Suchergebnisse

"The article argues that extremism and terrorism, including ISIS and al-Qaeda, in the Middle East are epiphenomena and not the fundamental causes of anarchy and mayhem in the region. The fundamental cause is the debilitation of states in the Arab world, both in terms of effectiveness and legitimacy, which leads to state collapse - a process abetted by the American invasion of Iraq in 2003. The collapse or degeneration of state authority creates space for terrorist and extremist organisations to take root and also encourages interference by external powers, both regional ones and from outside the region, in the affairs of weak states thus further eroding state capacity and contributing to anarchy. Currently, Iraq and Syria are prime examples of this phenomenon." (author's abstract)

The tension between the hegemonic and subaltern perspectives of international order can be summarized in the following fashion: While the former emphasizes order among states and justice within them, the latter stresses order within states and justice among them. This tension has manifested itself, although not always very neatly, in such diverse arenas of international politics as humanitarian intervention, nuclear proliferation and residual colonialism. While the tension between the dominant and subaltern views of world order is a global phenomenon, it finds manifestation in its most acute form in the broader Middle East, comprising West, Southwest and Central Asia. This is because issues such as Iran's nuclear aspirations, Israel's occupation of Palestine, and the rise of political Islam as the anti-hegemonic ideology par excellence highlight this tension most clearly.

Mohammed Ayoob ; Includes bibliographical references (p. 195-204) and index ; Parallel als Buch-Ausg. erschienen

The consolidated hegemony of the northern powers over the international system during WWII & the Cold War is now challenged by the ideological power of Political Islam. Political Islam, like socialism, is argued to possess the capacity to combine with nationalism to mobilize populations simultaneously for God & Country. A brief review of historical Political Islam locates a relationship between ideology & rich energy resources of the region. Political Islam is defined, & the alienation of Muslim masses from the West is described. The impact of Islam policies of growth, political machines, & anti-Americanism indicates the North-South divide now coincides with the "clash of civilizations" in an inevitable confrontation between Islam & the West/North. References. J. Harwell