Product Description

This long-time best-seller uses a thematic, rather than country-by-country, approach to the region in an analysis that is at once comprehensive and, at the same time, does not underestimate the intelligence of the college audience. The authors wrote this book because there were no introductory texts taking a holistic perspective on the region. This book employs a multidisciplinary approach (political science, economics, history, anthropology) to explain the current political dynamics of the region.  It avoids a country-by-country approach in favor of a thematic approach that integrates regional experiences into a whole.  Major themes include political development, economic development, international relations, Islam - mainstream and jihadist, colonialism and post-colonialism; and recent political changes, with particular emphasis on the U.S. intervention  in Iraq and the rising interest in democracy regionally.

Customer Reviews (4)

interesting
This book is for a class I have, but it is not boring to read like some text books can be.

gives historical perspective
[A review of the 8th Edition, published in 2006.]

In this somewhat short text, the authors explain the turbulent history of the Middle East. Key ideas like a secular pan-Arabism, militant Islam and globalisation are invoked, as necessary to understanding the current region. We see how pan-Arabism gave rise to the Baathist regimes in Syria and Iraq. Though for the latter, at least till the American invasion of 2003. Globalisation is a major cause of outside forces, like secular consumerist societies of Europe and the US, overlapping with deeply traditional Muslim mores. Often to the puzzlement of both sides.

Of course, the role of Israel and Palestine has impacted so much in the region, and the book also addresses these factors.

While the text was written in 2006, it necessarily cannot deal significantly with the events in Iraq for 2006. Rather, you can read it as a historical perspective.

A decent introductory text
This book, along with it's companion, THE MIDDLE EAST by the Congressional Quarterly, was used in my undergraduate course on the History and Governments of the Middle East.

Politics and Change views the Middle East from a variety of perspectives: sociological, anthropological, political, historical and religious.It looks at the bases for diversity & unity in the region and the rise of Islam.It then discusses the formation of the early Islamic state and the development of the Sharia (religious law)from the Koran and the hadith (or statements and actions ascribed to Mohammad), the development of the Shia in opposition to the corrupt secular governments and the rise of the different sects. It then moves on to a discussion of Western Imperialism and the resulting development of nationalism and individual states (as opposed to the Umma or body of the believers as a whole), including the growth of Zionism and the establishment of the Israeli state.

Then changes in the political landscape, especially the (failed) Oslo Accord, are discussed as are religious and politics - and the 3 types of political elites and of the various forms leadership has taken.Moving on, it touches on the relations of the individual nations with the great powers (including the remnant of the now-defunct Soviet Union during its cold war competition with the United States) as well as looking at the foreign policies of the regional powers and at changes that have taken place globally (e.g., the fall of the old Soviet Union), the American-Iraq Persian Gulf War and the tensions with Kuwait and with regard to the Israeli-Palestine issue and Israel's relation to the larger Arab world.

Although this is only an introductory text, it makes a serious attempt at providing a holistic view of the Middle East and its often insoluble-appearing problems.

Good source for understanding Middle East
I read this book as a required text for my Middle East Politics class which was taught by one of the authors, Prof. Seibert. I think it gives an accurate walkthrough to the history of Middle East Politics. It stays clear of any bias while trying to examine and integrate economic, social and political factors together. I enjoyed reading and discussing this work immensely. I would strongly recommend it. ... Read more

Product Description
Until the late 1980s, there were very few democratically elected governments in the developing world. These areas were characterized by a range of authoritarian regimes from military administrations to one-party dictatorships. Over the past decade, however, the situation has altered significantly and an increasing number of developing countries have made the transition to democracy. For some, this process of building and consolidating democracy has been relatively easy, while for others, it has proved more complex and harder to sustain.


In this important new textbook, Jeff Haynes seeks to explain why these differences occur. Adopting a broadly comparative approach, he begins by examining the theories and practice of democratic transition and consolidation in the new democracies of Africa, Asia, Latin America and the Middle East. Haynes argues persuasively that a country's ability to consolidate democracy depends not only on the interaction of structural and agency factors, but also on a variety of specific domestic and international concerns which may help or hinder democratic progress. Using a wide range of case studies to illustrate his argument, Haynes provides an accessible and comprehensive analysis of the processes and problems of democratic consolidation in developing nations.


