Vali Nasr - Academia.edu (original) (raw)
Papers by Vali Nasr
The Islamic Leviathan, 2001
Malaysia and Pakistan were created from the rump of British colonialism in India and Southeast As... more Malaysia and Pakistan were created from the rump of British colonialism in India and Southeast Asia. Both states lacked national identity or a unified polity that preceded independence. Both confronted social divisions that were the legacy of the colonial era. In fact, in both countries the struggle for independence was not directed against the British, but was a competition of racial, religious, and ethnic rivals. As weak states, they were unable to proceed with effective state formation. Economic Disparities in Malaysia led to racial and ethnic tensions. Weak state institutions and constitutional crises led to ethnic tensions in Pakistan.
Contemporary Sociology, 1994
Is Islam compatible with democracy? Must fundamentalism win out in the Middle East, or will democ... more Is Islam compatible with democracy? Must fundamentalism win out in the Middle East, or will democracy ever be possible? In this now-classic book, Islamic sociologist Fatima Mernissi explores the ways in which progressive Muslims--defenders of democracy, feminists, and others trying to resist fundamentalism--must use the same sacred texts as Muslims who use them for violent ends, to prove different views. Updated with a new introduction by the author written in the wake of the September 11 terrorist attacks on the United States, Islam and Democracy serves as a guide to the players moving the pieces on the rather grim Muslim chessboard. It shines new light on the people behind today's terrorist acts and raises provocative questions about the possibilities for democracy and human rights in the Islamic world. Essential reading for anyone interested in the politics of the Middle East today, Islam and Democracy is as timely now as it was upon its initial, celebrated publication.
Journal of Church and State, 1992
Political Islam Nazih Ayubi studies the Islamic movements of six countries in detail and traces b... more Political Islam Nazih Ayubi studies the Islamic movements of six countries in detail and traces both the intellectual sources and the socio-economic bases of political Islam, arguing that as a belief system and a way of life, it is a modern phenomenon, dating back only to the ...
Middle East Studies Association Bulletin, 1986
The Islamic Leviathan, 2001
The colonial legacy For some, it might seem excessive to consider the colonial legacy as one of t... more The colonial legacy For some, it might seem excessive to consider the colonial legacy as one of the causes of hunger today. This may be because some governments of former colonies have too often used colonialism as an alibi for their inaction or as a reason for them not being able to really develop the economy and solve the social problems they face. However, we have to accept that we are all heirs to our history and the former colonies are no exception. They have inherited a number of characteristics that are a direct consequence of their past colonial history and that make them less able to move towards to a well-balanced approach to development that would result in the eradication of hunger and poverty. Let's review these characteristics and see how they reduce opportunities for small farmers, the very people who are most affected by hunger, to improve their livelihoods.
The American Historical Review, 1998
Oxford University Press Oxford New York Athens Auckland Bangkok Calcutta Cape Town Dar es Salaam ... more Oxford University Press Oxford New York Athens Auckland Bangkok Calcutta Cape Town Dar es Salaam Delhi Florence Hong Kong Istanbul Karachi Kuala Lumpur Madras Madrid Melbourne Mexico City Nairobi Paris Singapore Taipei Tokyo Toronto and associated companies in ...
American Journal of Islam and Society
There is little dispute that the Iranian revolution, the ensuing hostagecrises in Tehmn and Beiru... more There is little dispute that the Iranian revolution, the ensuing hostagecrises in Tehmn and Beirut, the Salman Rushdie affair, and, finally, thePemian Gulf war have drastically changed the image of Islam in the West.The hetoric of the most ardent Muslim activists has been accepted at facevalue, and Islam has been identified as a revolutionary force with an axe togrind against the West. Although the Western phobia of Islam has somejustification, the West has allowed stereotypes and shibboleths to rule itsjudgment too easily. Explicitly, as well as implicitly, Islam is depicted in themedia and even academic literature as the religion of war, vengeance, anddestruction-as a force that is inimical to the orderly conduct of internationalrelations and the progress of society and politics. Islam is viewed as hostileto democracy, minority rights, and women's welfare. Islam as a world civilizationhas been reduced to Islamic fundamentalism, and even then the Westhas preferred to cling to p...
