Islam, the Middle East, and the New Global Hegemony

Islam, the Middle East, and the New Global Hegemony
Author: Simon Murden
Publisher: Lynne Rienner Publishers
Total Pages: 250
Release: 2002
Genre: Political Science
ISBN: 9781588260888

Murden (strategic studies and international affairs, Britannia Royal Naval College) examines how the "remorseless march of the globalized Western hegemony" is changing Muslim politics and culture and how Muslim peoples are reacting to it. After critically examining the West's cultural discourse about Islam, he discusses the way that U.S. projects military power in the Middle East and looks at varying responses by Muslim states and Islamic activists. Islamic engagement with the global economic order is also explored. The tensions between Islamists and authoritarian secular states is examined with special attention paid to the democratization attempts taking place in Iran. Finally, the possibilities for the Islamic countries to push counterhegemonic plans is negatively evaluated. Annotation copyrighted by Book News, Inc., Portland, OR

The Middle East and Islamic World Reader

The Middle East and Islamic World Reader
Author: Marvin E. Gettleman
Publisher: Open Road + Grove/Atlantic
Total Pages: 418
Release: 2012-04-10
Genre: Religion
ISBN: 0802194524

“The many facets of Middle Eastern history and politics are admirably represented in this far-ranging anthology.” —Publishers Weekly In this insightful anthology, historians Marvin E. Gettleman and Stuart Schaar have assembled a broad selection of documents and contemporary scholarship to give a view of the history of the peoples from the core Islamic lands, from the Golden Age of Islam to today. With carefully framed essays beginning each chapter and brief introductory notes accompanying over seventy readings, the anthology reveals the multifaceted societies and political systems of the Islamic world. Selections range from theological texts illuminating the differences between Shiite and Sunni Muslims, to diplomatic exchanges and state papers, to memoirs and literary works, to manifestos of Islamic radicals. This newly revised and expanded edition covers the dramatic changes in the region since 2005, and the popular uprisings that swept from Tunisia in January 2011 through Egypt, Libya, and beyond. The Middle East and Islamic World Reader is a fascinating historical survey of complex societies that—now more than ever—are crucial for us to understand. “Ambitious . . . A timely work, it focuses mainly on sociopolitical texts dating from the rise of Islam to the debates concerning U.S. foreign policy in the post-9/11 world.” —Choice

The international politics of the Middle East

The international politics of the Middle East
Author: Raymond Hinnebusch
Publisher: Manchester University Press
Total Pages: 348
Release: 2013-07-19
Genre: Political Science
ISBN: 1847795226

This electronic version has been made available under a Creative Commons (BY-NC-ND) open access license. This text aims to fill a gap in the field of Middle Eastern political studies by combining international relations theory with concrete case studies. It begins with an overview of the rules and features of the Middle East regional system—the arena in which the local states, including Egypt, Turkey, Iran, Israel and the Arab states of Syria, Jordan and Iraq, operate. The book goes on to analyse foreign-policy-making in key states, illustrating how systemic determinants constrain this policy-making, and how these constraints are dealt with in distinctive ways depending on the particular domestic features of the individual states. Finally, it goes on to look at the outcomes of state policies by examining several major conflicts including the Arab-Israeli conflict and the Gulf War, and the system of regional alignment. The study assesses the impact of international penetration in the region, including the historic reasons behind the formation of the regional state system. It also analyses the continued role of external great powers, such as the United States and the former Soviet Union, and explains the process by which the region has become incorporated into the global capitalist market.

Life as Politics

Life as Politics
Author: Asef Bayat
Publisher: Stanford University Press
Total Pages: 391
Release: 2013-05-01
Genre: Social Science
ISBN: 080478633X

Prior to 2011, popular imagination perceived the Muslim Middle East as unchanging and unchangeable, frozen in its own traditions and history. In Life as Politics, Asef Bayat argues that such presumptions fail to recognize the routine, yet important, ways in which ordinary people make meaningful change through everyday actions. First published just months before the Arab Spring swept across the region, this timely and prophetic book sheds light on the ongoing acts of protest, practice, and direct daily action. The second edition includes three new chapters on the Arab Spring and Iran's Green Movement and is fully updated to reflect recent events. At heart, the book remains a study of agency in times of constraint. In addition to ongoing protests, millions of people across the Middle East are effecting transformation through the discovery and creation of new social spaces within which to make their claims heard. This eye-opening book makes an important contribution to global debates over the meaning of social movements and the dynamics of social change.