This is an important textbook that will be invaluable to students in a variety of areas from politics and comparative politics to development studies and history. ... Read more

Product Description
Until now, we have known very little of the lives of ordinary Middle Eastern men and women, despite extensive research on the modern Middle East. With this collection of essays, the life stories of peasants, villagers, pastoralists, and urbanites can finally be heardno more will our view of the Middle East be seen only over the shoulders of the elite.These twenty-four biographies are drawn from the entire Middle Eastfrom Morocco to Afghanistanandprovide vantage points from which to understand modern Middle Eastern history "from the bottom up." Spanning the past 150 years and reflecting important transformations, the stories challenge elite-centered accounts of what has occurred in the Middle East and illuminate hidden corners of a largely unrecorded world.The essays, divided chronologically, provide a comprehensive framework for those unfamiliar with Middle Eastern social history. "Pre-Colonial Lives" covers the period from 1850 until World War I, "Colonial Lives" chronicles the beginning of European rule, and "Contemporary Lives" relates the massive changes of the postwar era. Through them, we see how specific ecologies, ways of life, ethnic, class and gender situations can shape individual human action. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Serious Stuff
A very good book, but strictly for the serious student of the Middle East because the author utilizes too much historic and political background in the sketches. The references within each profile are difficult to understand and to appreiate by the casual reader. ... Read more

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Customer Reviews (7)

Terrorism changes faces
Hezbollah: The Changing Face of Terrorism offers a history of Hezbollah that is now outdated, so as with Hamas this should not be the only book you read, but it provides a good starting point for learning about the basic origins and mission of Hezbollah offering a look at the clanistic regional politics of Lebanon. As noted by a previous reviewer, one man's terrorist group is another's resistance movement. The Lebanese people have been trying to drive Israel from land that they feel belongs to them, but they hadn't had a capable force to do it until Hezbollah emerged dealing Israel two surprising defeats leading to partial pullouts. Beyond wins on the battlefield, Hezbollah conducted similar social service programs to Hamas and won hearts and minds by providing food, housing, jobs, education, etc. Israel and its' Western allies would consider Hezbollah a terrorist group because of their attacks on areas within Israel, but a large section of Lebanese people would consider them a legit resistance movement for resisting an unjust Israeli occupation. The lines between terrorism and resistance movement are often gray and blurry.

Interesting Book, but Read Others Too
This book is pretty good in that it gives a third-party, yet sympathetic look into Hizballah.The author's bias toward them permits her access, which leads to a very interesting read.The problem is that her bias also opens up the door to misinformation.I recommend this book, but I also recommend "The Voice of Hizballah" (English translations of Sayyad Hassan Nasrallah's interviews and speeches - an unvarnished view at his thoughts and motivations) and maybe an anti-Hizballah book sprinkled in.

In the book, the author argues that Hizballah has basically removed itself from the business of terrorism since the early 1980s.She claims the Party of God has transitioned to a political party and social service provider for disaffected Lebanese Shia.The book provides incredible detail about Hizballah's social service programs (a hospital here, a water-purification facility there, schools, etc - how many people the services are helping, where the money is coming from, etc).

Bottom line: This is a good source, but it shouldn't be your only source.

an unorthodox point of view
Hezbollah: The Changing Face of Terrorism provides detailed history of Hizbu'llah, especially insightful, when it comes to the Lebanese context and politics. It does not aim to cover all features of this organization, but rather focus on the transformation, in the opinon of author, from fundamentalist group to resistence and moderate potical actor.

+ an unorthodox point of view on Hizbu'llah, author tries to proove that it is not in fact a terrorist group. Debatable, but very interesting.

+ greatly covers the Syrian influnce on Hizbu'llah and the double track Syrian policy towards Lebanese government and the Party of God.

+ presents pluralistic political system of Lebanon and puts Hizbu'llah in it's framework.

- biased, favouring Party of God.

- does not cover changing relationship between Tehran and Hizbu'llah

- slightly outdated, Hariri's assassination, Syrian withdrawal, July war or recent skirmish between Hizbu'llah and government are not included. These events shed diffrent light on Hizbu'llah than Palmer-Harik presented.

Summed up, great book that presents new insights, facts and ideas about Hizbu'llah. When read the shortcoming should be kept in mind to prevent biased and uncomplete image of Hizbu'llah. Still a must for anynone interested in Party of God.