Renowned Middle-East expert Vali Nasr combines historical narrative with contemporary on-the-grou... more Renowned Middle-East expert Vali Nasr combines historical narrative with contemporary on-the-ground research to introduce a Muslim World we've never seen. Meccanomics takes us behind the news, so dominated by the struggle against extremists and the Taliban, to reveal a new society, one that is being reshaped by an upwardly mobile middle class of entrepreneurs, investors, professionals, and insatiable consumers. His insights into the true situations in Iran, Pakistan, Afghanistan, and the crucial bright spots of Dubai and Turkey provide a whole new way of thinking about the troubles and prospects in the region. Nasr's groundbreaking analysis offers a powerful reassessment of a region where financial might - not fundamentalism - does the talking.
Leading authority on the Islamic world and influential advisor to the Obama administration Vali N... more Leading authority on the Islamic world and influential advisor to the Obama administration Vali Nasr shows that the West s best hope of winning the battle against Islamic extremists is to foster the growth of a vibrant new Muslim middle class. This flourishing of Muslim bourgeoisie is reshaping the mind-set, politics, and even the religious values of Muslims in much the same way the Western bourgeoisie lead the capitalist and democratic revolution in Europe. Whereas extremism has grown out of the dismal economic failures of the authoritarian Islamic regimes, Nasr explains, the wealth and aspirations of this Islamic critical middle put them squarely at odds with extremism. They have ushered in remarkable transformations already in Dubai, Turkey, and Indonesia, and they are the key to tipping the balance in both Iran and Pakistan. As he writes the great battle for the soul of the Muslim world will be fought not over religion but over market capitalism. "
CEMOTI
The Iranian revolution has left a profound mark on Pakistan's politics in general and the rol... more The Iranian revolution has left a profound mark on Pakistan's politics in general and the role of religion therein, in particular. The revolution underscored the importance of Islam to sociopolitical change, and provided impetus for Islamist activism. Iran's drive to establish regional hegemony combined with growing Sunni resistance to its Shia characteristics produced sectarian conflict. This conflict has been fed on regional struggles for power between Iran and its Arab neighbors, and competition for resources and influence between Sunnis and Shias in South Asia. The result has been a new form of Islamist politics, one that draws on Islamism in tandem with identity politics. Its force has greatly impacted sociopolitical relations in the region. The more lasting impact of the Iranian revolution in the region has not been promotion of Islamist activism, but deep division between Shias and Sunnis, a sectarian discourse of power, and deepening of social cleavages in the region.
The Islamic Leviathan, 2001
Malaysia and Pakistan were created from the rump of British colonialism in India and Southeast As... more Malaysia and Pakistan were created from the rump of British colonialism in India and Southeast Asia. Both states lacked national identity or a unified polity that preceded independence. Both confronted social divisions that were the legacy of the colonial era. In fact, in both countries the struggle for independence was not directed against the British, but was a competition of racial, religious, and ethnic rivals. As weak states, they were unable to proceed with effective state formation. Economic Disparities in Malaysia led to racial and ethnic tensions. Weak state institutions and constitutional crises led to ethnic tensions in Pakistan.
Contemporary Sociology, 1994
Is Islam compatible with democracy? Must fundamentalism win out in the Middle East, or will democ... more Is Islam compatible with democracy? Must fundamentalism win out in the Middle East, or will democracy ever be possible? In this now-classic book, Islamic sociologist Fatima Mernissi explores the ways in which progressive Muslims--defenders of democracy, feminists, and others trying to resist fundamentalism--must use the same sacred texts as Muslims who use them for violent ends, to prove different views. Updated with a new introduction by the author written in the wake of the September 11 terrorist attacks on the United States, Islam and Democracy serves as a guide to the players moving the pieces on the rather grim Muslim chessboard. It shines new light on the people behind today's terrorist acts and raises provocative questions about the possibilities for democracy and human rights in the Islamic world. Essential reading for anyone interested in the politics of the Middle East today, Islam and Democracy is as timely now as it was upon its initial, celebrated publication.
Journal of Church and State, 1992
Political Islam Nazih Ayubi studies the Islamic movements of six countries in detail and traces b... more Political Islam Nazih Ayubi studies the Islamic movements of six countries in detail and traces both the intellectual sources and the socio-economic bases of political Islam, arguing that as a belief system and a way of life, it is a modern phenomenon, dating back only to the ...
