Blog | Government and Politics of the Middle East | Bassam Haddad

Supplements Ready, and Cairo Update

Wed, 05 Dec 2012 23:35:33 -0500

hi everyone from bloody cairo, where i just returned from one of the most violent sites of clashes between the opposition and the President's supporters (more on this soon)

Your course supplements are now up under the "Readings" page. Given you have the questions already, all you have to do is practice all the answers, and brush up on the core articles. I will send you the take home portion on Sunday, at the latest.

I hope you enjoyed our guest speakers. I heard good reports about that.

Please let me knwo if you have any questions. The final exam should be a piece of cake! Stay out of trouble and don't do anything i wouldn't do.

bassam

Here you can see the photo essay i produced last night from Tahris Square, when clashes were moderate by comparison. Wait till you see the video from tonight. Hollywood style, molotov bombs, tear gas, live bullets, and big stones thrown everywhere.

(first image) Site of the Roxy Square clashes. 5 people dead, 300+ injured. I have all of it on video, to be posted shortly on Jadaliyya. This shit is for real! It's all over the news everywhere (if mom knows i voluntarily headed to the eye of the storm, she'll have a heart-attach in Fairfax VA.

Final Exam, and Tuesday

Sun, 25 Nov 2012 13:09:45 -0500

hi everyone,

for Tuesday, you only have to read the conclusion in your textbook (C11 reading below). Instead of holding a review session outside class time, we will be holding the review session in class this Tuesday. I'll give you the exam study sheet then too.

you will have one more class after next week, on December 4th, to which you will also be responsible for the Exam as there will be questions based on the guest lectures then.

so, do not miss any of the next two weeks if you would like to do well on the final.

see you soon.

bassam

(c11) Future Prospects

1. Deborah J. Gerner and Jillian Schwedler, Chapter 14, “Trends and Prospects,” in Deborah J. Gerner and Jillian Schwedler, eds., Understanding the Contemporary Middle East (Boulder: Lynne Rienner, 2004).

Reading Reminder

Sun, 18 Nov 2012 18:30:48 -0500

hi everyone,

As discussed in class, your reading for Tuesday is C10, on Terrorism and the Industry of Terrorism (see below). They are mostly short readings. You also should read one chapter from C8, on Palesstine and Israel (also see below). but do finish C10 first.

Please come prepared to discuss C10 readings and answer questions! (hint).

see you soon.

(c10) Terrorism and the Industry of Terrorism: The Arab/Muslim World in Context

Readings:

Fred Halliday, “Terrorism in Historical Perspective,” in Open Democracy, April 22, 2004. [CW].
Selections from Dominant Discourse: Government Discourse Excerpts--click on name to access quotes [Bush Quotes, Links to Bush Speeches, Cheney Quotes, Rumsfeld Quotes, Wolfowitz Quotes part 1, Wolfowitz Quotes Part 2, Douglas Feith Speeches]
Juan Cole, Blog Entry: “Foreign Occupation Has Produced Radical Muslim Terrorism,” Informed Comment, Blog by Juan Cole, March 7, 2005. [CW]
Glenn Greenwald, “Terrorism: The Most Meaningless Word,” Salon, February 19, 2010. [PDF]
John Esposito, “America’s Response to Terrorism: How to Fight Rather than Feed the Beast,” Huffington Post, January 5, 2010. [PDf]

(c8) The Israel-Palestine Conflict

1. Simona Sharoni and Mohammed Abu-Nimer, “The Israeli-Palestinian Conflict,” in Deborah J. Gerner and Jillian Schwedler, eds., Understanding the Contemporary Middle East (Boulder: Lynne Rienner, 2004).
2. Stephen Walt, "What's Going on in Israel?" Walt.foreingpolicy.com, July 2012. [CW].