Petr Zelinka,
Journal of Security Issues

overtly biased and somewhat inconsistent look at hezbollah
Harik is an American Political Science professor at the American University of Beirut and as such has had an upclose and personal perspective on Hezbollah for some time now.But rather than using her relatively unique perspective as an American academic to provide a revealing look at Hezbollah, Harik has written a fairly straightforward history of the group that does not go into enough detail and is hampered by her obvious sympathy for the group.

The basic thesis of the book is that Hezbollah has transformed itself from what some would call a terrorist organization in the early 80s, to a legitimate Lebanese political party that is capable of compromise.She takes the reader through Hezbollah's early days and describes the domestic political context that led to the group's rise.She also places a fair amount of weight on the regional context and goes into great detail to explain to her audience how Hezbollah is affected by Israel, Syria, Iran, and the U.S.This is the book's greatest strength since these outside actors have a huge impact on Hezbollah and no book that ignores the regional context would be complete.

However, Harik presents Hezbollah as if it were a homogenous actor that has no internal struggles.The only key figures of Hezbollah that Harik takes the time to descirbe are Hassan Nasrallah (some Americans will remember him from the war w/Israel in the summer of 06), and Mohammed Fadlallah.This is problematic because no political organization is without internal divisions or debates, but Harik never really acknowledges this.Presumably, she would have access to many members of Hezbollah and would be able to present a much more detailed look at the internal dynamics of the group, but unfortunately she never does.It seems odd that she would spend so much time describing the history of the group (which was already well-known) and not take the time to tell her audience how the group really functions.

The other main problem with the book is that Harik is plainly a "fan" of Hezbollah and it is hard to tell at times whether or not she is leaving out a wealth of information that does not affirm her perception of the group.This becomes clear when she describes actions by the U.S. or Israel as always being negative in nature, when they're really just acting out of their own perceived interests in the same way that Hezbollah does.You don't have to agree with or like what the U.S. does or with what Hezbollah does, but when you clearly pick a side and cannot be critical of your side, the argument ceases to be a serious academic study.

Anyone wanting to learn more about Hezbollah should read this book.For the most part it is well-written and easy to follow.At the same time, the reader should be aware that Harik is presenting a very one-sided look at her subject and that additional research will certainly be necessary after reading her book.

One man's terrorist......
With 'Hezbollah: The Changing Face of Terrorism' Judith Palmer Harik has achieved a comprehensive and highly detailed history of the militant group. Her stated goal is to determine whether Hezbollah is a legitimate fighting force, as many in the Arab world believe, or simply a terrorist organization. While it is clear that the author leans toward the former, she does, to her credit, give an ample amount of attention to the view held by Israelis and Americans. So while her conclusions are certainly debatable, she essentially sticks to the facts. She thoroughly discusses Hezbollah's origins as a direct offshoot of the Iranian Revolution, for the purpose of combatting Israel. She discusses at length, their political objectives, their religious beliefs, and their transformation from radical militia, to mainstream political party. She also effectively puts the movement into the context of the general Mid-East conflict. My only criticism of the book, aside from the author's bias, is that it is severely academic in tone. The average lay reader might find it a bit too tedious. That being said, I would still recommend 'Hezbollah: The Changing Face of Terrorism' as a solid introduction to the the subject. ... Read more

Product Description

Most governments in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region use trade policy to protect certain industries, provide tax incentives to promote a particular type of investment, and make subsidized credit available to firms of a certain size. Such government intervention, known as industrial policy, is the topic of this book. The aim is to assess whether state intervention leads to net benefits to society, why policymakers intervene, and how to bring about a healthier balance between states and markets. Answers to these questions are given in six chapters based on research papers that were presented at a conference held in Cairo in November 2005, and include country case studies on Egypt, Morocco, Turkey, and Jordan.

Contributors: Hasan Ersel (Sabanci University, Turkey), Ahmed Galal (Egyptian Center for Economic Studies and World Bank), Najib Harabi (University of Applied Sciences, Northwestern Switzerland), Nihal El Megharbel (Egyptian Center for Economic Studies), Mustapha Nabli (World Bank), Marcus Noland (Institute for International Economics).

