Experience

Publications

• Legislative Role of Religion in the Contemporary Islamic States

  MEI Perspectives Series 9. National University of Singapore

  This paper examines the origins of the modern political systems in Saudi Arabia and Iran based on the historical and theological accounts legitimating each political system. These accounts establish them as "Islamic states," built on a theocracy and the rejection of secularization.

• Legislative Role of Religion in the Contemporary Islamic States

  MEI Perspectives Series 9. National University of Singapore

  This paper examines the origins of the modern political systems in Saudi Arabia and Iran based on the historical and theological accounts legitimating each political system. These accounts establish them as "Islamic states," built on a theocracy and the rejection of secularization.

• Teaching for Democracy in Post-Arab Spring- with Dr. R. H. al-Mabuk

  Gerber, & S. Aboulkacem (Eds.), Education and the Arab Spring (pp. 3-23). Rotterdam, Netherlands: Sense Publishers.

  The Arab Spring that has swept through a number of Arab countries directly and the rest of the Arab countries indirectly has spurred an intense sentiment for democracy. The desire for democracy especially among youth, who comprise more than forty percent of the population in the Arab World, needs a favorable school environment that would transform it into democratic values and commensurate skills in children and youth.

• Legislative Role of Religion in the Contemporary Islamic States

  MEI Perspectives Series 9. National University of Singapore

  This paper examines the origins of the modern political systems in Saudi Arabia and Iran based on the historical and theological accounts legitimating each political system. These accounts establish them as "Islamic states," built on a theocracy and the rejection of secularization.

• Teaching for Democracy in Post-Arab Spring- with Dr. R. H. al-Mabuk

  Gerber, & S. Aboulkacem (Eds.), Education and the Arab Spring (pp. 3-23). Rotterdam, Netherlands: Sense Publishers.

  The Arab Spring that has swept through a number of Arab countries directly and the rest of the Arab countries indirectly has spurred an intense sentiment for democracy. The desire for democracy especially among youth, who comprise more than forty percent of the population in the Arab World, needs a favorable school environment that would transform it into democratic values and commensurate skills in children and youth.

• Covering the Building of a Kingdom: The Saudi Arabian Authority in The London Times and The New York Times, 1901–1932

  Digest of Middle East Studies

  The orientalist literature subjected the Middle East in an exotic way — mostly as an “Arabian Nights” society ruled by traditional sultans and/or tribal chiefs — rather than modern governance structure's “bureaucracy.” The presumption within postcolonial scholarship has been that this perception influenced the policy landscape in the United States and Europe, especially the media depictions of the oriental leaders and leadership. The paper empirically tests this hypothesis through content analysis using Weber's categorization of leadership of two newspapers of record — The New York Times in the United States and The London Times in the United Kingdom — during the period of state building in Saudi Arabia (1901–1932). I find that rather than depicting the Saudi leadership as “backward,” these newspapers in particular, tend to overstate the development of the Saudi state during this period. As Weber is best known for his three types of authority, it benefits the discipline to see how the interpretive communities of Western journalists operationalized “authority” in terms of politics and religion of Saudi Arabia as this monarchy emerged.

• Legislative Role of Religion in the Contemporary Islamic States

  MEI Perspectives Series 9. National University of Singapore

  This paper examines the origins of the modern political systems in Saudi Arabia and Iran based on the historical and theological accounts legitimating each political system. These accounts establish them as "Islamic states," built on a theocracy and the rejection of secularization.

• Teaching for Democracy in Post-Arab Spring- with Dr. R. H. al-Mabuk

  Gerber, & S. Aboulkacem (Eds.), Education and the Arab Spring (pp. 3-23). Rotterdam, Netherlands: Sense Publishers.

  The Arab Spring that has swept through a number of Arab countries directly and the rest of the Arab countries indirectly has spurred an intense sentiment for democracy. The desire for democracy especially among youth, who comprise more than forty percent of the population in the Arab World, needs a favorable school environment that would transform it into democratic values and commensurate skills in children and youth.

• Covering the Building of a Kingdom: The Saudi Arabian Authority in The London Times and The New York Times, 1901–1932

  Digest of Middle East Studies

  The orientalist literature subjected the Middle East in an exotic way — mostly as an “Arabian Nights” society ruled by traditional sultans and/or tribal chiefs — rather than modern governance structure's “bureaucracy.” The presumption within postcolonial scholarship has been that this perception influenced the policy landscape in the United States and Europe, especially the media depictions of the oriental leaders and leadership. The paper empirically tests this hypothesis through content analysis using Weber's categorization of leadership of two newspapers of record — The New York Times in the United States and The London Times in the United Kingdom — during the period of state building in Saudi Arabia (1901–1932). I find that rather than depicting the Saudi leadership as “backward,” these newspapers in particular, tend to overstate the development of the Saudi state during this period. As Weber is best known for his three types of authority, it benefits the discipline to see how the interpretive communities of Western journalists operationalized “authority” in terms of politics and religion of Saudi Arabia as this monarchy emerged.

• A Wahhabi Ethic in Saudi Arabia: Power, Authority, and Religion in a Muslim Society

  Sociology of Islam

  This paper incorporates Weberian insights about religion, power, and bureaucratic authority to discuss a Wahhabi ethic in Saudi Arabia. The discussion considers similarities and differences between Saudi Wahhabism and this-worldly Protestantism, focusing on how religious idea systems contributed to the transformation of social, political, and economic institutions in their respective societies. A parallel is drawn between Calvinist Protestantism in the West and Wahhabism in Saudi Arabia. Just as Calvinist Protestantism encouraged its adherents to structure their lives in accord with their religious beliefs, Wahhabism in Saudi Arabia aimed to bring society back to God and God back to society through the enforcement of Divine law (Sharia). The paper presents a discussion of the rise of the Saud family and the propagation of religious teachings, which served to legitimate the power and authority of the Saud monarchy.

• Legislative Role of Religion in the Contemporary Islamic States

  MEI Perspectives Series 9. National University of Singapore

  This paper examines the origins of the modern political systems in Saudi Arabia and Iran based on the historical and theological accounts legitimating each political system. These accounts establish them as "Islamic states," built on a theocracy and the rejection of secularization.

• Teaching for Democracy in Post-Arab Spring- with Dr. R. H. al-Mabuk

  Gerber, & S. Aboulkacem (Eds.), Education and the Arab Spring (pp. 3-23). Rotterdam, Netherlands: Sense Publishers.

  The Arab Spring that has swept through a number of Arab countries directly and the rest of the Arab countries indirectly has spurred an intense sentiment for democracy. The desire for democracy especially among youth, who comprise more than forty percent of the population in the Arab World, needs a favorable school environment that would transform it into democratic values and commensurate skills in children and youth.

• Covering the Building of a Kingdom: The Saudi Arabian Authority in The London Times and The New York Times, 1901–1932

  Digest of Middle East Studies

  The orientalist literature subjected the Middle East in an exotic way — mostly as an “Arabian Nights” society ruled by traditional sultans and/or tribal chiefs — rather than modern governance structure's “bureaucracy.” The presumption within postcolonial scholarship has been that this perception influenced the policy landscape in the United States and Europe, especially the media depictions of the oriental leaders and leadership. The paper empirically tests this hypothesis through content analysis using Weber's categorization of leadership of two newspapers of record — The New York Times in the United States and The London Times in the United Kingdom — during the period of state building in Saudi Arabia (1901–1932). I find that rather than depicting the Saudi leadership as “backward,” these newspapers in particular, tend to overstate the development of the Saudi state during this period. As Weber is best known for his three types of authority, it benefits the discipline to see how the interpretive communities of Western journalists operationalized “authority” in terms of politics and religion of Saudi Arabia as this monarchy emerged.

• A Wahhabi Ethic in Saudi Arabia: Power, Authority, and Religion in a Muslim Society

  Sociology of Islam

  This paper incorporates Weberian insights about religion, power, and bureaucratic authority to discuss a Wahhabi ethic in Saudi Arabia. The discussion considers similarities and differences between Saudi Wahhabism and this-worldly Protestantism, focusing on how religious idea systems contributed to the transformation of social, political, and economic institutions in their respective societies. A parallel is drawn between Calvinist Protestantism in the West and Wahhabism in Saudi Arabia. Just as Calvinist Protestantism encouraged its adherents to structure their lives in accord with their religious beliefs, Wahhabism in Saudi Arabia aimed to bring society back to God and God back to society through the enforcement of Divine law (Sharia). The paper presents a discussion of the rise of the Saud family and the propagation of religious teachings, which served to legitimate the power and authority of the Saud monarchy.

• Covering the birth of a nation: The rise of Saudi Arabia in The London Times, 1927–1937

  The Social Science Journal

  Saudi Arabia is considered as one of the most conservative countries in the world with regards to the role of religion in shaping national politics. We use a history of Saudi Arabia and British imperialist policy to contextualize the framing of religion in news coverage of Saudi Arabia in The London Times between 1927 and 1937 to uncover themes that were available to British readers before and after recognizing Saudi Arabia as a nation on September 23, 1932. We found that religious fundamentalism was part of this coverage, providing one potential media framework for understanding Saudi Arabia that is consistent with current coverage and discussions. We also found instances of favorable framing of events and individuals, which seemed to intensify after Saudi Arabia's recognition as a nation.

• Legislative Role of Religion in the Contemporary Islamic States

  MEI Perspectives Series 9. National University of Singapore

  This paper examines the origins of the modern political systems in Saudi Arabia and Iran based on the historical and theological accounts legitimating each political system. These accounts establish them as "Islamic states," built on a theocracy and the rejection of secularization.

