The portrayal of Islamist movements as a tide of religious fanaticism threatening the West and major players in the coming ‘clash of civilizations,’ has provoked a multifaceted debate of great significance to the future of international relations. In his latest intervention in this debate, François Burgat argues that political Islam’s desire to restore a culture distorted by colonization does not necessarily compromise its progress to more democracy and greater tolerance. Among the burning issues addressed are the relationship between Islam and modernity, Islamism and women and the question of violence.