Apologies for the long posting pause. We'll be relaunching after Thanksgiving with a slightly different roster and approach, and there's already a lot of quality content lined up. I knew this would take some tinkering to get it right, and it has, but we'll get it right.
In the meantime, here is this week's roundup of recent Middle East studies content from around the web (a feature which Qahwa Sada will retain in its relaunch next month as a weekly thing):
Jordan and its Islamist Movement: The Limits of Inclusion, by Nathan Brown (Carnegie). From the abstract: "Over the past 50 years, Jordan’s rulers have encouraged Islamists to run for office, but within strict limits to discourage religious extremism. Historically, Islamist leaders have chosen to participate in the system rather than work to overthrow the regime. As a result, the Jordanian Muslim Brotherhood and the government have come to regard each other as political rivals, rather than implacable adversaries. Yet the recent pressure of regional events threatens to unravel the peace, as both sides consider whether to escalate, or contain, growing tensions. Understanding this dynamic in Jordan helps answer some of the most critical questions about regional democratic reform: Can Islamist political parties operate within the boundaries of a democratic system? Does participation breed moderation?"
Countering Islamists at the Ballot Box, edited by David Schenker (Washington Institute for Near Eastern Policy). The text of three fascinating presentations from a September 2006 panel: Soner Cagaptay calls for a massive American effort to build liberal, pro-Western parties in the Arab world; Greg Gause calls for giving up democracy promotion; and Mona Makram-Ebeid calls for Arab liberals to cooperate tactically with Islamists in order to pry open authoritarian regimes.
"Anatomy of a Civil War." Nir Rosen has written a fascinating account of Iraq's troubles for the forthcoming issue of Boston Review. You can download an advance PDF copy at the main Boston Review site.
A new issue of the Muslim World Journal of Human Rights has been released. The most interesting article to me was " Yemeni Reflections on Guantanamo and American Efforts for Political Reform in the Arab World" , by Charles Schmitz.
"Aims and Methods of Europe's Muslim Brotherhood," Lorenzo Vidino (Center on Islam, Democracy, and the Future of the Muslim World.) Offers a close look at Yusuf al-Qaradawi's 1990 manifesto for the Muslim Brotherhood. I disagree with some of the author's conclusions, but that's what makes these debates interesting!
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