Download or read book Dictatorship Imperialism and Chaos written by Thabit A J Abdullah and published by Zed Books Ltd.. This book was released on 2010-01-01 with total page 108 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Since 1989 the history of Iraq has been one of the world's most traumatic. In this book, Thabit Abdullah places the Iraqi people at the centre of changes which began with the invasion of Kuwait in 1990, and ended with the current American-led occupation. Battles for control of oil, the vacuum created by Saddam Hussein's dictatorship and the devastating impact of sanctions have wreaked havoc on Iraqi society over the past two decades. Abdullah argues that current ethnic tensions and religious divisions are a response to this destruction of civil society, rather than a consequence of having 'artificial' borders, inherent in Iraq's very existence. This powerful and often moving account provides a uniquely measured insight into the recent political and social history of Iraq. It is an ideal introduction for anyone seeking a deeper understanding of this important and controversial nation.
Download or read book Dictatorship Imperialism and Chaos written by Thabit Abdullah and published by . This book was released on with total page 136 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Acknowledgments -- Introduction -- The rise of the modern state -- Dictatorship and war -- Imperialism and the crisis of Kuwait -- The sanctions regime -- Occupation and chaos -- Epilogue -- Notes -- Index.
Download or read book Countering Global Terrorism and Insurgency written by N. Underhill and published by Springer. This book was released on 2014-11-16 with total page 242 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Explores current debates around religious extremism as a means to understand and re-think the connections between terrorism, insurgency and state failure. Using case studies of Pakistan, Afghanistan and Iraq, she develops a better understanding of the underlying causes and conditions necessary for terrorism and insurgency to occur.
Download or read book Sectarianism in Iraq written by Fanar Haddad and published by Oxford University Press. This book was released on 2014-05-03 with total page 256 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Viewing Iraq from the outside is made easier by compartmentalising its people (at least the Arabs among them) into Shi'as and Sunnis. But can such broad terms, inherently resistant to accurate quantification, description and definition, ever be a useful reflection of any society? If not, are we to discard the terms 'Shi'a' and 'Sunni' in seeking to understand Iraq? Or are we to deny their relevance and ignore them when considering Iraqi society? How are we to view the common Iraqi injunction that 'we are all brothers' or that 'we have no Shi'as and Sunnis' against the fact of sectarian civil war in 2006? Are they friends or enemies? Are they united or divided; indeed, are they Iraqis or are they Shi'as and Sunnis? Fanar Haddad provides the first comprehensive examination of sectarian relations and sectarian identities in Iraq. Rather than treating the subject by recourse to broad-based categorisation, his analysis recognises the inherent ambiguity of group identity. The salience of sectarian identity and views towards self and other are neither fixed nor constant; rather, they are part of a continuously fluctuating dynamic that sees the relevance of sectarian identity advancing and receding according to context and to wider socioeconomic and political conditions. What drives the salience of sectarian identity? How are sectarian identities negotiated in relation to Iraqi national identity and what role do sectarian identities play in the social and political lives of Iraqi Sunnis and Shi'as? These are some of the questions explored in this book with a particular focus on the two most significant turning points in modern Iraqi sectarian relations: the uprisings of March 1991 and the fall of the Ba'ath in 2003. Haddad explores how sectarian identities are negotiated and seeks finally to put to rest the alarmist and reductionist accounts that seek either to portray all things Iraqi in sectarian terms or to reduce sectarian identity to irrelevance.
Download or read book Destiny Disrupted written by Tamim Ansary and published by ReadHowYouWant.com. This book was released on 2010 with total page 666 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: "In Destiny Disrupted, Ansary tells the rich story of world history as it looks from that other perspective. With the evolution of the Muslim community at the center, his story moves from the lifetime of Mohammed through a succession of far-flung empires, to the struggles and ideological movements that have wracked the Muslim world in recent centuries, to the tangle of modern conflicts that culminated in the events of 9/11. He introduces the key people, events, ideas, legends, religious disputes, and turning points of world history from that other perspective, recounting not only what happened but how those events were interpreted and understood in that framework. He clarifies why these two great civilizations grew up oblivious to each other, what happened when they intersected, and how the Islamic world was affected by its slow recognition that Europe - a place it long perceived as primitive - had somehow hijacked destiny."--BOOK JACKET.
Download or read book Ghosts of Empire written by Kwasi Kwarteng and published by PublicAffairs. This book was released on 2012-02-07 with total page 480 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Kwasi Kwarteng is the child of parents whose lives were shaped as subjects of the British Empire, first in their native Ghana, then as British immigrants. He brings a unique perspective and impeccable academic credentials to a narrative history of the British Empire, one that avoids sweeping judgmental condemnation and instead sees the Empire for what it was: a series of local fiefdoms administered in varying degrees of competence or brutality by a cast of characters as outsized and eccentric as anything conjured by Gilbert and Sullivan. The truth, as Kwarteng reveals, is that there was no such thing as a model for imperial administration; instead, appointees were schooled in quirky, independent-minded individuality. As a result the Empire was the product not of a grand idea but of often chaotic individual improvisation. The idosyncracies of viceroys and soldier-diplomats who ran the colonial enterprise continues to impact the world, from Kashmir to Sudan, Baghdad to Hong Kong.
