How to keep up on the Middle East

Why books about the Middle East are now the realm of European journalists.

By Matt Beynon Rees – GlobalPost

Time was anyone with an interest in the Middle East could be guaranteed a couple of books a year would be brought out by U.S. journalists based in the region. Now many of those correspondents are history, with news bureaus closing and those that remain cutting back. The new books written by Americans tend to be by think-tank types or others whose agenda is hard to figure out.

With a book written by a foreign correspondent you couldn’t always be sure of a good read —I’ve ploughed through some stinky “notebook dumps” in my time by reporters who padded his pages with meaningless tales of their Palestinian and Israeli “friends” — but you at least knew that it was by a responsible journalist answerable to editors and readers even for his extracurricular writings. Not so with think-tank academics whose financing and agenda can make for deeply skewed accounts.

The answer: Europeans. A new book demonstrates what I’m talking about.

“Hold onto Your Veil, Fatima!” is an expose of contemporary Egypt that’s at once harrowing and humorous by Sanna Negus, a reporter for Finland’s YLE Radio and TV.

Negus came to the Middle East in the mid-1990s for graduate studies in Cairo, largely because she wanted to learn an unusual language and figured Arabic fit the bill. (It’s not as unusual as Finnish, but then she already had that covered.) She returned to Cairo, working for the English-language Cairo Times and staying for a decade as YLE’s correspondent. She’s been based in Jerusalem the last two years. (Lawrence Wright, who won a Pulitzer for “The Looming Tower: al-Qaeda and the Road to 9/11,” writes in the book’s foreword that Negus is “one of the most informed and well-connected reporters in the region.”)

Hers is a different story from most traditional U.S. correspondents who worked their way up covering local stories until they were granted the privilege of a foreign posting. There are other differences, too. U.S. correspondents, under those circumstances, usually had sufficient resources to hire translators. Negus didn’t, so she had to perfect her Arabic.

The U.S. correspondent would also have the advantage of American prestige. Government officials across the Middle East want to feel they’re speaking to America, so they grant access to U.S. correspondents. When I was Time Magazine’s Jerusalem bureau chief, the Israeli Foreign Minister used to telephone me sometimes even when I hadn’t called him. Just for a chat, you know. Cruising in the armored limo, nothing else to do.

[Read the complete post here]

The Rule of Jurisprudent (ولایت فقیه) in Iran; has it been academically studied?

When the term Velayat-e Faqih (the Rule of the Islamic Jurisprudent or Faqih) was coined officially in the 70s by Ayatollah Rouhollah Khomeini, the former Supreme Leader of the Islamic Republic of Iran, no one really knew the meaning of it, but the people of Iran unanimously voted for the constitution based upon this theory, and when they understood the real meaning of it, it was already too late. It meant that an Islamic government should be ruled by a Shiite Faqih, who will act as a vicar for the Hidden Imam during his occultation. This Faqih whose power is said to come directly from God and the people have the responsibility of recognising him (rather than choosing him), is the omnipotent ruler of the country. The Vali-e Faqih (Jurisprudent Ruler) or the Supreme Leader is chosen – or recognised – by a council of expert Faqihs, whose members are elected by the people, although the candidates have to be approved beforehand by the Guardian Council, another council of Faqihs and jurists whose members are Ironically chosen by no one other than the Leader himself, so there’s no way that someone can disqualify the sitting Supreme Leader. He [it could never be a she] would have the authority to make legal decisions within the confines of Islamic law, and moreover, he would have absolute control over every political, juridical, legislative, economical, social and cultural decision in the country, for which he doesn’t need to respond to anyone. By this power, he can even suspend the Constitution and some of the Islamic Laws (Sharia) if necessary. The Supreme Leader is bestowed the same authority that the Hidden Imam would have after emerging. The people of Iran were so intoxicated with the joy of the obliterating monarchy and too hypnotised by the charisma of Khomeini, that they didn’t realise that they were replacing a constitutional monarchy that limited the power of the monarch, with an absolute monarchy that gave the ruler free reign over the lives of millions of people who had ironically fought hard to gain freedom.

