Research Papers
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Author:
Dr. Mohammed Al-Sbitli
The Maghreb countries face economic difficulties whose origins, manifestations and unity differed from one country to another. This has coincided with different political and social situations, as a result of decades of domestic and regional policies and challenges that have been reflected in the structures of the political and economic system of these countries...
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Author:
Sun Degang
China’s military relations with the countries of the Middle East have become increasingly close in recent years. To protect its commercial interests and contribute towards international security, China has built up a soft military presence of various forms in the Middle East. Such overseas military forces are deployed either within the framework of the United Nations Peacekeeping Operations (UNPKO) or independently, and carry out military as well as civilian missions, especially in areas such as the evacuation of nationals, humanitarian relief, search and rescue, protecting expatria
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Author: Makio Yamada
Japan was once a country that suffered from slow progress in its economic diversification away from agriculture. While the country modernized rapidly after 1868, the problem of a skills mismatch between education and industry remained throughout the first half of the 20th century. With a large number of educated but jobless citizens, youth unemployment continued to be a major economic problem. Nevertheless, a few decades later, the country developed a productive workforce harnessing its “youth bulge” demographics, and succeeded in building competitive export-oriented manufacturing industries.
D
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Author:
Federico V. Magdalena
This paper examines the history of Islam in the Philippines and contemporary developments, with a focus on Philippine state policies and practices with regard to the Muslim Filipinos, including security issues and foreign relations, especially with Islamic countries like the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. More specifically, it touches on the following domains: (1) the history of Islamic development and how it changed the course of the Philippine state, (2) the Philippine state’s traditional approach toward Philippine Islam and its adherents, and the mechanisms of religious cont
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Author:
Ma Hailong
The purpose of this paper is to examine the history of the Chinese Muslims who moved to Malaysia and explain the different factors that have influenced this migration at different historical stages. I separate this history mainly into two parts, namely, before the twentieth century and from the twentieth century onward. Before the twentieth century, the majority of Chinese Muslims who streamed into Malaysia were Chinese immigrants who became Chinese Muslims by converting to Islam. From the twentieth century onward, however, the majority of Chinese Muslims who came to Malaysia were Muslim
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Author:
Mona Alami
In April 2016, professor of economics Djavad Salehi-Isfahani predicted, in a telling piece published by Al-Monitor, that rising inequality in Iran could bring challenges to the government of President Hassan Rouhani. Nearly a year and half later, the Islamic Republic was shaken by unexpected government protests, despite a sharp improvement in the economic situation in 2017. These protests exposed the systemic weaknesses in the Iranian system, which, despite its bold projection of regional influence, suffers from shortages in line with other countries in the region, many of which are facin
Number: 35
Author:
The Kurdish referendum has been perceived by the neighboring countries as a threat to their national security, territorial integrity, and, of course, their regional policies. The international community has also ignored the right to self-determination practiced by the Kurds. This paper seeks to identify options open to the Kurds in the aftermath of the referendum. Whether or not successful, the Kurdish referendum is one of the only referendums exercised in the region since the establishment of the nation-state in the Middle East. Consequently, the referendum will have a significant impact on the ethnic politics of region for years to come. The paper, t
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Author:
Mona Alami
A controversial deal was reached at the end of August 2017 between Lebanon’s militant group Hezbollah (“the Party of God”) and the so-called Islamic State (ISIS), allowing for the transfer of the remnants of the terrorist group, which had been encircled by the Lebanese army after days of battle, from East Lebanon to West Syria. The propaganda that followed the surprising deal—agreed to between two archenemies—reflects Hezbollah’s dual concerns at the local level. First, the group wished to quell any dissent within its popular base concerning the justifi
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Author:
Mona Alami
Pro-Iranian militias, Hezbollah supporters as well as Hezbollah, have linked the war in Syria, in Iraq, and now in Yemen to the return of Imam Mahdi (Messiah). This eschatological interpretation of the ongoing conflict by Shiite militias close to Iran falls within Tehran’s successful regional recruitment drive and its intent to create cohesive and local militias capable of facing strong opposition, outside that government’s direct regional sphere of influence.
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Author:
Othman Ali Al-Mazyad
Japanese companies are widely known for their leading status in the global economy. However, in spite of the global popularity of their goods and services, there is still a large knowledge gap about them in the Arabic-speaking intellectual sphere. This Special Report analyzes the reasons for the continuity of long-standing Japanese companies (called “shinise” in Japanese) and the way they contribute to the Japanese economy. It also sheds light on what lessons the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia can learn from the Japanese experience in this field so as to realize the goals a