Download or read book Government and Politics of the Contemporary Middle East written by Tareq Y. Ismael and published by Routledge. This book was released on 2012-10-02 with total page 469 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This exciting new book for students of Middle Eastern politics provides a comprehensive introduction to the complexities of the region, its politics and people. Combining a thematic framework for examining patterns of politics with individual chapters dedicated to specific countries, the book explores current issues within an historical context. Presenting information in an accessible and inclusive format, the book offers: coverage of the historical influence of colonialism and major world powers on the shaping of the modern Middle East a detailed examination of the legacy of Islam analysis of the political and social aspects of Middle Eastern life: alienation between state and society, poverty and social inequality, ideological crises and renewal case studies on countries in the Northern Belt (Turkey and Iran); the Fertile Crescent (Iraq, Syria and Lebanon, Israel and Palestine); and those West and East of the Red Sea (Egypt and the members of the Gulf Cooperation Council). extensive pedagogical features, including original maps and detailed further reading sections, provide essential support for the reader. A key introductory text for students of Middle Eastern politics and history at advanced undergraduate and postgraduate levels, this book will also be a significant reference for policy-makers and any motivated reader.
Download or read book Writing the Modern History of Iraq written by Jordi Tejel and published by World Scientific. This book was released on 2012 with total page 578 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The modern history of Iraq is punctuated by a series of successive and radical ruptures (coups d'etat, changes of regime, military adventures and foreign invasions) whose chronological markers are relatively easy to identify. Although researchers cannot ignore these ruptures, they should also be encouraged to establish links between the moments when the breaks occur and the longue durée, in order to gain a better understanding of the period.Combining a variety of different disciplinary and methodological perspectives, this collection of essays seeks to establish some new markers which will open fresh perspectives on the history of Iraq in the twentieth and twenty-first centuries, and suggest a narrative that fits into new paradigms. The book covers the various different periods of the modern state (the British occupation and mandate, the monarchy, the first revolutions and the decades of Ba'thist rule) through the lens of significant groups in Iraq society, including artists, film-makers, political and opposition groups, members of ethnic and religious groups, and tribes.
Download or read book Societies Under Siege written by Lee Jones and published by Oxford University Press, USA. This book was released on 2015 with total page 253 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Moving beyond the question of whether international economic sanctions work, this book explores how they work - or fail to work - to transform target societies and states.
Download or read book Writing the Modern History of Iraq written by Jordi Tejel and published by World Scientific. This book was released on 2012-09-06 with total page 580 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The modern history of Iraq is punctuated by a series of successive and radical ruptures (coups d'etat, changes of regime, military adventures and foreign invasions) whose chronological markers are relatively easy to identify. Although researchers cannot ignore these ruptures, they should also be encouraged to establish links between the moments when the breaks occur and the longue durée, in order to gain a better understanding of the period. Combining a variety of different disciplinary and methodological perspectives, this collection of essays seeks to establish some new markers which will open fresh perspectives on the history of Iraq in the twentieth and twenty-first centuries, and suggest a narrative that fits into new paradigms. The book covers the various different periods of the modern state (the British occupation and mandate, the monarchy, the first revolutions and the decades of Ba'thist rule) through the lens of significant groups in Iraq society, including artists, film-makers, political and opposition groups, members of ethnic and religious groups, and tribes. Contents:Introduction (Riccardo Bocco and Jordi Tejel)Dealing with the Past: Methodological Issues (Peter Sluglett):Advice from the Past: 'Ali al-Wardi on Literature and Society (Orit Bashkin)Writing the History of Iraq: The Fallacy of “Objective” History (Johan Franzén)The Sectarian Master Narrative in Iraqi Historiography (Reidar Visser)Beyond Political Ruptures: Towards a Historiography of Social Continuity in Iraq (Peter Harling)The Monarchist Era Revisited (Jordi Tejel):What Did It Mean to Be an Iraqi During the Monarchy? (Hala Fattah)From Forty-One to Qadisiyyat Saddam: Remarks on an Iraqi Realm of Memory (Peter Wien)Building the Nation Through the Production of Difference (Sara Pursley)Rethinking the Ba'thist Period (Hamit Bozarslan):Digging the Past: The Historiography of Archeology in Modern Iraq (Magnus T