Minorities in the Middle East: A History of Struggle and Self-Expression, 2d ed.

The struggle for independence by minorities in the Middle East (those people who are non-Arab or non-Muslim) is affecting the political climate around the world. War and terrorism are threatening the safety of many minority communities and repression of minorities still remains standard state policy in some countries. This updated and revised edition of the 1991 original provides a wealth of historical and political detail for all the indigenous peoples of the Middle East. Pressed to persist in a threatening environment, these minorities (Kurds, Berbers, Baluchi, Druzes, 'Alawites, Armenians, Assyrians, Maronites, Sudanese Christians, Jews, Egyptian Copts, and others) share similar experiences and have been known to cooperate for shared goals. Important events and new trends regarding the welfare of these groups are covered, and numerous oral histories add to the new edition. Instructors considering this book for use in a course may request an examination copy here. Introduction : the Middle Eastern mosaic. States and nations -- Minorities in the Middle East -- The debate about minorities -- Principles and means of conflict resolution -- Kurds : a legacy of struggle and suffering. Kurdish life under Islam -- Toward independence in Kurdistan -- The Mahabad episode -- Liberation as rebellion -- Kurdish persistence and powerlessness -- Self-rule and national division in the 1990s -- Berbers : between rebellion and submission. Religiously syncretic, communally exotic -- The French invasion and Berber militancy -- The episode of Riffian independence -- Kabylia and the Front de Libération National (FLN) -- Arab statehood and the Berbers -- New circumstances and old problems -- Baluch : from obscurity to geostrategic importance. Toward independence in Baluchistan -- State repression and international opportunity -- Between Afghanistan and the Persian Gulf -- Druzes : freedom without independence. Religion and its precepts -- Druze warfare within and without -- Druze particularity in Mideast states -- Survival without sovereignty -- ‘Alawites : to power and the unknown. Mysterious sectarianism -- ‘Alawite statehood and the French -- Military professionalism, political pretensions -- The Assad regime -- An uncertain gamble -- Copts : from majority people to minority religion. Religious and communal identity -- During the French and British years -- Facing Islam, Arabism, and Egyptian independence -- Insecurity and abandonment -- Armenians : talent, tragedy, and territorial loss. Christianity and national character -- Toward independence in Armenia -- The first genocide of the twentieth century -- Dispersion and statehood -- Revenge, not revolution -- Assyrians : an ancient people, a perennial struggle. Facing antiquity, Christianity, and Islam -- The church, facing east and west -- Toward Assyrian independence and failure -- Dispersion and revitalization -- Maronites : sophistication and missed opportunities. Lebanon’s European connection -- Ottoman days, Maronite nights -- Toward independence in Lebanon -- Between statehood and sectarianism -- Maronite decline and the Lebanese war -- Syrian occupation and Israeli withdrawal -- Sudanese Christians : tribulations and war in black Africa. Christianity in the jungle -- Southern subjugation and slavery -- British rule : toward southern freedom and back -- Sudanese independence and southern rebellion -- War : religious, regional, and Russian factors -- Change and continuity in the southern struggle -- Jews : Zionist achievement, lingering question. Judaism : a religion and a nationality -- The everlasting homeland -- Survival despite dispersion -- Toward Jewish independence in Eretz-Israel -- The key to Zionist success -- The Dhimmi syndrome -- The problematics of Arab opposition -- Jews, Israel, and the minorities. The Middle Eastern minority equation -- Mythology and memorabilia -- Minority connections -- Conclusions. The elusiveness of political rule : a comparison -- Minority mobilization and the crusader case -- Minority particularity and the Israeli case -- Peoples and state across the region -- The Middle East and the world. The struggle for independence by minorities in the Middle East (those people who are non-Arab or non-Muslim) is affecting the political climate around the world. War and terrorism are threatening the safety of many minority communities and repression of minorities still remains standard state policy in some countries. This updated and revised edition of the 1991 original ("impressive"--Choice; "informative...useful"--Library Journal) provides a wealth of historical and political detail for all the indigenous peoples of the Middle East. Pressed to persist in a threatening environment, these minorities (Kurds, Berbers, Baluchi, Druzes, Alawites, Armenians, Assyrians, Maronites, Sudanese Christians, Jews, Egyptian Copts, and others) share similar experiences and have been known to cooperate for shared goals. Important events and new trends regarding the welfare of these groups are covered, and numerous oral histories add to the new edition Introduction : The Middle Eastern Mosaic -- Kurds : A Legacy Of Struggle And Suffering -- Berbers : Between Rebellion And Submission -- Baluch : From Obscurity To Geostrategic Importance -- Druzes : Freedom Without Independence -- ʻalawites : To Power And The Unknown -- Copts : From Majority People To Minority Religion -- Armenians : Talent, Tragedy, And Territorial Loss -- Assyrians : An Ancient People, A Perennial Struggle -- Maronites : Sophistication And Missed Opportunities -- Sudanese Christians : Tribulations And War In Black Africa -- Jews : Zionist Achievement, Lingering Question -- Jews, Israel, And The Minorities. Mordechai Nisan. Includes Bibliographical References (p. 337-338) And Index.