Response Paper for Tuesday

Wed, 07 Nov 2012 15:46:31 -0500

hi everyone,

for next week, your reading assignment is C9 on Political Islam (we'll be doing C8 later). see reading below.

you are also to write a reponse paper based on the following article:

Philip Khoury, “Islamic Revivalism and the crises of the Secular State in the Arab World,” in Ibrahim Ibrahim, ed., Arab Resources. [CW]

as discussed in class, i do expect impeccable attention to the Response Paper Guide while writing the response paper. i linked it here, but it is also under the Assignments page.

the response paper is to be 3-5 double spaced pages and handed in, in class, in hard copy on Tuesday.

see you all soon. read closely!

(c9) Religion and Politics: The Rise and Use of Political Islam and Islamist Parties

A. Underlying causes: Various interpretations
B. Islamist Parties Today
C. The Effect of Authoritarian Rule and International Politics

Readings:

John Esposito, Mohammed A. Muqtedar Khan, and Jillian Schwedler, Chapter 12 “Religion and Politics in the Middle East,” in Deborah J. Gerner and Jillian Schwedler, eds., Understanding the Contemporary Middle East (Boulder: Lynne Rienner, 2004).
Philip Khoury, “Islamic Revivalism and the crises of the Secular State in the Arab World,” in Ibrahim Ibrahim, ed., Arab Resources. [CW]
Mahmood Mamdani, “Inventing Political Violence,” Global Agenda, January 2005. [CW]

Islamist Movements

1. Samer Shehata and Josh Stacher, "The Brotherhood Goes to Parliament," Middle East Report 240 (Fall 2006). [CW]
2. “Hamas's startling victory,” The Economist, 26 January 2006. [CW]
3. Lara Deeb, “Hizballah: A Primer,” MERIP, July 31, 2006. [CW]

Tomorrow (again)

Mon, 29 Oct 2012 13:39:53 -0400

hi everyone,

By tomorrow, you should have completed C7 Readings below, all 4 chapters. this is one of the foundations of this course, and will certainly be prominent in the final exam.

make sure you read both chapters from Richards and Waterbury (not just one).

see you soon. if you plan to skip a class, make sure this is not the one!

(c7) The Political Economy of Development and Oil: Social Impact

A. The political economy of development
B. State-Led Development
C. The political economy of oil

Readings:

1. Elias H. Tuma, Chapter 7, “The Economies of the Middle East,” in Deborah J. Gerner and Jillian Schwedler, eds., Understanding the Contemporary Middle East (Boulder: Lynne Rienner, 2004), pp. 234-End. [Text]
2. Alan Richards and John Waterbury, Chapter 7, “The Emergence of the Public Sector,” Chapter 8, “Contradictions of State-Led Growth,” in A Political Economy of the Middle East (Boulder: Westview Press, 1996). [CW]
3. Michael Ross, “Does Oil Hinder Democracy,” in World Politics 53. 3 April, 2001. [CW]

Tomorrow (ghadan)

Mon, 29 Oct 2012 13:39:53 -0400

hi good people,

whether or not the university is ope tomorrow, you should have completed C7 Readings below, all 4 chapters. this is one of the foundations of this course, and will certainly be prominent in the final exam.

make sure you read both chapters from Richards and Waterbury (not just one).

see you tomorrow barring another closing....
be safe. don't do anything i wouldn't do.

(c7) The Political Economy of Development and Oil: Social Impact

A. The political economy of development
B. State-Led Development
C. The political economy of oil

Readings:

Grading Criteria

Tue, 23 Oct 2012 13:19:31 -0400

GRADING CRITERIA

POP QUESTIONS (PQ’S)

Pop questions at the beginning of class are worth two points. These are usually straightforward questions for which there is little room for interpretation. I offer partial credit when deserved.

REFLECTION PAPERS

Reflection papers are worth two points. They are written after watching a film/documentary in class, or after attending an event on campus that is related to the course. In case of films/documentaries, the reflection paper must be written after the video is complete (in case we watch in two parts) unless otherwise instructed. These one pagers should engage the video or event in ways that relate them to class material. For more information, see Reflection Paper Guidelines.

