A New Interpretation

By A.C.S. Peacock

This book investigates the early history of the Seljuq Turks, founders of one of the most important empires of the mediaeval Islamic world, from their origins in the Eurasian steppe to their conquest of Iran, Iraq and Anatolia. The first work available in a western language on this important episode in Turkish and Islamic history, this book offers a new understanding of the emergence of this major nomadic empire

Focusing on perhaps the most important and least understood phase, the transformation of the Seljuqs from tribesmen in Central Asia to rulers of a great Muslim Empire, the author examines previously neglected sources to demonstrate the central role of tribalism in the evolution of their state. The book also seeks to understand the impact of the invasions on the settled peoples of the Middle East and the beginnings of Turkish settlement in the region, which was to transform it demographically forever. Arguing that the nomadic, steppe origins of the Seljuqs were of much greater importance in determining the early development of the empire than is usually believed, this book sheds new light on the arrival of the Turks in the Islamic world.

A significant contribution to our understanding of the history of the Middle East, this book will be of interest to scholars of Byzantium as well as Islamic history, as well as Islamic studies and anthropology.

ISBN: 9780415548533

Published March 10 2010 by Routledge.

Violence and Transformation in the Karachi Conflict

By Nichola Khan

Synthesizing political, anthropological and psychological perspectives, this book addresses the everyday causes and appeal of long-term involvement in extreme political violence in urban Pakistan. Taking Pakistan’s ethno nationalist Mohajir party, the Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) as a case study, it explores how certain men from the ethnic community of Mohajirs are recruited to the roles and statuses of political killers, and sustain violence as a primary social identity and lifestyle over a period of some years. By drawing on detailed fieldwork in areas involved in the Karachi conflict, the author contributes to understandings of violence, tracing the development of violent aspects of Mohajir nationalism via an exploration of political and cultural contexts of Pakistan’s history, and highlighting the repetitive homology of the conflict with the earlier violence of Partition. Through a local comparison of ethnic and religious militancy she also updates the current situation of social and cultural change in Karachi, which is dominantly framed in terms of Islamist radicalization and modernization. In her examination, governance and civil society issues are integrated with the political and psychological dimensions of mobilization processes and violence at micro-, meso- and macro- levels. This book injects a critical and innovative voice into the ongoing debates about the nature and meaning of radicalization and violence, as well as the specific implications it has for similar, contemporary conflicts in Pakistan and the developing world.

ISBN: 9780415554909

Published March 10 2010 by Routledge.

The Charisma of Criticism

By H. Aram Veeser

This insightful critical biography shows us an Edward Said we did not know. H. Aram Veeser brings forth not the Said of tabloid culture, or Said the remote philosopher, but the actual man, embedded in the politics of the Middle East but soaked in the values of the West and struggling to advance the best European ideas. Veeser shows the organic ties connecting his life, politics, and criticism.

Drawing on what he learned over 35 years as Said's student and skeptical admirer, Veeser uses never-before-published interviews, debate transcripts, and photographs to discover a Said who had few inhibitions and loathed conventional routine. He stood for originality, loved unique ideas, wore marvelous clothes, and fought with molten fury. For twenty years he embraced and rejected, at the same time, not only the West, but also literary theory and the PLO. At last, his disgust with business-as-usual politics and criticism marooned him on the sidelines of both.

The candid tale of Said's rise from elite academic precincts to the world stage transforms not only our understanding of Said—the man and the myth—but also our perception of how intellectuals can make their way in the world.

ISBN: 9780415902649

Published March 09 2010 by Routledge.

Divine Command Theory in Arabo-Islamic Thought

By Mariam al-Attar

This book explores philosophical ethics in Arabo-Islamic thought. Examining the meaning, origin and development of "Divine Command Theory", it underscores the philosophical bases of religious fundamentalism that hinder social development and hamper dialogue between different cultures and nations.

Challenging traditional stereotypes of Islam, the book refutes contemporary claims that Islam is a defining case of ethical voluntarism, and that the prominent theory in Islamic ethical thought is Divine Command Theory. The author argues that, in fact, early Arab-Islamic scholars articulated moral theories: theories of value and theories of obligation. She traces the development of Arabo-Islamic ethics from the early Islamic theological and political debates between the Kharijites and the Murji’ites, shedding new light on the moral theory of Abd al-Jabbar al-Mu’tazili and the effects of this moral theory on post-Mu’tazilite ethical thought.

Highlighting important aspects in the development of Islamic thought, this book will appeal to students and scholars of Islamic moral thought and ethics, Islamic law, and religious fundamentalism.

ISBN: 9780415555197

Published March 03 2010 by Routledge.

Stability and Reform in the Modern Maghreb

By Christopher Alexander

This book gives a concise yet comprehensive overview of Tunisia’s political and economic development from the mid-nineteenth century to the present. Written specifically for a non-specialist audience, the book examines the factors that make Tunisia one of the Arab world’s most stable and prosperous countries and one of its hardiest authoritarian orders. The author explores these themes in a way that sheds light on the political dynamics of the broader Arabic-speaking, Muslim world.

Christopher Alexander draws on extensive primary and secondary research and on comparison with other countries in the region to provide the most up-to-date introduction to Tunisia's post-independence politics. Challenging the notion that Tunisia’s stability is rooted in a unique political culture, he argues that Tunisia’s stability reflects the pragmatic interests of a wide range of actors and the skillful maneuvering of the country’s two presidents. Concisely written chapters cover topics such as:

• state formation
• domestic politics
• economic development
• foreign relations
• colonialism

An essential inclusion on courses on Middle Eastern politics, African politics, and political science in general, this accessible introduction to Tunisia will also be of interest to anyone wishing to learn more about this significant region.