• Teaching for Democracy in Post-Arab Spring- with Dr. R. H. al-Mabuk

  Gerber, & S. Aboulkacem (Eds.), Education and the Arab Spring (pp. 3-23). Rotterdam, Netherlands: Sense Publishers.

  The Arab Spring that has swept through a number of Arab countries directly and the rest of the Arab countries indirectly has spurred an intense sentiment for democracy. The desire for democracy especially among youth, who comprise more than forty percent of the population in the Arab World, needs a favorable school environment that would transform it into democratic values and commensurate skills in children and youth.

• Covering the Building of a Kingdom: The Saudi Arabian Authority in The London Times and The New York Times, 1901–1932

  Digest of Middle East Studies

  The orientalist literature subjected the Middle East in an exotic way — mostly as an “Arabian Nights” society ruled by traditional sultans and/or tribal chiefs — rather than modern governance structure's “bureaucracy.” The presumption within postcolonial scholarship has been that this perception influenced the policy landscape in the United States and Europe, especially the media depictions of the oriental leaders and leadership. The paper empirically tests this hypothesis through content analysis using Weber's categorization of leadership of two newspapers of record — The New York Times in the United States and The London Times in the United Kingdom — during the period of state building in Saudi Arabia (1901–1932). I find that rather than depicting the Saudi leadership as “backward,” these newspapers in particular, tend to overstate the development of the Saudi state during this period. As Weber is best known for his three types of authority, it benefits the discipline to see how the interpretive communities of Western journalists operationalized “authority” in terms of politics and religion of Saudi Arabia as this monarchy emerged.

• A Wahhabi Ethic in Saudi Arabia: Power, Authority, and Religion in a Muslim Society

  Sociology of Islam

  This paper incorporates Weberian insights about religion, power, and bureaucratic authority to discuss a Wahhabi ethic in Saudi Arabia. The discussion considers similarities and differences between Saudi Wahhabism and this-worldly Protestantism, focusing on how religious idea systems contributed to the transformation of social, political, and economic institutions in their respective societies. A parallel is drawn between Calvinist Protestantism in the West and Wahhabism in Saudi Arabia. Just as Calvinist Protestantism encouraged its adherents to structure their lives in accord with their religious beliefs, Wahhabism in Saudi Arabia aimed to bring society back to God and God back to society through the enforcement of Divine law (Sharia). The paper presents a discussion of the rise of the Saud family and the propagation of religious teachings, which served to legitimate the power and authority of the Saud monarchy.

• Covering the birth of a nation: The rise of Saudi Arabia in The London Times, 1927–1937

  The Social Science Journal

  Saudi Arabia is considered as one of the most conservative countries in the world with regards to the role of religion in shaping national politics. We use a history of Saudi Arabia and British imperialist policy to contextualize the framing of religion in news coverage of Saudi Arabia in The London Times between 1927 and 1937 to uncover themes that were available to British readers before and after recognizing Saudi Arabia as a nation on September 23, 1932. We found that religious fundamentalism was part of this coverage, providing one potential media framework for understanding Saudi Arabia that is consistent with current coverage and discussions. We also found instances of favorable framing of events and individuals, which seemed to intensify after Saudi Arabia's recognition as a nation.

• Review of Gulf Politics and Economics in a Changing World, by Michael Hudson and Mimi Kirk (Eds.)

  Middle East Media and Book Reviews Online

  Gulf Politics and Economics in a Changing World focuses on the Gulf Cooperation Council trends in the economic, governmental, regional, and global environments, and how Western interests engage the GCC countries. The chapters demonstrate the complexity of these countries in both the internal (economic and bureaucratic) and external issues (oil, U.S. interests, and Iranian ambitions) in the region. The two key questions of this volume deal with how stable and durable those regimes are, as well as what strategies to use to face the economic, political, and ideological challenges in the near future.

• Legislative Role of Religion in the Contemporary Islamic States

  MEI Perspectives Series 9. National University of Singapore

  This paper examines the origins of the modern political systems in Saudi Arabia and Iran based on the historical and theological accounts legitimating each political system. These accounts establish them as "Islamic states," built on a theocracy and the rejection of secularization.

• Teaching for Democracy in Post-Arab Spring- with Dr. R. H. al-Mabuk

  Gerber, & S. Aboulkacem (Eds.), Education and the Arab Spring (pp. 3-23). Rotterdam, Netherlands: Sense Publishers.

  The Arab Spring that has swept through a number of Arab countries directly and the rest of the Arab countries indirectly has spurred an intense sentiment for democracy. The desire for democracy especially among youth, who comprise more than forty percent of the population in the Arab World, needs a favorable school environment that would transform it into democratic values and commensurate skills in children and youth.

• Covering the Building of a Kingdom: The Saudi Arabian Authority in The London Times and The New York Times, 1901–1932

  Digest of Middle East Studies

  The orientalist literature subjected the Middle East in an exotic way — mostly as an “Arabian Nights” society ruled by traditional sultans and/or tribal chiefs — rather than modern governance structure's “bureaucracy.” The presumption within postcolonial scholarship has been that this perception influenced the policy landscape in the United States and Europe, especially the media depictions of the oriental leaders and leadership. The paper empirically tests this hypothesis through content analysis using Weber's categorization of leadership of two newspapers of record — The New York Times in the United States and The London Times in the United Kingdom — during the period of state building in Saudi Arabia (1901–1932). I find that rather than depicting the Saudi leadership as “backward,” these newspapers in particular, tend to overstate the development of the Saudi state during this period. As Weber is best known for his three types of authority, it benefits the discipline to see how the interpretive communities of Western journalists operationalized “authority” in terms of politics and religion of Saudi Arabia as this monarchy emerged.

• A Wahhabi Ethic in Saudi Arabia: Power, Authority, and Religion in a Muslim Society

  Sociology of Islam

  This paper incorporates Weberian insights about religion, power, and bureaucratic authority to discuss a Wahhabi ethic in Saudi Arabia. The discussion considers similarities and differences between Saudi Wahhabism and this-worldly Protestantism, focusing on how religious idea systems contributed to the transformation of social, political, and economic institutions in their respective societies. A parallel is drawn between Calvinist Protestantism in the West and Wahhabism in Saudi Arabia. Just as Calvinist Protestantism encouraged its adherents to structure their lives in accord with their religious beliefs, Wahhabism in Saudi Arabia aimed to bring society back to God and God back to society through the enforcement of Divine law (Sharia). The paper presents a discussion of the rise of the Saud family and the propagation of religious teachings, which served to legitimate the power and authority of the Saud monarchy.

• Covering the birth of a nation: The rise of Saudi Arabia in The London Times, 1927–1937

  The Social Science Journal

  Saudi Arabia is considered as one of the most conservative countries in the world with regards to the role of religion in shaping national politics. We use a history of Saudi Arabia and British imperialist policy to contextualize the framing of religion in news coverage of Saudi Arabia in The London Times between 1927 and 1937 to uncover themes that were available to British readers before and after recognizing Saudi Arabia as a nation on September 23, 1932. We found that religious fundamentalism was part of this coverage, providing one potential media framework for understanding Saudi Arabia that is consistent with current coverage and discussions. We also found instances of favorable framing of events and individuals, which seemed to intensify after Saudi Arabia's recognition as a nation.

• Review of Gulf Politics and Economics in a Changing World, by Michael Hudson and Mimi Kirk (Eds.)

  Middle East Media and Book Reviews Online

  Gulf Politics and Economics in a Changing World focuses on the Gulf Cooperation Council trends in the economic, governmental, regional, and global environments, and how Western interests engage the GCC countries. The chapters demonstrate the complexity of these countries in both the internal (economic and bureaucratic) and external issues (oil, U.S. interests, and Iranian ambitions) in the region. The two key questions of this volume deal with how stable and durable those regimes are, as well as what strategies to use to face the economic, political, and ideological challenges in the near future.

• Emergent Kingdom in the Orientalist Press: Ibn Saud's Authority in the Western Media

  M. A. Aman & M. J. Aman (Eds.), The Middle East: New Order or Disorder? (Pp. 297-324). Washington, DC: Policy Studies Organization (PSO)/Westphalia.

• Legislative Role of Religion in the Contemporary Islamic States

  MEI Perspectives Series 9. National University of Singapore

  This paper examines the origins of the modern political systems in Saudi Arabia and Iran based on the historical and theological accounts legitimating each political system. These accounts establish them as "Islamic states," built on a theocracy and the rejection of secularization.

• Teaching for Democracy in Post-Arab Spring- with Dr. R. H. al-Mabuk

  Gerber, & S. Aboulkacem (Eds.), Education and the Arab Spring (pp. 3-23). Rotterdam, Netherlands: Sense Publishers.

  The Arab Spring that has swept through a number of Arab countries directly and the rest of the Arab countries indirectly has spurred an intense sentiment for democracy. The desire for democracy especially among youth, who comprise more than forty percent of the population in the Arab World, needs a favorable school environment that would transform it into democratic values and commensurate skills in children and youth.

• Covering the Building of a Kingdom: The Saudi Arabian Authority in The London Times and The New York Times, 1901–1932

  Digest of Middle East Studies

  The orientalist literature subjected the Middle East in an exotic way — mostly as an “Arabian Nights” society ruled by traditional sultans and/or tribal chiefs — rather than modern governance structure's “bureaucracy.” The presumption within postcolonial scholarship has been that this perception influenced the policy landscape in the United States and Europe, especially the media depictions of the oriental leaders and leadership. The paper empirically tests this hypothesis through content analysis using Weber's categorization of leadership of two newspapers of record — The New York Times in the United States and The London Times in the United Kingdom — during the period of state building in Saudi Arabia (1901–1932). I find that rather than depicting the Saudi leadership as “backward,” these newspapers in particular, tend to overstate the development of the Saudi state during this period. As Weber is best known for his three types of authority, it benefits the discipline to see how the interpretive communities of Western journalists operationalized “authority” in terms of politics and religion of Saudi Arabia as this monarchy emerged.