An Egyptian Center for Economic Studies / World Bank publication ... Read more

Product Description
Jan Selby draws on numerous sources, from testimonies of local water engineers and administrators, to narrative accounts of citizens, and eyewitness accounts of people's coping strategies to examine the water crisis in the Middle East. He argues that the water crisis needs to be approached from a range of scales and perspectives -from the long historical patterns of state formation and development within which water crises emerge, to the practices through which people adapt to water shortages in the course of their everyday interaction-and frames the problems in relation to broader patterns of politics, political economy, state formation and development.
... Read more

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Customer Reviews (1)

Essential Reading though Containing Major Flaws
I enjoyed reading Zubaida's work throughout, though I strongly disagreed with many sections.The strongpoint of this work is that it firmly accomplishes its intention of demonstrating that not only are Khomeini's fundamentalism and other Islamic fundamentalisms compatible with modernism and not archaic, but that these movements are only made possible by modernity.This is especially true in his examination of Khomeini's revolutionary ideology in Iran and Iran's subsequent existence as an 'Islamic' nation-state.Zubaida, I feel, took his conclusion too far at times and exaggerated the secular side of these religious movements throughout nonetheless.Perhaps the most notable occurence is when Zubaida precariously identifies these relgious movements with nationalism and thereby tries to tell us that these movements only happen to be inspired by Islam.This is a major flaw which neglects a key aspects that fuel their proliferation and continuance. ... Read more

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In this informative, iconoclastic book, veteran foreign correspondent Martin Sieff offers a jaw-dropping survey of the history and politics of a region that people know surprisingly little about--even though it's never off the front pages of the morning papers.

In The Politically Incorrect Guideâ„¢ to the Middle East you'll learn:

Why Islamic fundamentalism isn't ancient--making it more dangerous;

Why the Saudis are part of the solution, not the problem;

Why democracy and a Marshall Plan for the Middle East would only make things worse;

Why Arab-Israeli peace is impossible; and

Why we'll miss the old Arab dictators when they're gone--because the alternative is Islamic fundamentalism ... Read more

Customer Reviews (32)

it's almost like the Saudis paid him to write it
I don't recommend this book.

1.I don't think the author has any special insight or knows anything that others don't.

2.You'd think the author's main focus would be to explain things in a balanced way, but instead the real point of the book seems to be to convince the reader that he's an unconventional thinker.

3.Outrageous statements are not sourced.

4.The author seems to buy into the idea that Islam is a "religion of peace," and that all those crazies in the caves of Tora Bora have got things all twisted around.Here's just a whiff:". . . far from being any kind of local extension of traditional Islam, the kind of nihilistic violence and revolution advocated by Osama bin Laden and others is akin to the revolutionary utopianism of Bolshevism and the Russian and Chinese revolutions.Except this time, it is wrapped in the imagery of one of the world's great, ancient, monotheistic religions, and among its goals are the overthrow of secular and moderate traditional Muslim governments and the establishment of an idealized super-powerful caliphate over the entire Muslim world." (p. 78)

5.Most disturbingly, the real thesis of the book is -- believe it or not -- that everything in the Middle East would settle down if the U.S. embarked on a course of action that would slowly make the Saudis the hegemons in the area.Probably because they've got the most to lose, they're most serious about security.Other powers in the region, according to the author, are either uninterested in stability or unable to tend the rudder.

Interesting contrarian viewpoint
THE POLITICALLY INCORRECT GUIDE TO THE MIDDLE EAST by Martin Sieff.

A highly informative book about the current(2008) situation in the Middle East that is guaranteed to annoy everyone.For example, while the author heavily criticizes George Bush Jr for the invasion of Iraq and, by implication, Afghanistan, his reasons for doing so will drive Bush haters aka liberals insane.Which I will get to later.He has as many bad things to say about Bill Clinton AND especially Jimmy Carter for being primarily responsible for the problems with Iran---which in many respects led directly to both the first and second Iraqi wars.He loathes Yassir Arafat and reveals something that I did not know namely that he was a rampant homosexual which might explain the Left's idolization of him.
Bottom line. The author makes the point that Muslims are basically ignorant savages who are incapable of functioning in a democracy ergo Jimmy Carter's disastrous attempt to grow democracy in Iran led to the Iranian revolution. Bush Jr invaded Iraq too nicely and attempted to raise them up to civilization when he should have just leveled the place, set up a dictatorship obediant to the will of the US and then left.The Middle East needs another Ottoman empire and, baring that, should support both Israel and Saudi Arabia and let them deal with the Muslim Barbarians as they see fit.
I do not agree with all of the author's points but the book was educational.