Middle East Studies Association Bulletin, 1986
The Islamic Leviathan, 2001
The colonial legacy For some, it might seem excessive to consider the colonial legacy as one of t... more The colonial legacy For some, it might seem excessive to consider the colonial legacy as one of the causes of hunger today. This may be because some governments of former colonies have too often used colonialism as an alibi for their inaction or as a reason for them not being able to really develop the economy and solve the social problems they face. However, we have to accept that we are all heirs to our history and the former colonies are no exception. They have inherited a number of characteristics that are a direct consequence of their past colonial history and that make them less able to move towards to a well-balanced approach to development that would result in the eradication of hunger and poverty. Let's review these characteristics and see how they reduce opportunities for small farmers, the very people who are most affected by hunger, to improve their livelihoods.
The American Historical Review, 1998
Oxford University Press Oxford New York Athens Auckland Bangkok Calcutta Cape Town Dar es Salaam ... more Oxford University Press Oxford New York Athens Auckland Bangkok Calcutta Cape Town Dar es Salaam Delhi Florence Hong Kong Istanbul Karachi Kuala Lumpur Madras Madrid Melbourne Mexico City Nairobi Paris Singapore Taipei Tokyo Toronto and associated companies in ...
American Journal of Islam and Society
There is little dispute that the Iranian revolution, the ensuing hostagecrises in Tehmn and Beiru... more There is little dispute that the Iranian revolution, the ensuing hostagecrises in Tehmn and Beirut, the Salman Rushdie affair, and, finally, thePemian Gulf war have drastically changed the image of Islam in the West.The hetoric of the most ardent Muslim activists has been accepted at facevalue, and Islam has been identified as a revolutionary force with an axe togrind against the West. Although the Western phobia of Islam has somejustification, the West has allowed stereotypes and shibboleths to rule itsjudgment too easily. Explicitly, as well as implicitly, Islam is depicted in themedia and even academic literature as the religion of war, vengeance, anddestruction-as a force that is inimical to the orderly conduct of internationalrelations and the progress of society and politics. Islam is viewed as hostileto democracy, minority rights, and women's welfare. Islam as a world civilizationhas been reduced to Islamic fundamentalism, and even then the Westhas preferred to cling to p...
Renowned Middle-East expert Vali Nasr combines historical narrative with contemporary on-the-grou... more Renowned Middle-East expert Vali Nasr combines historical narrative with contemporary on-the-ground research to introduce a Muslim World we've never seen. Meccanomics takes us behind the news, so dominated by the struggle against extremists and the Taliban, to reveal a new society, one that is being reshaped by an upwardly mobile middle class of entrepreneurs, investors, professionals, and insatiable consumers. His insights into the true situations in Iran, Pakistan, Afghanistan, and the crucial bright spots of Dubai and Turkey provide a whole new way of thinking about the troubles and prospects in the region. Nasr's groundbreaking analysis offers a powerful reassessment of a region where financial might - not fundamentalism - does the talking.
Leading authority on the Islamic world and influential advisor to the Obama administration Vali N... more Leading authority on the Islamic world and influential advisor to the Obama administration Vali Nasr shows that the West s best hope of winning the battle against Islamic extremists is to foster the growth of a vibrant new Muslim middle class. This flourishing of Muslim bourgeoisie is reshaping the mind-set, politics, and even the religious values of Muslims in much the same way the Western bourgeoisie lead the capitalist and democratic revolution in Europe. Whereas extremism has grown out of the dismal economic failures of the authoritarian Islamic regimes, Nasr explains, the wealth and aspirations of this Islamic critical middle put them squarely at odds with extremism. They have ushered in remarkable transformations already in Dubai, Turkey, and Indonesia, and they are the key to tipping the balance in both Iran and Pakistan. As he writes the great battle for the soul of the Muslim world will be fought not over religion but over market capitalism. "
CEMOTI
The Iranian revolution has left a profound mark on Pakistan's politics in general and the rol... more The Iranian revolution has left a profound mark on Pakistan's politics in general and the role of religion therein, in particular. The revolution underscored the importance of Islam to sociopolitical change, and provided impetus for Islamist activism. Iran's drive to establish regional hegemony combined with growing Sunni resistance to its Shia characteristics produced sectarian conflict. This conflict has been fed on regional struggles for power between Iran and its Arab neighbors, and competition for resources and influence between Sunnis and Shias in South Asia. The result has been a new form of Islamist politics, one that draws on Islamism in tandem with identity politics. Its force has greatly impacted sociopolitical relations in the region. The more lasting impact of the Iranian revolution in the region has not been promotion of Islamist activism, but deep division between Shias and Sunnis, a sectarian discourse of power, and deepening of social cleavages in the region.