However, in the context of Islamic or Middle Eastern studies, I have hardly found any research on this concept, its implications and different points of view about it. Currently the government of the Islamic Republic of Iran has undermined most of the laws and even the constitution, based on the assumption that when the God-chosen Supreme Leader issues an order, the command comes directly from God and there is no reason to debate or even question the command. Some other Shiite scholars believe that the Rule of Jurisprudent is in direct contrast with Islamic Laws, as they believe that the Prophet Muhammed was the last prophet of God and in the period between his death and the emmergence of the al-Mahdi or the Saviour, the world should be ruled by the laws of Man, but observing religious laws as well, and no one can claim that their orders are sanctified by God.

This seems to be a very viable topic for a PhD research.

A Hejazi

Islam between democracy and liberalism

Muslim democrats vs. Western liberals

In a recent post, Jake brought our attention to an intriguing article on the politics of Islam, penned by Marc Lynch in Foreign Affairs.  Lynch, who is responding to the neo-conservative author Paul Berman, accuses the latter of offering an overly simplistic rendering of the debate over modern Islam and its relationship to the Western tradition.  Instead of imagining a continuous Islamist spectrum ranging from shifty but presentable Muslim intellectuals to preachers of hate and terrorists, Lynch argues that we should see the tussle that exists within the Islamic world as one between moderate and radical forces.

Lynch’s take is interesting and provides us with a fertile framework of analysis, but I’d like to indicate a few problems it raises.  At the centre of his argument lies a great dilemma for liberalism.  On the one hand, it seems to be in the interest of Western liberals to support moderate forces within Islam and side with intellectuals such as Tariq Ramadan in order to defeat the more regressive and violent strands, both on grounds of greater ideological affinity and strategic interest.

[Read More]

A Palestinian talks about his life in a Lebanese refugee camp

Children of Catastrophe

Dodging rockets and bullets!

By ANIQA HAIDER ,  from Gulf Daily News

A BAHRAIN-based father who spent his childhood dodging Israeli rockets and bullets in a Palestinian refugee camp, is publishing a book he hopes will send a message to the world.

Bapco engineer Jamal Krayem Kanj was born in the Nahr El Bared camp in northern Lebanon, 10 years after the creation of Israel exactly 62 years ago today, which immediately sparked the disastrous Arab-Israeli war.

His book Children of Catastrophe: Journey from a Palestinian Refugee Camp to America charts his own life in the camp, dodging Israeli rockets and bullets, along with the misery Palestinians have been forced to endure.

It tells how he ran away at 11 with a group of other boys to join the Palestinian Liberation Organisation (PLO), then based in Syria, but was turned away because they were all so young.

At 19, he went to study in the US, where he became a California-registered civil engineer and achieved a Master of Business Administration degree.

Mr Kanj went back to Gaza, Palestine, in 1996 as part of a United Nations project to distribute food and water, shortly before moving to Bahrain to join Bapco.

The father-of-three, now an American citizen, says his book tells not just his story but that of a nation’s struggle.

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Publishing Assistant, Part time (4 days a week) for six months initially

Closing date: 15 September 2010

Garnet Publishing and Ithaca Press is a rapidly growing independent publisher publishing with both trade and academic titles with a special focus on the Middle East and Middle Eastern studies. They seek a talented publishing assistant with a passion for book publishing to help us in building the new infrastructure of our venture and assist the Publisher in implementing new editorial and marketing plans.

Main Responsibilities

• Administering day-to-day tasks in editorial, marketing and sales activities.
• Supporting the authors and addressing their queries.
• Liaising with the sales and marketing departments, domestic and international distributors and sales reps in regards to processing orders and keeping them updated about new releases and future publications.
• Liaising with colleagues in production and design in the production process
• Liaising with freelance copyeditors, proofreaders, designers and indexers
• Copy writing and proof reading
• Helping with the implementation of marketing plans and follow ups
• Drawing up author contracts
• Preparing and distributing marketing material, advance information sheets and catalogues.
• Keeping the website updated.
• Helping the Publisher in market research projects.

