Research On Religion » Saudi Arabia

Lawrence Rubin on Islam and Ideational Balancing

tonygill — Sun, 11 Dec 2016 09:00:38 +0000

Can the ideas proposed by one nation-state threaten another nation-state? If so, how do the threatened nations respond? We probe these questions with respect to Islam and the two Islamic political revolutions in Iran (1979) and Sudan (1989) with Prof. Lawrence Rubin, an associate professor of political science in Georgia Tech’s Sam Nunn School of International Affairs. Prof. Rubin reminisces about how he came to study the role of ideas in foreign policy, and then reviews the two dominant schools of thought in international relations theory — realism and constructivism. The former perspective focuses on material resources and tangible threats made by various nations in the world order, whereas the latter brings the issue of ideas, ideologies, and (increasingly) theologies into the mix. We explore the idea of “soft power,” and how religious ideas can become potentially threatening to the domestic security of a regime, and what governments can do in response. To illustrate how this has played out in the Middle East over the past four decades, we use the cases of political revolutions in Iran and Sudan and how Saudi Arabia and Egypt responded. Larry explains that despite a noticeable decline the military prowess of Iran following its revolution (and subsequent war with Iraq), the Islamic Republic of Iran presents a new ideational threat to the hegemony of Saudi Arabia, not only on sectarian grounds (Shia versus Sunni), but also on Iran’s ability to inspire religious-based social movements that could undermine the ruling government. This was also of concern to Egypt, which had a more secular-based government but which had been seeking alliances with domestic religious actors throughout the 1970s and ’80s. Prof. Rubin provides a few examples of how Egypt and Saudi Arabia sought to “ideationally counter-balance” this international threat. We also bring up the similar challenge posed by the Sudanese Revolution of 1979, another example of a state that didn’t necessarily pose a significant military threat, but still had the potential of upsetting domestic politics in Egypt and Saudi Arabia with the spread of a radical theological message. We finish off our podcast with some of Larry’s thoughts on the threat of ISIS to the region and what he has learned over time by taking the role of ideas seriously in the field of international relations. Recorded: December 7, 2016.

Islam in the Balance: Ideational Threats in Arab Politics, by Lawrence Rubin.

Terrorist Rehabilitation and Counter-Radicalisation: New Approaches to Counter-Terrorism, edited by Lawrence Rubin and Jolene Anne Jerrard.

“Why the Islamic State Won’t Become a Normal State,” by Lawrence Rubin (over at WaPo Monkey Cage).

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Karen Elliott House on Journalism and Saudi Arabia

tonygill — Sun, 20 Jul 2014 08:00:03 +0000

What is it like to be a Western female reporter with an assignment reporting on the Middle East? And what unique observations can a 32 year journalistic history in the area bring to our understanding of one of the region’s major powers, Saudi Arabia. Karen Elliott House, former publisher of the Wall Street Journal and senior vice president of Dow Jones & Company, discusses her career as a diplomatic reporter and her latest book On Saudi Arabia. Like several of the conversations we have on Research on Religion, this interview examines the life history of the guest as it helps us further understand the perspective they bring to the table. (Note: About two minutes of audio were cut from the beginning of the interview because of distortion. This edited portion contained some idle chat about dogs and a brief story about Ms. House’s Pulitzer Prize, wherein she mentioned that another editor told her that when all is said and done, Pulitzer will be mentioned in her obituary. Tony wished Karen a long and healthy life.)

We begin with Ms. House’s career as a journalist and she details how she was able to go from the small town of Matador, Texas to the hallowed halls of the Wall Street Journal, particularly at a time when the newspaper business was still male dominated. Karen talks about her strict religious upbringing in a Church of Christ denomination and how this gave her an advantage when she eventually came to report on Saudi Arabia. This background becomes helpful when she eventually lived with a very conservative Muslim family while in Saudi Arabia. We then learn how she moved from the University of Texas to the Dallas Morning News and then, taking advantage of every opportunity presented to her, was assigned to the diplomatic desk of the Wall Street Journal in 1977 and covered the Camp David Peace Accords as one of her early assignments. We ask whether or not Karen had a sense of the fundamental change that was about to rock the region with the Iranian Revolution, which spurs and interesting discussion on the predictive power of experts and the collapse of communism.

