The man, God, and the ballot box in the Middle East Gerecht, Reuel Marc. creator text bibliography cau Stanford, Calif Hoover Institution Press/Stanford University 2011 monographic eng

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160 p. The promise of democracy for Muslims offers something historically unparalleled. But how powerful is the idea of democracy in the Middle East? Could the region actually be at the beginning of a democratic wave, or is a "democratic recession" under way in Islamic lands? In The Wave, Middle East expert Reuel Marc Gerecht argues that the Middle East may actually be at the beginning of a momentous democratic wave whose convulsions could become the region's defining theme during Obama's presidency. He describes the powerful Middle Eastern democratic movements coming from both the secular left and the religious right and asserts that America must reassess democracy's supposed lack of a future in the region. The author explains the importance of those countries that hold the keys to the success or failure of democracy in the region, most notably Egypt, Turkey, Iran, and the United States. He tells why mainstream Islamist groups today see elections, not revolution, as a means for society to maintain akhlaq: the mores that define good Muslims. And he shows why any legitimate form of government in the contemporary Arab Middle East must be seen to be complementary to the Prophet Muhammad's legacy and the Holy Law. If democracy is to succeed in Arab lands, he concludes, it will be because devout Arabs have decided that their faith and representative government can meld. HKBU library Reuel Marc Gerecht. "Herbert & Jane Dwight working group on islamism and the international order". YT2025 M08 Democracy Middle East Democratization Middle East Islam and politics Middle East Middle East Politics and government 1979- United States Foreign relations Middle East Middle East Foreign relations United States JQ1758 G47 W 2011 9780817913342 0817913343 9780817913366 081791336X SDU 110509