Bernhardsson)Totalitarianism Revisited: Framing the History of Ba'thist Iraq (Achim Rohde)How to “Turn the Page” (Fanny Lafourcade)Dealing with Victimhood: Whose Memories of Mass Violence? Between Oral and Official History:Fragmented Memory, Competing Narratives (Karin Mlodoch)The Concept of Genocide as Part of Knowledge Production in Iraqi Kurdistan (Andrea Fischer-Tahir)The 1991 Intifada in Three Keys: Writing the History of Violence (Dina Rizk Khoury)'Qadisiyat Saddam': The Gamble That Did Not Pay Off (Chérine Chams El Dine)Shi'i Actors in Post-Saddam Iraq: Partisan Historiography (Peter Sluglett):Partisan and Global Identity in the Historiography of Iraqi Religious Institutions (Robert J Riggs)Najaf and the (Re)Birth of Arab Shi'i Political Thought (Michaelle Browers)Between Action and Symbols (Elvire Corboz)The Politics of Population Movements in Contemporary Iraq: A Research Agenda (Géraldine Chatelard):The Brain Drain in Iraq After the 2003 Invasion (Joseph Sassoon)Cosmopolitanism and Iraqi Migration (Diane Duclos)Representing Iraq History Through the Arts (Hamit Bozarslan):Literary Glimpses of Modern Iraqi History and Society (Sami Zubaida)History and Fiction in the New Iraqi Cinema (Lucia Sorbera)War, Crimes and Video Tapes: Conflicting Memories in Films on Iraq (Nicolas Masson)Poetry in the Service of Nation Building? Political Commitment and Self-Assertion (Leslie Tramontini)Not Just “For Art's Sake”: Exhibiting Iraqi Art in the West After 2003 (Silvia Naef)Appendix: State of the Art on Iraqi Studies: A Bibliographical Survey of English and French Sources (Hamit Bozarslan and Jordi Tejel) Readership: Professionals, students & scholars interested in historical, social & political issues in Iraq & the Middle East. Keywords:Iraq;US Invasion;Ba'th Party;De-Ba'thification;Kurds;Shiis;SunnisKey Features:Most existing publications on Iraqi history present a succession of tragic events which would lead the reader to assume a sort of fatality in the country's evolution towards the present situationDue to deeper observation and analysis (between the local, the regional and the global; between internal and external), the authors offer, in contrast, new grids of analysis on Iraqi history rejecting a primordialist approach that establishes ethnic and sectarian borders as the self-evident reasons of the present situationContributors to this book are well-established researchers in their field
Download or read book A Short History of Iraq written by Thabit Abdullah and published by Routledge. This book was released on 2014-05-12 with total page 233 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This accessible guide has been fully updated to take into account the Iraq War and subsequent developments, whilst retaining its character as a non-partisan and approachable text for students and interested readers alike. The twentieth century witnessed the transformation of the area known currently as Iraq from a backward region of the Ottoman Empire, to one of the most important and dynamic states in the Middle East. The rise of modern Iraq has its roots in the second half of the nineteenth century when Ottoman reforms led to gradual state modernization and increasing integration in the World Economy. British control after World War I was one of the determining factors in the establishment of the current borders of the country and the nature of its subsequent national identity. The other important factor was the highly heterogeneous nature of Iraqi society being divided along tribal, ethnic, religious, and sectarian lines. This book focuses on the interaction between the old and the new, or between continuity and change, as it is manifested in the nature of social development, nation-building, the state and the political opposition. An entirely new chapter focusing on the recent conflict has been added, and will contain sections on: The new chapter will have the following sections: The Question of American Intervention Invasion and the Fall of Saddam Looting & the Collapse of the Central State The Provisional Authority’s Reforms The Nature of the Resistance Iraq’s New Political Reality Elections and the Rise of Sectarian Parties Social-Economic Transformations The Challenge of the Future.
Download or read book The Throes of Democracy written by Doctor Bryan McCann and published by Zed Books Ltd.. This book was released on 2013-04-04 with total page 140 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In the 1980s, Brazil emerged from two decades of military dictatorship and embarked on an experiment in full democracy for the first time in the nation's history Since then, Brazilians have sought to live up to the ideals of this experiment while negotiating dramatic economic and cultural transformations. In The Throes of Democracy Bryan McCann gives a panoramic view of this process, exploring the relationships between the rise of the political left, the escalation of urban violence, the agribusiness boom and the spread of pentecostal evangelization. Brazil remains a land marked by deep inequality, but in the last two decades the structure of that inequality has changed substantially. This is a country which remains an endlessly vital source of popular culture, now bubbling forth from different corners of the map. In explaining these transformations, this book provides a fascinating introduction to one of the 21st century's most significant countries.
