The international journal of middle east studies publishes original research on politics, society and culture in the middle east from the seventh century to the present day. Yemen has an elected unicameral parliament, the assembly of representatives majlis alnuwwab, with 301 seats. Review of laurence louer, translated from french by john king, shiism and politics in the middle east article in contemporary islam 92 may 20 with 8 reads how we measure reads. Yemen may be the poorest and least developed country of the middle east, but it boasts the longest tradition of westernstyle democracy in the region. The project on middle east political science pomeps is a collaborative network that. Shiism and politics in the middle east laurence louer. One of shah ismail i of safavid dynasty first actions was the proclamation of the twelver sect of shia islam to be the official religion of his newly formed state, causing sectarian tensions in the middle east when he destroyed the tombs of abu. The transformation of shia politics in the gulf monarchies. A guide to middle east politics in 2014 world news the. Editor of critique internationale from 2006 to 2017, she is the author, among other writings, of to be an arab in israel hurstcolumbia, transnational shia politics. Middle eastern cities nevertheless experienced a decline in size, number, and importance beginning in the sixteenth century and would not regain their preeminence until some four centuries later. Politics of sectarianism in the early modern middle east.
Editor of critique internationale from 2006 to 2017, she is the author, among other writings, of to be an arab in israel hurstcolumbia, transnational shia politics hurstoup and shiism and politics in the middle east hurstoup. The middle east is a region that composed of the countries that are mainly found in the western asia and some parts of the northern africa, this region is well known for its rich supply of oil the most important commodity in the world shah, 2011. Asks how representatives of political islam are conducting themselves in the field of international politics. Special emphasis is placed upon the forces of social change as they sweep across the region. Jochen franzke and raimund kramer on behalf of welttrends. Politics, governance, and statesociety relations atlantic council 1 foreword the middle east is seeing a centuryold political order unravel, an unprecedented struggle for power within. The first uptodate, detailed analysis of how islamist forces in the middle east try to redefine the relationships of power within the international system post2010.
Request pdf on may 1, 20, richard penaskovic and others published shiism and politics in the middle east. Confronting shiism in the middle east as a whole, the volume considers the sects political transformation after the islamic revolution and fall of baathist iraq. The idea of a unified muslim world is rooted in colonialism and global power politics, argues the historian cemil aydin in this provocative. The journal also covers spain, southeast europe, and parts of africa, south asia, and the former soviet union for subjects of relevance to middle eastern civilization. Safavid conversion of iran to shia islam infogalactic. Bill, carl leiden, 1984, political science, 464 pages. The concern over issues of democracy in the middle east has been prevalent among academics since the end of the cold war and the subsequent third wave of global democratization, from which the middle east was largely exempt. Pdf religion and politics, religious diversity, political.
Geography, people, demographics, politics, and history before and after islam, with emphasis on demystifying the region, eliminating stereotypes, and providing illuminating context for issues of the day. Shia geopolitics and political islam in the middle east. Legitimacy, religion, and nationalism in the middle east. When the soviet union disintegrated, the muslims of russia and the central asian republics began to rediscover their religious identity. Xi chen is an associate professor of political science at the university of texas rio grande valley, usa. Shiism and politics in the middle east columbiahurst. For about 20 years since the end of the cold war, the regional power dynamics of the middle east were relatively stable, and united states was the uncontested and dominant external power. Iranian shiism under debate iranian shiism under debate kamrava, mehran 20030601 00. Shia geopolitics and political islam in the middle east by ahmad naderi, phd.
This new edition of the bestselling politics in the middle east is an analysis of systems and processes in middle eastern politics that focuses on the themes of power, stratification, and development. It focuses on the types of political systems that exist in the region and the recent changes that have occurred as a result of the arab spring. Islam in egypt the transformation of judaism in israel the politics of religion in secularist turkey state shiism in iran reconciling religion and politics notes. Review of laurence louer, translated from french by john. The megasouk of todays silk road, middle east report, spring 2014 jessica winegar, the moral panic over chinese in egypt, middle east report, spring 2014. Rebooting us foreign policy in the middle east the. The study takes as its point of departure the division of middle eastern politics into.
Argues that local imperatives have been the crucial factor in determining the course of shiite movements in lebanon, iraq, saudi arabia and the gulf. The two predominant sects of islam, the shiite and the sunni, and the two major ethnic groups, the arabs and the kurds, have always been part of iraqs national composition. Download a concise history of the middle east ebook for free in pdf and epub format. A study of middle east cultures and politics would therefore be defined as an exploration of the cultural, political and geopolitical realities of the region described above. The best middle east political science books of 2014 the. The history and politics of orientalism long, david e. A political and economic dictionary of the middle east, david seddon, jun 17, 2004, political science, 616 pages.