• A Wahhabi Ethic in Saudi Arabia: Power, Authority, and Religion in a Muslim Society

  Sociology of Islam

  This paper incorporates Weberian insights about religion, power, and bureaucratic authority to discuss a Wahhabi ethic in Saudi Arabia. The discussion considers similarities and differences between Saudi Wahhabism and this-worldly Protestantism, focusing on how religious idea systems contributed to the transformation of social, political, and economic institutions in their respective societies. A parallel is drawn between Calvinist Protestantism in the West and Wahhabism in Saudi Arabia. Just as Calvinist Protestantism encouraged its adherents to structure their lives in accord with their religious beliefs, Wahhabism in Saudi Arabia aimed to bring society back to God and God back to society through the enforcement of Divine law (Sharia). The paper presents a discussion of the rise of the Saud family and the propagation of religious teachings, which served to legitimate the power and authority of the Saud monarchy.

• Covering the birth of a nation: The rise of Saudi Arabia in The London Times, 1927–1937

  The Social Science Journal

  Saudi Arabia is considered as one of the most conservative countries in the world with regards to the role of religion in shaping national politics. We use a history of Saudi Arabia and British imperialist policy to contextualize the framing of religion in news coverage of Saudi Arabia in The London Times between 1927 and 1937 to uncover themes that were available to British readers before and after recognizing Saudi Arabia as a nation on September 23, 1932. We found that religious fundamentalism was part of this coverage, providing one potential media framework for understanding Saudi Arabia that is consistent with current coverage and discussions. We also found instances of favorable framing of events and individuals, which seemed to intensify after Saudi Arabia's recognition as a nation.

• Review of Gulf Politics and Economics in a Changing World, by Michael Hudson and Mimi Kirk (Eds.)

  Middle East Media and Book Reviews Online

  Gulf Politics and Economics in a Changing World focuses on the Gulf Cooperation Council trends in the economic, governmental, regional, and global environments, and how Western interests engage the GCC countries. The chapters demonstrate the complexity of these countries in both the internal (economic and bureaucratic) and external issues (oil, U.S. interests, and Iranian ambitions) in the region. The two key questions of this volume deal with how stable and durable those regimes are, as well as what strategies to use to face the economic, political, and ideological challenges in the near future.

• Emergent Kingdom in the Orientalist Press: Ibn Saud's Authority in the Western Media

  M. A. Aman & M. J. Aman (Eds.), The Middle East: New Order or Disorder? (Pp. 297-324). Washington, DC: Policy Studies Organization (PSO)/Westphalia.

• The Poetry by Mustafa Jamal Al-Din: A Literary Study (in Arabic: Shiʻr Muṣṭafá Jamāl al-Dīn : dirāsah fannīyah)

  Arab Diffusion Company

• Legislative Role of Religion in the Contemporary Islamic States

  MEI Perspectives Series 9. National University of Singapore

  This paper examines the origins of the modern political systems in Saudi Arabia and Iran based on the historical and theological accounts legitimating each political system. These accounts establish them as "Islamic states," built on a theocracy and the rejection of secularization.

• Teaching for Democracy in Post-Arab Spring- with Dr. R. H. al-Mabuk

  Gerber, & S. Aboulkacem (Eds.), Education and the Arab Spring (pp. 3-23). Rotterdam, Netherlands: Sense Publishers.

  The Arab Spring that has swept through a number of Arab countries directly and the rest of the Arab countries indirectly has spurred an intense sentiment for democracy. The desire for democracy especially among youth, who comprise more than forty percent of the population in the Arab World, needs a favorable school environment that would transform it into democratic values and commensurate skills in children and youth.

• Covering the Building of a Kingdom: The Saudi Arabian Authority in The London Times and The New York Times, 1901–1932

  Digest of Middle East Studies

  The orientalist literature subjected the Middle East in an exotic way — mostly as an “Arabian Nights” society ruled by traditional sultans and/or tribal chiefs — rather than modern governance structure's “bureaucracy.” The presumption within postcolonial scholarship has been that this perception influenced the policy landscape in the United States and Europe, especially the media depictions of the oriental leaders and leadership. The paper empirically tests this hypothesis through content analysis using Weber's categorization of leadership of two newspapers of record — The New York Times in the United States and The London Times in the United Kingdom — during the period of state building in Saudi Arabia (1901–1932). I find that rather than depicting the Saudi leadership as “backward,” these newspapers in particular, tend to overstate the development of the Saudi state during this period. As Weber is best known for his three types of authority, it benefits the discipline to see how the interpretive communities of Western journalists operationalized “authority” in terms of politics and religion of Saudi Arabia as this monarchy emerged.

• A Wahhabi Ethic in Saudi Arabia: Power, Authority, and Religion in a Muslim Society

  Sociology of Islam

  This paper incorporates Weberian insights about religion, power, and bureaucratic authority to discuss a Wahhabi ethic in Saudi Arabia. The discussion considers similarities and differences between Saudi Wahhabism and this-worldly Protestantism, focusing on how religious idea systems contributed to the transformation of social, political, and economic institutions in their respective societies. A parallel is drawn between Calvinist Protestantism in the West and Wahhabism in Saudi Arabia. Just as Calvinist Protestantism encouraged its adherents to structure their lives in accord with their religious beliefs, Wahhabism in Saudi Arabia aimed to bring society back to God and God back to society through the enforcement of Divine law (Sharia). The paper presents a discussion of the rise of the Saud family and the propagation of religious teachings, which served to legitimate the power and authority of the Saud monarchy.

• Covering the birth of a nation: The rise of Saudi Arabia in The London Times, 1927–1937

  The Social Science Journal

  Saudi Arabia is considered as one of the most conservative countries in the world with regards to the role of religion in shaping national politics. We use a history of Saudi Arabia and British imperialist policy to contextualize the framing of religion in news coverage of Saudi Arabia in The London Times between 1927 and 1937 to uncover themes that were available to British readers before and after recognizing Saudi Arabia as a nation on September 23, 1932. We found that religious fundamentalism was part of this coverage, providing one potential media framework for understanding Saudi Arabia that is consistent with current coverage and discussions. We also found instances of favorable framing of events and individuals, which seemed to intensify after Saudi Arabia's recognition as a nation.

• Review of Gulf Politics and Economics in a Changing World, by Michael Hudson and Mimi Kirk (Eds.)

  Middle East Media and Book Reviews Online

  Gulf Politics and Economics in a Changing World focuses on the Gulf Cooperation Council trends in the economic, governmental, regional, and global environments, and how Western interests engage the GCC countries. The chapters demonstrate the complexity of these countries in both the internal (economic and bureaucratic) and external issues (oil, U.S. interests, and Iranian ambitions) in the region. The two key questions of this volume deal with how stable and durable those regimes are, as well as what strategies to use to face the economic, political, and ideological challenges in the near future.

• Emergent Kingdom in the Orientalist Press: Ibn Saud's Authority in the Western Media

  M. A. Aman & M. J. Aman (Eds.), The Middle East: New Order or Disorder? (Pp. 297-324). Washington, DC: Policy Studies Organization (PSO)/Westphalia.

• The Poetry by Mustafa Jamal Al-Din: A Literary Study (in Arabic: Shiʻr Muṣṭafá Jamāl al-Dīn : dirāsah fannīyah)

  Arab Diffusion Company

• Review of Saudi Arabia under Ibn Saud: Economic and Financial Foundations of the State

  Middle East Media and Book Reviews Online

  This book is a journey within King Abdul-Aziz Al Saud Epoch — from the1920s until 1953 — primarily focusing on economy and bureaucracy, as Ibn Saud worked on establishing a modern state within the territories under his control. At the beginning of his epoch, Ibn Saud relied on a single individual to take care of all the state’s financial, economic, and administrative affairs — Shaykh Abdullah al-Sulayman al-Hamdan. This man was entrusted of most of the Saudi administrative development that brought the state to the modern stage.

• Legislative Role of Religion in the Contemporary Islamic States

  MEI Perspectives Series 9. National University of Singapore

  This paper examines the origins of the modern political systems in Saudi Arabia and Iran based on the historical and theological accounts legitimating each political system. These accounts establish them as "Islamic states," built on a theocracy and the rejection of secularization.

• Teaching for Democracy in Post-Arab Spring- with Dr. R. H. al-Mabuk

  Gerber, & S. Aboulkacem (Eds.), Education and the Arab Spring (pp. 3-23). Rotterdam, Netherlands: Sense Publishers.

  The Arab Spring that has swept through a number of Arab countries directly and the rest of the Arab countries indirectly has spurred an intense sentiment for democracy. The desire for democracy especially among youth, who comprise more than forty percent of the population in the Arab World, needs a favorable school environment that would transform it into democratic values and commensurate skills in children and youth.

• Covering the Building of a Kingdom: The Saudi Arabian Authority in The London Times and The New York Times, 1901–1932

  Digest of Middle East Studies

  The orientalist literature subjected the Middle East in an exotic way — mostly as an “Arabian Nights” society ruled by traditional sultans and/or tribal chiefs — rather than modern governance structure's “bureaucracy.” The presumption within postcolonial scholarship has been that this perception influenced the policy landscape in the United States and Europe, especially the media depictions of the oriental leaders and leadership. The paper empirically tests this hypothesis through content analysis using Weber's categorization of leadership of two newspapers of record — The New York Times in the United States and The London Times in the United Kingdom — during the period of state building in Saudi Arabia (1901–1932). I find that rather than depicting the Saudi leadership as “backward,” these newspapers in particular, tend to overstate the development of the Saudi state during this period. As Weber is best known for his three types of authority, it benefits the discipline to see how the interpretive communities of Western journalists operationalized “authority” in terms of politics and religion of Saudi Arabia as this monarchy emerged.

