author: Ahmad Falah Alomosh
• Date: 01 September 2020
• Published date: 01 September 2020
• Subject Matter: Book Reviews

emerged from the study: (1) criminal entrepreneurs in the UK are not a homogeneous group. Instead,

some are occasional traders, others regularly deal in counterfeit goods; (2) the rationales for entering

into the business also vary. Whereas some enter the business because it provides a high return on

their investment, others do it because they want to do better than their competitors in the same trade;

(3) a few consider participation in the trade “an employment refuge” (p. 28); and (4) some do it

because they want their social circle to see them as “entrepreneurially inclined” (p. 29).

Chapter 4, “Financial Aspects of the Counterfeit Goods Market,” provides a critical understand-

ing of what resources criminal entrepreneurs use to start a counterfeit business and how they settle

payments, what are the costs associated with the business, and how they use the profits. Those who

start small-scale schemes use small amounts of money from their legal employment, legal business,

savings, or a small loan. Some criminals branch off from other illegal activities into the counter-

feiting businesses. Cash is the preferred settlement of payment, although, on occasion, if the person

is trustworthy, credit is accepted. At the wholesale level, “credit may be quite common, especially in

cases where the businesspeople involved trust each other ...” (p. 43). The authors’ research in China

revealed that the preferred mode of payment was e-payments via smartphones. Finally, how they

spend their profits depends on the amount of profit and their values and priorities. Some profits are

used for “survival spending” (i.e., buying essential items and services), impulsive/chaotic spendings

(buying luxury items), family-oriented spending (helping family members pay off their debts),

business-oriented investment, and money laundering.

Chapter 5, “Conclusion and Future Directions,” provides key findings and offers suggestions for

future research. The authors highlight the major findings of the study. They argue that the

“information and communication technologies have transformed the counterfeiting business and its

financial management in the UK” (p. 67). Some of the key findings include the role played by

brokers and agents in counterfeit goods, how information and communication technologies have

simplified trade in counterfeit goods (especially in the case of China), the involvement of “original

equipment manufacturers” in China, and the high demand for top-end projects in the UK (p. 74). The

authors suggest that more collaborations, innovative research techniques, and policies that

“highlight the multiple harms that the trade poses to societies and communities” are needed (p. 75).

This book offers valuable information on a topic that has not received much scholarly attention,

despite its global implications. The book provides an in-depth understanding of the profile of

criminal entrepreneurs, the rationale for being in the business, and the mode of operations of

participants representing criminals, academicians, and practitioners. The book would be useful for

policy makers, law enforcement, and students interested in comparative criminal justice.

Parvez, Z. F. (2017). Politicizing Islam: The Islamic revival in France and India. London, England: Oxford University

Press. 288. pp. £59.00 (Hardcover). ISBN 9780190225247.

Reviewed by: Ahmad Falah Alomosh , University of Sharjah, Sharjah, United Arab Emirates

DOI: 10.1177/1057567719874865

Fareen Parvez is an active researcher in the area of political sociology, social theory, gender, racial

institutions, development and globalization, ethnography, and sociology of religion. Her work

focuses on Islam in France and India, with one research conducted on Morocco. She has several

articles to her name in the field of religion and politics, among them: “Toward a Global Sociology of

Religion,” “Prayer and Pedagogy: Redefining Education Among Salafist Women in France,”

“Celebrating the Prophet: Religious Nationalism and the Politics of Milad-un-Nabi Festivals in

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