Book Review: The Arab Awakening: Islam and the New Middle East, Tariq Ramadan, 2012, London: Allen Lane, pages: 273.
Journal Name:
- International Journal of Islamic Thought
Author Name | University of Author | Faculty of Author |
---|---|---|
Abstract (2. Language):
This book discusses the current situations in the Middle East and how the changes affected
the people and the future of the Muslim world. Ramadan stated that the book does not claim
“. . . to reveal secrets, to unveil what may be strategic goals, and even less to predict the
future” for to do so would mean madness, which he regards as a combination of
presumption and vanity (p: ix). What he attempts to do is to reexamine the facts, study the
realities and to suggest some lessons, or to use Ibn Khaldun’s terminology – c
ibra – not only
for the Arab world and the Muslim majority countries but also for keen observers of the
phenomenal developments. Ramadan poses three important questions in analyzing the
issues at hand: 1, what really happened in Tunisia and Egypt? 2, what is happening in the
broader region that makes up the Middle East and North Africa (MENA)? And finally, why
now? He stresses that to answer the questions, we must study the recent history and its
actors, as well as political, geopolitical and economic contexts of the region. He also argues
that the terms that are used to describe the phenomena – ‘Arab Spring, revolutions and
upheavals’ - should also be scrutinized, as the components of these movements are less
known let alone the outcome. Throughout this study, he attempts to demonstrate that the
protest movements should not be thought as being designed and manipulated by the West
(the US and Europe) as such claim would mean that human beings are unable “. . . to assert
themselves as the subject of their own history” but rather the ability of the peoples of the
region to act upon their own destiny by overthrowing the dictators without weapons (p: xi).
This historic moment has opened up a few fundamental questions regarding the nature of
the state, the role of religion, the basic principle of equality etcetera which bound to fall
under the bipolar debate between ‘secularists’ and ‘Islamists’. Clearly, he states that the
book attempts to demonstrate that such polarizing debate cannot be reduced to a
confrontation between both approaches.
Ramadan also emphasizes the role of the Muslim intellectuals and politicians in this
time of radical and comprehensive renewal process in identifying the key issues, defining
and prioritizing the ways and means for social and political reform as well as fostering the
emergence of a true civil society in the region. He stresses that Arab and Muslim majority
societies should stop “. . . blaming the West for the colonialism and imperialism of the past,
or for today’s attempts at manipulation and control” (p: xii) but to “. . . reconcile themselves
with the course of history . . .” (ibid.) and “. . . be wary of attempts at manipulation, and be
determined to carry out essential reforms . . .” (ibid.).
The book consists of four chapters excluding the introduction and conclusion. The
first chapter entitled Made-to-order uprisings?; the second chapter entitled Cautious
Optimism, chapter three, Islam, Islamism, Secularization and the final chapter, The Islamic
Reference. In the first chapter, Ramadan has briefly outlined the situations in the Middle
East and North Africa since the first event that sparked the whole process – the suicide of
Mohamed Bouazizi in Tunisia. He argues that the claim of Western manipulation on the
issue of change of government through funding the opponents of the Arab governments
cannot be underestimated but at the same time cautious optimism towards a major shift in
Bookmark/Search this post with
FULL TEXT (PDF):
- 2
110-112