• A Wahhabi Ethic in Saudi Arabia: Power, Authority, and Religion in a Muslim Society

  Sociology of Islam

  This paper incorporates Weberian insights about religion, power, and bureaucratic authority to discuss a Wahhabi ethic in Saudi Arabia. The discussion considers similarities and differences between Saudi Wahhabism and this-worldly Protestantism, focusing on how religious idea systems contributed to the transformation of social, political, and economic institutions in their respective societies. A parallel is drawn between Calvinist Protestantism in the West and Wahhabism in Saudi Arabia. Just as Calvinist Protestantism encouraged its adherents to structure their lives in accord with their religious beliefs, Wahhabism in Saudi Arabia aimed to bring society back to God and God back to society through the enforcement of Divine law (Sharia). The paper presents a discussion of the rise of the Saud family and the propagation of religious teachings, which served to legitimate the power and authority of the Saud monarchy.

• Covering the birth of a nation: The rise of Saudi Arabia in The London Times, 1927–1937

  The Social Science Journal

  Saudi Arabia is considered as one of the most conservative countries in the world with regards to the role of religion in shaping national politics. We use a history of Saudi Arabia and British imperialist policy to contextualize the framing of religion in news coverage of Saudi Arabia in The London Times between 1927 and 1937 to uncover themes that were available to British readers before and after recognizing Saudi Arabia as a nation on September 23, 1932. We found that religious fundamentalism was part of this coverage, providing one potential media framework for understanding Saudi Arabia that is consistent with current coverage and discussions. We also found instances of favorable framing of events and individuals, which seemed to intensify after Saudi Arabia's recognition as a nation.

• Review of Gulf Politics and Economics in a Changing World, by Michael Hudson and Mimi Kirk (Eds.)

  Middle East Media and Book Reviews Online

  Gulf Politics and Economics in a Changing World focuses on the Gulf Cooperation Council trends in the economic, governmental, regional, and global environments, and how Western interests engage the GCC countries. The chapters demonstrate the complexity of these countries in both the internal (economic and bureaucratic) and external issues (oil, U.S. interests, and Iranian ambitions) in the region. The two key questions of this volume deal with how stable and durable those regimes are, as well as what strategies to use to face the economic, political, and ideological challenges in the near future.

• Emergent Kingdom in the Orientalist Press: Ibn Saud's Authority in the Western Media

  M. A. Aman & M. J. Aman (Eds.), The Middle East: New Order or Disorder? (Pp. 297-324). Washington, DC: Policy Studies Organization (PSO)/Westphalia.

• The Poetry by Mustafa Jamal Al-Din: A Literary Study (in Arabic: Shiʻr Muṣṭafá Jamāl al-Dīn : dirāsah fannīyah)

  Arab Diffusion Company

• Review of Saudi Arabia under Ibn Saud: Economic and Financial Foundations of the State

  Middle East Media and Book Reviews Online

  This book is a journey within King Abdul-Aziz Al Saud Epoch — from the1920s until 1953 — primarily focusing on economy and bureaucracy, as Ibn Saud worked on establishing a modern state within the territories under his control. At the beginning of his epoch, Ibn Saud relied on a single individual to take care of all the state’s financial, economic, and administrative affairs — Shaykh Abdullah al-Sulayman al-Hamdan. This man was entrusted of most of the Saudi administrative development that brought the state to the modern stage.

• Review of Islam in Saudi Arabia, by David Commins

  Contemporary Islam

  In his book, Islam in Saudi Arabia, David Commins provides a historical account of the role of religion in the Saudi state. After a brief description of the early three distinct sects of Islam (Sunni, Shiite, and Kharijite), he describes the four Sunni jurisprudential schools, while focusing on the Hanbali school, which was adopted by Sheikh Muhammad ibn Abd al-Wahhab. Commins describes the rise of the movement led by ibn Abd al-Wahhab, known as "Wahhabism," not only as a religious movement, but also as a system of ethics and traditions that sets itself as the representative of the true Islam that judges other Muslims based on its ideology. Commins describes the strong relationship between the Saudi royal family and Wahhabi clergy since the agreement between Sheikh Muhammad ibn Abd al-Wahhab and the Emir of al-Diriyya Muhammad ibn Saud in 1744.

• Legislative Role of Religion in the Contemporary Islamic States

  MEI Perspectives Series 9. National University of Singapore

  This paper examines the origins of the modern political systems in Saudi Arabia and Iran based on the historical and theological accounts legitimating each political system. These accounts establish them as "Islamic states," built on a theocracy and the rejection of secularization.

• Teaching for Democracy in Post-Arab Spring- with Dr. R. H. al-Mabuk

  Gerber, & S. Aboulkacem (Eds.), Education and the Arab Spring (pp. 3-23). Rotterdam, Netherlands: Sense Publishers.

  The Arab Spring that has swept through a number of Arab countries directly and the rest of the Arab countries indirectly has spurred an intense sentiment for democracy. The desire for democracy especially among youth, who comprise more than forty percent of the population in the Arab World, needs a favorable school environment that would transform it into democratic values and commensurate skills in children and youth.

• Covering the Building of a Kingdom: The Saudi Arabian Authority in The London Times and The New York Times, 1901–1932

  Digest of Middle East Studies

  The orientalist literature subjected the Middle East in an exotic way — mostly as an “Arabian Nights” society ruled by traditional sultans and/or tribal chiefs — rather than modern governance structure's “bureaucracy.” The presumption within postcolonial scholarship has been that this perception influenced the policy landscape in the United States and Europe, especially the media depictions of the oriental leaders and leadership. The paper empirically tests this hypothesis through content analysis using Weber's categorization of leadership of two newspapers of record — The New York Times in the United States and The London Times in the United Kingdom — during the period of state building in Saudi Arabia (1901–1932). I find that rather than depicting the Saudi leadership as “backward,” these newspapers in particular, tend to overstate the development of the Saudi state during this period. As Weber is best known for his three types of authority, it benefits the discipline to see how the interpretive communities of Western journalists operationalized “authority” in terms of politics and religion of Saudi Arabia as this monarchy emerged.

• A Wahhabi Ethic in Saudi Arabia: Power, Authority, and Religion in a Muslim Society

  Sociology of Islam

  This paper incorporates Weberian insights about religion, power, and bureaucratic authority to discuss a Wahhabi ethic in Saudi Arabia. The discussion considers similarities and differences between Saudi Wahhabism and this-worldly Protestantism, focusing on how religious idea systems contributed to the transformation of social, political, and economic institutions in their respective societies. A parallel is drawn between Calvinist Protestantism in the West and Wahhabism in Saudi Arabia. Just as Calvinist Protestantism encouraged its adherents to structure their lives in accord with their religious beliefs, Wahhabism in Saudi Arabia aimed to bring society back to God and God back to society through the enforcement of Divine law (Sharia). The paper presents a discussion of the rise of the Saud family and the propagation of religious teachings, which served to legitimate the power and authority of the Saud monarchy.

• Covering the birth of a nation: The rise of Saudi Arabia in The London Times, 1927–1937

  The Social Science Journal

  Saudi Arabia is considered as one of the most conservative countries in the world with regards to the role of religion in shaping national politics. We use a history of Saudi Arabia and British imperialist policy to contextualize the framing of religion in news coverage of Saudi Arabia in The London Times between 1927 and 1937 to uncover themes that were available to British readers before and after recognizing Saudi Arabia as a nation on September 23, 1932. We found that religious fundamentalism was part of this coverage, providing one potential media framework for understanding Saudi Arabia that is consistent with current coverage and discussions. We also found instances of favorable framing of events and individuals, which seemed to intensify after Saudi Arabia's recognition as a nation.

• Review of Gulf Politics and Economics in a Changing World, by Michael Hudson and Mimi Kirk (Eds.)

  Middle East Media and Book Reviews Online

  Gulf Politics and Economics in a Changing World focuses on the Gulf Cooperation Council trends in the economic, governmental, regional, and global environments, and how Western interests engage the GCC countries. The chapters demonstrate the complexity of these countries in both the internal (economic and bureaucratic) and external issues (oil, U.S. interests, and Iranian ambitions) in the region. The two key questions of this volume deal with how stable and durable those regimes are, as well as what strategies to use to face the economic, political, and ideological challenges in the near future.

• Emergent Kingdom in the Orientalist Press: Ibn Saud's Authority in the Western Media

  M. A. Aman & M. J. Aman (Eds.), The Middle East: New Order or Disorder? (Pp. 297-324). Washington, DC: Policy Studies Organization (PSO)/Westphalia.

• The Poetry by Mustafa Jamal Al-Din: A Literary Study (in Arabic: Shiʻr Muṣṭafá Jamāl al-Dīn : dirāsah fannīyah)

  Arab Diffusion Company

• Review of Saudi Arabia under Ibn Saud: Economic and Financial Foundations of the State

  Middle East Media and Book Reviews Online

  This book is a journey within King Abdul-Aziz Al Saud Epoch — from the1920s until 1953 — primarily focusing on economy and bureaucracy, as Ibn Saud worked on establishing a modern state within the territories under his control. At the beginning of his epoch, Ibn Saud relied on a single individual to take care of all the state’s financial, economic, and administrative affairs — Shaykh Abdullah al-Sulayman al-Hamdan. This man was entrusted of most of the Saudi administrative development that brought the state to the modern stage.

