Middle Eastern history Books

Book SynopsisThis study examines the role of the Six-Day War in American Protestant politics and culture. The author argues that American foreign policy towards the Arab-Israeli conflict, culminating in the Trump Administration's 2017 recognition of Jerusalem as Israel's capital, and the domestic Evangelical communities who supported it, has a direct correlation with the long-term consequences of the 1967 Six-Day War.For most of America's history, biblical literalists, or Evangelicals, dominated the religious culture of the country. But, in 1925, the Scopes trial on science, evolution, and religion embarrassed Evangelicals and caused them to retreat from American culture and politics. Modern and liberal Protestants won dominance and established control in nearly all of the Mainline seminaries, publishing houses, and denominations, leading to the creation of the National Council of Churches by 1950.This book argues that the Six-Day War reversed that power structure in AmericaTrade ReviewOlson’s primary thesis is both ambitious and compelling. There is much to recommend in Olson’s book. America’s Road to Jerusalem contributes to the ever-growing body of literature on American Christians’ relationship with and views of Israel. * Journal of Church and State *Jason M. Olson demonstrates masterfully in this book how an external affair—Israel’s victory in the Six-Day War—has helped to create a shift of power between Modernist and Evangelicals that took place in the United States during the 1970s. Olson shows that prior to 1967, Evangelicals predicted that Israel would take over the holy sites, and after the war, it gave them an advantage over mainline Protestants to assume a more prominent role in American culture and politics. Olson’s analysis is refreshing and provocative. Highly recommended. -- Motti Inbari, University of North Carolina at PembrokeThe Six Day War in 1967 transformed both inter-religious relations in the United States and Evangelical ties to Israel. In this timely and exhaustively researched study, Jason Olson shows how that transformation happened. Anyone seeking to understand why Evangelical leaders promoted America's recognition of Jerusalem as Israel's capital will welcome this volume. It lays bare the religious ideas that reshaped American foreign policy toward Israel. -- Jonathan D. Sarna, Brandeis UniversityTable of ContentsChapter 1: American Protestantism and American Jewry before the Six-Day WarChapter 2: American Protestantism and the State of Israel before the Six-Day WarChapter 3: In the Midst of the Six-Day War: American Protestantism in 1967Chapter 4: American Protestantism and Israel in the Aftermath of the Six-Day War (1968-1973)Chapter 5: From Refugees to Freedom Fighters: The Palestinians in Post-1967 Protestant PoliticsConclusion: America’s Road to Jerusalem

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Book SynopsisFarhad Daftary is director emeritus and a member of the board of governors of the Institute of Ismaili Studies, London. An authority in Ismaili studies, Dr Daftary has published and lectured widely in this field of Islamic studies. His own research has contributed to a better understanding of aspects of Ismaili history. As well as serving on various editorial and advisory boards. He has written and edited 27 books and more than 250 articles and encyclopedia entries. In 2011, a Festschrift entitled Fortresses of the Intellect was produced to honor Daftary by a number of his colleagues and peers.

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Book SynopsisThe World Today Series: The Middle East and South Asia. More than a quarter of the world's population live in the Middle East and South Asia, yet our knowledge and understanding of the region is often limited to news updates about the latest conflicts and crises. This edition of the annually updated volume of the World Today Series provides important insights that take the reader beyond the headlines. It offers detailed and up-to-date information about the politics, economies and societies of the twenty-four states that make up the region. Contemporary events are placed in their historical context, through an examination of major civilizations and key historical events. This volume introduces major themes that have shaped the region, including the struggles of ordinary people to achieve democratic rights; the role of oil in shaping society; burgeoning environmental threats; and the rise and fall of the Islamic State caliphate. While there is reason for optimism in regards to the Middle East and South Asia, this is tempered by the very real challenges that confront the region. The general reader will gain an understanding of these challenges and opportunities through an exploration of current and past developments.

