Middle East Institute معهد الشرق الأوسط
Occasional PapersSelect Year:Sufis & Sufism: A closer look at the journey of Sufis to BangladeshAs written by Al-ghazālī, in the true nature of a Sufi is an inherent awareness of freedom beyond his/her human form. A distinction, therefore, must be made between a Sufi and Sufism, the latter being a grouping of turuq (paths, plural of tariqa) made only in the 19th century. By very definition, a Sufi and Sufism are in conflict. Reconciliation must be made between the ‘freedom’ that the Sufis cherish most and the different turuq we find in Sufism. Do the turuq not bring the Sufis into the fold of ideological strictures and limit the scope of free-thinking? But then, when did the turuq start entertaining orthodox discourses and elaborate rituals? Tracing Sufis from Middle Eastern cities such as Khorasan (Persia), Baghdad, Bukhara and Kuniya (Turkey), the paper intends to respond to such queries by having a closer look at Bangladesh where Sufis and Sufism have made a lasting impact on the life and living of the people. read more Iraq Past, Present and Future: Arabic Speaking Iraqis between the Tribes, the Sunnah and the Shi’ahTribes represent a primordial phenomenon in Iraq. In a very general and loose way, a tribe may be defined as a more-or-less binding social, political, economic and cultural solidarity organization. It expresses itself through personal ties, mutual responsibilities and common ceremonies. With very few exceptions the bond between the tribesmen is defined in terms of a common bloodline and a common forefather (as an ideological principle, although real genetic affinity is not always the case) and more often than not also common territory. read more Challenging Power to the West: Iran’s Rising as a Regional PowerIran has been on the top of news globally for most of the last three decades. The main reason for this news “popularity” has been its troubled relations with the Western powers, the United States and its European allies. The gradual process of expansion and evolution of the European grouping to the European Union (EU) has now changed the form of expression of European dissatisfaction with Iran from those of individual states to that of the EU. Thus, today, Tehran has troubled relations with both Washington and Brussels. read more How Far Can Democracy Go? The Case of Lebanon 2005On March 14, 2005, more than one third of Lebanon’s 4 million people took to the streets demanding the withdrawal of Syrian troops and the disarmament of local Lebanese and Palestinian militias. The rally inaugurated what came to be known as the Independence Uprising, or the Cedar Revolution. However, the popular drive toward independence and democracy lost steam before it could celebrate its fifth anniversary. Reasons included change in Western governments and agendas as well as defeat of Lebanese pro-democracy forces facing domestic and regional bullying. Through the Lebanese experience, this paper will examine the viability of democracy in the Middle East at large. read more The Intellectual Roots of Egypt’s Regional RoleIn his 2004 commentary, ‘Inheriting Egypt’, Hassan Hanafi argued that at this historical moment, when Egypt was covered all over with wounds, the two wings of the Arab world, the Gulf and the Maghreb, were more than willing to inherit Egypt’s leadership of the Arab world.1 Another prominent Egyptian intellectual, Anwar Abdel Malek, sheds light on the absence of Egypt in the minds of Arab intellectuals and politicians;2 emphasizing the existence of a strategy to marginalize Egypt by means of destroying the economic, social, and cultural foundations of Egyptian life.3 Hanafi and Abdel Malek spared no effort to depict, each from his own special angle, that the present stands in a striking contrast to the historical movement of the Egyptian civilization, described by the famous Egyptian geographer Jamal Hamdan, on the basis of his philosophy read more Singapore’s Hadrami Community in Today’s EconomyThe Middle East is enjoying a remarkable period of economic expansion and it is the Gulf economies which are leading the charge. The Gulf has benefited from historically high oil prices, sustained economic reforms, and gradual market liberalization over the past decade. As a result, the region grew at an average 7.5% between 2003 and 2007, or near to the average rate of growth in the Asian Tiger economies during the past thirty years.1 It slowed during the economic crisis, but is now recovering. Not surprisingly, investors have started allocating a small, but rising share, of their portfolios to the region. read more Iran: Domestic Politics and Foreign Policy in a Wider Regional ContextIran’s regional stature has grown considerably in recent years, partly as a result of President Khatami’s soft diplomacy and his reform agenda, partly due to the polarization and fragmentation of the Arab order that allowed for a wider distribution of regional power, and finally due to the 2001 and 2003 military campaigns in Afghanistan and Iraq respectively which effectively resulted in the removal from power of two hostile ruling regimes on Iran’s door-step. Of the two, by far the more significant was the fall of Sunni-dominated Baath regime Iraq to US forces in April 2003, which in effect opened the way for the extension of Iranian influence to the heart of the Arab world. But besides the benefits of geopolitical changes in the region, Iran’s own policies have played a key part in Iran’s role conception and regional power politics. It has been apparent to most observers that Iran’s soft power has been growing for over a decade now and that its views are now an important consideration in regional diplomacy. In addition, its irredentist position in relation to US power in the region post-9/11 has enabled Tehran to propel itself forward to a position of dominance in Middle East radical/ Islamist politics: strengthening Hezbollah in weak Lebanon on the one hand as a power base in the Levant. Deepening its financial, political and military links with the essentially Sunni Palestinian rejectionist groups (Hamas and Islamic Jihad), on the other, has given Tehran new levers to pull at the heart of Arab politics. read more Arab World Economies — Weathering the StormThe global recession set off by the financial crisis in late 2008 has strained Arab World economies, but early signs suggest that the downturn in the region will not be as severe as it has in other emerging markets or the developed countries. Arab economies are, on the whole, weathering the crisis better than others in the short term. In the long term, however, a prolonged recession is likely to create the potential for social and political instability. Oil economies have managed to maintain high levels of capital spending despite the decrease in oil revenues. Non oil producing countries, on the other hand, might show delayed effects as capital inflows from remittances, foreign investment, and tourism revenue fall and affect the rest of their economies. Countries less integrated into the global economy are not likely to see severe losses. read more China’s Interests in the Gulf – Beyond Economic Relations?Since 2000, there have been growing interactions between China and the Gulf Cooperative Council (GCC), especially in the economic field. This relationship was cemented on China’s growing oil demands and boosted by China’s going-out strategy. The attack on the World Trade Centre in New York on 11 September 2001 and the aftermath of the Iraqi invasion in 2003 have transformed the geo-political and geo-economic balance in the Gulf. On the Gulf side, frequent visits of high-level Gulf officials to China suggest that there are growing signals of seeking for a new strategic partner to offset the US influence, by ‘looking east’. China has become an important alterative. One notable visit was that of King Abdullah of Saudi Arabia in 2006 when he made China his first overseas destination after his coronation. On the Chinese side, the government is aware the significance of the Gulf from the energy supply perspective, as well as its geo-implications. China’s growing presence in the Middle East has alarmed the West. read more The Friendship with Israel: India Squares the CircleThe establishment of full diplomatic relations with Israel in January 1992 marked a new beginning in India’s Middle East policy. This was its most dramatic foreign policy move following the end of the Cold War. At the same time it completed a process that began in September 1950 when Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru granted recognition to the Jewish State. The dramatic improvements in the political, economic, cultural and above all security relations between the two countries since 1992 have been in contrast to the past. For over four decades India oscillated from being cool, unfriendly to outright hostile and was at the forefront of anti-Israeli moves in various international forums. At the same time, normalisation has enhanced India’s overall interests in the Middle East and enabled it to explore avenues that were not available in the past. How did India square the past and pursue a more fruitful approach towards Israel? A modest attempt is made here to delineate some of the salient features of Indo-Israeli relations and the manner in which India handled its potential pitfalls. read more |
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