Time to learn about the Middle East
Very informative.As usual, I check out some of the infromation with some factual web site to verify before I state facts from it.This book appears to be right on.

Strong But Biased
This is a an informative book but Sieff's political loyalties stop it short of greatness. He adeptly destroys many of the myths about the middle east. The history alone is worth the cover price.

His main contentions are well supported:
· Liberal Democracy is not going to wok in the near future in most nations in the region
· That Saudi Arabia is a great Ally of the USA not an enemy
· That peace between Israel and the Palestinians is not going to cure the problems of the region.
· The USA may have to pick able monarchs and dictators as allies even though they would prefer otherwise. He is not scared to point out that things were better for the West when Saddam and the Shah were in power


His realism should be applauded, but Seiff can't hide his republican loyalties and, I fear, it will make many ignore the valid points of the book. At times he digresses into bitter little tirades about the popular media and their unfair treatment of republicans. This issue and this book deserve better. You can feel the hate with each time he mentions Bill Clinton and he uses insulting personal attacks on those he disagrees with. By the time he explains (convincingly I may add) why Jimmy Carter failed in the Middle East he has called Carter names (idiot is one of his favorites) for 150 pages. He would have served his purpose better to disguise his personal feelings.
Even if the personal emotions were taken out the republican bias is obvious. The best Presidents were Nixon, Reagan and Ford was the best of them all. Carter and Clinton are, of course, the worst. Bush the first is discussed briefly and blandly, and W is deemed a failure, but his failures are curiously explained as following Carter's example. Carter did (and does) believe in democracy for the region but it is unfair to equate the invasion of Iraq with his efforts.
Seiff also ignores that Reagan's withdrawal from Lebanon after the terrorist attack on US forces has been cited by Bin Laden as proof Americans are week. He gives Iran Contra a scant paragraph. He also discusses the rise of Bin Laden during the Afgan war with "US support" but does not mention that it was Reagan that sent Bin Laden the weapons. He also incorrectly states Clinton did "nothing" (remember the rocket attacks Rush called "wag the dog"?) about Bin Laden.
His support for the ruling Saudi royalty is pragmatic and sensible, but he ignores the influence Saudi oil money in private hands has played in spreading extreme Islam. Yes the house of Saud, is on our side but many rich people in the Kingdom are not. Though he ignores this fact, he makes it clear there are no better alternatives for allies in the region.
If you are interested in these issues at all, this book is a must. I was able to get over the bitter delivery, and axes the author needed to grind. He lists "Books you're not supposed to read" and there are great recommendations included. The fact is this book claims to be honest and pull no punches and that is what it does. The fact Bill Seiff did not blindly defend the invasion of Iraq shows he is far more than another conservative blow hard.
(Note: Just read this book before you read what he said about Sarah Palin!)

Decent arguments obscured by politically correct hysteria
The book continually berates the "politically correct" establishment that produces falsehoods on the middle east.But it turns out the "PC establishment" is nothing more than Michael Moore.It also attacks the middle eastern policy of nearly every US president other than Gerald Ford.(Carter and Bush the younger are given the most scathing treatment, apparently showing that the anti-PC venom is no respecter of parties.)

Once you get past the tone of attacks and victimhood, the book actually has a well defended argument in favor of a "forceful" middle east policy.From the American policy perspective, having a friendly despot (as in Saudi Arabia) is much preferable to having democracy.The author argues that the Muslim Middle East is governable only by force.The Saudi Arabian response to al qaeda is given as the ideal way to squash terrorists with force.For the US, it would be great to see the rest of the middle east ruled like Saudi Arabia.