RESPONSE PAPERS

Response papers are assigned by the instructor, and are worth 10 points unless otherwise stated. Response papers should be more analytical than descriptive and demonstrate a deep engagement with the subject matter. Usually, they constitute a response to an article or a set of articles assigned. They should be 3-5 double-spaced pages and should adhere fully to the Response Paper Guidelines.

Reading for Monday

Sun, 21 Oct 2012 20:28:08 -0400

hi all,

hope you had a good weekend. For Tuesday, please do C6 reading. After you complete the Crystal reading from C5 (which shoudl have been completed before the midterm), I would like you to start with Taraki and Tucker from C6 then make your way towards teh rest (the pieces are mostly short).

see you soon.

bassam

(c5) Politics, the State, and Authoritarian Rule (2 Sessions)

Jill Crystal, “Authoritarianism and its Adversaries in the Arab World,” in World Politics, 46 (January 1994), pp. 262-289. [CW]

Questions & Issues to Consider: Is authoritarian rule unique to the Middle East? What produces authoritarian rule? What sustains it? How does authoritarian rule affect state-opposition dynamics? Is there a relationship between levels/kinds of authoritarianism and extremist opposition? What are the bases of conflict in the Middle East?

(c6) Social Dynamics: Family and Women, Community, Ethnicity and Class

Readings:

Lisa Taraki, Chapter 11, “The Role of Women,” in Deborah J. Gerner and Jillian Schwedler, eds., Understanding the Contemporary Middle East (Boulder: Lynne Rienner, 2004). [Text]
Judith Tucker, ed., Arab Women: Old Boundaries, New Frontiers, Ch. X, "The Arab Family in History," pp. 195-207. [CW]
Lila Abu-Lughod, “Do Muslim Women Really Need Saving? Anthropological Reflections on Cultural Relativism and Its Others,” American Anthropologist, Sep. 2002; 104, 3. [CW]
Maya Mikdashi, "How Not to Study Gender in the Middle East," Jadaliyya, March 2012. [CW]

Questions & Issues to Consider: What is the relationship between societal development and the role of the family? What is the relationship between the role of the family in the society and gender roles? What are the bases of political action in the Middle East (e.g., communal, sectarian, religious, class, political, economic, cultural)? In studying the Middle East, why does the question of the “veil” become an all-too-important issue when other issues are clearly more significant? Should we take liberal discourse on feminism at face value (e.g., “we invaded Afghanistan partly to liberate their women”)?

Bring Blue Books Today!

Tue, 16 Oct 2012 11:16:25 -0400

hi everyone,

I've announced this in class and during the study session, but please remember to bring bluebooks with you today.

see you soon. don't worry about the exam. it is such a small spec of dust in comparison to the Universse.

Midterm Study Session

Sun, 14 Oct 2012 20:04:39 -0400

hi everyone,

this is a reminder that we will have a study session tomorrow at 7:30. the meeting location will be at Robinson A 227.

see you all there. please bring not only your questions, but your notes as well.

bassam

Midterm Study Sheet

Sun, 07 Oct 2012 21:56:47 -0400

hi everyone,

your midterm study sheet is now ready, under the Assignments page here.

please read the instructions carefully!

see you on monday, time TBA.

bassam

My gum obsession.

Class Notes

Sun, 07 Oct 2012 21:44:04 -0400

hi everyone,

i have added the Class Supplements under the weekly Readings here. these are some of the notes i promised you to put on the website.

i will be sending you the exam study sheet shortly.

Note that the Exam is on the 16th and the study session is on the 15th. i will send you info about the exact time for the study session, but it will be in the evening, after 7:30 pm.

(nothing like being on the internet over the atlantic . . . )

more soon!

"West Hall" lecture building at the American University in Beirut.