Tony probes what it was like to be a journalist covering the Middle East at this time, wondering if Karen ever felt endangered while in the region and whether being female in a male-dominated culture had any drawbacks. Interestingly, Karen said there was really only one time in Damascus that she felt nervous and that her biggest concern is traffic in Saudi Arabia. At this point, she brings up the unique advantage being a female had in reporting. Given the religious culture of the country, it would be difficult for a male to ever talk with women one-on-one, let alone at all. However, Karen was granted admission to this world and she relates several conversations she had with women in the region, most notably the females at a home where she recently stayed. We move then to a discussion about the veiling of women and what appears, to Western eyes, to be a form of gender oppression. This is where Karen’s own religious upbringing came in handy and she presents an interesting and enlightening take on various cultural practices that seem at odds to European values and norms. She relays some interesting stories to highlight these points.

We then turn to a more academic discussion of Saudi Arabia, focusing on a number of lesser-known aspects of the country. Contrary to the notion that the kingdom is swimming in oil wealth, there is a significant strata of the country that remains remarkably impoverished. Unemployment among Saudis remains high even as they import labor from abroad. The citizenry is also remarkably young with 60% of the population under the age of twenty, which portends some serious challenges for an aging leadership. Via websites that are cropping up on the Internet, these young people are not necessarily asking for political reform in a manner that would eliminate the monarchy, but rather young citizens are asking for transparency, accountability, and equity in terms of how the kingdom’s wealth is used. We also talk about issues of social mobility in a nation where most of the major political positions are tightly held by the Saud family. With a remarkably small proportion of Saudi citizens working in the private sector, the political allocation of resources — and a culture of asking for favors — becomes the norm. Again, all these socio-economic and political observations are peppered with vivid stories only the way that a seasoned journalist can tell.

The conversation moves to a discussion of some of the changes and reforms that are taking place in the country. With high levels of Saudi unemployment, there is a push to have young Saudis trained abroad and to limit the number of foreigners who are licensed to work in the country. Karen points out a very important tension between three crucial factors that are shaping the political economy of the nation: 1) the tendency to buy social peace and acquiescence among the population; 2) the decline in oil revenues as other sources of petroleum come online; and 3) a succession crisis that will be a major challenge politically in the next ten years. The first two tensions run in direct conflict to one another, whereas the third may catalyze these issues. We talk about this in the regional context of the Arab Spring and the chaos it has unleashed, including the current turmoil in Syria and Iraq that is coming close to Saudi borders. We also discuss issues over religious leadership and an erosion of trust the population has in the clerics anointed by the regime. The interview concludes with Karen’s thoughts about the future, at least in the short run, and Tony presses her for any possibilities for optimism to reign. Karen notes that there seems to be a realization that moderation in religious attitudes and politics are being seen as quite crucial for the coming years, particularly amidst the conflict that is spreading regionally. Recorded: July 2, 2014.

RELATED LINKS

Karen Elliott House’s personal website.

On Saudi Arabia: Its People, Past, Religions, Fault Lines, and Future, by Karen Elliott House.

“As the Middle East Burns, the Saudis Ease up at Home,” by Karen Elliott House in the Wall Street Journal.

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William Inboden on Religious Liberty, Foreign Policy, & the Arab Spring

tonygill — Mon, 03 Dec 2012 09:00:23 +0000

With political events rapidly unfolding in Egypt, Syria, and other parts of the Middle East, we visit with Prof. William Inboden, distinguished scholar at the Strauss Center for International Security at the University of Texas and an associate scholar with Georgetown University’s Berkley Center for Religion, Peace, and World Affairs. Prof. Inboden not only brings his extensive scholarship to bear on the issue of religious freedom and the Arab Spring, but his many years serving as a policy advisor in the US State Department and National Security Council provides him with another unique perspective on how the issue of religious liberty can and should shape US foreign policy. We begin with a discussion of what the Arab Spring is, how it started, and where it might be headed. Prof. Inboden notes that scholars are starting to rename the Arab “Spring,” the Arab “Awakening” as there is some growing concern that what appeared to initially be popular uprisings in support of liberal democratic forms of government may now be moving in a more autocratic direction. We discuss why this might be. Our attention then turns to the topic of religious liberty, which Will considers to be an important bellwether for liberal democracy in general. Prof. Inboden explains how religious freedom can help neutralize extremism and notes that religious liberty is not just important for religious minorities such as the Christian Copts, but is a vital civil liberty for Muslims as well. Far from being a monolithic religious bloc, Islam actually has many different “flavors” and Muslims who hold more moderate views on a number of topics would also benefit immensely from greater religious freedom and toleration in their societies. We also discuss the state of non-Muslim religious minorities now in such countries as Egypt, Tunisia, and Syria. Much of this discussion is informed by Will’s participation in a Berkley Center symposium “Religious Freedom and Religious Extremism: Lessons from the Arab Spring” (see link below), involving past and current policymakers such as Elliott Abrams, Stephen Hadley, and Dennis Ross. Our conversation shifts towards foreign policy and Will makes an argument that the promotion of religious freedom needs to be a key component of US relations with the Middle East. Using examples from Afghanistan, he points out how religious freedom is necessarily an issue of national security and not just some lofty goal that is desired unto itself. Tony pushes back with counter-arguments that promoting religious liberty can be seen as cultural imperialism, to which Will notes that while national leaders in autocratic regimes often make this argument, average citizens around the world have been shown to embrace the rights of conscience and worship when it is offered to them. Recorded: November 28, 2012.