He briefly discuss the importance of oil to the current situation in the middle east.Unfortunately, his argument here begins to unravel. The need for fertilizer is given as one of the main reasons that we will always need Arabian oil.(Thus, it follows from his argument that organic agriculture would be a great way to wipe out Islamic terrorism.)Saudi Arabia's restriction of rights and quick disposal of al qaeda is presented as a preferable response - however, the consequences of responding like this in western countries could be even worse than the threat of terrorism they attempt to fight.In the end, the policy of subjugating the people under an oppressive state in order to maximize oil extraction is about as sustainable is a large SUV.
An alternative viewpoint can be found in Sleeping with the Devil: How Washington Sold Our Soul for Saudi Crude. ... Read more

Product Description
This book examines the relationship between Iranian nationalism and Islam, especially Shi'ism as the country's adopted official religion by the founder of the Safavid Dynasty in 1501 A.D. Although the study covers fourteen centuries of Iranian history, the greatest emphasis is placed on the last two where secular Western reformist ideas overlap with progressive religious thinking. The study covers selected periods in fourteen centuries of Iranian history including the efforts by the Pahlavis to establish a national identity for Iranians based on the ancient imperial history of Iran and by negating the country's Islamic connection. The research takes a fresh look at the basic principles as well as the style of governance by Mossadeq, his secular nationalism, his strong belief in democratic ideals, his temporary alliance with religious elements, and ultimate failure of his efforts. The work follows the paths of development of ideas and movements, secular and religious, leading to the Islamic revolution and the rise of Khomeini as the undisputed leader of the movement.It also covers the development of the concept of Islamic government, its historical and religious precedents, its structure, and the institutional apparatus that keeps the system together. ... Read more

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Middle Eastern society experienced sudden and profound change in the 19th century under the impact of European expansion and influence.But as Western ideas about politics, technology, and culture began to infiltrate Arab society, the old language proved to be an inadequate vehicle for transmitting these alien concepts from abroad.In this study of the rise of modern Arabic, Ayalon examines 19th-century linguistic change in the Eastern Arab world as a mirror of changing Arab perceptions and responses to the West as well as a guide to the emergence of modern Arabic concepts, institutions, and practices.Focusing on the realm of political discourse, Ayalon looks at a wide array of evidence--local chronicles, travel accounts, translations of European writings, Arab political treatises, newspapers and periodicals, and dictionaries--to show how shifts in the color, tone, and meaning of the Arab vocabulary reflected a new socio-political and cultural reality. ... Read more

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"Islam's revival is reshaping Egypt and other Arab countries in ways beyond violent politics. The yearning for personal solace, a just political system, indigenous lifestyles, and relevant theology all await satisfaction....Just as the Nile runs through Egypt for almost eight hundred miles, giving it life, so also the Straight Way, the way of Allah, runs through it, beckoning its people. The search by Egypt's Muslims for a modern understanding of the Straight Way is the essence of today's passion for Islam." -- from Chapter 1, "First Verses"

Written by a Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist, this authoritative and enthralling primer on the modern face of Islam provides one of the most comprehensive accountings for the roots of religious terrorism and Middle Eastern strife.

Over decades, a myriad of social, political, and religious factors has made today's Middle East a combustible region and has contributed to Islam's new power and turmoil. Passion for Islam uses one particular country, Egypt, as a lens through which to show how these forces play out across the area, allowing terrorism to gain a foothold.

Through the personal experiences and observations of individual Egyptians encountered during her five years as the Washington Post's Cairo bureau chief, veteran journalist Caryle Murphy explores how Islam's contemporary revival is unfolding on four different levels: "Pious Islam" highlights the groundswell of grassroots piety that has created more Islamic societies; "Political Islam" examines how Islamists, using both violent and peaceful means, are reshaping the region's authoritarian secular political order and redefining Islam's role in the public arena; "Cultural Islam" looks at Egyptian efforts to resist a ubiquitous Western culture by asserting an Islamic identity; "Thinking Islam" reveals how intellectuals are reexamining their theological heritage with the aim of modernizing Islam.

Representing years of exhaustive research, Passion for Islam also looks at how the tortured Israeli-Palestinian conflict has contributed to the region's religious ferment and political tumult. By revealing the day-to-day ramifications of all these issues through the eyes of Egyptian intellectuals, holy men, revolutionaries, and ordinary citizens, Passion for Islam brings an unparalleled vitality and depth to Western perceptions of Middle Eastern conflict. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (9)

Egypt Islamists 1990s
The author presents many very informative insights into the Islamist movement in Egypt during the 1980s-1990s.She hopes that modern Muslim liberals will be able to eventually convince Muslims into rejecting the repressive/regressive beliefs of the conservative Wahhabist Muslim religious leaders.She provides many insights into WHAT is happening in various political matters in Egypt, but failed to really identify WHY the Wahhabist-Muslim theology is so strong.She failed to research the Quran verses (ayats) that promote anti-Jewish and anti-Christian behavior by Muslims that she identifies WHAT is happening so extensively.Due either to her ignorance or her avoidance of this issue, the author fails to explain the WHY of Muslim intolerance of Israel, Christianity, democracy and Westoxification.For this, one needs to read Robert Spencer's THE POLITICALLY INCORRECT GUIDE TO ISLAM.