ISBN: 9780415274210

Published February 25 2010 by Routledge.

Resilience of a Cultural Heritage

By Fereshteh Davaran

Despite changes in sovereignty and in religious thought, certain aspects of Iranian culture and identity have persisted since antiquity. Drawing on an exploration of history, religion and literature to define Iranian cultural identity and link the Persian past with more recent cultural and political phenomena, this book examines the history of Iran from its ancient roots to the Islamic period, paying particular attention to pre-Islamic Persian religions and their influence upon later Muslim practices and precepts in Iran.

Accessible English translations of the pre-Islamic Andarz (Advice) literature and of the Adab (Counsel) genre of the Islamic era illustrate the convergence of religion and literature in Iranian culture and how the explicitly religious Adab texts were very much influenced and shaped by the Andarz sources. Within the context of this historical material, and in particular the pre-Islamic religious material, the author highlights its literary and ethical implications on post-Islamic Iranian identity.

Exploring the link between a consistent pre-Islamic Iranian identity and a unique post-Islamic one, this book will be of interest to students of Iranian Studies, Middle Eastern studies and Religious Studies, as well as anyone wishing to learn more about Persian history and culture.

ISBN: 9780415481045

Published February 24 2010 by Routledge.

A Comparative Perspective

By Shahira Samy

This book delves into the issue of reparations in relation to Palestinian refugees in their search for a solution to their displacement and dispossession. Highlighting the broad spectrum of reparations available as forms of remedy for a historical injustice, the author probes the reasons behind the failure to reach a reparations agreement till the present day and discusses the significance of issues of apology, recognition and acknowledgement of responsibility.

In its approach, the book departs from traditional and modern perceptions of reparations as featuring in international law, history, politics and philosophy. The analysis is focused on a comparative study of two other cases - the German-Jewish reparations agreement of 1952 and the Cypriot conflict - in search of parameters that may constitute a framework to a potential reparations model applicable to the case of Palestinian refugees. When compared to the history of negotiations over reparations in the Israeli-Palestinian case, the findings of the comparison shed light on why reparations are still illusive. The book thus offers an explanation of why reparations to Palestinian refugees have failed, and offers suggestions on how to enhance prospects for reparations to Palestinian displacement and dispossessions.

A unique contribution to the study of the Arab-Israeli peace process, this book will be an important reference for scholars of the Arab-Israeli conflict, and for students and scholars of politics, conflict resolution and history.

ISBN: 9780415485791

Published February 19 2010 by Routledge.

Ideology and Practice

Edited by Christoph Schumann

This book explores the complex relationship between nationalism and liberal thought in the Arab East during the first half of the twentieth century. Examining this formative period through reformist Islam, Arab secularism and Arab literature, the book situates major shifts in the political ideologies and practices of Arab liberals within a historical context.

Contributions from renowned scholars in the field show how rather than fundamentally contradicting each other, these two schools of thought are closely linked. Many key demands of liberalism - most notably constitutionalism, the rule of law, individual rights, and popular participation - have been central to the nationalist agenda, while other issues have proven more controversial: inter-confessional tolerance, secularism, and the goals of state-sponsored education. Although a strong nation-state was pivotal to the nationalist imagination during most of the twentieth century, a powerful critique of unchecked state power took shape as Arab countries experienced a half-century of authoritarian government. In analyzing these issues, the chapters demonstrate how the rise and fall of liberalism across the region was not determined solely by religion or culture, but by the ideas of influential intellectuals and politicians.

Advancing our understanding of political ideology and practice in the Arab East, this volume will be of great interest to students and scholars of political science, history and the Middle East.

ISBN: 9780415554107

Published February 18 2010 by Routledge.

Edited by Shahrzad Mojab

This anthology provides fresh theorization of gendered dimensions of learning, war, and violence, with a view to offering new insights on the impact of violence on women’s learning and well being. The collection is an important contribution to emerging interdisciplinary approaches to the role and effectiveness of civil society, especially women’s NGOs, working in war and post-conflict zones, and to the relationship between neoliberal, global ‘feminist’ projects and the re-emergence of colonial and imperial feminisms. This collection is also an exploration of the plausibility of current peace education strategies augmenting the political and leadership role of women and their civic engagement.

This collection is designed to create a space for conversation across disciplines on such issues as how to advance our conceptualization of gender-related education and conflict; how to provide empirically-based case studies and transnational analyses that improves our understanding of the impact of war and violence on women’s learning; and how to contribute to national and international policy analyses to improve education for women and girls, through related policy reforms or humanitarian aid programs in post-war reconstruction efforts.

This book was published as a special issue in the International Journal of Lifelong Education.

ISBN: 9780415559867

Published February 18 2010 by Routledge.

Edited by Zahia Smail Salhi

The images of women in chadors or burqas as contrasted with images of belly dancers which circulate today as representations of Muslim/Middle Eastern women do not fluctuate from the images propagated by Orientalist paintings and colonial photographs which also offer contrasting representations of the veiled thus secluded and the naked or semi-naked thus eroticised Muslim/Oriental woman.

As well as challenging the prevailing stereotypes of the Middle Eastern and North African women, the book aims to highlight the element of diversity which characterises the lives of these women and the regions to which they belong. The sense that most of the Middle Eastern and North African countries are Muslim does confer a common identity, a distinction from others that may serve to bridge wide social, cultural, and economic differences among them. However, it is also important to stress that significant elements other than Islam contribute to the making of MENA societies and women’s cultural identities.

This book was published as a special issue of the British Journal of Middle Eastern Studies.

ISBN: 9780415549752

Published February 01 2010 by Routledge.