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Book SynopsisIraq's streets are unsafe, its people tormented, and its identity as a state challenged from within and without. For some, Iraq is synonymous with internal hatred, bloodshed, and sectarianism. The contributors to this book, however, know another Iraq: a country that was once full of hope and achievement and that boasted one of the most educated workforces in its regionâa cosmopolitan secular society with a great tradition of artisans, poets, and intellectuals. The memory of that Iraq inspired the editors of this volume to explore Iraq's current struggle. The contributors delve into the issues and concerns of building a viable Iraqi state and recognize the challenges in bringing domestic reconciliation and normalcy to Iraqis. From Desolation to Reconstruction: Iraq's Troubled Journey examines Iraq's reality after the 2003 US-led invasion. It begins by relating Iraq's modern social and political history prior to the invasion and then outlines the significant challenges of democratization and the creation of an Iraqi constitution, which will be necessary for Iraq to become a strong and effective state. Co-published with the Centre for International Governance Innovation (CIGI).Trade Review``Mokhtar Lamani and Bessma Momani have assembled a very useful and compelling collection of essays about today's Iraq. They focus mostly on internal factors that affect national identity and social cohesion-both hard to achieve, given the centrifugal forces always at play in the territory called Iraq. But outsiders are also assessed here, from the donors who are hard at work on reconstruction, the neighbours who threaten and are threatened by events in Iraq, and ideas from the global community that may help Iraqis reinvent their society and politics.'' -- Ellen Laipson, President and CEO, and Director of Southwest Asia Project,Stimson Center; Member of President Obama's Intelligence AdvisoryBoardTable of ContentsTable of Contents for From Desolation to Reconstruction: Iraqâs Troubled Journey , edited by Mokhtar Lamani and Bessma Momani Acknowledgments List of Abbreviations Introduction | Mokhtar Lamani and Bessma Momani Iraq under Siege: Politics, Society and Economy, 1990â2003 | Peter Sluglett Inching Forward: Iraqi Federalism at Year Four | David Cameron The Struggle for Autonomy and Decentralization: Iraqi Kurdistan | David Romano Armed Forces Based in Iraqi Kurdistan: A Lens to Understand the Post-Saddam Era | Maria Fantappié The Extinction of Iraqi Minorities: Challenge or Catastrophe? | Mokhtar Lamani Iraqâs Economy and Its Brain Drain after the 2003 Invasion | Joseph Sassoon IRFFI: A Multi-Donor Initiative | Carla Angulo-Pasel Iraqâs Tangled Web of Debt Restructuring | Bessma Momani and Aidan Garrib The Iraq War and (Non)Democratization in the Arab World | Rex Brynen Debating the Issues: A Roundtable Report | Carla Angulo-Pasel Reinventing Iraq: Binding the Wounds, Reconstructing a Nation | Nathan C. Funk List of Contributors Index Contributorsâ Bios Carla Angulo-Pasel is a Research Officer at The Centre for International Governance Innovation (CIGI), where she coordinates global and human security projects and oversees North American governance projects. She holds a Master of Arts degree in political science, specializing in international relations, from Wilfrid Laurier University. Her research interests focus on the implications of intra-state conflict on internally displaced persons (IDPs) and refugees. Rex Brynen is Professor of Political Science at McGill University. He has authored, edited, or co-edited eight books on Middle East politics, including, Persistent Permeability? Regionalism, Localism, and Globalization in the Middle East (Ashgate, 2004) and Political Liberalization and Democratization in the Arab World (Lynne Rienner, 1995 and 1998). David Cameron, FRSC, is Chair and Professor of Political Science at the University of Toronto. His professional career has been divided