• Review of Islam in Saudi Arabia, by David Commins

  Contemporary Islam

  In his book, Islam in Saudi Arabia, David Commins provides a historical account of the role of religion in the Saudi state. After a brief description of the early three distinct sects of Islam (Sunni, Shiite, and Kharijite), he describes the four Sunni jurisprudential schools, while focusing on the Hanbali school, which was adopted by Sheikh Muhammad ibn Abd al-Wahhab. Commins describes the rise of the movement led by ibn Abd al-Wahhab, known as "Wahhabism," not only as a religious movement, but also as a system of ethics and traditions that sets itself as the representative of the true Islam that judges other Muslims based on its ideology. Commins describes the strong relationship between the Saudi royal family and Wahhabi clergy since the agreement between Sheikh Muhammad ibn Abd al-Wahhab and the Emir of al-Diriyya Muhammad ibn Saud in 1744.

• Review of Force and Fanaticism: Wahhabism in Saudi Arabia and Beyond, by Simon Ross Valentine

  Middle East Media and Book Reviews Online

  Force and Fanaticism: Wahhabism in Saudi Arabia and beyond focuses on the Wahhabi movement in Saudi Arabia. The book links the strict Islamic reform movement and the Saudi monarchy in a symbiotic relationship. The chapters demonstrate the religious identity of Saudi Arabia is based on the strict lessons of Ibn Taymiyyah (1263-1328) who influenced Muhammad ibn Abdul-Wahhab (1703-1792). Also, Valentine attempts to illustrate the religious bases of the law, policies, and social mobility in Saudi Arabia.

• Legislative Role of Religion in the Contemporary Islamic States

  MEI Perspectives Series 9. National University of Singapore

  This paper examines the origins of the modern political systems in Saudi Arabia and Iran based on the historical and theological accounts legitimating each political system. These accounts establish them as "Islamic states," built on a theocracy and the rejection of secularization.

• Teaching for Democracy in Post-Arab Spring- with Dr. R. H. al-Mabuk

  Gerber, & S. Aboulkacem (Eds.), Education and the Arab Spring (pp. 3-23). Rotterdam, Netherlands: Sense Publishers.

  The Arab Spring that has swept through a number of Arab countries directly and the rest of the Arab countries indirectly has spurred an intense sentiment for democracy. The desire for democracy especially among youth, who comprise more than forty percent of the population in the Arab World, needs a favorable school environment that would transform it into democratic values and commensurate skills in children and youth.

• Covering the Building of a Kingdom: The Saudi Arabian Authority in The London Times and The New York Times, 1901–1932

  Digest of Middle East Studies

  The orientalist literature subjected the Middle East in an exotic way — mostly as an “Arabian Nights” society ruled by traditional sultans and/or tribal chiefs — rather than modern governance structure's “bureaucracy.” The presumption within postcolonial scholarship has been that this perception influenced the policy landscape in the United States and Europe, especially the media depictions of the oriental leaders and leadership. The paper empirically tests this hypothesis through content analysis using Weber's categorization of leadership of two newspapers of record — The New York Times in the United States and The London Times in the United Kingdom — during the period of state building in Saudi Arabia (1901–1932). I find that rather than depicting the Saudi leadership as “backward,” these newspapers in particular, tend to overstate the development of the Saudi state during this period. As Weber is best known for his three types of authority, it benefits the discipline to see how the interpretive communities of Western journalists operationalized “authority” in terms of politics and religion of Saudi Arabia as this monarchy emerged.

• A Wahhabi Ethic in Saudi Arabia: Power, Authority, and Religion in a Muslim Society

  Sociology of Islam

  This paper incorporates Weberian insights about religion, power, and bureaucratic authority to discuss a Wahhabi ethic in Saudi Arabia. The discussion considers similarities and differences between Saudi Wahhabism and this-worldly Protestantism, focusing on how religious idea systems contributed to the transformation of social, political, and economic institutions in their respective societies. A parallel is drawn between Calvinist Protestantism in the West and Wahhabism in Saudi Arabia. Just as Calvinist Protestantism encouraged its adherents to structure their lives in accord with their religious beliefs, Wahhabism in Saudi Arabia aimed to bring society back to God and God back to society through the enforcement of Divine law (Sharia). The paper presents a discussion of the rise of the Saud family and the propagation of religious teachings, which served to legitimate the power and authority of the Saud monarchy.

• Covering the birth of a nation: The rise of Saudi Arabia in The London Times, 1927–1937

  The Social Science Journal

  Saudi Arabia is considered as one of the most conservative countries in the world with regards to the role of religion in shaping national politics. We use a history of Saudi Arabia and British imperialist policy to contextualize the framing of religion in news coverage of Saudi Arabia in The London Times between 1927 and 1937 to uncover themes that were available to British readers before and after recognizing Saudi Arabia as a nation on September 23, 1932. We found that religious fundamentalism was part of this coverage, providing one potential media framework for understanding Saudi Arabia that is consistent with current coverage and discussions. We also found instances of favorable framing of events and individuals, which seemed to intensify after Saudi Arabia's recognition as a nation.

• Review of Gulf Politics and Economics in a Changing World, by Michael Hudson and Mimi Kirk (Eds.)

  Middle East Media and Book Reviews Online

  Gulf Politics and Economics in a Changing World focuses on the Gulf Cooperation Council trends in the economic, governmental, regional, and global environments, and how Western interests engage the GCC countries. The chapters demonstrate the complexity of these countries in both the internal (economic and bureaucratic) and external issues (oil, U.S. interests, and Iranian ambitions) in the region. The two key questions of this volume deal with how stable and durable those regimes are, as well as what strategies to use to face the economic, political, and ideological challenges in the near future.

• Emergent Kingdom in the Orientalist Press: Ibn Saud's Authority in the Western Media

  M. A. Aman & M. J. Aman (Eds.), The Middle East: New Order or Disorder? (Pp. 297-324). Washington, DC: Policy Studies Organization (PSO)/Westphalia.

• The Poetry by Mustafa Jamal Al-Din: A Literary Study (in Arabic: Shiʻr Muṣṭafá Jamāl al-Dīn : dirāsah fannīyah)

  Arab Diffusion Company

• Review of Saudi Arabia under Ibn Saud: Economic and Financial Foundations of the State

  Middle East Media and Book Reviews Online

  This book is a journey within King Abdul-Aziz Al Saud Epoch — from the1920s until 1953 — primarily focusing on economy and bureaucracy, as Ibn Saud worked on establishing a modern state within the territories under his control. At the beginning of his epoch, Ibn Saud relied on a single individual to take care of all the state’s financial, economic, and administrative affairs — Shaykh Abdullah al-Sulayman al-Hamdan. This man was entrusted of most of the Saudi administrative development that brought the state to the modern stage.

• Review of Islam in Saudi Arabia, by David Commins

  Contemporary Islam

  In his book, Islam in Saudi Arabia, David Commins provides a historical account of the role of religion in the Saudi state. After a brief description of the early three distinct sects of Islam (Sunni, Shiite, and Kharijite), he describes the four Sunni jurisprudential schools, while focusing on the Hanbali school, which was adopted by Sheikh Muhammad ibn Abd al-Wahhab. Commins describes the rise of the movement led by ibn Abd al-Wahhab, known as "Wahhabism," not only as a religious movement, but also as a system of ethics and traditions that sets itself as the representative of the true Islam that judges other Muslims based on its ideology. Commins describes the strong relationship between the Saudi royal family and Wahhabi clergy since the agreement between Sheikh Muhammad ibn Abd al-Wahhab and the Emir of al-Diriyya Muhammad ibn Saud in 1744.

• Review of Force and Fanaticism: Wahhabism in Saudi Arabia and Beyond, by Simon Ross Valentine

  Middle East Media and Book Reviews Online

  Force and Fanaticism: Wahhabism in Saudi Arabia and beyond focuses on the Wahhabi movement in Saudi Arabia. The book links the strict Islamic reform movement and the Saudi monarchy in a symbiotic relationship. The chapters demonstrate the religious identity of Saudi Arabia is based on the strict lessons of Ibn Taymiyyah (1263-1328) who influenced Muhammad ibn Abdul-Wahhab (1703-1792). Also, Valentine attempts to illustrate the religious bases of the law, policies, and social mobility in Saudi Arabia.

• Shiʿi Preaching in West Africa: The Dakar Sermons of Lebanese Shaykh al-Zayn

  British Journal of Middle Eastern Studies

  While there has been much emphasis on new types of media for the dissemination of Islamic ideas, this article focuses on the conventional Friday khuṭba. Lebanese Shaykh al-Zayn was trained in Najaf, Iraq and was sent by Musa al-Sadr to serve the Lebanese diasporic business community in Senegal. Estranged from the religious politics of the homeland and traditional centres of Shiʿi learning, Lebanese in Senegal depended on Shaykh al-Zayn to teach them about Shiʿi Islam. The Islamic Social Institute he built was the first Shiʿi institution in all of West Africa. Shaykh al-Zayn quickly gained a following of both Sunni and Shiʿi Muslims, Arabs as well as Africans. This article focuses on the shaykh’s discursive strategies for addressing his unique following. At times his Friday sermons stressed the particularities of Shiʿi Islamic practice, but more often he highlighted a universal Islam in an effort to appeal to Senegal’s Sunni Muslim majority. In analysing khutbas given in 2003 during the beginning of the U.S.-led war in Iraq, we pay particular attention to the Lebanese shaykh’s engagement with global politics and how his messages were translated for a community in West Africa detached from the Middle East.

• Legislative Role of Religion in the Contemporary Islamic States

  MEI Perspectives Series 9. National University of Singapore

  This paper examines the origins of the modern political systems in Saudi Arabia and Iran based on the historical and theological accounts legitimating each political system. These accounts establish them as "Islamic states," built on a theocracy and the rejection of secularization.

