Jacob Lassner

Middle Eastern Politics and Historical Memory (eBook, ePUB)

Martyrdom, Revolution, and Forging National Identities

• Format: ePub

Produktbeschreibung

How is the complex history of the ancient Near East and Islamic World brought to bear in contemporary political discourse?

In this book, Medieval Near Eastern historian Jacob Lassner explores the resonance of ancient and medieval history in the political disputes that dominate the contemporary Middle East.

From identification with ancient forbears as a method of legitimization and nation-building, to tracing the deep history of the concept of revolution in the Arab world, the author probes the historical foundations of modern conflicts in the region. A medievalist, the author takes the position that an appreciation of cultural history is essential to understanding the debate surrounding the Israel/Palestine conflict. In turn, the book identifies the misappropriation and misunderstanding of the past, deliberate or accidental, as key weapon in the ongoing conflict.

Produktdetails

• Verlag: Bloomsbury UK eBooks
• Seitenzahl: 248
• Erscheinungstermin: 9. Juli 2020
• Englisch
• ISBN-13: 9781838607289
• Artikelnr.: 59742597

Autorenporträt

Jacob Lassner is the Philip M. & Ethel Klutznick Professor of Jewish civilization Emeritus at Northwestern University, USA. his recent books include Medieval Jerusalem (2017), Islam in the Middle Ages (2010) and Jews and Muslims in the Arab World (2007).

Inhaltsangabe

DEDICATORY PREFACE
INTRODUCTION
PART ONE: IMAGINED HISTORY AND CONTEMPORANEOUS
POLITICAL BEHAVIOR
-ESSAY 1-
RECOVERING AND INVOKING AN IDEALIZED ISLAMIC PAST
Problems and Approaches to Competing Narratives and Historical Memories
-ESSAY 2-
MYTHS OF MARTYRDOM AND REBELLION
Recalling Muslim Self Sacrifice and Tribal Virtues of Manliness and Honor
-ESSAY 3-
MARTYRDOM VERSUS LOW PROFILE POLITICS
Interpreting the Past for Alternative Paths toward Regime Change and
Political Legitimacy
-ESSAY 4-
'BEING ON THE RIGHT SIDE OF HISTORY'
The Concept and Praxis of a Proper Islamic Revolution
PART TWO: IDENTITY POLITICS AND NATION BUILDING
IN THE MODERN NEAR EAST
-ESSAY 5-
FORGING NATIONAL IDENTITIES IN THE MODERN ARAB NATION STATE
Inventing Legacies of Near and Distant Histories
-ESSAY 6-
THE HOLY LAND, CANAAN, AND ARABIA: THE QUEST FOR ARAB POLITY
Inventing an Ancient Past in Response to Zionism
-ESSAY 7-
THE USES AND MISUSES OF MODERN BIBLICAL SCHOLARSHIP
Academic Politics and National Identity: Egypt, Israel, and Palestine