between public serviceâin Ottawa and at Queenâs Park, Ontarioâand academic life. A long-time student of Canadian federalism and Quebec nationalism, in the last decade he has turned his attention to ethno-cultural relations and constitution making in emerging or potential federal countries, such as Iraq and Sri Lanka. Maria Luisa Fantappié graduated from the department of Middle Eastern studies at Sciences po Paris with an MPhil dissertation about the role of irregular armed forces for state rebuilding in post-Saddam Iraq (2009). She is currently a PhD candidate at Sciences Po Paris and continuing her research about state rebuilding and the army establishment in contemporary Iraq. Nathan C. Funk, Ph.D., is Assistant Professor of Peace and Conflict Studies at the University of Waterloos Conrad Grebel University College, with previous appointments at American University and George Washington University. His writings on international affairs, the Middle East, and peace building include Peace and Conflict Resolution in Islam (University Press of America, 2001), Ameen Rihani: Bridging East and West (University Press of America, 2004), and Islam and Peacemaking in the Middle East (Lynne Rienner, 2009). Aidan Garrib is a Senior Risk Analyst with an investment firm in Toronto. He completed his MA in International Political Economy with a dissertation examining the reorientation of Canadian economic interests from protectionism to free trade. In addition to his MA, Aidan Garrib holds degrees in economics and political science, during which he analyzed competition in energy markets and the politics of international trade. Mokhtar Lamani is a Senior Visiting Fellow at The Centre for International Governance Innovation (CIGI), specializing in international affairs and conflict resolution. He is the former Special Representative of the Arab League in Iraq and Ambassador of the Organization of the Islamic Conference to the UN. His most recent publications include the CIGI Special Report: Minorities in Iraq: The Other Victims (2009). Bessma Momani is Associate Professor at the University of Waterloo and Senior Fellow at The Centre for International Governance Innovation (CIGI), specializing on the Middle East and IMF. She is the author of Twentieth Century World History (Nelson Education, 2007), IMF-Egyptian Negotiations (American University in Cairo Press, 2005), the CIGI-CIC Special Report: The Future of International Monetary Fund: A Canadian Perspective (2009) and is the co-editor of Canada and the Middle East (WLUP, 2007). Dr. Momani has also published a dozen scholarly articles in numerous political and economic academic journals. David Romano is Assistant Professor of International Studies at Rhodes College and a Senior Research Fellow at the Inter-University Consortium for Arab and Middle East Studies. In addition to numerous articles on Middle East politics, the Kurdish issue, forced migration, political violence, and globalization, he is the author of The Kurdish Nationalist Movement (Cambridge University Press, 2006). He has spent several years studying and conducting field research in Turkey, Iraq and Israel/Palestine, in addition to briefer research trips to other parts of the Middle East. Joseph Sassoon, a Senior Associate Member at St. Antonyâs College Oxford, is currently a Visiting Scholar at Georgetown University. His recent book, The Iraqi Refugees: The New Crisis in the Middle East (Palgrave Macmillan, 2009) deals with Iraqi refugees after the 2003 invasion. Other publications under his name include Economic Policy in Iraq, 1932â1950 (Frank Cass, 1987), and he has also written articles on Iraq and other Middle Eastern economies. Peter Sluglett is Professor of Middle Eastern History at the University of Utah, Salt Lake City. In addition to over 80 articles on Iraq, he is the author of Britain in Iraq: Contriving King and Country (I.B. Tauris, 2007) and co-author of Iraq Since 1958: From Revolution to Dictatorship (I.B. Tauris, 2001)