Essential Skills and experience

• Graduate or postgraduate degree in Publishing.
• Preferably one year experience of working in book publishing environments.
• Good communication skills – both written and oral
• Proficient in Adobe Creative Suite and MS Office packages (including MS project).
• Excellent editorial skills, copyediting, proofreading
• A good understanding of rights management in book publishing
• Good organizational skills

If you would like to apply for this vacancy please send your CV and covering letter along with your current salary to ChristineHart@garneteducation.com.

The Sociology of Islam

by Tugrul Keskin

Assistant Professor of International and Middle East Studies at Portland State University

From the book The Sociology of Islam (forthcoming)
The theological understanding of Islam has been studied for the last 1,400 years. But this understanding cannot fully explain current social, political and economic transformations in the world today. In the modern world, we have a global financial system, a nation state, an oil-based economy, neo-liberal capitalism, popular culture, urbanization and social movements. In order to understand these phenomena in relation to Islam and Muslim societies, we must apply a sociological understanding of Islam as Ibn Khaldun did in the Muqaddimah in the fourteenth century.
In this context, the study of Islam as a religion is a very specific subject, but according to sociologist Anthony Giddens, every structure (such as Islam) has human agency. In the context of Islam, the agents are Muslims, and as sociologists, we systematically study Muslim behaviour within the structure of the religion. We also look carefully at the current and historic socio-economic and political context and the impact it has on human agency and behaviour. In this way, sociology is uniquely positioned to provide a multidimensional perspective and approach to the study of Islam and Muslim societies. Therefore, the sociology of Islam can be described as a systemic study of the social, political and economic aspects and transformation of Muslim societies in the context of an increasingly globalized world.
Today, we witness rapid changes in society, politics and the economy as a result of technological innovations, urbanization and the increased growth in access to education, as well as to media, as an overall trend. However, all of these changes have occurred within a different framework than those that took place a century ago in the era of industrialization. This is because the scale of change now taking place is global; therefore, there is no escape from it, as described by Weber (1996). However, it is not most accurately described as an iron cage either. These changes are best characterized as a revolution in human history, because they intend to create a new individual who is very different from those that lived in the pre-capitalist period. Today’s new individual is more work-oriented, consumes more, produces more, is more educated, reads more and lives in the city. I refer to this as a new stage in the development of capitalism, based on mass production and mass consumption and driven by the dehumanization of a global economic system.
In this new era, we observe the emergence of some social and political concepts that have swept the globe, such as modernity, secularism, democracy, human rights and freedom. According to pro-capitalist scholars such as Milton Friedman, Friedrich von Hayek and Karl Popper, all of these concepts are at least related to or are products of the capitalist system. I tend to agree with their observations; however, the system of capitalism also leads to unintended negative consequences for society, such as inequality, growth of the military machine, the atomic bomb, standardization of our daily life and the destruction of diversity, increased disciplinization, and rules and regulations that predominate in the name of the common good.
Today, while we have more bureaucratic political structures, we at least tend to be more rational, and society is more modern and secular than ever. We have departed from the social space, or a more mechanical form of solidarity where religion used to be a dominant institution, and are moving more towards an emphasis on an economically driven society. In this new society, mass production and mass consumption dominate every aspect of human life, including relations between people. Unlike Peter Berger’s argument (1999), I believe that we are now less religious and more economicus. In this context, Islam is the last world religion that has not been disciplined and secularized

In the Shadow of the Qur’an: Recent Islamist Discourse on the United States and US Foreign Policy

Author: Sami E. Baroudi

DOI: 10.1080/00263206.2010.492992

Publication Frequency: 6 issues per year

Published in: Middle Eastern Studies, Volume 46, Issue 4 July 2010 , pages 569 – 594

From Taylor and Francis

Academics have paid far more attention to Islamist movements than to the political discourse of contemporary Islamist authors. This is regrettable for four main reasons. First, Islamists address issues of major importance to their societies and these societies’ relations with the external world, especially the West. Understanding their discourse holds the key to a better understanding of Islamist movements. Second, Islamists form an integral component of the Arab intelligentsia. As opinion shapers they influence the attitudes, beliefs and value systems of Arab publics. Third, Islamists have been writing extensively and critically about the United States, especially since the end of the Cold War. It is of great importance to understand why they are so ‘preoccupied’ with America and why they view it the way they do. Finally, Islamists write in a distinct style that leans heavily, and in complex ways, on the sacred text (the Qur’an). It is intriguing and intellectually stimulating to analyze the substance and style of their discourse and to contextualize it historically. This article focuses on one specific and critical aspect of contemporary Islamist discourse: its treatment of the United States.

