Sites of Pluralism

2019 ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Middle East ◽  
Case Studies ◽  
Social Cohesion ◽  
Social Dynamics ◽  
Religious Communities ◽  
Education History ◽  
Critical View ◽  
Frame Difference ◽  
Political Economic ◽  
The Arab Spring

Scholars and policymakers, struggling to make sense of the ongoing chaos in the Middle East, have focused on the possible causes of the escalation in both inter-state and intra-state conflict. But the Arab Spring has shown the urgent need for new ways to frame difference, both practically and theoretically. For some, a fundamental incompatibility between different ethno-linguistic and religious communities lies at the root of these conflicts; these divisions are thought to impede any form of political resolution or social cohesion. But little work has been done to explore how these tensions manifest themselves in the communities of the Middle East. Sites of Pluralism fills this significant gap, going beyond a narrow focus on 'minorities' to examine the larger canvas of community politics in the Middle East. Through eight case studies from esteemed experts in law, education, history, architecture, anthropology and political science, this multi-disciplinary volume offers a critical view of the Middle East's diverse, pluralistic fabric: how it has evolved throughout history; how it influences current political, economic and social dynamics; and what possibilities it offers for the future.

Israel in the Middle East the Aftermath of the Arab Spring (2010-2017)

2018 ◽  
Vol 7 (1) ◽  
pp. 19-36
Author(s):  
Eyal Zisser
Keyword(s):  
Middle East ◽  
Social Order ◽  
Prime Minister ◽  
Arab World ◽  
Status Quo ◽  
Foreign Affairs ◽  
The Political ◽  
Sense Of Security ◽  
Political Economic ◽  
The Arab Spring

This article describes how in the middle of the winter of 2010 the “Spring of the Arab Nations” suddenly erupted without any warning all over the Middle East. However, the momentum of the uprisings was impeded rather quickly, and the hopes held out for the “Spring of the Arab Nations” turned into frustration and disappointment. While many Israelis were focusing their attention in surprise, and some, with doubt and concern as well about what was happening in the region around them; suddenly, in Israel itself, at the height of the steamy summer of 2011, an “Israeli Spring” broke out. The protesters were young Israelis belonging to the Israeli middle class. Their demands revolved around the slogan, “Let us live in our land.” However, similar to what happened in the Arab world, the Israeli protest subsided little by little. The hassles of daily life and security and foreign affairs concerns once more became the focus of the public's attention. Therefore, the protesters' hopes were disappointed, and Israel's political, economic, and social order remained unshaken. Thus, towards the end of 2017, the memory of the “Israeli spring” was becoming faded and forgotten. However, while the Arab world was sinking into chaos marked by an ever deepening economic and social crisis that deprived its citizens of any sense of security and stability, Israel, by contrast, was experiencing years of stability in both political and security spheres, as well as economic growth and prosperity. This stability enabled Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his Likud party to remain in power and to maintain the political and social status-quo in Israel.

Contemporary Shia–Sunni Sectarian Violence

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mohammed Nuruzzaman
Keyword(s):  
Middle East ◽  
The United States ◽  
Regional Security ◽  
Islamic State ◽  
The European Union ◽  
Regional Powers ◽  
Sectarian Violence ◽  
Political Economic ◽  
The Arab Spring ◽  
External Interventions

