Digest of Middle East Studies最新文献

{"title":"Adept adaptation and intelligent employment of ancient Arabic heritage: A reading in the poetry of Muhammad al-Thubayti, a modern Saudi poet\u0000 熟练改编并巧妙运用古代阿拉伯遗产:现代沙特诗人Muḥammad al-Thubaytī的诗歌解读\u0000 Adaptación adecuada y uso inteligente de la herencia árabe antigua: Una lectura de la poesía de Muhammad al-Thubaytī, un poeta saudí moderno","authors":"Mujahid Ahmed Muhammed Alwaqaa","doi":"10.1111/dome.12342","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/dome.12342","url":null,"abstract":"<p>This research attempts to analyze Arabic heritage elements employed in Muhammad al-Thubayti's poetry as his poetry highlights modern issues. Heritage becomes a cornerstone in al-Thubayti's poetry for it produces new meanings and contexts. It is used in visionary and creative ways enabling him to shape his poetic experiences. Heritage is no longer sacred or static, but it is manipulated in a way that serves the poet's messages. Thus, this paper shows how al-Thubayti explores the present frustrations and failures at individual and national levels by employing heritage and symbols balancing between his belonging to this heritage and his creative and experimental poetic experience. Through the intelligent adaptation of heritage, he makes connections between the past and modern life to reveal the dilemmas of the present and the glory of the past. The research's main contribution is to shed a new light into the race, milieu, and experience of al-Thubayti's poetry through utilizing Arabic heritage. This research examines four poems taken from al-Thubayti's diwan (poetry collection), <i>Tahjit hulman, tahjit wahman</i> [<i>I Spell out a Dream, I Spell out an Illusion</i>]. As a theoretical framework, the analysis of the poems is based on historical theory and formalism.</p>","PeriodicalId":43254,"journal":{"name":"Digest of Middle East Studies","volume":"33 4","pages":"476-496"},"PeriodicalIF":0.6,"publicationDate":"2024-09-23","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142443602","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Continuity and change in US–Iran relations: Analyzing the Iranian nuclear deal from Obama to Biden\u0000 美伊关系的连续性与变化:解析从奥巴马到拜登时期的伊朗核协议\u0000 Continuidad y cambio en las relaciones entre estados unidos e irán: Análisis del acuerdo nuclear iraní desde obama hasta biden","authors":"Sarabjit Kaur,&nbsp;Nagalaxmi M. Raman","doi":"10.1111/dome.12341","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/dome.12341","url":null,"abstract":"<p>Iran's pursuit of a civilian nuclear program raises concerns over the potential security threat it poses to the United States and its Middle East allies. The US suspects that Tehran's lack of compliance with the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty signifies its intention to build atomic weapons. This article aims to examine the strategies implemented during the presidencies of Obama, Trump, and Biden to prevent Iran from acquiring nuclear arsenals. Employing a constructivist theory, the study examines how each administration constructed identities, perceptions, and norms regarding Iran, and how these shaped their diplomatic approaches. Drawing on a comprehensive data of primary and secondary sources, this research sheds light on the identities, perceptions, and power dynamics shaping US–Iran relations.</p>","PeriodicalId":43254,"journal":{"name":"Digest of Middle East Studies","volume":"33 4","pages":"410-429"},"PeriodicalIF":0.6,"publicationDate":"2024-09-20","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142443467","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Are population policies in Arab countries largely ineffective? Past and present perspectives\u0000 阿拉伯国家的人口政策是否大多无效？ 过去和现在的观点\u0000 ¿Son las políticas de población de los países árabes en gran medida ineficaces? Perspectivas pasadas y presentes","authors":"Amos Nadan","doi":"10.1111/dome.12338","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/dome.12338","url":null,"abstract":"<p>This essay explores two types of population policies common in Arab countries: pro-natalist policies, aimed at encouraging higher birth rates, and anti-natalist policies, aimed at reducing birth rates. Determining their practical impact is often challenging due to the lack of control or comparison groups. However, historical policy patterns in two groups of Arab countries over the past six decades offer a unique opportunity for comparison. Between the 1970s and 1990s these two groups implemented opposing programs (pro- vs. anti-natalist), followed by predominantly anti-natalist policies in both groups. By comparing fertility rates between these groups and discussing various factors influencing fertility changes, this study suggests that the influence of population policies in Arab countries may have been smaller than anticipated, to the point that it is questionable whether they have been worthwhile.