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Enthält: U.S. Middle East Policy: Too Many Challenges and Yet a Single Theme / Barry Rubin

This volume assembles contributions from different academic perspectives (religious and Islamic studies, literary and theatre studies, theology, sociology and history) on modern manifestations of martyrdom in the diverse Middle Eastern religious traditions, including Islam, Christianity, Judaism and the Baha'i-faith. The latter is considered in more detail since it is often not included in comparative studies on the monotheistic religions. An excursus into the farer East composes the contribution on Mahatma Ghandi. The volume considers central sociological, philosophical and theological problems which lie at the heart of the phenomenon of martyrdom, the significance of martyrdom in different conflicts, the competing martyr figures which develop in the course of these conflicts as well as the accompanying representations in art and ritual. Special attention is directed to the transitions of traditional forms of martyr representation and the emergence of a global discourse on martyrdom, which can be noticed both in the dissemination of martyr practices as in the reactions to certain martyr events on a global scale.

Der Beitrag zur Friedens- und Sicherheitspolitik des Westens im Mittleren Osten untersucht die Einbeziehung Afghanistans in die Broader Middle East Initiative (BMEI) seit 2004. So wird in einem ersten Schritt zunächst aufgezeigt, worin dieser strategische Charakter der BMEI besteht und welche politischen und strategischen Grundannahmen hinter dem Versprechen stehen, Afghanistan als Teil einer 'Problemregion' nachhaltig zu demokratisieren und zu modernisieren. Im zweiten Schritt wird diese immanente Kritik auf die Konfrontation mit den Verhältnissen in Afghanistan ausgeweitet. Dabei wird auf ein politisch-soziologisches Deutungsmuster rekurriert, das in einer säkularen Krise von Staatlichkeit das Grundproblem Afghanistans (und anderer Drittweltgesellschaften) sieht. Der aufkeimende Nationalismus ist lediglich eine Artikulationsform dieser Krise, die aber zugleich über sie hinausweisen könnte. Im dritten Schritt wird schließlich aufgezeigt, wo die Anschlusspunkte für - im richtig verstandenen Eigeninteresse - wohlmeinende politische Interventionen bestehen könnten. In diesem Zusammenhang wird auch die Frage regionaler Kooperation erörtert. (ICG2)

"Die Demokratisierung im Großraum Mittlerer Osten steht zweifelsohne auf der politischen Agenda. Nicht der Islam, sondern die historisch sozialen Rahmenbedingungen erschwerten in erster Linie eine mit Europa vergleichbare Entwicklung. Die Demokratisierung der Region muss von innen vorangetrieben werden." (Autorenreferat)

As the events usually referred to as 'the Arab Spring' unfolded in Arab countries throughout the first half of the year 2011, conventional as well as social media were attributed a crucial role by observers as not only reporting what was going on but also by potentially taking part in mobilizing people for change. The involvement of media in the events raises vital questions about the role of TV, press, and social media in political unrests and how they are used as means to articulate or ignore frustrations of Arab populations. These questions concern the contributions of this special issue that brings together articles from various disciplines describing and analyzing specific cases of media coverage of the 'Arab Spring' especially during the first months of 2011 in Tunisia, Egypt, Libya, and Syria. By offering insights to a set of mediatized spaces in and outside the Middle East during the first months of the uprisings, the aim of this special issue of Global Media Journal – German Edition is to provide a basis for critical reflections with regard to media and opinion formation. Moreover, it aims to discuss research strategies and methodologies which are being applied to the analysis of interaction between media, politics and emerging cultural practices. "Covering the Arab Spring" builds on studies on media in the Middle East and on the perception of the Middle East and Islam in Europe. Thus, the articles refer to a twofold role of the media by connecting research on the role of media in Arab speaking countries with research on media representation of events in these countries.