Download or read book The Caliph and the Imam written by Toby Matthiesen and published by Oxford University Press. This book was released on 2023-02-07 with total page 961 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The authoritative account of the sectarian division that for centuries has shaped events in the Middle East and the Islamic world. In 632, soon after the prophet Muhammad died, a struggle broke out among his followers as to who would succeed him. The majority argued that the new leader of Islam should be elected by the community's elite. Others believed only members of Muhammad's family could lead. This dispute over who should guide Muslims, the appointed Caliph or the bloodline Imam, marks the origin of the Sunni-Shii split in Islam. Toby Matthiesen explores this hugely significant division from its origins to the present day. Moving chronologically, his book sheds light on the many ways that it has shaped the Islamic world, outlining how over the centuries Sunnism and Shiism became Islams two main branches, particularly after the Muslim Empires embraced sectarian identity. It reveals how colonial rule institutionalised divisions between Sunnism and Shiism both on the Indian subcontinent and in the greater Middle East, giving rise to pan-Islamic resistance and Sunni and Shii revivalism. It then focuses on the fall-out from the 1979 revolution in Iran and the US-led military intervention in Iraq. As Matthiesen shows, however, though Sunnism and Shiism have had a long and antagonistic history, most Muslims have led lives characterised by confessional ambiguity and peaceful co-existence. Tensions arise when sectarian identity becomes linked to politics. Based on a synthesis of decades of scholarship in numerous languages, The Caliph and the Imam will become the standard text for readers looking for a deeper understanding of contemporary sectarian conflict and its historical roots.
Download or read book A Brief History of Iraq written by Hala Mundhir Fattah and published by Infobase Publishing. This book was released on 2009 with total page 337 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Describes the history of Iraq, from its beginnings as the Sumarian civilization in Mesopotamia through the present day.
Download or read book Global Shift written by Mike Mason and published by McGill-Queen's Press - MQUP. This book was released on 2013-01-01 with total page 361 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: An insightful account of the recent histories of nearly two dozen states, Global Shift is a dynamic, nuanced study of what is sometimes referred to as the "Third World." Seeking to illuminate the deep economic chasm between the global East and West, Mike Mason presents a new perspective of decolonization, neocolonialism, and global capitalism in the context of the rise and decline of a hegemonic America. Global Shift begins with the end of the Second World War, telling the story of a ravaged, but still dominant West, as well as the emergence of the Third World - a zone of competition and contention ultimately engulfed by the rising tide of capitalist development. Mason suggests that historic focus on the West as the centre of the global economy may soon be superseded by the rise of the East Drawing on history, comparative politics, and development studies, Global Shift traces the contours of state histories from Asia, Africa, and Latin America to create a comprehensive portrait of the current state of global politics that is breathtaking in scope.
Download or read book Nations and Nationalism 4 volumes written by Guntram H. Herb and published by Bloomsbury Publishing USA. This book was released on 2008-05-22 with total page 2204 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A comprehensive and revealing compilation of essays analyzing the varied dimensions of national identities and nationalisms across world regions and through time. The pervasiveness of nationalism, its many manifestations over the centuries, and the widely scattered way it has been studied make it a particularly difficult subject to approach and explore. ABC-CLIO offers the finest comprehensive reference available on an essential topic in modern world history. Across four volumes, Nations and Nationalism: A Global Historical Overview covers all aspects of nationalism, in all parts of the world, from the time of the French Revolution to the present day. Nations and Nationalism helps students, researchers, and other interested readers explore national identities and nationalistic movements in historical context. Organized chronologically, its four volumes combine thematic essays on different characteristics of nationalism with case studies of key historical developments involving specific nations at specific times. The encyclopedia focuses on Europe, Latin America, Africa, and Asia, with featured coverage of nationalist cultural creations, including literature, music, symbols, and mythologies.
Download or read book Dynamics of Change in the Persian Gulf Political Economy War and Revolution written by Anoushiravan Ehteshami and published by Routledge. This book was released on 2013 with total page 306 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The Persian Gulf has come to represent one of the most strategically significant waterways of the world. In terms of geography, geopolitics, resources, global political economy, and regional influence, the Gulf is perhaps home to the world's most significant group of countries. Focusing on the complexities of the interplay between domestic-level changes and region-wide interactions, this book presents the reader with the first comprehensive survey of the dynamics of change in this crucial area. Systemic-oriented in its approach, the impact of war and revolution on the countries of the sub-region is discussed, and the ways in which these factors have shaped the security dilemmas and responses of the Gulf States is also explored. The role of oil is examined in terms of the impact of its income on these states and societies, and the manner in which oil has shaped the integration of these states into the global system. Oil has shrunk developmental time in these countries, and has accelerated generational shift. At the same time, it has created the dialectical relationship which now characterizes the difficult balance between prosperity and instability which is at the heart of the sub-region. Casting new light on the workings of a strategically significant part of the international system, this book will be an essential resource for students and scholars of international relations, international security and Middle Eastern politics.