RELATED LINKS

Prof. William Inboden’s biography at the Strauss Center for International Security at the University of Texas.

Berkley Center for Religion, Peace, and World Affairs at Georgetown University.

“Religious Freedom and Religious Extremism: Lessons from the Arab Spring,” proceedings from the Berkley Center’s symposium mentioned in the interview.

“Religious Freedom and National Security: Why the US Should Make the Connection,” by William Inboden in Policy Review.

Religion and American Foreign Policy, 1945-60: The Soul of Containment, by William Inboden.

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Timur Kuran on Islamic Economics

tonygill — Mon, 09 Jan 2012 09:00:59 +0000

What is Islamic economics? Prof. Timur Kuran, professor of economics & political science and the Gorter Family Professor of Islamic Studies at Duke University, gives us a superb summary of the emergence of this intellectual movement and shows how the principles of Islamic economics have been implemented. Prof. Kuran begins by defining what this movement is and when it emerged. It is revealed that although the ideas behind Islamic economics harken back to early Muslim history, the modern manifestation of this thinking dates back to the 1930s when Sayyid Abul-Ala Mawdudi, an Indian Muslim, grew concerned over Muslim indebtedness to Hindus and how this would play out in the nation’s eventual decolonization. Timur also recounts how this thought is related to the more general Islamist movement that began growing during the middle part of the 20th century. Our conversation then turns to some of the specific policy prescriptions offered up by Islamist economists, including prohibitions on interest and the promotion of social welfare via the traditional zakat. Prof. Kuran explains the logic behind these proposals as well as some of the unintended consequences introduced by Islamic banking and efforts to centralize zakat via government fiat. The discussion is not only useful for understanding some current themes within Islam, but it is also a great primer on basic economics. Recorded: December 29, 2011.

Islam & Mammon: The Economic Predicaments of Islamism by Timur Kuran.

The Long Divergence: How Islamic Law Held Back the Middle East by Timur Kuran.

Private Truths, Public Lies: The Social Consequences of Preference Falsification by Timur Kuran.

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Monica Toft on Religion, Terrorism, and Civil War

tonygill — Mon, 05 Sep 2011 08:00:38 +0000

A week before the 10th anniversay of the September 11th terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon, Prof. Monica Duffy Toft of Harvard University’s Kennedy School of Government joins us to discuss what we have learned about religiously-motivated violence over the past decade. This podcast represents our second discussion on the book God’s Century: Resurgent Religion and Global Politics (co-authored with Daniel Philpott and Timothy Shah), the first being focused on the role of religion in promoting democracy. Our attention here turns to why religious groups and individuals would be prompted to violence. The discussion is far-ranging, looking not only at Islamic terrorism, but includes an examination of the Irish Republican Army in Northern Ireland, Hindu nationalism in India, and the influence of Buddhism on the Tamil Tigers in Sri Lanka. Prof. Toft provides definition of terrorism and “informal violence,” the latter which encompasses such “spontaneous” events as ethn0-religious riots. She argues that looking at, and including, informal violence in the analysis of terrorism is crucial for understanding the phenomenon of religiously-motivated violence. Prof. Toft lays out her explanation for the increasing salience of religious violence, focusing both on institutional factors such as how states regulate religious organizations and the importance of political theologies. The confluence of these institutional and ideological factors helps explain why religious terrorism and civil war has increased since the 1970s. Our conversation also considers the recent rampage of Anders Behring Breivik in Norway. We also discuss the role of religion in civil wars such as Sudan, Yugoslavia and other parts of the world. Prof. Toft finishes the interview with her thoughts on whether religious violence is likely to subside in the future. Recorded: August 29, 2011.

RELATED LINKS

Monica Duffy Toft’s website at Harvard University, Kennedy School of Government.

Initiative on Religion in International Affairs at the Belfer Center (Harvard University).

God’s Century: Resurgent Religion and Global Politics, by Monica Duffy Toft, Daniel Philpott, and Timothy Samuel Shah.

Securing the Peace: The Durable Settlement of Civil Wars, by Monica Duffy Toft.

The Geography of Ethnic Conflict: Identity, Interests, and Territory, by Monica Duffy Toft.

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