</p>","PeriodicalId":43254,"journal":{"name":"Digest of Middle East Studies","volume":"33 4","pages":"385-409"},"PeriodicalIF":0.6,"publicationDate":"2024-09-18","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1111/dome.12338","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142443568","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Debating the Yemen conflict: Toward a synthesis of debates and diverse perspectives on causes and actors","authors":"Antonios Tsalikis,&nbsp;Revecca Pedi","doi":"10.1111/dome.12337","DOIUrl":"10.1111/dome.12337","url":null,"abstract":"<p>During the last decade, a significant amount of academic research focusing on the causes of, and the actors involved in the Yemen conflict has been published in peer-reviewed journals, edited volumes, and books. Yet this research has emerged in a fragmented way that renders a comprehensive understanding of the conflict a challenging enterprise. Through our systematic review of peer-reviewed academic articles and meta-analysis of their findings, we identified and analyzed three main debates about the Yemen conflict. We conclude that each of these discussions contributes valuable insights but alone cannot fully explain the complex reasons behind the Yemen conflict. Instead, they offer individual pieces of the puzzle. We argue that a comprehensive understanding of the conflict necessitates considering and synthesizing all three debates.</p>","PeriodicalId":43254,"journal":{"name":"Digest of Middle East Studies","volume":"33 4","pages":"451-475"},"PeriodicalIF":0.6,"publicationDate":"2024-09-17","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1111/dome.12337","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142248322","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Is military spending converging across Middle Eastern countries? A comprehensive unit root test analysis\u0000 中东国家和土耳其的军费开支是否趋同？综合单位根检验分析\u0000 ¿Está convergiendo el gasto militar entre los países de oriente medio y Turquía? Un análisis exhaustivo de la prueba de raíz unitaria","authors":"Gulbahar Ucler,&nbsp;Serife Ozsahin","doi":"10.1111/dome.12340","DOIUrl":"10.1111/dome.12340","url":null,"abstract":"<p>The Middle East is a region of chronic insecurity due to internal and external tensions. These tensions and insecurity have made the Middle East one of the world's leading regions in military armaments. This study investigates the stochastic convergence of military burden in 10 selected Middle Eastern countries using comprehensive unit root analysis. Stochastic convergence for each country from 1977 to 2020 is examined using conventional, structural break, nonlinear, and Fourier-based unit root tests. Empirical results provide strong evidence of convergence with regional averages in Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, and Oman. There is also some evidence of convergence in the case of Israel, Egypt, Kuwait, Lebanon, and Turkiye. However, evidence for the existence of convergence in Iran and Jordan is weak.</p>","PeriodicalId":43254,"journal":{"name":"Digest of Middle East Studies","volume":"33 4","pages":"430-450"},"PeriodicalIF":0.6,"publicationDate":"2024-09-17","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142248323","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"The endless reform process: Realities behind Jordan's political modernization efforts\u0000 无休止的改革进程:约旦政治现代化努力背后的现实\u0000 El interminable proceso de reformas: Realidades detrás de los esfuerzos de modernización política de Jordania","authors":"Mohammed Torki Bani Salameh,&nbsp;Moath Alakayleh,&nbsp;Washad Emambocus","doi":"10.1111/dome.12335","DOIUrl":"10.1111/dome.12335","url":null,"abstract":"<p>The latest royal committee headed by Samir Al-Rifai to modernize Jordan's political system is often portrayed as a significant step toward political reform. However, this narrative overestimates the committee's impact and overlooks historical limitations and institutional obstacles to reform in Jordan. This study highlights how political reform initiatives in Jordan can be manipulated to serve the regime's objectives rather than the people's will. Historically, despite public pressure for genuine political reform, the regime's responses have been minimal. Royal committees and initiatives have rarely produced tangible results, serving more to provide the regime with narratives of superficial reform than to achieve real change.