Reminder

Mon, 01 Oct 2012 12:51:32 -0400

hi everyone,

as shared in class, C5 will be the last reading for tomorrow, before the Exam on the 16th. those of you who would like to read ahead, C6 that is, will do well to do so. but the exam covers C1 to C5 only.

also, we need to plan a review session for the midterm, after i give you the exam key sometime soon.

see you in class

Cairo during the demonstrations. It's a magical city.

Reading Reminder for Tuesday, September 25

Sun, 23 Sep 2012 20:08:38 -0400

hi all,

this is your reading reminder for Tuesday. You are responsible for C5, session 2 (we are skipping session 1 for now, as it will be assigned sporadically throughout the seemster--these are the Arab Uprisings readings). See below, and start with the first two readings (Gerner and Linz), though it is a good idea to do the entire reading and then refresh your memory with another read for the following week. Taking notes will be crucial from now on as the material will get a bit more complex.

on Tuesday, please turn in a hard copy of the one-page Reflection paper on the "Orientalism" documentary you watched last Tuesday.

in class, we will complete C3 and C4. We will introduce C5, and complete it right before the midterm exam, which will cover all readings up to C5. Your midterm is on the 16th of October. fun times.

see you soon!

(c5) Politics, the State, and Authoritarian Rule (2 Sessions)

Session 2: Authoritarian Rule

Readings:

Deborah J. Gerner, Chapter 4, “Middle Eastern Politics,” in Deborah J. Gerner and Jillian Schwedler, eds., Understanding the Contemporary Middle East (Boulder: Lynne Rienner, 2004). [Text]
Juan Linz, “Authoritarian Regimes,” Handbook of Political Science, 1975. [CW]
Jill Crystal, “Authoritarianism and its Adversaries in the Arab World,” in World Politics, 46 (January 1994), pp. 262-289. [CW]
Marsha Pripstein Posusney, “The Middle East’s Democracy Deficit in Comparative Perspective,” in Authoritarianism in the Middle East: Regimes and Resistance (Boulder: Lynne Rienner Publishers, 2005). [CW]

Reading Reminder

Mon, 17 Sep 2012 21:04:17 -0400

hi everyone,

as discussed in class, your reading for tomorrow is C4, below, with emphasis on the Goldschmidt reading as i shared.

see you soon!

(c4) Arab and Middle Eastern Historical and Cultural Background

Readings:

Arthur Goldschmidt Jr., Chapter 3, “The Historical Context” in Deborah J. Gerner and Jillian Schwedler, eds., Understanding the Contemporary Middle East (Boulder: Lynne Rienner, 2004). [Text] Also available here: [CW]
Bassam Haddad, “Notes on Arab Identity.” [CW]
John Esposito, The Straight Path, Chapter 2, "The Muslim Community in History,” and Chapter 3, "Religious Life: Belief and Practice." [CW]

Questions & Issues to Consider: What are the most significant periods in the history of the Arab/Muslim world and the Middle East? What is their cumulative impact? What is “identity?” What makes up Arab identity? What is the difference between “Arabs” and “Muslims?” What does it mean to be an Arab? A Muslim? What are the contemporary implications of Arab/Muslim history? What is the difference between Muslims and Islam? Between Islam and Islamic history? (or between Christians and Christianity?)

Reading for Tuesday, Sept. 11

Sat, 08 Sep 2012 12:10:20 -0400

hi everyone,

Please note your reading assignment for next week below. Make sure you do a close reading of the articles, the content of which will be on your midterm.

Also, please do check the news blogs and resources on our Resource page here. I cannot stree enough how important it is to consult these resources at least once a week and to read at least 2 short stories. You will be missing out on tumultous times otherwise.

have a nice weekend, and don't do anything i wouldn't do.

