Introduction: International Relations and Islam

The proposed idea is on the study of relations between International Relations and Islam, which primarily presents the title of this edition, “International Relations and Islam: Diverse Perspectives.” This was initially conceptualized with the aim of looking at their conceived perceptions side by side; how Islam is interpreted by IR scholars, and vice versa. It has been the proponent’s quest to feasibly and scholarly present Islam as non-alien in the Western discourse of the IR field. The aims of this initial initiative are to show juxtaposed positions of mutual perceptions or diverse perspectives between Islam and IR based on conceived notions of contested conceptions, to eliminate deplorable and pejorative (mis)conceptions of IR scholars towards Islam and vice versa, and to add Islam to the epitome of global discourse of international relations as a major causal factor that affects the behaviours of actors (states, sub-state system, individuals, international and regional organizations, and multinational corporations) in the international community, particularly those who have an interest in and peculiar relations to the Muslim world. The process of constructing this initiative involves selecting perspectives and categories to bring to bear on the research idea.