Final Examination
Write a comprehensive essay of 900-1,000 words for each of the following 3 topics. (This means the total word count for all three topics will be a maximum of 3,000 words.)
1. 1. “Political Islam” – Iran’s Islamist revolution, the Muslim Brothers in Egypt, Hamas in Palestine, Hizballah in Lebanon, or other. How deep (i.e., historical) are the roots of Islamism/Political Islam in contemporary Middle East politics and society? Assess the “fortunes” (successes and failures) of political Islam in at least two countries post-1967 until the present.
2. 2. War, political violence, terrorism, counter-terrorism: Starting in 1967, discuss the 45+ years of warfare in the region. Who has been fighting whom? What role do non-regional actors (US, EU, UN, NATO, Russia, other “internationals”) have in (a) exacerbating war and conflict; and/or (b) helping to resolve conflicts and end wars? Discuss:
• Arab-Israeli, Iraq-Iran, Iraq-Kuwait, etc.
• The Cold War, and its end
• 9/11 and its impact (on US, Europe, and/or Middle East/North Africa)
3. The “Arab Awakening” (“Arab Spring”): where did it come from? Why did it happen when it did? Discuss the different trajectories (paths) of the rebellions of at least two of the following: Tunisia, Egypt, Libya, and Syria. Where are these states now, in terms of their struggles to overturn dictatorships and establish democracies?
When supporting your arguments and addressing these concepts, rely mostly on class notes and PowerPoint’s from Professors Cury and Sullivan and the READINGS for your essay. Make sure there is a detailed bibliography of the cited works at the end of the paper; in text citation must include author’s name, year and page number in parenthesis – e.g., (Jones, 2013, p. 222).