Interesting look at Islam in Egypt
Caryle Murphy was the Washington Post's bureau chief in Cairo for a good long while, and she now covers religion for the Post now, living in Washington. This book was apparently in preparation before 9/11--almost all of the events in the text occurred in the late 90s or earlier. Murphy interviewed a number of people, including Islamists of various stripes, secularists, government officials, clerics, and other observers. The result is an interesting picture of Egyptian society and its relationship with its Muslim citizen.

Many in the west equate Islam with evil intent, extremist politics and intolerance, misogyny, and a host of other very negative attitudes. All of these are held by *some* Islamists from the extreme portion of the religion, and in some ways they can't be called the fringe--they're too mainstream. The author does a good job of describing the various participants in the movement, and explains the roots of the Muslim Brotherhood, the start of extremist Muslim thought in Egypt and the place Ayman al-Zawahiri got his start in politics, before he went on to become #2 in Al Qaeda.

The author works hard to discuss the various aspects of Islam and its relationship to Egyptian society, from how Islam deals with Christians in Egypt to the various ways the religion interacts with the government in Egypt to the way Al-Azhar University has dealt with the rise of Islamic Fundamentalism in Egypt. The result of the book is a clear picture of how Islamist thought, and extremism, have spread in Egypt, and why.

I enjoyed this book a great deal, and thought that I learned a great deal from it. I would recommend if to almost anyone interested in the subject.

Where do Islamic Insurgencies come from?
I just caught up to an excellent book by Pulitzer-Prize-winning journalist Caryle Murphy, who spent three years in Cairo as Egypt's bureau chief for the Washington Post. During that time, Murphy covered the first Iraqi war and spent countless hours meeting and interviewing Egyptian citizens, as well as the powerhouses who help shape Middle Eastern policy.We Americans on the home front, traditionally ignorant about other cultures, have muchto learn from this informative, easy-to-read book.
In Passion for Islam Murphy produces a consolidated picture of a process that is taking place across the Arab world, and affecting the planet as a whole.Starting with the end of the socialist promise of the Nasser era all the way through the violence that rocked Egypt in the nineties, Murphy carefully follows the development of Islamist insurgency through its various forms.Breaking down each step in the movement's growth to its simplest parts, she is able to differentiate the facets of Islam in Egypt that played into the development of radical Islamist behavior.
Murphy identifies three main parts of the radical Islamist movement, "Pious Islam," "Political Islam," and Cultural Islam." Her thorough discussion of each succeeds in illuminating the various and complex aspects of the web of Egyptian life, through which religion is a common thread.Whether it is the grounding force of a family living in poverty, or a tool by which the unscrupulous seize power, Murphy examines Islam's role in the lives of all Egyptians, and the trends both personal and national that have begun under its shadow of influence.
In this new world after 9/11 many books have appeared that address this issue in one way or another, and do so with various success.Passion for Islam, however, stands apart from this crowd if for no other reason than its sheer readability.Where many illuminating accounts of the Taliban and radical militancy burden the shelves unread with their ominous association to things like textbooks, Passion for Islam jumps out as being equal parts sociology and travelogue.Murphy carefully blends erudite reporting and commentary with descriptive scenery and personal account, relaxing the tone of the book to comfortable page turning;and throughout the commentary, she demonstrates that her understanding of the situation comes from having actually been there, as much as having studied it.With an easy tone and thoughtful manner Murphy gives an exciting and critical account of the years she spent in Egypt, and at the same time crafts a clear and useful blueprint of a process of extreme historical and political importance.
For the casual reader Passion for Islam provides an interesting look into a far away world that, though weighing on our daily lives, has remained one of murky fog and speculation.For those who know already something about the world of Islam and radical politics the book develops a new and lucid framework for understanding the situation and works extensively, in both a sociological and historical sense, to sort out and clarify the facts of one nation's experience with Islam and the world that surrounds it.It's a good blend of Discovery channel adventure and high-level insight, and goes a long way towards filling in those gaps in our collective understanding of the world around us.