</p>","PeriodicalId":43254,"journal":{"name":"Digest of Middle East Studies","volume":"33 4","pages":"333-345"},"PeriodicalIF":0.6,"publicationDate":"2024-09-05","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142219760","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Editor's introduction—July 2024","authors":"Catherine Warrick","doi":"10.1111/dome.12333","DOIUrl":"10.1111/dome.12333","url":null,"abstract":"&lt;p&gt;This issue of the &lt;i&gt;Digest of Middle East Studies&lt;/i&gt; includes a particularly timely set of articles on sectarianism, refugees, political economy and state power, the effect of advertising on self-esteem, and the verbal tactics of presidential candidates. Drawing on cases across the region from Egypt to Iran and from Turkey to Saudi Arabia, the authors in this issue present careful research and interesting findings.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Our first article, Dukhan and Hawat's “Memory, fear, and manipulated sectarianism: Exploring Christian views and intercommunal dynamics in al-Hasakah amidst the Syrian Uprising” (&lt;span&gt;2024&lt;/span&gt;), contributes to a growing body of sectarianism scholarship, including that in an earlier special issue of the &lt;i&gt;Digest of Middle East Studies&lt;/i&gt;. Building on the concepts of sectarianism “from above” and “from below,” as developed by earlier authors including Menshawy (&lt;span&gt;2022&lt;/span&gt;) and Wahab (&lt;span&gt;2022&lt;/span&gt;), Dukhan develops the understanding of sectarianism in the Syrian case beyond the well-studied Sunni and Alawite cases to that of Syrian Christians and their relationship to state and non-state actors in the context of the Syrian uprising. Arguing that sectarianism is a product of the Syrian regimes’ manipulation of Christian fears in the context of conflict, the article presents an analysis of a complex set of factors shaping community identity and its political importance.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;The perennially important issues of refugee status determination processes (RSD) is examined by Magdy and Yasser in “I Balance Suffering(s): The politics and moralities of humanitarian caseworkers in Egypt as a refugee transit point” (&lt;span&gt;2024&lt;/span&gt;). Refugee status is a legal issue, a policy issue, a topic with economic and security aspects, but it is also a designation with deep implications for individual well-being and suffering, and that is what this issue examines through first-hand accounts. Magdy and Yasser offer a reflection on the situation of caseworkers who are expected to act with neutrality and in accordance with objective criteria, but who must find ways to weigh and balance claims of human suffering which, because they cannot all be granted refugee status, are effectively competing for limited resources. The understanding of types and degrees of suffering is a matter of extremely high stakes not only at the policymaking stage, but at the “street-level bureaucrat” stage where individuals must present their claims and caseworkers must award or deny recognition as refugees.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;In Mason's “Power and competition in the transitions towards post-rentierism,” (&lt;span&gt;2024&lt;/span&gt;), he argues that in the cases of Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, political and economic development have not yet produced the “virtual states” described by (Rosecrance, &lt;span&gt;1986&lt;/span&gt;; Rosecrance &amp; Thompson, &lt;span&gt;2003&lt;/span&gt;) in earlier research; rather, these two countries, despite significant developments in recent years, continue t","PeriodicalId":43254,"journal":{"name":"Digest of Middle East Studies","volume":"33 3","pages":"208-209"},"PeriodicalIF":0.6,"publicationDate":"2024-07-04","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1111/dome.12333","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141574660","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Memory, fear, and manipulated sectarianism: Exploring Christian views and intercommunal dynamics in Al-Hasakah amidst the Syrian uprising\u0000 记忆、恐惧与被操纵的宗派主义:探究叙利亚起义期间哈塞克省的基督教观点和社区间动态\u0000 Memoria, miedo y sectarismo manipulado: explorando los puntos de vista cristianos y las dinámicas intercomunales en al-Hassakeh en medio del levantamiento sirio","authors":"Haian Dukhan,&nbsp;Sinan Hawat","doi":"10.1111/dome.12332","DOIUrl":"10.1111/dome.12332","url":null,"abstract":"<p>The Syrian uprising and subsequent civil war have been extensively studied with a predominant emphasis on sectarianism between the Sunni and Alawite sects. This narrow focus overlooks the profound influence of other religious and ethnic elements within Syrian society. This article aims to broaden the analytical lens by examining the position and attitudes of Christians in the Al-Hasakah governorate regarding the Syrian uprising and opposition forces. The article addresses two key inquiries: first, the factors influencing Christians' position in Al-Hasakah regarding the Syrian uprising, and second, the ramifications of these positions on intercommunal relationships in the region. The paper argues that the collective memory of fear experienced by Christians, manipulated by the Syrian regime, has contributed to the emergence of “sectarianism from below” and “sectarianism from above.” The former reflects the construction of sectarian identities by Christians in response to discrimination and marginalization, while the latter pertains to influential institutions perpetuating sectarian identities and divisions. The findings highlight the complex interplay of factors shaping communal attitudes and relations during times of upheaval and conflict.