Obama and the Middle East

Obama and the Middle East
Author: Fawaz A. Gerges
Publisher: Macmillan + ORM
Total Pages: 396
Release: 2012-05-22
Genre: Political Science
ISBN: 1137000163

A hard-hitting assessment of Obama's current foreign policy and a sweeping look at the future of the Middle East The 2011 Arab Spring upended the status quo in the Middle East and poses new challenges for the United States. Here, Fawaz Gerges, one of the world's top Middle East scholars, delivers a full picture of US relations with the region. He reaches back to the post-World War II era to explain the issues that have challenged the Obama administration and examines the president's responses, from his negotiations with Israel and Palestine to his drawdown from Afghanistan and withdrawal from Iraq. Evaluating the president's engagement with the Arab Spring, his decision to order the death of Osama bin Laden, his intervention in Libya, his relations with Iran, and other key policy matters, Gerges highlights what must change in order to improve US outcomes in the region. Gerges' conclusion is sobering: the United States is near the end of its moment in the Middle East. The cynically realist policy it has employed since World War II-continued by the Obama administration--is at the root of current bitterness and mistrust, and it is time to remake American foreign policy.

Arab Political Thought

Arab Political Thought
Author: Georges Corm
Publisher: Hurst & Company
Total Pages: 386
Release: 2020
Genre: Philosophy
ISBN: 1849048169

Explores the many facets of Arab political thought from the nineteenth century to the present day.

Globalization and Geopolitics in the Middle East

Globalization and Geopolitics in the Middle East
Author: Anoushiravan Ehteshami
Publisher: Routledge
Total Pages: 295
Release: 2007-03-14
Genre: Political Science
ISBN: 1134092369

Examining globalization in the Middle East, this book provides a much needed assessment of the impact of globalization in the ‘greater’ Middle East, including North Africa, in the context of the powerful geopolitical forces at work in shaping the region today. Written by a well-known authority in this area, this book demonstrates that, unlike in other regions, such as East Asia, geopolitics has been a critical factor in driving globalization in the Middle East. The author argues that whereas elsewhere globalisation has opened up the economy, society, culture and attitudes to the environment; in the Middle East it has had the opposite effect, with poor state formation, little interregional trade, foreign and interregional investment, and reassertion of traditional identities. This book explores the impact of globalization on the polities, economies and social environment of the greater Middle East, in the context of the region’s position as the central site of global geopolitical competition at the start of the twenty-first century.

The Penguin Dictionary of Islam

The Penguin Dictionary of Islam
Author: Azim Nanji
Publisher: Penguin UK
Total Pages: 328
Release: 2008-04-24
Genre: Religion
ISBN: 0141920866

Islam today is a truly global faith, yet it remains somewhat of an enigma to many of us. Each and every day our newspapers are saturated with references to Islam; Quran, Taliban, Hijab, Fatwa, Allah, Sunni, Jihad, Shia, the list goes on. But how much do we really understand? Are we, in fact, misunderstanding? The Penguin Dictionary of Islam provides complete, impartial answers. It includes extensive coverage of the historical formations of the worldwide Muslim community and highlights key modern Muslim figures and events. Understanding Islam is vital to understanding our world and this text is the definitive authority, designed for both general and academic readers.

A Companion to the History of the Middle East

A Companion to the History of the Middle East
Author: Youssef M. Choueiri
Publisher: John Wiley & Sons
Total Pages: 624
Release: 2008-04-15
Genre: History
ISBN: 1405152044

A Companion to the History of the Middle East offers a fresh account of the multifaceted and multi-layered history of this region. A fresh account of the multifaceted and multi-layered history of the Middle East Comprises 26 newly-commissioned essays by leading international scholars Primarily focused on the modern and contemporary periods Covers religious, social, cultural, economic, political and military history Treats the region as four differentiated political units – Iran, Turkey, Israel and the Arab world Includes a section on current issues, such as oil, urban growth, the role of women, and democratic human rights

Reasoning with God

Reasoning with God
Author: Khaled Abou El Fadl
Publisher: Rowman & Littlefield
Total Pages: 557
Release: 2014-10-23
Genre: Religion
ISBN: 1442238445

In light of recent concern over Shari’ah, such as proposed laws to prohibit it in the United States and conflict over the role it should play in the new Egyptian constitution, many people are confused about the meaning of Shari‘ah in Islam and its role in the world today. In Reasoning with God, renowned Islamic scholar Khaled Abou El Fadl explains not only what Shari‘ah really means, but also the way it can revitalize and reengage contemporary Islam. After a prologue that provides an essential overview of Shari‘ah, Abou El Fadl explores the moral trajectory of Islam in today’s world. Weaving powerful personal stories with broader global examples, he shows the ways that some interpretations of Islam today have undermined its potential in peace and love. Rather than simply outlining challenges, however, the author provides constructive suggestions about how Muslims can reengage the ethical tradition of their faith through Shari‘ah. As the world’s second largest religion, Islam remains an important force on the global stage. Reasoning with God takes readers—both Muslim and non-Muslim—beyond superficial understandings of Shari‘ah to a deeper understanding of its meaning and potential.