From the Almoravid’s invasion of Ghana in 1062 until the Moroccan conquest of the Songhay Empire in 1591 that, allegedly, was not “sufficiently Muslim,” Africa south of the Sahara has been exposed to a “purification of Islam” project. This project took two forms, one was the quietist, intellectually driven reformism (for instance, the 15th century Moroccan al- Maghili and 16th century Malian Ahmad Baba al-Timbukti d. 1627). The second was militant Islamism, for which the 19th century, better known as the “Jihadist period,” was particularly significant in Sudanic

At a time of profound regional and international transformations that extend beyond the political, Middle Easterners in general and Arabs in particular ponder their future, as well as how to best preserve and protect their interests and, equally important, their cultures.  As non-Arabs interpret and opine about Arab civilization far more than indigenous thinkers, how can we understand what motivates scholars and opinion-makers, and how can Arab analysts highlight indigenous perspectives? What are the core factors that separate non-Arab scholars from their Arab counterparts? Can the perceptions of nearly 500 million individuals

The Russian-Israeli intersections in the Middle East sway sometime from being distinctly pragmatic to peculiar arenas when it comes to the ongoing Syrian conflict. Through adopting the lens of Neoclassical Realism as a theory of international relations, this paper demonstrates how the Syrian conflict - due to its importance to both Israel and Russia - leads both countries to participate in positional competition in the region, engage in limited but effective cooperation, and try to stem the erosion of state-centric governance. The unique ties between the two countries in terms of their religious

This analysis strives to factually present the evolution of Germany’s foreign and security policy vis-à-vis the Syrian Arab Republic and the Republic of Iraq. It assesses the question of whether German foreign policy is guided by a new doctrine, insofar as it envisages to assume more security policy responsibility on the global stage, as stated in the recently published “2016 White Paper on German Security Policy and the Future of the Bundeswehr.” 

By: Hyeju Jeong, Duke University History Department While the Chinese Muslim diaspora population in Saudi Arabia is smaller than the diaspora populations of South Asia, Central Asia or Southeast Asia, whose historical ties with the coasts of the Red Sea are known to have left enduring vestiges in and around Mecca, Chinese Muslim communities have forged their own enclaves in the Hijaz and beyond for the past century or so, making permanent homes in different parts of the Kingdom. Journeying from various parts of China, they arrived i

In this paper Dr. Dania Kolielat ElKhatib discusses generally the elements needed to start a lobby as well as the tools needed to build it. It is written with an Arab Gulf audience in mind. The paper gives a general overview on lobbying, on the Arab American community and its organisations, on the narratives through which Arab states can engage them, and on the structure needed to create the type of coordination among different Arab American groups which will ultimately result in a “lobby.”  The paper consults literature on the history and methods of lobbying and does not by any means represent a concrete

English Translation Currenlty Unavailable

English Translation Currently Unavailable 

Pundits have long debated France’s Arab policy, which was launched by Charles de Gaulle and was seen as France’s “third way” between the two main powers of the Cold War era. is foreign policy explained France’s unique approach to the Palestinian ques- tion – which was, for decades, the only controversial issue in the Middle East – and then to the con ict in Lebanon, especially dur- ing the Civil War from 1975 to 1990.

This study attempts to analyze a major facet of the international struggle against Da’ish: its media war, which the organization wages alongside its efforts to expand and to fight surrounding regional and international powers. The study observes Da’ish’s media phenomena in the context of the integral role of the media in modern international conflicts, with attention to the development of media tools in Jihadist organizations since the seventies. This investigation reveals the remarkable evolution of the terrorist group in its bid to entrench itself as a caliphate state. The study focuses on Da’ish’s media administration structure and its strategy in deployin