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The Contemporary Middle East in an Age of Upheaval
The US invasion of Iraq in 2003 and the Arab uprisings of 2010–11 left indelible imprints on the Middle East. Yet, these events have not reshaped the region as pundits once predicted. With this volume, top experts on the region offer wide-ranging considerations of the characteristics, continuities, and discontinuities of the contemporary Middle East, addressing topics from international politics to political Islam, hip hop to human security. This book engages six themes to understand the contemporary Middle East―the spread of sectarianism, abandonment of principles of state sovereignty, the lack of a regional hegemonic power, increased Saudi-Iranian competition, decreased regional attention to the Israel-Palestine conflict, and fallout from the Arab uprisings―as well as offers individual country studies. With analysis from historians, political scientists, sociologists, and anthropologists, and up-to-date discussions of the Syrian Civil War, impacts of the Trump presidency, and the 2020 uprisings in Lebanon, Algeria, and Sudan, this book will be an essential guide for anyone seeking to understand the current state of the region.
368 pages, Hardcover
Published May 18, 2021
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About the author
James L. Gelvin
14 books32 followersJames L. Gelvin is an American scholar of Middle Eastern history. He has been a faculty member in the department of history at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) since 1995 and has written extensively on the history of the modern Middle East, with particular emphasis on nationalism and the social and cultural history of the modern Middle East.
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June 5, 2024
Not for the faint hearted
Cogent analysis and strong supporting arguments suggest a grim future is in store for the people of the Middle East for some time to come. As a US citizen, I confess that the evil perpetrated by both Democratic and Republican administrations and carefully described in this anthology are deeply disturbing. Could a truly democratic polity allow its government to violate international law and show utter disregard for the suffering of innocent people inflicted in the name of safeguarding human rights? The sobering Afterword by former Tunisian President Marzouki points out that anti-democratic forces don't disappear after the revolution. The fact that political elites in the supposedly democratic West can act as they do while the supposedly well-infomed citizens in the West remain clueless about what's really going on underscores his point. If you have the courage to become an informed citizen, read this book.
Cogent analysis and strong supporting arguments suggest a grim future is in store for the people of the Middle East for some time to come. As a US citizen, I confess that the evil perpetrated by both Democratic and Republican administrations and carefully described in this anthology are deeply disturbing. Could a truly democratic polity allow its government to violate international law and show utter disregard for the suffering of innocent people inflicted in the name of safeguarding human rights? The sobering Afterword by former Tunisian President Marzouki points out that anti-democratic forces don't disappear after the revolution. The fact that political elites in the supposedly democratic West can act as they do while the supposedly well-infomed citizens in the West remain clueless about what's really going on underscores his point. If you have the courage to become an informed citizen, read this book.
Displaying 1 of 1 review