The Arab World and Iran

Amin Saikal is Distinguished Professor of Political Science, Public Policy Fellow, and Director of the Centre for Arab and Islamic Studies (Middle East and Central Asia) at the Australian National University. He has published numerous books as author and editor; his work has also appeared in major journals and dailies, including The New York Times, International Herald Tribune, The Wall Street Journal, and The Guardian. He is a frequent commentator on TV and radio networks on issues pertinent to his field of specialty.

Chapter 1 The Middle East and North Africa: An Arena of Change and Transition?; Amin Saikal.- Part I The Arab World: Prospects and Challenges in Transition.- Chapter 2 Prospects for Democratization in the Middle East Post-Arab Spring; Fethi Mansouri.- Chapter 3 The Post-Uprising Arab World and the West: Mythology and Cultural Challenges; Robert Bowker.- Chapter 4 Political Economy Dynamics in the Arab Gulf States: Implications for Political Transition; Matthew Gray.- Part II Islamism and Sectarian Politics.- Chapter 5 Islam, Islamism, Muslims, and Governance: Beyond “Islam and Democracy”; Hisham Hellyer.- Chapter 6 The Saudi ‘Ulama and the Syrian Civil War; Raihan Ismail.- Chapter 7 Sectarian and Ethnic Politics: The Syrian Conflict; Minerva Nasser-Eddine.- Part III Iranian Domestic Politics and Regional Influence.- Chapter 8 Iran’s Syrian Foreign Policy Objectives; Shahram Akbarzadeh.- Chapter 9 Iran’s Relations with Afghanistan’s National Unity Government; Bruce Koepke.- Chapter 10 Iranian-Saudi Relations in a Changing Regional Environment; Amin Saikal.- Chapter 11 Conclusion; Amin Saikal.