• Teaching for Democracy in Post-Arab Spring- with Dr. R. H. al-Mabuk

  Gerber, & S. Aboulkacem (Eds.), Education and the Arab Spring (pp. 3-23). Rotterdam, Netherlands: Sense Publishers.

  The Arab Spring that has swept through a number of Arab countries directly and the rest of the Arab countries indirectly has spurred an intense sentiment for democracy. The desire for democracy especially among youth, who comprise more than forty percent of the population in the Arab World, needs a favorable school environment that would transform it into democratic values and commensurate skills in children and youth.

• Covering the Building of a Kingdom: The Saudi Arabian Authority in The London Times and The New York Times, 1901–1932

  Digest of Middle East Studies

  The orientalist literature subjected the Middle East in an exotic way — mostly as an “Arabian Nights” society ruled by traditional sultans and/or tribal chiefs — rather than modern governance structure's “bureaucracy.” The presumption within postcolonial scholarship has been that this perception influenced the policy landscape in the United States and Europe, especially the media depictions of the oriental leaders and leadership. The paper empirically tests this hypothesis through content analysis using Weber's categorization of leadership of two newspapers of record — The New York Times in the United States and The London Times in the United Kingdom — during the period of state building in Saudi Arabia (1901–1932). I find that rather than depicting the Saudi leadership as “backward,” these newspapers in particular, tend to overstate the development of the Saudi state during this period. As Weber is best known for his three types of authority, it benefits the discipline to see how the interpretive communities of Western journalists operationalized “authority” in terms of politics and religion of Saudi Arabia as this monarchy emerged.

• A Wahhabi Ethic in Saudi Arabia: Power, Authority, and Religion in a Muslim Society

  Sociology of Islam

  This paper incorporates Weberian insights about religion, power, and bureaucratic authority to discuss a Wahhabi ethic in Saudi Arabia. The discussion considers similarities and differences between Saudi Wahhabism and this-worldly Protestantism, focusing on how religious idea systems contributed to the transformation of social, political, and economic institutions in their respective societies. A parallel is drawn between Calvinist Protestantism in the West and Wahhabism in Saudi Arabia. Just as Calvinist Protestantism encouraged its adherents to structure their lives in accord with their religious beliefs, Wahhabism in Saudi Arabia aimed to bring society back to God and God back to society through the enforcement of Divine law (Sharia). The paper presents a discussion of the rise of the Saud family and the propagation of religious teachings, which served to legitimate the power and authority of the Saud monarchy.

• Covering the birth of a nation: The rise of Saudi Arabia in The London Times, 1927–1937

  The Social Science Journal

  Saudi Arabia is considered as one of the most conservative countries in the world with regards to the role of religion in shaping national politics. We use a history of Saudi Arabia and British imperialist policy to contextualize the framing of religion in news coverage of Saudi Arabia in The London Times between 1927 and 1937 to uncover themes that were available to British readers before and after recognizing Saudi Arabia as a nation on September 23, 1932. We found that religious fundamentalism was part of this coverage, providing one potential media framework for understanding Saudi Arabia that is consistent with current coverage and discussions. We also found instances of favorable framing of events and individuals, which seemed to intensify after Saudi Arabia's recognition as a nation.

• Review of Gulf Politics and Economics in a Changing World, by Michael Hudson and Mimi Kirk (Eds.)

  Middle East Media and Book Reviews Online

  Gulf Politics and Economics in a Changing World focuses on the Gulf Cooperation Council trends in the economic, governmental, regional, and global environments, and how Western interests engage the GCC countries. The chapters demonstrate the complexity of these countries in both the internal (economic and bureaucratic) and external issues (oil, U.S. interests, and Iranian ambitions) in the region. The two key questions of this volume deal with how stable and durable those regimes are, as well as what strategies to use to face the economic, political, and ideological challenges in the near future.

• Emergent Kingdom in the Orientalist Press: Ibn Saud's Authority in the Western Media

  M. A. Aman & M. J. Aman (Eds.), The Middle East: New Order or Disorder? (Pp. 297-324). Washington, DC: Policy Studies Organization (PSO)/Westphalia.

• The Poetry by Mustafa Jamal Al-Din: A Literary Study (in Arabic: Shiʻr Muṣṭafá Jamāl al-Dīn : dirāsah fannīyah)

  Arab Diffusion Company

• Review of Saudi Arabia under Ibn Saud: Economic and Financial Foundations of the State

  Middle East Media and Book Reviews Online

  This book is a journey within King Abdul-Aziz Al Saud Epoch — from the1920s until 1953 — primarily focusing on economy and bureaucracy, as Ibn Saud worked on establishing a modern state within the territories under his control. At the beginning of his epoch, Ibn Saud relied on a single individual to take care of all the state’s financial, economic, and administrative affairs — Shaykh Abdullah al-Sulayman al-Hamdan. This man was entrusted of most of the Saudi administrative development that brought the state to the modern stage.

• Review of Islam in Saudi Arabia, by David Commins

  Contemporary Islam

  In his book, Islam in Saudi Arabia, David Commins provides a historical account of the role of religion in the Saudi state. After a brief description of the early three distinct sects of Islam (Sunni, Shiite, and Kharijite), he describes the four Sunni jurisprudential schools, while focusing on the Hanbali school, which was adopted by Sheikh Muhammad ibn Abd al-Wahhab. Commins describes the rise of the movement led by ibn Abd al-Wahhab, known as "Wahhabism," not only as a religious movement, but also as a system of ethics and traditions that sets itself as the representative of the true Islam that judges other Muslims based on its ideology. Commins describes the strong relationship between the Saudi royal family and Wahhabi clergy since the agreement between Sheikh Muhammad ibn Abd al-Wahhab and the Emir of al-Diriyya Muhammad ibn Saud in 1744.

• Review of Force and Fanaticism: Wahhabism in Saudi Arabia and Beyond, by Simon Ross Valentine

  Middle East Media and Book Reviews Online

  Force and Fanaticism: Wahhabism in Saudi Arabia and beyond focuses on the Wahhabi movement in Saudi Arabia. The book links the strict Islamic reform movement and the Saudi monarchy in a symbiotic relationship. The chapters demonstrate the religious identity of Saudi Arabia is based on the strict lessons of Ibn Taymiyyah (1263-1328) who influenced Muhammad ibn Abdul-Wahhab (1703-1792). Also, Valentine attempts to illustrate the religious bases of the law, policies, and social mobility in Saudi Arabia.

• Shiʿi Preaching in West Africa: The Dakar Sermons of Lebanese Shaykh al-Zayn

  British Journal of Middle Eastern Studies

  While there has been much emphasis on new types of media for the dissemination of Islamic ideas, this article focuses on the conventional Friday khuṭba. Lebanese Shaykh al-Zayn was trained in Najaf, Iraq and was sent by Musa al-Sadr to serve the Lebanese diasporic business community in Senegal. Estranged from the religious politics of the homeland and traditional centres of Shiʿi learning, Lebanese in Senegal depended on Shaykh al-Zayn to teach them about Shiʿi Islam. The Islamic Social Institute he built was the first Shiʿi institution in all of West Africa. Shaykh al-Zayn quickly gained a following of both Sunni and Shiʿi Muslims, Arabs as well as Africans. This article focuses on the shaykh’s discursive strategies for addressing his unique following. At times his Friday sermons stressed the particularities of Shiʿi Islamic practice, but more often he highlighted a universal Islam in an effort to appeal to Senegal’s Sunni Muslim majority. In analysing khutbas given in 2003 during the beginning of the U.S.-led war in Iraq, we pay particular attention to the Lebanese shaykh’s engagement with global politics and how his messages were translated for a community in West Africa detached from the Middle East.

• Islamic Authority: A Matter of Guardianship

  Athens Journal of Social Sciences (AJSS)

  In modern Western political philosophy, "sovereign authority" is central to statehood, and yet it has confounded politicians, pundits, and clerics worldwide. Nevertheless, understanding sovereignty is essential in understanding authority. This paper focuses upon issues of sovereignty and authority in contemporary Muslim society, while bearing in mind the common operational definitions concerning such notions as statehood, authority, and sovereignty itself may be problematic between the West and Middle East. It is thus an attempt to understand political philosophy in the Middle East in a different way than typically found in Western philosophy. Indeed, one may even argue "democracy" has no place in Islamic heritage, but is rather a contemporary matter for Islamic jurisprudence. The foundation of Saudi Arabia in 1932 as a traditional Sunni Muslim kingdom and the Iranian revolution 1979 that brought the Shia Ayatollahs to leadership roles, offer two models of Islamic theocracy, as well as Islam’s involvement in shaping the region’s political culture. At this point, one may ask if there is any validity of Western terminology in studying an Islamic state. One may also ask of the role of national history in Saudi Arabia and Iran in terms of "democracy" and "Shura".

• Legislative Role of Religion in the Contemporary Islamic States

  MEI Perspectives Series 9. National University of Singapore

  This paper examines the origins of the modern political systems in Saudi Arabia and Iran based on the historical and theological accounts legitimating each political system. These accounts establish them as "Islamic states," built on a theocracy and the rejection of secularization.

• Teaching for Democracy in Post-Arab Spring- with Dr. R. H. al-Mabuk

  Gerber, & S. Aboulkacem (Eds.), Education and the Arab Spring (pp. 3-23). Rotterdam, Netherlands: Sense Publishers.

  The Arab Spring that has swept through a number of Arab countries directly and the rest of the Arab countries indirectly has spurred an intense sentiment for democracy. The desire for democracy especially among youth, who comprise more than forty percent of the population in the Arab World, needs a favorable school environment that would transform it into democratic values and commensurate skills in children and youth.