Religious violence, primarily stemming from Shia–Sunni conflicts, has occupied the center stage in contemporary Middle East. It’s most recent brutal expression, which is viewed as a symptom rather than the cause, is the rise of the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS; also called the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant; ISIL) in the summer of 2014 and the violence it unleashed against the Shias, the anti-ISIS Sunnis and other non-Muslim groups across and beyond the Middle East. The violence did not erupt suddenly, however: it is an outcome of a myriad of complex historical, religious, political, economic, and geopolitical factors. Historically, tensions between Islam’s two rival sects, the Shias and the Sunnis, have existed, especially after the Battle of Karbala in 680 (which saw the defeat of Husayn ibn Ali, the grandson of Prophet Muhammad and the younger son of Ali ibn Abi Talib, the son-in-law of the Prophet and the fourth caliph of Islam, at the hand of Damascus-based Umayyad Caliph Yazid I), mostly in abeyance but occasionally resulting in encounters. In the contemporary context, a host of factors, most notably external interventions including the 2003 US invasion of Iraq and the toppling of the minority Sunni-led Saddam Hussein government, the sectarianization of politics by the Gulf Arab monarchs, Iran, and other dictatorial regimes in the region to consolidate regime survival, and the geopolitical competitions for power and influence between the region’s two archrivals: the Shia powerhouse Iran and the self-proclaimed defender of the Sunnis, Saudi Arabia, have greatly abetted violence between Islam’s two rival sects. Bahrain, Iraq, Yemen, Lebanon, and Syria are the battleground states where the two regional heavyweights, being aided by two extra-regional powers, the United States and the Russian Federation, are jostling and jockeying to edge each other out to claim regional preeminence. The malaise of sectarian violence took a more serious toll on the peoples and societies in the region after the outbreak of Arab movements for democracy, what is dubbed the Arab Spring, in December 2010 and what is continuing today. This article partially originates from the author’s research project “Shia – Sunni Sectarian Violence and Middle East Regional Security” funded by the European Union and tenable at Durham University, U.K.

scholarly journals The Image of Authority in Basma Abd al-Aziz’s Dystopian Novel The Queue

2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (2) ◽  
pp. 132-136
Author(s):  
Amalia A. Mokrushina ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Middle East ◽  
Global Change ◽  
Arab Countries ◽  
Arabic Literature ◽  
The Novel ◽  
Social Changes ◽  
Common People ◽  
The Common ◽  
Political Economic ◽  
The Arab Spring

The article presents an overview of the new dystopia genre in Arabic literature as well as the main reasons and prerequisites for its appearance. The interest of Arab authors in the newly discovered genre of the dystopian novel has grown markedly, which is primarily due to serious political, economic and social changes affecting the region. The situation in some Arab countries offers many avenues in which society can develop, and literature was the first to respond to this. Egypt has become one of the centers of global change that has affected the Middle East. Young Egyptian intellectuals tend to soberly assess the situation that has developed since the Arab Spring and writers have offered their own vision of the situation in the country. As an example of a modern dystopia, the novel The Queue by Basma Abd al-Aziz was chosen. The Queue does not have a traditional dystopian oppositional character. However, of the significant images of the novel to which the writer draws attention is the image of authority, which is impersonal and inaccessible to the common people. There is no mention of the name of the country where the events of The Queue unfold, but the reader easily recognizes Egypt. In the study a comprehensive approach was used, as well as cultural and sociological methods of analysis and interviews.

Introduction: The Middle East and International Relations

2016 ◽  
Author(s):  
Louise Fawcett
Keyword(s):  
Political Economy ◽  
Foreign Policy ◽  
Middle East ◽  
International Relations ◽  
Case Studies ◽  
Arab Spring ◽  
Political Reform ◽  
Theoretical Perspectives ◽  
The Arab Spring ◽  
Middle East Studies

This volume offers an account of the international relations of the modern Middle East. It examines the international politics of the region by providing further scholarly engagement between the two major disciplines of international relations (IR) and Middle East Studies. The text focuses on important contemporary themes in Middle East international relations such as political economy, democratization and political reform, the management of regional relations, and patterns of war and security. It looks at key regional case studies incorporating historical, contemporary, and theoretical perspectives. Topics include the foreign policy practices of different states, the Arab–Israeli conflict, and the Arab Spring and its consequences. This introduction considers some of the particular problems that arise in studying the international relations of the Middle East and how they are addressed in this volume. It also provides an overview of the chapters that follow.

