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Papers by Shahram Akbarzadeh
Routledge eBooks, Jul 11, 2023
In recent years, Pakistan has witnessed the emergence of digital authoritarianism as a governing ... more In recent years, Pakistan has witnessed the emergence of digital authoritarianism as a governing strategy. This involves using digital technologies and surveillance mechanisms to control and monitor online activities. The government has implemented legislation like the Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act (PECA) to regulate cyberspace. However, the vague definitions of cybercrime within PECA and the broad surveillance powers granted to agencies such as the FIA and ISI raise apprehensions about potential abuses of power.
Religions
Pan-Islamism had resonated strongly with Muslim political leaders of the Indian sub-continent, in... more Pan-Islamism had resonated strongly with Muslim political leaders of the Indian sub-continent, including those inspired by Jamāl al-Dīn al-Afghānī, credited with coining the term. These political leaders included prominent members of the All-India Muslim League, who were at the forefront of the Indian Muslims’ struggle for a separate homeland that led to the creation of Pakistan in 1947. It is therefore no surprise that Islam and pan-Islamism became key features of the new state of Pakistan; however, domestic and geopolitical realities demanded a different approach to addressing the country’s key national interests, i.e., security through economic development. This article analyzes Pakistan’s policy on the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) to understand how far Islamabad has advanced its national interests through the OIC. Based on the interviews of elites and key opinionmakers in Islamabad, this paper argues that pan-Islamist ideals in Pakistan’s foreign policy were confron...
Journal of Strategic Studies, 2022
Contemporary South Asia, 2020
Asia Europe Journal, 2005
Page 1. AND THE UNITED STATES Authoritarianism, Islamism & Washington&... more Page 1. AND THE UNITED STATES Authoritarianism, Islamism & Washington's Security Agenda SHAHRAM AKBARZADEH WITH A FOREWORD BY PROFESSOR YAACOV RO'I Page 2. Page 3. About the Author Shahram Akbarzadeh ...
American Democracy Promotion in the Changing Middle East, 2012
Eureka street, 2011
US President Barack Obama has tried to make his position clear on the Middle East. However, with ... more US President Barack Obama has tried to make his position clear on the Middle East. However, with the obvious exception of the explicit endorsement of the pre-1967 borders for the two states of Israel and Palestine, there were no surprises in his highly anticipated MidEast speech. Even less clear is the administration's long term policy for the future of Afghanistan.
European experience shows that mutual trust and respect is the only option, write Shahram Akbarza... more European experience shows that mutual trust and respect is the only option, write Shahram Akbarzadeh and Greg Barton MIGRATION, un-Australian attitudes and simmering social unrest. These, it would appear, are the fears that gnaw at the peace of mind of many ordinary Australians - dark anxieties produced partly by the dislocating effects of economic globalization and partly by the spectre of terrorism. Add Islam to the mix and you have the perfect storm. We should not be surprised then that the recent comments of Professor Raphael Israeli - “When the Muslim population gets to a critical mass you have problems. That is a general rule, so if it applies everywhere it applies in Australia,” - provoked such an outburst of letters, talk-back radio calls and online commentary. Much of the discussion that ensured was heartening in its unequivocal rejection of Israeli’s pronouncements but many respondents also appeared confused by the “academic” claims of this visiting speaker from an esteeme...
Routledge Handbook of International Relations in the Middle East, 2019
Journal of Human Rights Practice, 2018
The Washington Quarterly, 2017
Studies in Conflict & Terrorism, 2019
... Among his latest publications are Muslim Communities in Australia (with Abdullah Saeed) and t... more ... Among his latest publications are Muslim Communities in Australia (with Abdullah Saeed) and the Historical Dictionary of Tajikistan (with Kamoludin Abdullaev). ... Page 3. Page 4. Islam and Political Legitimacy Edited by Shahram Akbarzadeh and Abdullah Saeed Page 5. ...
Iran’s political system benefits from dual sources of legitimacy, which seemingly enables Iran’s ... more Iran’s political system benefits from dual sources of legitimacy, which seemingly enables Iran’s ruling clergy to proclaim their system to be the ultimate representation of a perfect political system, one that brings Islam and democracy together. Questioning this propaganda-laden claim, we suggest that this duality has embedded an inherent contradiction between the theory and practice of an Islamic Republic. Indeed, it is for this reason that elected and appointed offices in Iran have been continually embroiled in tense relations since the inception of the Islamic Republic. Elaborating on the country’s electoral rules and procedures, it is suggested that despite the vetting of candidates by the appointed Guardian Council, Iranian elections are highly competitive and revolve around issues of national importance such as the economy and social issues. This chapter offers a detailed investigation of the challenges that have arisen from the inherited contradiction between divine and popu...
Middle East Politics and International Relations, 2018
Middle East Politics and International Relations, 2018
Routledge eBooks, Jul 11, 2023
In recent years, Pakistan has witnessed the emergence of digital authoritarianism as a governing ... more In recent years, Pakistan has witnessed the emergence of digital authoritarianism as a governing strategy. This involves using digital technologies and surveillance mechanisms to control and monitor online activities. The government has implemented legislation like the Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act (PECA) to regulate cyberspace. However, the vague definitions of cybercrime within PECA and the broad surveillance powers granted to agencies such as the FIA and ISI raise apprehensions about potential abuses of power.
