Is it possible to ignore the rules of the world and still enjoy the protection of the international community? Does the West need the Saudis more than they need us? This study seeks to answer these and other questions on the political and social development of Saudi Arabia in the seven years since the Gulf War. The book examines the ruling family's self-awarded birthright to wealth and power, and discusses the questions of Royal Law, human rights, censorship, the fear of radical Islam, and gender in the kingdom.

Is it possible to ignore the rules of the world and still enjoy the protection of the international community? Does the West need the Saudis more than they need us? This study seeks to answer these and other questions on the political and social development of Saudi Arabia in the seven years since the Gulf War. The book examines the ruling family's self-awarded birthright to wealth and power, and discusses the questions of Royal Law, human rights, censorship, the fear of radical Islam, and gender in the kingdom.

The theme of the conference presented in this work, Islam in a changing world: Europe and the Middle East, held in Copenhagen in June 1996, was the compatibility between Islam and universal norms and values, and the perspectives for dialogue and mutual understanding. Special attention was given both to the common features of today's Islamic groups and to differences between them. Patterns of internal Islamic co-operation and conflict were discussed, as were the ways in which political Islam influences the socio-political developments in the Middle East. Finally, the interaction between political Islam and the post-1989 challenges and opportunities of Euro-Mediterranean co-operation was also covered.

The theme of the conference presented in this work, Islam in a changing world: Europe and the Middle East, held in Copenhagen in June 1996, was the compatibility between Islam and universal norms and values, and the perspectives for dialogue and mutual understanding. Special attention was given both to the common features of today's Islamic groups and to differences between them. Patterns of internal Islamic co-operation and conflict were discussed, as were the ways in which political Islam influences the socio-political developments in the Middle East. Finally, the interaction between political Islam and the post-1989 challenges and opportunities of Euro-Mediterranean co-operation was also covered.