Israel and the Arab Spring

2016 ◽  
pp. 59-74 ◽  
Author(s):  
Eyal Zisser
Keyword(s):  
Middle East ◽  
Middle Class ◽  
Social Order ◽  
Arab Spring ◽  
Daily Life ◽  
Arab World ◽  
Foreign Affairs ◽  
Political Economic ◽  
The Arab Spring

In the middle of the winter of 2010 the “Spring of the Arab Nations,” suddenly erupted without any warning all over the Middle East. However, the momentum of the uprisings was impeded rather quickly, and the hopes held out for the “Spring of the Arab Nations” turned into frustration and disappointment. While many Israelis were focusing their attention in surprise, and some, without a doubt, with concern as well, on what was happening in the region around them, suddenly, in Israel itself, at the height of the steamy summer of 2011, an “Israeli Spring” broke out. The protesters were young Israelis belonging to the Israeli middle class. Their demands revolved around the slogan, “Let us live in our land.” However, similar to what happened in the Arab world, the Israeli protest subsided little by little. The hassles of daily life and security and foreign affairs concerns once more became the focus of the public's attention. And so the protesters' hopes were disappointed, and Israel's political, economic, and social order remained unshaken.

scholarly journals Budaya Timur Tengah Pasca Arab Spring (Analisis Deskriptif Budaya Arab)

2018 ◽  
Vol 4 (2) ◽  
pp. 72
Author(s):  
Zulkarnen Zulkarnen
Keyword(s):  
Middle East ◽  
Arab Spring ◽  
Social Dynamics ◽  
Descriptive Analysis ◽  
New Order ◽  
Community Based ◽  
Culture Studies ◽  
Arab Culture ◽  
Social Dynamic ◽  
The Arab Spring

<p><em>Abstrak</em> - <strong>Musim Semi Arab adalah fenomena yang terjadi di negara-negara Timur Tengah yang timbul dari dinamika sosial yang menginginkan orde baru yang dapat mengubah keadaan suatu negara dalam bentuk protes atau pemberontakan yang dilakukan oleh pro-demokrasi di Timur Tengah dan Afrika Utara melawan rezim otoriter di wilayah yang dimulai sekitar tahun 2010 hingga 2011. Dalam studi Budaya Arab bukanlah fenomena baru di Timur Tengah, karena Hitti (2006) mengatakan bahwa budaya Arab egaliter dan geografi gurun tandus khas adalah faktor yang membentuk karakter dan kepribadian utama yang keras dan pantang menyerah. Analisis deskriptif tentang pendekatan kualitatif terhadap budaya Arab fenomena Musim Semi Arab sangat langka sehingga, penulis berharap tulisan ini bisa menggambarkan studi budaya Arab dalam fenomena Musim Semi Arab. Orde baru yang merupakan harapan utama dinamika sosial masih jauh dari harapan, sehingga dalam tulisan ini penulis memberikan alternatif untuk pembentukan sebuah teori berbasis masyarakat regional dan berbasis masyarakat masyarakat Arab pasca Islam.</strong></p><p><em> </em></p><p><strong><em>Kata Kunci</em></strong><em> – Arab Spring, Dinamik, Budaya, Arab</em></p><p> </p><p><em>Abstract</em> - <strong>Arab Spring is a phenomenon that occurs in the countries of the Middle East arising from a social dynamic who want a new order that can change the state of a country in the form of protest or rebellion committed by the pro-democracy in the Middle East and North Africa against authoritarian regimes in the region that started around the year 2010 up to 2011. In the Arab </strong><strong>C</strong><strong>ultur</strong><strong>al studies</strong><strong> is not a new phenomenon in the Middle East, because Hitti (200</strong><strong>6</strong><strong>) says that Arab culture egalitarian and typical barren desert geography is a factor which form the main character and personality are hard and unyielding. Descriptive analysis of the qualitative approach to the Arab culture of the Arab Spring phenomenon is so rare that, the author hopes this paper can describe the Arab culture studies in the phenomenon of the Arab Spring. New order which is the main hope of social dynamics is still far from the </strong><strong>hope</strong><strong>, so in this paper the authors provide an alternative to the establishment of a regional and community based theory of post-Islamic Arab society institutions.</strong></p><p> </p><p><strong><em>Keywords</em></strong> - <em>Arab Spring, Dynamics, Culture, Arab</em><em></em></p>