The MESA conference 2010 preliminiary program now available

The Middle Eastern Studies Association’s 2010 conference’s program includes 228 sessions that are scheduled in 12 panel time slots, beginning Thursday, November 18 at 5:00pm and ending on Sunday, November 21 at 3:30pm. The Presidential Address and Awards Ceremony will be held Friday, November 19 beginning at 7:00pm. The online, searchable program is always the most up-to-date and reflects changes to the program as they are made in the system. The preliminary program documents below are static documents that reflect the program/meeting as of July 29, 2010. The final printed program and addendum will be circulated at the meeting.

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California School Aims to be Country’s First Accredited Muslim College

by Dan Gilgoff
CNN Belief Blog
August 22, 2010

http://religion.blogs.cnn.com/2010/08/22/california-school-aims-to-be-countrys-first-accredited-muslim-college/

As controversy swirls around a proposed Islamic center near New York City’s ground zero and a handful of other mosque projects around the country, students will arrive this week at a California school that is aiming to become the country’s first accredited Muslim college.

Zaytuna College hopes to the train a generation of Islamic clerics and professionals in a Western Islamic tradition that school officials say is ill understood by many of the foreign-born imams currently working in the United States.

“There’s a triumphalist view that’s not conducive to the type of religion we need to see,” said Hamza Yusuf, chairman of Zaytuna’s trustees board, describing many foreign-born imams. “American Muslims can help change a lot of the Muslim world to create the potential for conviviality.”

The school, located in Berkeley, will offer just two degrees – Arabic, and a combined Islamic law and theology major – when it opens its doors Monday to the 15 students in its first freshmen class. The class includes eight women and seven men.

But its leaders say they plan to expand to around 150 students in the school’s first four years and that they want to eventually train young people for careers in U.S. law, journalism, academia, and other fields.

First year tuition is $11,000 plus room and board, according to the school.

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Refusing to be Enemies: Palestinian and Israeli Nonviolent Resistance to the Israeli Occupation

 

Refusing to be Enemies – Palestinian and Israeli Nonviolent Resistance to the Israeli Occupation.  Maxine Kaufman-Lacusta.  Ithaca Press (Garnet Publishing, Reading, UK), 2011.

Refusing to be Enemies: Palestinian and Israeli Nonviolent Resistance to the Israeli Occupation presents the voices of over 100 practitioners and theorists of nonviolence, the vast majority either Palestinian or Israeli, as they reflect on their own involvement in nonviolent resistance and speak about the nonviolent strategies and tactics employed by Palestinian and Israeli organizations, both separately and in joint initiatives.

From examples of effective nonviolent campaigns to consideration of obstacles encountered by nonviolent organizations and the special challenges of joint struggle, the book explores ways in which a more effective nonviolent movement may be built. In their own words, activists share their hopes and visions for the future and discuss the internal and external changes needed for their organizations, and the nonviolent movement as a whole, to successfully pursue their goal of a just peace in the region.

A foreword on the definition and nature of nonviolence by Canadian author Ursula Franklin, analytic essays by activists Ghassan Andoni (Palestinian), Jeff Halper (Israeli), Jonathan Kuttab (a Palestinian activist lawyer with international experience) and Starhawk (an “international” of Jewish background), and an epilogue from the author, round out the book. Andoni offers an analysis based on his long experience of nonviolent activism in Palestine, while Halper postulates “Six Elements of Effective Organizing and Struggle” as a conceptual framework for the interviews. Kuttab argues that, even given the Palestinians’ legal right to armed struggle, “nonviolence is more effective and suitable for resistance”, and Starhawk describes the unique challenges faced by Palestinian nonviolence.