• Covering the Building of a Kingdom: The Saudi Arabian Authority in The London Times and The New York Times, 1901–1932

  Digest of Middle East Studies

  The orientalist literature subjected the Middle East in an exotic way — mostly as an “Arabian Nights” society ruled by traditional sultans and/or tribal chiefs — rather than modern governance structure's “bureaucracy.” The presumption within postcolonial scholarship has been that this perception influenced the policy landscape in the United States and Europe, especially the media depictions of the oriental leaders and leadership. The paper empirically tests this hypothesis through content analysis using Weber's categorization of leadership of two newspapers of record — The New York Times in the United States and The London Times in the United Kingdom — during the period of state building in Saudi Arabia (1901–1932). I find that rather than depicting the Saudi leadership as “backward,” these newspapers in particular, tend to overstate the development of the Saudi state during this period. As Weber is best known for his three types of authority, it benefits the discipline to see how the interpretive communities of Western journalists operationalized “authority” in terms of politics and religion of Saudi Arabia as this monarchy emerged.

• A Wahhabi Ethic in Saudi Arabia: Power, Authority, and Religion in a Muslim Society

  Sociology of Islam

  This paper incorporates Weberian insights about religion, power, and bureaucratic authority to discuss a Wahhabi ethic in Saudi Arabia. The discussion considers similarities and differences between Saudi Wahhabism and this-worldly Protestantism, focusing on how religious idea systems contributed to the transformation of social, political, and economic institutions in their respective societies. A parallel is drawn between Calvinist Protestantism in the West and Wahhabism in Saudi Arabia. Just as Calvinist Protestantism encouraged its adherents to structure their lives in accord with their religious beliefs, Wahhabism in Saudi Arabia aimed to bring society back to God and God back to society through the enforcement of Divine law (Sharia). The paper presents a discussion of the rise of the Saud family and the propagation of religious teachings, which served to legitimate the power and authority of the Saud monarchy.

• Covering the birth of a nation: The rise of Saudi Arabia in The London Times, 1927–1937

  The Social Science Journal

  Saudi Arabia is considered as one of the most conservative countries in the world with regards to the role of religion in shaping national politics. We use a history of Saudi Arabia and British imperialist policy to contextualize the framing of religion in news coverage of Saudi Arabia in The London Times between 1927 and 1937 to uncover themes that were available to British readers before and after recognizing Saudi Arabia as a nation on September 23, 1932. We found that religious fundamentalism was part of this coverage, providing one potential media framework for understanding Saudi Arabia that is consistent with current coverage and discussions. We also found instances of favorable framing of events and individuals, which seemed to intensify after Saudi Arabia's recognition as a nation.

• Review of Gulf Politics and Economics in a Changing World, by Michael Hudson and Mimi Kirk (Eds.)

  Middle East Media and Book Reviews Online

  Gulf Politics and Economics in a Changing World focuses on the Gulf Cooperation Council trends in the economic, governmental, regional, and global environments, and how Western interests engage the GCC countries. The chapters demonstrate the complexity of these countries in both the internal (economic and bureaucratic) and external issues (oil, U.S. interests, and Iranian ambitions) in the region. The two key questions of this volume deal with how stable and durable those regimes are, as well as what strategies to use to face the economic, political, and ideological challenges in the near future.

• Emergent Kingdom in the Orientalist Press: Ibn Saud's Authority in the Western Media

  M. A. Aman & M. J. Aman (Eds.), The Middle East: New Order or Disorder? (Pp. 297-324). Washington, DC: Policy Studies Organization (PSO)/Westphalia.

• The Poetry by Mustafa Jamal Al-Din: A Literary Study (in Arabic: Shiʻr Muṣṭafá Jamāl al-Dīn : dirāsah fannīyah)

  Arab Diffusion Company

• Review of Saudi Arabia under Ibn Saud: Economic and Financial Foundations of the State

  Middle East Media and Book Reviews Online

  This book is a journey within King Abdul-Aziz Al Saud Epoch — from the1920s until 1953 — primarily focusing on economy and bureaucracy, as Ibn Saud worked on establishing a modern state within the territories under his control. At the beginning of his epoch, Ibn Saud relied on a single individual to take care of all the state’s financial, economic, and administrative affairs — Shaykh Abdullah al-Sulayman al-Hamdan. This man was entrusted of most of the Saudi administrative development that brought the state to the modern stage.

• Review of Islam in Saudi Arabia, by David Commins

  Contemporary Islam

  In his book, Islam in Saudi Arabia, David Commins provides a historical account of the role of religion in the Saudi state. After a brief description of the early three distinct sects of Islam (Sunni, Shiite, and Kharijite), he describes the four Sunni jurisprudential schools, while focusing on the Hanbali school, which was adopted by Sheikh Muhammad ibn Abd al-Wahhab. Commins describes the rise of the movement led by ibn Abd al-Wahhab, known as "Wahhabism," not only as a religious movement, but also as a system of ethics and traditions that sets itself as the representative of the true Islam that judges other Muslims based on its ideology. Commins describes the strong relationship between the Saudi royal family and Wahhabi clergy since the agreement between Sheikh Muhammad ibn Abd al-Wahhab and the Emir of al-Diriyya Muhammad ibn Saud in 1744.

• Review of Force and Fanaticism: Wahhabism in Saudi Arabia and Beyond, by Simon Ross Valentine

  Middle East Media and Book Reviews Online

  Force and Fanaticism: Wahhabism in Saudi Arabia and beyond focuses on the Wahhabi movement in Saudi Arabia. The book links the strict Islamic reform movement and the Saudi monarchy in a symbiotic relationship. The chapters demonstrate the religious identity of Saudi Arabia is based on the strict lessons of Ibn Taymiyyah (1263-1328) who influenced Muhammad ibn Abdul-Wahhab (1703-1792). Also, Valentine attempts to illustrate the religious bases of the law, policies, and social mobility in Saudi Arabia.

• Shiʿi Preaching in West Africa: The Dakar Sermons of Lebanese Shaykh al-Zayn

  British Journal of Middle Eastern Studies

  While there has been much emphasis on new types of media for the dissemination of Islamic ideas, this article focuses on the conventional Friday khuṭba. Lebanese Shaykh al-Zayn was trained in Najaf, Iraq and was sent by Musa al-Sadr to serve the Lebanese diasporic business community in Senegal. Estranged from the religious politics of the homeland and traditional centres of Shiʿi learning, Lebanese in Senegal depended on Shaykh al-Zayn to teach them about Shiʿi Islam. The Islamic Social Institute he built was the first Shiʿi institution in all of West Africa. Shaykh al-Zayn quickly gained a following of both Sunni and Shiʿi Muslims, Arabs as well as Africans. This article focuses on the shaykh’s discursive strategies for addressing his unique following. At times his Friday sermons stressed the particularities of Shiʿi Islamic practice, but more often he highlighted a universal Islam in an effort to appeal to Senegal’s Sunni Muslim majority. In analysing khutbas given in 2003 during the beginning of the U.S.-led war in Iraq, we pay particular attention to the Lebanese shaykh’s engagement with global politics and how his messages were translated for a community in West Africa detached from the Middle East.

• Islamic Authority: A Matter of Guardianship

  Athens Journal of Social Sciences (AJSS)

  In modern Western political philosophy, "sovereign authority" is central to statehood, and yet it has confounded politicians, pundits, and clerics worldwide. Nevertheless, understanding sovereignty is essential in understanding authority. This paper focuses upon issues of sovereignty and authority in contemporary Muslim society, while bearing in mind the common operational definitions concerning such notions as statehood, authority, and sovereignty itself may be problematic between the West and Middle East. It is thus an attempt to understand political philosophy in the Middle East in a different way than typically found in Western philosophy. Indeed, one may even argue "democracy" has no place in Islamic heritage, but is rather a contemporary matter for Islamic jurisprudence. The foundation of Saudi Arabia in 1932 as a traditional Sunni Muslim kingdom and the Iranian revolution 1979 that brought the Shia Ayatollahs to leadership roles, offer two models of Islamic theocracy, as well as Islam’s involvement in shaping the region’s political culture. At this point, one may ask if there is any validity of Western terminology in studying an Islamic state. One may also ask of the role of national history in Saudi Arabia and Iran in terms of "democracy" and "Shura".

• Access to and Quality of Higher Education Available to Syrian Refugees in Jordan and Germany with Dr. R. H. Al-Mabuk

  Blessinger, P & Enakshi Sengupta (Eds.), Strategies, Policies and Directions for Refugee Education Vol: 13. (Pp. 51-67) Bingley, UK: Emerald Publishing Limited.

  The focus of this chapter is to compare access to higher education by Syrian refugees in Jordan and Germany. Background of the Syrian refugee crisis and its scope are provided before delving into a description of the university-age population among Syrian refugees in both countries. The nature of access to higher education in both countries is first examined before conducting a comparative analysis of the two. Implications and recommendations for policy and practice are provided.

• Legislative Role of Religion in the Contemporary Islamic States

  MEI Perspectives Series 9. National University of Singapore

  This paper examines the origins of the modern political systems in Saudi Arabia and Iran based on the historical and theological accounts legitimating each political system. These accounts establish them as "Islamic states," built on a theocracy and the rejection of secularization.

• Teaching for Democracy in Post-Arab Spring- with Dr. R. H. al-Mabuk

  Gerber, & S. Aboulkacem (Eds.), Education and the Arab Spring (pp. 3-23). Rotterdam, Netherlands: Sense Publishers.

  The Arab Spring that has swept through a number of Arab countries directly and the rest of the Arab countries indirectly has spurred an intense sentiment for democracy. The desire for democracy especially among youth, who comprise more than forty percent of the population in the Arab World, needs a favorable school environment that would transform it into democratic values and commensurate skills in children and youth.

