Contemporary Politics in the Middle East

by Milton-Edwards, Beverley

• ISBN13: 9780745652313
• ISBN10: 074565231X
• Edition: 3rd
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2011-06-27
• Publisher: Polity Pr

Summary

The third edition of this dynamic book has been fully revised and updated to provide a comprehensive introduction to contemporary politics in the Middle East. Purposefully employing a clear thematic structure and including a wide range of case studies, data, visuals and further reading guidance the book explores and analyses the major issues which define the politics of this region of the globe. Milton-Edwards begins by introducing and explaining key concepts and debates and goes on to outline the impact of colonialism and its legacy, the rise of Arab nationalism and anti-colonial politics. She then examines major political issues affecting the region, such as American foreign policy, political Islam, war and conflict, political economy, democratization, ethnicity and the role of women. The book concludes by highlighting the politics of the region in the twenty-first century and the future challenges it faces. This is a perfect introduction for undergraduates, covering key political, economic and social debates and providing updates and guidance for further reading.

Author Biography

Beverley Milton-Edwards is Professor in the School of Politics, International Studies and Philosophy at Queen's University, Belfast

Table of Contents

Preface to Third Edition	p. viii
Introduction	p. 1
What is the Middle East?	p. 4
Who invented the Middle East?	p. 8
Orientalism - the debate	p. 9
State types: making sense of multiplicity	p. 12
Discussion questions	p. 17
Further reading	p. 17
Colonial Rule	p. 19
Introduction	p. 19
Merchants and missionaries	p. 22
World War I and the death of the Ottoman Empire	p. 26
1918 and after: mandates, protectorates and continued colonization	p. 30
Inter-war European decline	p. 32
Sunset empire	p. 33
Case study: Egypt - Gateway to riches	p. 37
Case study: The Palestine débâcle	p. 40
Case study: Algeria - a colony or province outre mer?	p. 45
Discussion questions	p. 48
Further reading	p. 48
Nationalism	p. 50
Introduction	p. 50
The development of nationalism	p. 52
The birth of Arab nationalism	p. 54
The Arab revolt	p. 61
Arab nationalism and revolution	p. 64
Unification nationalism: the United Arab Republic and beyond	p. 68
Case study: Egyptian nationalism	p. 72
Case study: Ba'thism - unification or state nationalism?	p. 74
Discussion questions	p. 78
Further reading	p. 78
Political Economy: Riches of a Region	p. 80
Introduction	p. 80
Rich man, poor man, beggar man, thief	p. 82
Many models make poor work	p. 86
Evolution of oil-based economies	p. 90
Sheikhdoms and petro-power	p. 93
Rentier futures, profit in decline?	p. 95
On the wings of a dove - the migrant workforce	p. 98
Case study: Mega-economy Kuwaiti style	p. 101
Case study: Econo-dependent development Egyptian-style	p. 104
Case study: The great globalization debate	p. 106
Discussion questions	p. 108
Further reading	p. 108
War and Lack of Peace	p. 110
Introduction	p. 110
The bigger battle: Arab-Israeli hostility	p. 114
Killing dreams: the Israeli-Palestinian dimension	p. 118
East against West in the Suez Crisis	p. 121
Arab-Arab: brothers at arms	p. 124
The lion and the peacock: Arab-Iranian relations	p. 127
Lebanon - the politics of a deeply divided society	p. 129
Case study: Egypt and Israel - the Cold Peace	p. 133
Case study: al-Qaeda	p. 135
Case study: Back to Iraq	p. 139
Discussion questions	p. 142
Further reading	p. 142
Past, Present and Future Politics: Political Islam	p. 144
Introduction	p. 144
Islam and Politics	p. 147
Thoroughly modern Muslims	p. 149
Muslim Brotherhood	p. 152
Radical and fundamentalist Islam	p. 156
Twenty-first-century Muslim	p. 160
Case study: The Islamic Republic of Iran	p. 162
Case study: Palestinian Islamists - Hamas	p. 166
Case study: Hizbollah	p. 169
Discussion questions	p. 171
Further reading	p. 171
Democratization: Old Politics, New Problems	p. 173
Introduction	p. 173
Clash of civilizations	p. 176
Democratization or liberalization?	p. 179
Socio-economic indicators	p. 181
Democracy and civil society	p. 184
Islamism and democracy - an oxymoron?	p. 187
From democracy to ethnocracy in Israel	p. 192
Case study: Jordan - a façade democracy	p. 195
Case study: Algeria - the wrong kind of democracy	p. 199
Case Study: Morocco model?	p. 202
Discussion questions	p. 204
Further reading	p. 204
Women: The Invisible Population	p. 206
Introduction	p. 206
The role of women in nationalist movements	p. 208
Identity and independence: status issues	p. 211
Women and Islam	p. 215
Subjugation through wealth and work	p. 218
Feminism and gender discourses	p. 221
Case study: Palestinian women in the West Bank, East Jerusalem and Gaza Strip	p. 224
Case study: From beyond the veil - Iran since the Revolution	p. 226
Case study: Turkey, the state of women	p. 229
Discussion questions	p. 231
Further reading	p. 231
Ethnicity and Minorities	p. 233
Introduction	p. 233
Defining ethnicity	p. 235
Minority status	p. 239
The state and ethnicity	p. 242
Modernization	p. 244
Ethno-national and religious battles	p. 246
Conflict-management and regulation	p. 249
Case study: The Kurds' rights denied	p. 251
Case study: The Alawites of Syria	p. 254
Case study: Israel's Arabs	p. 256
Discussion questions	p. 258
Further reading	p. 258
Them and Us: The United States, EU and the Middle East	p. 260
Introduction	p. 260
Objective national interest	p. 262
Relations and rivalries	p. 266
Burger bars and belly dancers	p. 274
American foreign policy from Ground Zero	p. 277
Europe, the EU and the Middle East	p. 279
Case study: America and Israel	p. 282
Case study: America and Saudi Arabia: oil on troubled waters	p. 283
Case study: The US and Iran	p. 286
Discussion questions	p. 288
Further reading	p. 288
Epilogue: The Middle East and the Twenty-first Century	p. 290
The colonial legacy? East-West relations	p. 291
The future Arab nation	p. 292
The political economy matrix	p. 293
Carry on conflict	p. 294
Political Islam: the politics of the future	p. 295
Democratization	p. 296
Sisters doing it for themselves	p. 297
Ethnic equations	p. 298
Never Alone	p. 299
References	p. 301
Index	p. 328
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