Nasser's Gamble

2012 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jesse Ferris
Keyword(s):  
Cold War ◽  
Middle East ◽  
Arab World ◽  
Decisive Role ◽  
Original Material ◽  
Egyptian Revolution ◽  
Arab Nationalism ◽  
The 1960S ◽  
The Cold War ◽  
The Arab Spring

This book draws on declassified documents from six countries and original material in Arabic, German, Hebrew, and Russian to present a new understanding of Egypt's disastrous five-year intervention in Yemen, which Egyptian president Gamal Abdel Nasser later referred to as “my Vietnam.” The book argues that Nasser's attempt to export the Egyptian revolution to Yemen played a decisive role in destabilizing Egypt's relations with the Cold War powers, tarnishing its image in the Arab world, ruining its economy, and driving its rulers to instigate the fatal series of missteps that led to war with Israel in 1967. Viewing the Six Day War as an unintended consequence of the Saudi–Egyptian struggle over Yemen, the book demonstrates that the most important Cold War conflict in the Middle East was not the clash between Israel and its neighbors. It was the inter-Arab struggle between monarchies and republics over power and legitimacy. Egypt's defeat in the “Arab Cold War” set the stage for the rise of Saudi Arabia and political Islam. Bold and provocative, this book brings to life a critical phase in the modern history of the Middle East. Its compelling analysis of Egypt's fall from power in the 1960s offers new insights into the decline of Arab nationalism, exposing the deep historical roots of the Arab Spring of 2011.

(Cooperation with the Middle East after the Arab Spring: Circumstantial Changes and Implications)

2012 ◽  
Author(s):  
Baran Han ◽  
Pil Soo Choi ◽  
Seo-Young Yun ◽  
Sung Hyun Son ◽  
Jaeeun Park ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Middle East ◽  
Arab Spring ◽  
The Arab Spring

Anglican Inter-Faith Relations from 1910 to the Twenty-First Century

2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
Paul Hedges
Keyword(s):  
Middle East ◽  
Case Studies ◽  
Historical Development ◽  
First Century ◽  
Sri Lankan ◽  
Historical Overview ◽  
Number Of Factors ◽  
Twenty First Century

This chapter explores the development of Anglican inter-faith relations since 1910 which has been shaped by a number of factors including: the ecumenical context, changing dynamics within the global Communion, globalization issues, and moves from mission to dialogue. The chapter begins with a historical overview and traces developments in key Anglican Communion texts and meetings, especially in recent times the Lambeth Conferences of 1988, 1998, and 2008. The ecumenical context which has shaped thought on inter-faith relations in this period is also given strong attention. The chapter concludes with two case studies. The first explores relations with Buddhism in the Sri Lankan context, while the second looks at relations with Islam focusing on the Middle East. While charting some general trends, it is noted that very different dynamics and varying standpoints exist in Anglican attitudes on inter-faith relations and have been part of the historical development throughout the period surveyed.

The Middle East and Peaceful Change

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Arie M. Kacowicz ◽  
Galia Press-Barnathan
Keyword(s):  
Middle East ◽  
Domestic Politics ◽  
War Zone ◽  
Arab League ◽  
Arab Israeli Conflict ◽  
Kurdish Question ◽  
The Arab Spring ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Level Of Analysis

The Middle East is often considered a war zone, and it rarely comes to mind as a region that includes cases of peaceful change. Yet several examples of peaceful change can be identified at different levels of analysis: international, regional, interactive, and domestic. This chapter first critically examines the impact of the broader global/systemic level of analysis on the prospects for peaceful change. It then moves to examine the regional level of analysis, exploring the Kurdish question and the Arab-Israeli conflict as a central axis of change, the role of the Arab League, and the case of the Gulf Cooperation Council. The chapter then examines the interactive, bilateral level of analysis, exploring peaceful territorial change in the context of the Arab-Israeli conflict, with reference to the successful Israeli-Egyptian negotiations of 1977–1979 and the stalled Israeli-Palestinian peace process since 1993. Next, it explores the domestic level of analysis, focusing on domestic politics, the nature of ruling coalitions, and the implications of the domestic turmoil of the Arab Spring. The last section draws conclusions from each level of analysis, with implications about the prospects for peaceful change in the region.

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