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Book SynopsisAt a crossroads between Africa, Asia, and Europe, the South Arabian kingdoms were major commercial and cultural players in world history. Their art and architecture, and especially their irrigation system, featuring a gigantic dam high in the mountains, give witness to a fascinating civilization, the myth and historical dimensions of which have captured our collective imaginations. The author, who participated in several archaeological excavations in Southern Arabia, provides a concise history of the kingdoms from the 10th century B.C.E. to the 7th century C.E. European reviewers of the German edition praised especially his elaboration on the social structures of the kingdoms, their economy and trade, geography, languages, scripture, military and religion.

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Book SynopsisDonald Trump betrayed the Kurds, America’s most reliable allies in the fight against ISIS, by announcing in a tweet that US troops would withdraw from Syria. Betrayal is nothing new in Kurdish history, especially by Western powers. The Kurds, a nation with its own history, language, and culture, were not included in the Treaty of Lausanne (1923), which contained no provision for a Kurdish state. As a result, the land of Kurds was divided into the territories of Turkey, Iraq, Syria, and Iran.In this updated and expanded edition of the 2016 The Kurds: A Modern History, Michael Gunter adds over 50 new pages that recount and analyze recent political, military, and economic events from 2016 to the end of 2018. Gunter’s book also features fascinating vignettes about his experiences in the region during the past 30 years. He integrates personal accounts, such as a 1998 interview with the now-imprisoned Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) leader, Abdullah Ocalan, his participation [or attendance if that’s more accurate] at the Kurdistan Democratic Party Congress in 1993, and a meeting with the leader of the Kurdistan Democratic Party of Iran in Iraqi Kurdistan in 2012. In 2017, the University of Hewler in Irbil invited him to give the keynote address before a gathering of 700 guests from academia and politics, including the prime minister of the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG), Nechirvan Barzani. In his speech, Gunter praised the KRG’s positive achievements and highlighted continuing problems, such as KRG disunity, corruption, nepotism, and financial difficulties. Within hours, reactions to his address went viral throughout the land. Several TV channels and other news outlets reported that officials had tried to interrupt him. A few months later, this event would prove a harbinger of the Kurdish disaster that followed the ill-timed KRG referendum on independence. As an indirect consequence of the referendum, the KRG lost one-third of its territory. The book concludes with a new chapter, Back to Square One, which analyzes the KRG election in October 2018 and the latest twists and turns in the Syrian crisis.

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Book SynopsisDonald Trump betrayed the Kurds, America’s most reliable allies in the fight against ISIS, by announcing in a tweet that US troops would withdraw from Syria. Betrayal is nothing new in Kurdish history, especially by Western powers. The Kurds, a nation with its own history, language, and culture, were not included in the Treaty of Lausanne (1923), which contained no provision for a Kurdish state. As a result, the land of Kurds was divided into the territories of Turkey, Iraq, Syria, and Iran.In this updated and expanded edition of the 2016 The Kurds: A Modern History, Michael Gunter adds over 50 new pages that recount and analyze recent political, military, and economic events from 2016 to the end of 2018. Gunter’s book also features fascinating vignettes about his experiences in the region during the past 30 years. He integrates personal accounts, such as a 1998 interview with the now-imprisoned Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) leader, Abdullah Ocalan, his participation [or attendance if that’s more accurate] at the Kurdistan Democratic Party Congress in 1993, and a meeting with the leader of the Kurdistan Democratic Party of Iran in Iraqi Kurdistan in 2012. In 2017, the University of Hewler in Irbil invited him to give the keynote address before a gathering of 700 guests from academia and politics, including the prime minister of the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG), Nechirvan Barzani. In his speech, Gunter praised the KRG’s positive achievements and highlighted continuing problems, such as KRG disunity, corruption, nepotism, and financial difficulties. Within hours, reactions to his address went viral throughout the land. Several TV channels and other news outlets reported that officials had tried to interrupt him. A few months later, this event would prove a harbinger of the Kurdish disaster that followed the ill-timed KRG referendum on independence. As an indirect consequence of the referendum, the KRG lost one-third of its territory. The book concludes with a new chapter, Back to Square One, which analyzes the KRG election in October 2018 and the latest twists and turns in the Syrian crisis.

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Book SynopsisMedieval Fez was a main centre of education, art, and commerce from the 13th to the 16th centuries after the Berber tribe of the Marinids seized power in Morocco and moved the capital from Marrakesh to Fez. As non-Arabs they gained legitimacy by founding madrassas, religious universities. They also supported the arts and commerce, and expanded their state into an empire. It was the Golden Age of Fez. Maya Shatzmiller draws a historical panorama of this era, highlighting its movers and shakers in locations from North Africa to the Mediterranean world.Trade Review"Extremely important [and] invaluable guide." -Arab Studies Journal"...the book makes a significant contribution to the fields of North African, Berber, and Islamic histories, illustrating the key importance of the Marinids not only for the study of Morocco but also, as she proposes in the new last chapter, for Mediterranean history more broadly."- Religious Studies Review “Insightful and provocative study of Marinid history and Berber historical identity … with an interpretive flair.” -The International History Review

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