Carool Kersten

Carool Kersten is a Senior Lecturer in the Study of Islam and the Muslim World at King's College London and a Research Associate at the Centre of South East Asian Studies at the School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS).. He is the author of Cosmopolitans and Heretics: New Muslim Intellectuals and the Study of Islam (2011), co-editor (with Madawi al-Rasheed and Marat Shterin) of the volume Demystifying the Caliphate (forthcoming), and editor-in-chief of the book series Contemporary Thought in the Islamic World. He also maintains the Critical Muslims blog and can be followed on twitter.

The Prince: on how many fronts can Mohammad bin Salman act simultaneously?

The Saudi crown prince moves towards concentrating absolute power in his own hands, while escalating tensions on several fronts.

By Carool Kersten

/ 6 Nov 2017

Saudi Arabia's game of thrones

In the round of 'royal musical chairs' that played out two months ago, the Sudairi branch of the royal family consolidated its grip on power at the expense of those loyal to the late King Abdullah.

By Carool Kersten

/ 24 Jun 2015

Succession in Saudi Arabia: no surprises here

People should not expect drastic change in Saudi Arabia, as the regime's primary concern will be to maintain the status quo.

By Carool Kersten

/ 28 Jan 2015

Elections in Indonesia: long-term lessons for democratisation after regime change

Recent Indonesian electoral politics offer significant lessons for other Muslim nations which are grappling with the often contentious transition towards a "post-Islamic" democratic form of governance.

By Carool Kersten

/ 22 Apr 2014

Saudi Arabia's succession: securing the status quo

Known as the ‘Sudairi Seven’ – a reference to their mother Hassa al-Sudairi – this segment of the Saudi dynasty has effectively controlled the kingdom since 1975, by occupying the most strategic government positions.

By Carool Kersten

/ 23 Jun 2012