• Covering the Building of a Kingdom: The Saudi Arabian Authority in The London Times and The New York Times, 1901–1932

  Digest of Middle East Studies

  The orientalist literature subjected the Middle East in an exotic way — mostly as an “Arabian Nights” society ruled by traditional sultans and/or tribal chiefs — rather than modern governance structure's “bureaucracy.” The presumption within postcolonial scholarship has been that this perception influenced the policy landscape in the United States and Europe, especially the media depictions of the oriental leaders and leadership. The paper empirically tests this hypothesis through content analysis using Weber's categorization of leadership of two newspapers of record — The New York Times in the United States and The London Times in the United Kingdom — during the period of state building in Saudi Arabia (1901–1932). I find that rather than depicting the Saudi leadership as “backward,” these newspapers in particular, tend to overstate the development of the Saudi state during this period. As Weber is best known for his three types of authority, it benefits the discipline to see how the interpretive communities of Western journalists operationalized “authority” in terms of politics and religion of Saudi Arabia as this monarchy emerged.

• A Wahhabi Ethic in Saudi Arabia: Power, Authority, and Religion in a Muslim Society

  Sociology of Islam

  This paper incorporates Weberian insights about religion, power, and bureaucratic authority to discuss a Wahhabi ethic in Saudi Arabia. The discussion considers similarities and differences between Saudi Wahhabism and this-worldly Protestantism, focusing on how religious idea systems contributed to the transformation of social, political, and economic institutions in their respective societies. A parallel is drawn between Calvinist Protestantism in the West and Wahhabism in Saudi Arabia. Just as Calvinist Protestantism encouraged its adherents to structure their lives in accord with their religious beliefs, Wahhabism in Saudi Arabia aimed to bring society back to God and God back to society through the enforcement of Divine law (Sharia). The paper presents a discussion of the rise of the Saud family and the propagation of religious teachings, which served to legitimate the power and authority of the Saud monarchy.

• Covering the birth of a nation: The rise of Saudi Arabia in The London Times, 1927–1937

  The Social Science Journal

  Saudi Arabia is considered as one of the most conservative countries in the world with regards to the role of religion in shaping national politics. We use a history of Saudi Arabia and British imperialist policy to contextualize the framing of religion in news coverage of Saudi Arabia in The London Times between 1927 and 1937 to uncover themes that were available to British readers before and after recognizing Saudi Arabia as a nation on September 23, 1932. We found that religious fundamentalism was part of this coverage, providing one potential media framework for understanding Saudi Arabia that is consistent with current coverage and discussions. We also found instances of favorable framing of events and individuals, which seemed to intensify after Saudi Arabia's recognition as a nation.

• Review of Gulf Politics and Economics in a Changing World, by Michael Hudson and Mimi Kirk (Eds.)

  Middle East Media and Book Reviews Online

  Gulf Politics and Economics in a Changing World focuses on the Gulf Cooperation Council trends in the economic, governmental, regional, and global environments, and how Western interests engage the GCC countries. The chapters demonstrate the complexity of these countries in both the internal (economic and bureaucratic) and external issues (oil, U.S. interests, and Iranian ambitions) in the region. The two key questions of this volume deal with how stable and durable those regimes are, as well as what strategies to use to face the economic, political, and ideological challenges in the near future.

• Emergent Kingdom in the Orientalist Press: Ibn Saud's Authority in the Western Media

  M. A. Aman & M. J. Aman (Eds.), The Middle East: New Order or Disorder? (Pp. 297-324). Washington, DC: Policy Studies Organization (PSO)/Westphalia.

• The Poetry by Mustafa Jamal Al-Din: A Literary Study (in Arabic: Shiʻr Muṣṭafá Jamāl al-Dīn : dirāsah fannīyah)

  Arab Diffusion Company

• Review of Saudi Arabia under Ibn Saud: Economic and Financial Foundations of the State

  Middle East Media and Book Reviews Online

  This book is a journey within King Abdul-Aziz Al Saud Epoch — from the1920s until 1953 — primarily focusing on economy and bureaucracy, as Ibn Saud worked on establishing a modern state within the territories under his control. At the beginning of his epoch, Ibn Saud relied on a single individual to take care of all the state’s financial, economic, and administrative affairs — Shaykh Abdullah al-Sulayman al-Hamdan. This man was entrusted of most of the Saudi administrative development that brought the state to the modern stage.

• Review of Islam in Saudi Arabia, by David Commins

  Contemporary Islam

  In his book, Islam in Saudi Arabia, David Commins provides a historical account of the role of religion in the Saudi state. After a brief description of the early three distinct sects of Islam (Sunni, Shiite, and Kharijite), he describes the four Sunni jurisprudential schools, while focusing on the Hanbali school, which was adopted by Sheikh Muhammad ibn Abd al-Wahhab. Commins describes the rise of the movement led by ibn Abd al-Wahhab, known as "Wahhabism," not only as a religious movement, but also as a system of ethics and traditions that sets itself as the representative of the true Islam that judges other Muslims based on its ideology. Commins describes the strong relationship between the Saudi royal family and Wahhabi clergy since the agreement between Sheikh Muhammad ibn Abd al-Wahhab and the Emir of al-Diriyya Muhammad ibn Saud in 1744.

• Review of Force and Fanaticism: Wahhabism in Saudi Arabia and Beyond, by Simon Ross Valentine

  Middle East Media and Book Reviews Online

  Force and Fanaticism: Wahhabism in Saudi Arabia and beyond focuses on the Wahhabi movement in Saudi Arabia. The book links the strict Islamic reform movement and the Saudi monarchy in a symbiotic relationship. The chapters demonstrate the religious identity of Saudi Arabia is based on the strict lessons of Ibn Taymiyyah (1263-1328) who influenced Muhammad ibn Abdul-Wahhab (1703-1792). Also, Valentine attempts to illustrate the religious bases of the law, policies, and social mobility in Saudi Arabia.

• Shiʿi Preaching in West Africa: The Dakar Sermons of Lebanese Shaykh al-Zayn

  British Journal of Middle Eastern Studies

  While there has been much emphasis on new types of media for the dissemination of Islamic ideas, this article focuses on the conventional Friday khuṭba. Lebanese Shaykh al-Zayn was trained in Najaf, Iraq and was sent by Musa al-Sadr to serve the Lebanese diasporic business community in Senegal. Estranged from the religious politics of the homeland and traditional centres of Shiʿi learning, Lebanese in Senegal depended on Shaykh al-Zayn to teach them about Shiʿi Islam. The Islamic Social Institute he built was the first Shiʿi institution in all of West Africa. Shaykh al-Zayn quickly gained a following of both Sunni and Shiʿi Muslims, Arabs as well as Africans. This article focuses on the shaykh’s discursive strategies for addressing his unique following. At times his Friday sermons stressed the particularities of Shiʿi Islamic practice, but more often he highlighted a universal Islam in an effort to appeal to Senegal’s Sunni Muslim majority. In analysing khutbas given in 2003 during the beginning of the U.S.-led war in Iraq, we pay particular attention to the Lebanese shaykh’s engagement with global politics and how his messages were translated for a community in West Africa detached from the Middle East.

• Islamic Authority: A Matter of Guardianship

  Athens Journal of Social Sciences (AJSS)

  In modern Western political philosophy, "sovereign authority" is central to statehood, and yet it has confounded politicians, pundits, and clerics worldwide. Nevertheless, understanding sovereignty is essential in understanding authority. This paper focuses upon issues of sovereignty and authority in contemporary Muslim society, while bearing in mind the common operational definitions concerning such notions as statehood, authority, and sovereignty itself may be problematic between the West and Middle East. It is thus an attempt to understand political philosophy in the Middle East in a different way than typically found in Western philosophy. Indeed, one may even argue "democracy" has no place in Islamic heritage, but is rather a contemporary matter for Islamic jurisprudence. The foundation of Saudi Arabia in 1932 as a traditional Sunni Muslim kingdom and the Iranian revolution 1979 that brought the Shia Ayatollahs to leadership roles, offer two models of Islamic theocracy, as well as Islam’s involvement in shaping the region’s political culture. At this point, one may ask if there is any validity of Western terminology in studying an Islamic state. One may also ask of the role of national history in Saudi Arabia and Iran in terms of "democracy" and "Shura".

• Access to and Quality of Higher Education Available to Syrian Refugees in Jordan and Germany with Dr. R. H. Al-Mabuk

  Blessinger, P & Enakshi Sengupta (Eds.), Strategies, Policies and Directions for Refugee Education Vol: 13. (Pp. 51-67) Bingley, UK: Emerald Publishing Limited.

  The focus of this chapter is to compare access to higher education by Syrian refugees in Jordan and Germany. Background of the Syrian refugee crisis and its scope are provided before delving into a description of the university-age population among Syrian refugees in both countries. The nature of access to higher education in both countries is first examined before conducting a comparative analysis of the two. Implications and recommendations for policy and practice are provided.

• Islamic State: Saudi Arabia vs. Iran

  Ta'seel Commons- Politics

  Whenever a conversation of the concept of Islamic state is opened, Saudi Arabia and Iran are immediately raised as examples. Both countries are similarly run as religiously backed states. Yet, they are rather different in terms of type of authority, democratic scale, and historical development. The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia derives its legitimacy from applying Sharia law by a king who has the legitimacy through Bay'ah (the recognition of obedience to the Muslim ruler), while the Islamic Republic of Iran claims its legitimacy via both applying Sharia and an elected authority. It is thus an attempt to understand political philosophy of modern state in the Middle East in a different way than typically found in Western philosophy.