Religions
Pan-Islamism had resonated strongly with Muslim political leaders of the Indian sub-continent, in... more Pan-Islamism had resonated strongly with Muslim political leaders of the Indian sub-continent, including those inspired by Jamāl al-Dīn al-Afghānī, credited with coining the term. These political leaders included prominent members of the All-India Muslim League, who were at the forefront of the Indian Muslims’ struggle for a separate homeland that led to the creation of Pakistan in 1947. It is therefore no surprise that Islam and pan-Islamism became key features of the new state of Pakistan; however, domestic and geopolitical realities demanded a different approach to addressing the country’s key national interests, i.e., security through economic development. This article analyzes Pakistan’s policy on the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) to understand how far Islamabad has advanced its national interests through the OIC. Based on the interviews of elites and key opinionmakers in Islamabad, this paper argues that pan-Islamist ideals in Pakistan’s foreign policy were confron...
Journal of Strategic Studies, 2022
Contemporary South Asia, 2020
Asia Europe Journal, 2005
Page 1. AND THE UNITED STATES Authoritarianism, Islamism & Washington&... more Page 1. AND THE UNITED STATES Authoritarianism, Islamism & Washington's Security Agenda SHAHRAM AKBARZADEH WITH A FOREWORD BY PROFESSOR YAACOV RO'I Page 2. Page 3. About the Author Shahram Akbarzadeh ...
American Democracy Promotion in the Changing Middle East, 2012
Eureka street, 2011
US President Barack Obama has tried to make his position clear on the Middle East. However, with ... more US President Barack Obama has tried to make his position clear on the Middle East. However, with the obvious exception of the explicit endorsement of the pre-1967 borders for the two states of Israel and Palestine, there were no surprises in his highly anticipated MidEast speech. Even less clear is the administration's long term policy for the future of Afghanistan.
European experience shows that mutual trust and respect is the only option, write Shahram Akbarza... more European experience shows that mutual trust and respect is the only option, write Shahram Akbarzadeh and Greg Barton MIGRATION, un-Australian attitudes and simmering social unrest. These, it would appear, are the fears that gnaw at the peace of mind of many ordinary Australians - dark anxieties produced partly by the dislocating effects of economic globalization and partly by the spectre of terrorism. Add Islam to the mix and you have the perfect storm. We should not be surprised then that the recent comments of Professor Raphael Israeli - “When the Muslim population gets to a critical mass you have problems. That is a general rule, so if it applies everywhere it applies in Australia,” - provoked such an outburst of letters, talk-back radio calls and online commentary. Much of the discussion that ensured was heartening in its unequivocal rejection of Israeli’s pronouncements but many respondents also appeared confused by the “academic” claims of this visiting speaker from an esteeme...
Routledge Handbook of International Relations in the Middle East, 2019
Journal of Human Rights Practice, 2018
The Washington Quarterly, 2017
Studies in Conflict & Terrorism, 2019
... Among his latest publications are Muslim Communities in Australia (with Abdullah Saeed) and t... more ... Among his latest publications are Muslim Communities in Australia (with Abdullah Saeed) and the Historical Dictionary of Tajikistan (with Kamoludin Abdullaev). ... Page 3. Page 4. Islam and Political Legitimacy Edited by Shahram Akbarzadeh and Abdullah Saeed Page 5. ...
Iran’s political system benefits from dual sources of legitimacy, which seemingly enables Iran’s ... more Iran’s political system benefits from dual sources of legitimacy, which seemingly enables Iran’s ruling clergy to proclaim their system to be the ultimate representation of a perfect political system, one that brings Islam and democracy together. Questioning this propaganda-laden claim, we suggest that this duality has embedded an inherent contradiction between the theory and practice of an Islamic Republic. Indeed, it is for this reason that elected and appointed offices in Iran have been continually embroiled in tense relations since the inception of the Islamic Republic. Elaborating on the country’s electoral rules and procedures, it is suggested that despite the vetting of candidates by the appointed Guardian Council, Iranian elections are highly competitive and revolve around issues of national importance such as the economy and social issues. This chapter offers a detailed investigation of the challenges that have arisen from the inherited contradiction between divine and popu...
Middle East Politics and International Relations, 2018
Middle East Politics and International Relations, 2018
Melbourne University Press, 2012
From late 2010 a series of dramatic and unprecedented events swept across the Middle East and Nor... more From late 2010 a series of dramatic and unprecedented events swept across the Middle East and North Africa (MENA), toppling several autocratic regimes that had held power for decades and ushering in a new climate of dissent and democratization. This book seizes a unique opportunity to reflect on these seismic events, their causes and consequences, and the core issues facing the region as it moves forward. However, this volume aims to be so much more than a collection of detailed thematic essays on the Arab Revolutions. The central argument and the key contribution of this book are twofold. Firstly, it aims to situate the Arab Revolutions within their broader contextual background, arguing that a unique set of historical events as well as local, regional and global dynamics have converged to provide the catalyst that triggered the recent revolts. Secondly, this book will attempt to situate the events within a new conceptual framework. The argument here is that the Arab Revolutions pose a very specific challenge to conventional wisdom concerning democracy and democratisation in the Middle East.
The Arab Revolutions in Context: Civil Society and Democracy in a Changing Middle East (Melbourne University Press), 2012
This volume will be the first of its kind to address the Arab Revolutions and the varying analyse... more This volume will be the first of its kind to address the Arab Revolutions and the varying analyses, debates and discussions that they have stimulated. It seizes a unique opportunity to reflect on these seismic events, their causes and consequences, as well as on the core issues facing the region in the future. However, this volume aims to be much more than a collection of detailed thematic essays on the Arab Revolutions. The central arguments and the key contributions of this book are twofold. Firstly, the book aims to situate the Arab Revolutions within their broader contextual background, arguing that a unique set of historical events as well as local, regional and global dynamics have converged to provide the catalyst that triggered the recent revolts. Secondly, this book will attempt to situate the events within a new conceptual framework. The argument here is that the Arab Revolutions pose a very specific challenge to conventional wisdom concerning democracy and democratisation in the Middle East.