</p>","PeriodicalId":43254,"journal":{"name":"Digest of Middle East Studies","volume":"33 3","pages":"210-224"},"PeriodicalIF":0.6,"publicationDate":"2024-06-27","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141508604","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Power and competition in the transitions toward postrentierism: The cases of Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates\u0000 后食利主义转型中的权力与竞争:以沙特阿拉伯和阿联酋为例\u0000 Poder y competencia en las transiciones hacia el posrentismo: Los casos de Arabia Saudita y Emiratos Árabes Unidos","authors":"Robert Mason","doi":"10.1111/dome.12331","DOIUrl":"10.1111/dome.12331","url":null,"abstract":"<p>The imperatives of economic diversification mean that Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) are scrambling to secure international markets and investments amid a series of domestic changes taking place, including centralized decision making, the marginalization of other traditional modes of governance, and rising nationalism. While there is some evidence of formal security-related cooperation in the Gulf Cooperation Council as well as an informal security alliance operationalized by Saudi Arabia and the UAE at the onset of the Arab uprisings, these two states have gone on to pursue competing economic policies. This article assesses the economic and political interactions of Saudi Arabia and the UAE, arguing that contrary to Rosecrance's concept of “virtual states” with an emphasis on services, expertise, and creativity, connected to visions strategies in these cases, their primary power remains rooted in territorial aspects. It also finds that there are other factors such as leadership style, political and economic role conceptions, the regional and international balance of power, threat perception, and alliance formation that will continue to determine the shape and form of their cooperation or competition.</p>","PeriodicalId":43254,"journal":{"name":"Digest of Middle East Studies","volume":"33 3","pages":"225-244"},"PeriodicalIF":0.6,"publicationDate":"2024-06-26","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141508605","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"I balance suffering(s): The politics and moralities of humanitarian caseworkers in Egypt as a refugee transit point\u0000 平衡苦难:埃及中转站人道主义工作者的政治与道德\u0000 Equilibro el(los) sufrimiento(s): la política y la moralidad de los trabajadores sociales humanitarios en el punto de tránsito de Egipto","authors":"Ramy Magdy,&nbsp;Mai Yasser","doi":"10.1111/dome.12330","DOIUrl":"10.1111/dome.12330","url":null,"abstract":"<p>In a world where asylum and migration have become major concerns for countries of transit and destination, political neutrality seems to be demanded from humanitarian workers. But under the pressures of workload, limited funds, and complex settings, these actors deviate from expectations and practice extra-legal authority of a unique political nature. When handling asylum cases, these agents take crucial decisions that decisively impact the lives of asylum seekers. In legally fragile transit points where the rule of law faces challenges and where asylum seekers come seeking further resettlement in European countries, rejected applicants face risky fates of deportation, jail, violence, or death. In turn, humanitarian caseworkers pushed by workloads, purse strings, emotional burnout, and compassion fatigue, flatten the sufferings of their applicants, balance, and rank them. Caseworkers have to rank sufferings and decide who may eventually survive and who may simply be left to a risky unknown. In Agambian terms, this extralegal authority draws the lines, creates a zone of exception and throws rejected applicants into the realm of “Bare Life” where they become “Homo Sacer,” whose life is worthless. Using Lipsky's theorization of street-level bureaucrats and in-depth interviews, the paper tackles these crucial issues by interviewing caseworkers from a variety of international organizations operating in the transit point of Egypt. These caseworkers are responsible for conducting different roles in the Refugee Status Determination process.</p>","PeriodicalId":43254,"journal":{"name":"Digest of Middle East Studies","volume":"33 3","pages":"265-281"},"PeriodicalIF":0.6,"publicationDate":"2024-06-22","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141508657","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}