Description
Bernard Lewis looks at the new era in the Middle East. With the departure of imperial powers, the region must now, on its own, resolve the political, economic, cultural, and societal problems that prevent it from accomplishing the next stage in the advance of civilization. There is enough in the traditional culture of Islam on the one hand and the modern experience of the Muslim peoples on the other, he explains, to provide the basis for an advance toward freedom in the true sense of that word.
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This work contains four stand-alone chapters by Lewis (emeritus, Near Eastern studies, Princeton U.) on the contemporary Middle East. The first, which also provides the title for the volume as a whole, is based on the dubious premise that with the end of the Cold War, the political and military interference of the West in the region that began with Napoleon's invasion of Egypt (the beginning of "modern history" in the Middle East) has come to a clear end. Lewis speculates on how the various countries of the region will develop given this new era of independence. The second reflects on the history of propaganda in the region (and also incorporates the end of empire thesis into the discussion). The third focuses on Iran, portraying the country as an expansionary power that is perceived as a threat by the Sunni states of the region (although Lewis here elides the difference between the rulers of these states and their populations, who routinely rank Iran far below Israel and the United States as perceived threats) and as irredeemably hostile to Jews (ignoring the fact that the Persian Jews live a generally peaceful life in Iran), therefore requiring that Western states engage in disruption of the regime and preparation for possible military action (advice which seems rather contradictory to the premise of the first essay, to say the least). The final essay contends that Israel is the victim of a "new anti-Semitism" that holds Jews to higher standards than others, mainly Arabs, although Lewis is quick to protest that he is not equating criticism of Israel with anti-Semitism. Annotation ©2011 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)
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