Islamic Identity and Development after the Ottomans: The Arab Middle East

This book explores the root causes of chaos, civil war, and conflict in the Islamic Core by adopting a neo-Ottomanist framework and tracing the historical development of the current crisis to the First World War. It argues that Western powers have facilitated the dispossession of the Arab people in their aim to gain control of the oil fields and provides historical case-studies as evidence. The author suggests that artificial countries and unsustainable frontiers are the root causes of the Islamic crisis and that a realistic solution may lie in the evolution of a new Silk Route Economy.

Format: Hardback
Length: 288 pages
Publication date: 31 March 2023
Publisher: Taylor & Francis Ltd

Exploring the complex themes of identity and development in the post-Ottoman Arab world, this comprehensive volume offers a fresh and insightful analysis of the root causes of chaos, civil war, and conflict in the Islamic Core region. Building upon the author's earlier work, Islamic Identity and Development (Routledge, 1990), this book employs a neo-Ottomanist framework and utilizes the latest scholarship on the Middle East to trace the historical development of the current crisis back to the First World War. The author argues that Western powers, driven by their overarching aim to gain control of the oil fields, have facilitated the dispossession of the Arab people through a series of invasions, coup détats, civil and proxy wars.

To support this argument, the book presents a range of historical case studies, including landmark events such as the Balfour Declaration and the Sykes-Picot Agreement, as well as the creation of Israel and the displacement of Islamic refugees. Individual nations, such as Iran, Saudi Arabia, Iraq, Syria, Libya, and Egypt, are also analyzed in depth, shedding light on their unique challenges and contributions to the Islamic crisis.

In conclusion, the author suggests that artificial countries and unsustainable frontiers are the primary drivers of the Islamic crisis. However, the book offers a hopeful outlook by proposing the evolution of a new Silk Route Economy as a realistic and long-term solution. This innovative economic model, inspired by the ancient Silk Road trade routes, aims to promote regional cooperation, economic development, and cultural exchange, which can help to mitigate the conflicts and divisions plaguing the Islamic world.

With its comprehensive coverage, interdisciplinary approach, and insightful analysis, this book will appeal to graduate-level students in political economy, area studies, international affairs, and Middle East studies, as well as scholars and policymakers interested in understanding the complex dynamics of the post-Ottoman Arab world.

Weight: 516g
Dimension: 240 x 163 x 24 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781032215679