The 1990-91 Gulf War, the Israeli-PLO agreement, instances of political and economic reform, and the radical political reassertion of Islam, all indicate that the post-Cold War Middle East is in the grip of dramatic changes. This has generated considerable enthusiasm. Yet such transformation to the political landscape bring with them daunting difficulties. The Middle East faces a host of problems urgently in need of solutions if a successful new world order is to be built on the ruins of the old. In this book, an international group of scholars addresses these issues, and considers the options for the political, social, and economic reconstruction of the region. Themes covered include: democratisation; the Arab state system in the new global environment; the civil war in Arabia; security structures; the Arab-Israeli conflict; the role and potential contribution of pan-Islamism and pan-Arabism; and the prospects for economic revival. Throughout, the linkages between regional dynamics and the changing global environment are highlighted. Case-studies are drawn from the whole region: from North Africa to the Gulf, and from Syria to Yemen.

Despite the current negative image of Islam in Europe there has been a steady growth of converts to Islam over the past few decades. British converts are a highly diverse group, with different social, economic and educational backgrounds. Recently this group has grown in confidence and become increasingly active in influencing positive Islamic discourse in Britain. The book sheds light on the intellectual and spiritual contributions of some of the prominent figures of this group of 'new Muslims', and assesses their efforts in shaping Islam in British society; including: Martin Lings, Gai Eaton, Tim Winter and Hamza Yusuf. The research investigates the potential benefit 'new Muslims' can bring to bridge the gap between Muslim communities and wider British society, thus helping in the process of building mutual trust, greater cooperation and positive understanding among all parties in Britain. The work will help readers to become aware of the evolution of a "British Islam" that is more open, rooted in British values and spiritual traditions, and forms a part of the continually changing British religious landscape.

Since the end of the Cold War and the 1990/91 Gulf war, the Middle East has been in the grip of dramatic changes. The region faces a host of problems urgently in need of solutions if a successful new world order is to be built on the ruins of the old. In this book, an international group of scholars addresses these issues and considers the options for the political and economic reconstruction of the Middle East. Themes covered include: democratization; the Arab state system in the new global environment; the end of Marxism in the Middle East; security structures; the Arab-Israeli conflict; the role of pan-Islamism and pan-Arabism; and the prospects for economic revival. Case-studies are drawn from the whole region, from North Africa to the Arabian Peninsula.

The 1990-91 Gulf War, the Israeli-PLO agreement, instances of political and economic reform, and the radical political reassertion of Islam, all indicate that the post-Cold War Middle East is in the grip of dramatic changes. This has generated considerable enthusiasm. Yet such transformation to the political landscape bring with them daunting difficulties. The Middle East faces a host of problems urgently in need of solutions if a successful new world order is to be built on the ruins of the old. In this book, an international group of scholars addresses these issues, and considers the options for the political, social, and economic reconstruction of the region. Themes covered include: democratisation; the Arab state system in the new global environment; the civil war in Arabia; security structures; the Arab-Israeli conflict; the role and potential contribution of pan-Islamism and pan-Arabism; and the prospects for economic revival. Throughout, the linkages between regional dynamics and the changing global environment are highlighted. Case-studies are drawn from the whole region: from North Africa to the Gulf, and from Syria to Yemen.