(c3) Classic Orientalism and Other "Essentialisms:" The Study of the “East”

A. Orientalism; B. Theologocentrism; C. Cultural Exceptionalism; D. Middle East Exceptionalism; E. Arab/Muslim Apologists

Readings:

Walid Khalidi, Arabs and the West, The Forum, XXXII, December 1957. [CW]
Zachary Lockman, “Orientalism and empire” in Contending Visions of the Middle East, the History and Politics of Orientalism (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2004), pp. 66-98. [CW]
Interview with Bassam Haddad (November 2003), on Culture, Islamic Values, and Democracy in the Arab World. [CW]

Questions & Issues to Consider: How has the Middle East (or the “East”) been studied historically? What influenced the study of the Middle East from a European perspective? Or, later, from an American perspective? How do power relations affect the production of knowledge, or notions of “objectivity?” What are the most salient categories in pop culture for understanding the Middle East? Where do they come from and how are they perpetuated? Can we produce objective knowledge about the “other?”

Reminder for Next Class

Tue, 04 Sep 2012 00:02:58 -0400

Hi everyone,

Please remember that tomorrow, tuesday (Sept 4), we are meeting at 4:30pm in the JC's Dewberry Hall. we will move back to our classroom around 5:45 pm. you will be responsible for writing a one-page reflection paper, so do take notes. the guidelines for the reflection paper are on the course website, under Assignments.

The Ali Vural Ak Islamic Studies Center will be hosting Dr. Jasser Auda for a guest lecture examining the various debates currently occurring among scholars and public intellectuals in Egypt and Tunisia around the question of Islam, equal citizenship, and democracy in the Arab world in the aftermath of the recent revolutions. Given the classes you are teaching this semester we thought the event might be of particular interest to your students and would be grateful if you could circulate the appended event description and/or attached flyer to your classes.

See you there!

bassam

DOWNLOAD FLYER HERE

The Ali Vural Ak Center for Global Islamic Studies

presents

The Arab Uprisings, Islam, and Equal Citizenship: Current Debates

Reading for Sep 4.

Fri, 31 Aug 2012 15:01:17 -0400

hi everyone,

as discussed in class, your reading for next week is C2 (see below). please come to class prepared to answer a question (a PQ) based on the readings. it will be an obious question if you have done the readings.

looking forward to seeing you all soon. please come on time so we don't disrupt the class.

i usually add images at the bottom of blog posts. they are random, but usually connected to the class theme, i.e., the region.

Don't forget to click "Subscribe" on the top left of this page, so you can get these updates directly in your inbox.

have a nice holiday.

bassam

(c2) The Middle East: An Overview

A. Geography; B. Population; C. Politics; D. Religion; E. Ethnicity; F. Resources

Readings:

Deborah J. Gerner, Chapter 1, “Introduction,” in Deborah J. Gerner and Jillian Schwedler, eds., Understanding the Contemporary Middle East (Boulder: Lynne Rienner, 2004). [Text]
Ian R. Manners and Barbara McKean Parmenter, Chapter 2, “The Middle East: A Geographic Preface,” in Deborah J. Gerner and Jillian Schwedler, eds., Understanding the Contemporary Middle East (Boulder: Lynne Rienner, 2004).
Read all Middle Eastern Countries’ profiles on BBC’s website (~ one-page each) [CW]
Rashid Khalidi, “Preliminary Historical Observations on the Arab Revolutions of 2011,” Jadaliyya. [CW]

Questions & Issues to Consider: What are the important features of Middle East politics? How did the Middle East come about? What is the difference between the Arab world and the Middle East? Between Arabs and Muslims? How diverse is the Middle East (socially, economically, politically, culturally)? What are the implications of this diversity? How does it complicate the conventional wisdom on the Middle East? How can we understand the current Arab uprisings?

First Post

Mon, 02 Jul 2012 19:32:27 -0400

This is my first blog entry for this cource. It is a test. i would like to ask you all to subscribe to this blog by clicking on the RSS icon to the left. this will be one solid way to keep up with the progress of the course, as well as the readings and the assignments.

It will be YOUR responsibility to check it every week, over and beyond what we discuss in class.

See you allsoon.