A great focused look by an on-the-scene observer
Passion For Islam is a great book for anyone interested in learning something about the rise of various Islamic movements in Egypt over the years.One of the books strengths is its focus on the specific experience of Egypt, where the author lived and worked as a journalist for several years during the 1990's.Murphy doesn't attempt to assess or explain what's happening in the Islamic world in general, or to draw broad conclusions on matters beyond the specific scope of the book, i.e. the Egyptian experience.

Murphy works in historical details in a very clear fashion, mixing them with current-day journalism and interviews with people from all levels of the Egyptian social and political scenes.You get to hear from people inside or aligned with various movements, people in the Egyptian government, and most importantly, the ordinary people in the middle whose lives are affected by these forces.She shows in great detail the complexity and diversity of thought and feelings at work, and how what's happening cannot be understood in simple black-or-white interpretations.

I found that my own understanding of the situation was greatly enhanced by reading this book.Murphy's book does not provide solutions as much as a look at what is happening and a warning.These rising movements are not monolithic in their beliefs or in their goals, and should not be treated as such.And they do not occur in a vacuum.Unless the climate in which they have sprung up -- a poor country under a corrupt, inept faux-democratic government that suppresses all discussion and dissent -- is changed, they will only continue to grow as the only alternative available.

Good Cure for Secret Ignorance
I have long been secrety embarrassed by my lack of knowledge about Egypt beyond the usual touristy stuff -- even though I spent some weeks there once seeing the sights and even though, more recently,I've recognized in sidelong ways that Egypt's modern history and in particular its struggle to cope with repeated waves of Islamicist extremism within its borders offers a lesson very relevant for those of us now trying to understand the Post-9/11 world. Murphy cured me of my ignorance with her compelling descriptions and analyses of the forces -- political, religious, cultural -- that have shaped that land.She does so in part with smart use of colorful characters she got to know during her time covering the region as a Washington Post reporter, and from scads of research... Cleanly organized, thorough, insightful. A very helpful and yet enjoyable read. ... Read more

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In the early twenty-first century, it is now clear that religion is increasingly influential in the political realm in ways which call into question the principles and practices of secularism. The Iranian revolution of 1978-9 marked the decisive ‘reappearance’ of political religion in global politics, highlighting a major development which is the subject of this edited volume.

Addressing a highly salient and timely topic, this book examines the consequences of political interactions involving the state and religious actors in Christian, Muslim and Judaist contexts. Building on research, the basic premise of this text is that religious actors – including Islamist groups, the Roman Catholic and the Orthodox churches – pose various challenges for citizenship, democracy, and secularisation in Europe, the Middle East and North Africa (MENA). The key questions on which the book focuses are: Why, how, and when do religious actors seek to influence political outcomes in these regions?

Providing a survey of what is happening in relation to the interaction of religion and politics, both domestically and internationally, this book will be of interest to students and scholars of politics, religion, European and Middle East studies.

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Text examines the balance of power between the U.S., the Middle East, and the wide Eurasian zone. Author argues that one of the major US objectives includes control over gas and oil producing zones. Softcover, hardcover available from the publisher. DLC: United States--Foreign relations--Middle East. ... Read more

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Christopher Hemmer offers a model for how U.S. decision makers use the lessons of history to diagnose and make policy choices.

As policy makers turn to the lessons of history, to which lessons will they turn? This book offers a model of the analogical reasoning process that helps answer the important question of why some historical analogies are seen as relevant for later decisions, while others are ignored. It explores the previously neglected possibility that analogies can do more than simply advance the pre-existing interests of decision makers, but can also determine the very interests policy makers seek to further. The usefulness of this approach in impacting the lessons of history is demonstrated by examining American policy toward Iran concerning American hostages from 1979 to 1987, detailing both the Carter administration's policy during the Hostage Crisis and the Reagan administration's policy that resulted in the Iran-Contra Affair. ... Read more

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A detailed yet readable account of American Middle East policy during the Kissinger era. ... Read more

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Timely
A much needed analysis of the important issues that cause insecurity in the Middle East.Its best to bring a tool-box to nation building and not just a sledgehammer--this book allows you to identify the right tools to bring. ... Read more

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