In general terms, Ghana’s university administrators see no value in supportingthis stream of study because it does not “produce” graduates who canmake constructive contributions to the national agenda of industrial development.The study of religion (or religious studies) in general suffers from thisbias internationally, and religion itself is becoming less popular among youngpeople. Other indications of...Read More

There has rarely been a dull period in Lebanon’s post-Ottoman political history.Its central geographic, if not political, position within the Arab region,along with its penetrable political system, has made the country vulnerable toregional and international pressures. These pressures have manifested themselvesin both spectacular (e.g., the civil war and Israeli occupation) and moresubtle ways (e.g., the...Read More

In his most recent work, The Coup: 1953, the CIA, and the Roots of ModernU. S.-Iranian Relations, Ervand Abrahamian (Distinguished Professor of Iranianand Middle Eastern History, Baruch College of the City University, NewYork) recounts a definitive moment of modern Iranian history that overshadowsIranian-American relations to this day. Drawing on a remarkable varietyof sources – accessible...Read More

The Gezi Park protests have stirred serious controversy both inside and outside Turkey on the JDP’s ruling style and ideology. By drawing on el-Affendi’s distinction between the Medina and Damascus models, I discuss the Islamist opposition to Erdoğan during the Gezi events. I argue that notwithstanding his recent Islamization policies, Erdoğan’s JDP is a conservative...Read More