Written while the euphoria of the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) uprisings was still palpable, this is a collection by an international mix of respected academics and active political roleplayers who reflect on the changing face of the MENA region since the end of 2010. The book examines the theoretical frameworks within which the uprisings and the movements for and towards democracy in the region might be situated; and chronicles and analyses the uprisings in the various countries where they occurred, their causes, the role of external actors, and the impact of the uprisings on the African continent.
Carefully focusing on different countries, while not ignoring the regional tapestry which served as a background for the uprisings, this book presents a fascinating and thoughtful look at one of the most exciting – albeit brief – periods in the MENA region in recent times.
Contributors:
Ahmed Abd Rabou, Ashur Shamis, Daryl Glaser, Ebrahim Ebrahim, Ebrahim Shabbir Deen, Francis Nguendi Ikome, Garth le Pere, Hadi Enayat, Houchang E Chehabi, Lutfi Zaitoun, Na’eem Jeenah, Phyllis Bennis, Yahia H Zoubir
Chapters:
Part One MENA UPRISINGS: THEORETICAL PERSPECTIVES
Transitions, revolutions, and democratisations: Conceptual clarifications – Houchang E Chehabi
The long road from revolution to democracy in the Middle East and North Africa: Challenges and threats facing states in transition – Garth le Pere
Part Two THREE YEARS OF UPRISINGS: POLITICAL ACTIONS AND ACTORS
Springs and winters: Interventions and interferences in the Arab uprisings – Phyllis Bennis
‘Islamists’ above ground and poised to lead: A Libyan Islamist perspective – Ashur Shamis
Islamist re-awakening in Egypt: From opposition movements to ruling parties – Ahmed Abd Rabou
Law and the judicialisation of politics in the Egyptian revolution – Hadi Enayat
Egyptian liberals in the struggle for and against democracy – Daryl Glaser
The Tunisian intifada and the way forward – Lutfi Zaitoun
Consequences of Ennahda’s relative weakness in Tunisia: Problematising negotiated revolutions – Ebrahim Shabbir Deen
The Arab uprisings: Is Algeria exceptional? – Yahia H Zoubir
Part Three MENA AND THE REST OF AFRICA
After Gaddafi and Mubarak: A new role for North Africa in the African Union – Francis Nguendi Ikome
Lessons from South Africa’s reconciliation process for post-uprising states – Na’eem Jeenah and Ebrahim Shabbir Deen
