Suchergebnisse

Armed forces, military expenditures, weapons systems.

Some focus on US presence in the Persian Gulf; 8 articles.

Israel, Arab States, and the United States in regard to Iran -- The Iranian-Israeli-Arab triangle -- The war in Syria -- Russian military involvement in Syria -- Israel, Hamas, and the Palestinian authority -- Egypt's security and stability problems -- IDF's buildup and preparations for war.

There is hardly a nation in the world with a more prominent economic and trade role in the Middle East than Japan. By the same token, few nations are as illequipped to deal with the region on any but strictly economic terms.Japan's Middle Eastern trade has become absolutely vital to its economic well-being at the very time that political events have reached new levels of chaos in the region. Now in Tokyo voices are being raised in alarm at the shallowness of Japanese foreign policy for the Middle East. At a recent seminar, Toyoaki Ikuta of the Institute of Energy Economics stated flatly: "Japan has no ability militarily or politically to influence Middle Eastern affairs. If there is a problem in oil supply, of all the industrial nations Japan would be the hardest hit. Because of this, Japan must make a greater contribution to security in the Middle East.'

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.

The Middle East has long been fraught with tension and volatility. However, the recent Arab uprisings have intensified instability, turning this 'hot-spot' into a veritable tinderbox whose potential for implosion has far-reaching regional and global consequences. In this short book, leading Middle East scholar Mohammed Ayoob argues that the Arab Spring has both changed and charged some of the region's thorniest problems - from the rise of political Islam to Iran's nuclear ambitions, the Israel-Palestine conflict to rivalries between key regional powers. Exploring the sources of conflict in the Middle East and their various linkages, Ayoob offers a thoughtful and balanced assessment of whether the region is indeed destined for implosion or whether political sagacity and diplomatic creativity can bring it back from the brink.

THE MID-EAST CRISIS BEARS A THREEFOLD ASPECT: THE CONFRONTATION OF THE SUPERPOWERS, THE ENERGY CRISIS AND THE ARAB-ISREAL CONFLICT. THE CORE OF THE PROBLEM IS THE THIRD ONE, AND NO SOLUTION CAN BE ENVISAGED WITHOUT A SETTLEMENT OF THE DALESTINIAN QUESTION. THIS LATTER IS SEEN EITHER AS A PROBLEM OF RIGHTS OR AS ONE OF IDENTITY. IN ANY CASE THE CONFLICT CANNOT END WITHOUT AN AGREEMENT WITH USSR.

Vor dem Hintergrund eines historischen Überblicks über die Beziehungen Japans zur Nah- und Mittelostregion (einschließlich Nordafrikas) und die wissenschaftliche Perzeption wird die gegenwärtige Forschungssituation umrissen (statistische Daten über Veröffentlichungen zur Region; Anzahl der Forscher, Forschungsgegenstände; Forschungsinstitutionen). (DÜI-Hns)