Arab World

Fear and loathing in Saudi Arabia

  Editors’ Note: What does Saudi Arabia’s execution of Nimr al-Nimr say about the country’s domestic politics and foreign policy? As Ken Pollack explains, the leadership in Riyadh sees a Middle East spiraling out of control—that, combined with concerns about a general mobilization of the region’s Shiites, difficulties in controlling […]

Invitation to radicalisation

Jan 10,2016 – JORDAN TIMES – MUSA KEILANI One million Israeli settlers in the West Bank is the current target of the Israeli government of Benjamin Netanyahu, as reported by the Palestinian press. The expansion of existing settlements and the construction of new ones has been a priority of successive […]

What will 2016 bring Palestinians?

Jan 07,2016 – JORDAN TIMES – Daoud Kuttab If the Obama administration’s prediction that 2016 will fail to witness the birth of the Palestinian state proves true, then this year should be dedicated to leadership transition. Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, 81, needs to hand in his long-awaited resignation and Palestinians at […]

Toward a Political Theory of Sectarianism in the Middle East: The Salience of Authoritarianism over Theology

mei.edu: Sectarian identities could not be politicized unless differences in beliefs, values, and historical memory compelled religious groups to collective action around particularistic identities. The critical question, however, that demands an answer in explaining sectarian conflict is: why now?  Why do sectarian conflicts erupt at particular moments in time and […]