This class examines domestic politics in the contemporary middle east. Shia geopolitics and political islam in the middle east welttrends. Legitimacy, religion, and nationalism in the middle east volume 84 issue 1 g. Rationale after the september 11th, 2001 attacks against the united states, it is tragically apparent that global politics and regional conflicts affect all americans. The middle east s geographical and strategic uniqueness has made every great power in history to seek to advance its interests in the region. Louer takes a close look inside shiite international networks and the efforts to control them, a struggle that pits the official clergy against a group that louer calls the effendi. Shiism and politics in the middle east foreign affairs. The 2012 list featured nathan browns when victory is not an option, laurence louers shiism and politics in the middle east, joseph sassoons saddam husseins bath party. It also ensured the dominance of the twelver sect within shiism over the zaydiyyah and ismaili sects each of whom had previously experienced their own eras of dominance within.
Some, especially the shrines of shia imams and leading sunni figures, also boost the. It explores the cultures of the middle east in which islam originated fourteen centuries ago and of the arab, persian and turkish societies where it remains a powerful force. Introduction of conflicts in middle east politics essay. Religious authority and the politics of islamic endowments in iraq. It also ensured the dominance of the twelver sect within shiism over the zaydiyyah and ismaili sects each of whom had previously.
Kamrava is associate professor and chair of political science at the california state university, northridge. Sunnis make up an estimated 80 percent of the muslim community in the middle east,3 but they do not constitute a monolith. Religious diversity, political fragmentation and geopolitical tensions in the mena region hamza meddeb coordinator, silvia colombo, katerina dalacoura, lorenzo kamel and olivier roy1 abstract motivated by the need to inform the enduring and unresolved debates about religion and politics in the middle east and north africa mena region, this. A guide to middle east politics in 2014 from egypt to syria, palestine to iraq, the hopes of the arab spring lie in tatters. Consider the economic, social and political changes which have affected the region. Identity politics, sectarian conflict, and regional. Contending visions of the middle east gives special attention to the ideas, politics and controversies that have shaped middle east studies in the united states over the past halfcentury.
This time, with the advice and help of karl yambert, our editor, we have pruned our account wherever we could, even as new events and trends had to be added. Rejects the argument that shiite politics across the middle east ultimately emanate from irans foreign policy. An impressive historical sociological overview, shiism and politics in the middle east is a welcome addition to academic research on shia movements beyond iran that offers valuable insight and incredible detail, accessible to scholars, policymakers, and general audiences interested in the topic. Politics, ideology, and religions in the middle east a graduate class project of. Iranian shiism under debate, middle east policy 10. The yemen arab republic yar held elections even before unification.
The government and politics of the middle east and north africa. Understand the basics of the middle east quickly and objectively. China is the newest major power to play and increasing role in the region. Tashayu conversion to shiism in central asia and russia. Shiism and ethnic politics in iraq middle east policy.
The safavid conversion of iran from sunnism to shiism made iran the spiritual bastion of shia islam against the onslaughts of sunni islam, and the repository of persian cultural traditions and selfawareness of iranianhood, acting as a bridge to modern iran. The safavid conversion of iran to shia islam was a process that took place roughly over the 16th through 18th centuries and turned iran, which previously had a sunni majority, into the spiritual bastion of shia islam. Iraqi sunnis dominated the politics of iraq from the 1920s to the american invasion in 2003. Provide an introduction to the politics of the middle east in the 20th century. Shiism and politics in the middle east hurst publishers. London middle east institute at soas london middle east. Safavid conversion of iran to shia islam wikipedia. Read a concise history of the middle east online, read in mobile or kindle.
How conflicts within islam will shape the future by vali nasr argues the reality that will shape the future of the middle east is not the debates over democracy or globalization that the iraq war was supposed to have jumpstarted but the conflicts between shias and sunnis. And with the latest conflict in gaza, the middle east is more violent. Prepared by emily hawley, research associate after the death of the prophet mohammad in 632 ce, the muslim community diverged over how to select the next leader of the islamic community they had formed on. Secondly, the lmei is at soas, the only tertiary educational institution in the world whose explicit purpose is to provide training and scholarship on the whole middle east from prehistory until today. Iraq is a country in which ethnicity plays a crucial role in politics. It was during this period when these two mighty empires intensified their religious rhetoric utilizing heavily sectarian notions to demarcate the physical, as well as the religious, borders. A concise history of the middle east also available in format docx and mobi. This study also includes emphasis on such important issues as the role of civil society, the patterns.
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