Minorities in the Middle East: A History of Struggle and Self-Expression, 2d ed.

by Mordechai Nisan

Overview

The struggle for independence by minorities in the Middle East (those people who are non-Arab or non-Muslim) is affecting the political climate around the world. War and terrorism are threatening the safety of many minority communities and repression of minorities still remains standard state policy in some countries.

This updated and revised edition of the 1991 original provides a wealth of historical and political detail for all the indigenous peoples of the Middle East. Pressed to persist in a threatening environment, these minorities (Kurds, Berbers, Baluchi, Druzes, 'Alawites, Armenians, Assyrians, Maronites, Sudanese Christians, Jews, Egyptian Copts, and others) share similar experiences and have been known to cooperate for shared goals. Important events and new trends regarding the welfare of these groups are covered, and numerous oral histories add to the new edition.

Instructors considering this book for use in a course may request an examination copy here.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780786451333
Publisher:	McFarland & Company, Incorporated Publishers
Publication date:	10/02/2015
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	351
File size:	794 KB
Age Range:	18 Years

About the Author

Mordechai Nisan has written extensively on Zionism and the Arab-Israeli conflict. He teaches Middle East Studies at Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Rothberg International School and lives in Jerusalem.
Mordechai Nisan has written extensively on Zionism and the Arab-Israeli conflict. He teaches Middle East studies at Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Rothberg International School, and lives in Jerusalem.

Table of Contents

Table of Contents

Preface     

INTRODUCTION: THE MIDDLE EASTERN MOSAIC
States and Nations    
Minorities in the Middle East    
The Debate About Minorities    
Principles and Means of Conflict Resolution    

PART 1: MUSLIM MINORITIES
Kurds: A Legacy of Struggle and Suffering    
Berbers: Between Rebellion and Submission    
Baluch: From Obscurity to Geostrategic Importance    

PART II: HETERODOX MUSLIM MINORITIES
Druzes: Freedom Without Independence    
‘Alawites: To Power and the Unknown    

PART III: CHRISTIAN MINORITIES
Copts: From Majority People to Minority Religion    
Armenians: Talent, Tragedy, and Territorial Loss    
Assyrians: An Ancient People, a Perennial Struggle    
Maronites: Sophistication and Missed Opportunities    
Sudanese Christians: Tribulations and War in Black Africa    

PART IV: JEWS, ISRAEL AND OTHER MIDDLE EASTERN MINORITIES
Jews: Zionist Achievement, Lingering Question    
Jews, Israel, and the Minorities    

CONCLUSIONS
The Elusiveness of Political Rule: A Comparison    
Minority Mobilization and the Crusader Case    
Minority Particularity and the Israeli Case    
Peoples and State Across the Region    
The Middle East and the World    

Notes    
Select Bibliography    
Name Index    

Editorial Reviews

impressive fund of information”—Choice; “informative...the strength of the book lies in the breadth of its coverage...useful”—Library Journal “one of the only volumes to consider a variety of groups, their relationships with each other, and their collective role in the region and beyond...an invaluable and timely resource”—Against the Grain; “a significant book...it is helpful, informative and balanced...helpful, timely and accessible book”—Catholic Library World; “invaluable”—Claremont Review of Books.

From the Publisher