https://www.spreaker.com/show/the-turbulent-world-of-middle-east-socceenNewsCopyright James M. Dorseyhttps://d3wo5wojvuv7l.cloudfront.net/t_rss_itunes_square_1400/images.spreaker.com/original/b26717d1f2399a671de273826baff2f6.jpghttps://www.spreaker.com/show/the-turbulent-world-of-middle-east-socceSun, 15 Jan 2023 17:35:42 +0000James M. DorseyJames M. Dorseyjmdorsey@questfze.comDr. James M. Dorsey is a senior fellow at the S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies, co-director of the University of Würzburg’s Institute for Fan Culture, and co-host of the New Books in Middle Eastern Studies podcast. James is the author of...cleanepisodichttps://www.spreaker.com/user/mideastsoccer/neither-saudi-arabia-nor-market-concernstag:soundcloud,2010:tracks/1424676622Sun, 15 Jan 2023 16:41:15 +0000James M. DorseyIf real estate is anything to go by, Dubai is snubbing its nose at Saudi efforts to replace it as the Middle East's go-to business and expatriate hub.521cleanfullhttps://www.spreaker.com/user/mideastsoccer/for-the-uae-and-others-its-business-as-utag:soundcloud,2010:tracks/1421164654Wed, 11 Jan 2023 02:17:36 +0000James M. DorseyFor the United Arab Emirates, it’s business as usual as Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu’s newly formed government wastes no time in implementing hardline policies aimed at forcing Palestinians to give up on the notion of an independent state...614cleanfullhttps://www.spreaker.com/user/mideastsoccer/saudi-arabia-milks-ronaldo-for-what-it-stag:soundcloud,2010:tracks/1418715112Sat, 07 Jan 2023 12:27:00 +0000James M. DorseySaudi Arabia isn't wasting time to milk for what it’s worth soccer superstar Cristiano Ronaldo’s move to the kingdom. Neither are others in the Gulf eager to join the bandwagon.523cleanfullhttps://www.spreaker.com/user/mideastsoccer/challenging-china-turkey-walks-a-fine-litag:soundcloud,2010:tracks/1416402628Wed, 04 Jan 2023 16:56:23 +0000James M. DorseyAn official visit to Xinjiang to assess the fate of Turkic Muslims in the troubled north-western Chinese Province is a risky proposition by any definition. Even so, it would be worth the risk if China and Turkey could agree on the terms of a visit.606cleanfullhttps://www.spreaker.com/user/mideastsoccer/ronaldo-s-move-to-saudi-arabia-a-game-oftag:soundcloud,2010:tracks/1414250452Sun, 01 Jan 2023 16:47:20 +0000James M. DorseyOne-upmanship in Middle Eastern sports just wretched up a notch as superstar Cristiano Ronaldo joins state-owned Saudi football club Al Nassr FC for reportedly a whopping US$241 million over 2.5 years.579cleanfullhttps://www.spreaker.com/user/mideastsoccer/getting-it-right-a-post-qatar-roadmap-fotag:soundcloud,2010:tracks/1410964681Tue, 27 Dec 2022 12:08:40 +0000James M. DorseyQatar 2022 put the myth of a separation of sports and politics to bed. Like in Qatar, human, worker, and LGBT rights are likely to be left, right, and centre as other Gulf and North African states move centre stage as hosts of and bidders for some of...639cleanfullhttps://www.spreaker.com/user/mideastsoccer/changing-paradigms-israel-s-far-right-metag:soundcloud,2010:tracks/1409425426Sat, 24 Dec 2022 10:33:47 +0000James M. DorseyPrime Minister Benyamin Netanyahu’s far-right, Jewish nationalist, ultra-conservative coalition government threatens to put the Jewish state on a collision course with Diaspora Jewry and could weaken or undermine a pillar of Israeli national security:...3549cleanfullhttps://www.spreaker.com/user/mideastsoccer/qatar-was-just-the-beginning-as-the-middtag:soundcloud,2010:tracks/1407366868Wed, 21 Dec 2022 13:20:13 +0000James M. DorseyThis decade and beyond could be the era of Middle Eastern sports. It may not have sunk in yet, but the Qatar World Cup was the kickoff rather than the finale. Qatar and Saudi Arabia will be this decade's focal points of Asian sports. By 2030, Egypt...799cleanfullhttps://www.spreaker.com/user/mideastsoccer/throwing-darts-indonesian-call-for-religtag:soundcloud,2010:tracks/1405223539Sun, 18 Dec 2022 14:06:03 +0000James M. DorseyAt first glance, Islamic scholars discussing the religious legitimacy of the United Nations and the nation-state sounds esoteric. It's not. On the contrary, it’s potentially revolutionary.653cleanfullhttps://www.spreaker.com/user/mideastsoccer/off-the-pitch-morocco-emerges-a-winner-i
Ultimately, the effects of Morocco’s off-the-pitch success may ripple much longer than the fallout of its stellar performance in the stadium.]]>tag:soundcloud,2010:tracks/1403411656Thu, 15 Dec 2022 16:11:07 +0000James M. DorseyFrance defeated Morocco 2:0 on the pitch, but off the pitch Morocco is up 4:0. Ultimately, the effects of Morocco’s off-the-pitch success may ripple much longer than the fallout of its stellar performance in the stadium.
Ultimately, the effects of Morocco’s off-the-pitch success may ripple much longer than the fallout of its stellar performance in the stadium.]]>752cleanfullhttps://www.spreaker.com/user/mideastsoccer/a-curious-courtship-rival-muslims-woo-hiThe rivalry’s latest battlefield is not Mecca, Medina, Cairo, Tehran, or Istanbul. It’s Hindu nationalist Delhi.
That is because, for the next year, India chairs the Group of 20 largest economies in the world.]]>tag:soundcloud,2010:tracks/1400392018Sun, 11 Dec 2022 11:23:34 +0000James M. DorseyMuslim religious soft power rivalry, a battle for the soul of Islam, just got hotter. The rivalry’s latest battlefield is not Mecca, Medina, Cairo, Tehran, or Istanbul. It’s Hindu nationalist Delhi. That is because, for the next year, India chairs the...The rivalry’s latest battlefield is not Mecca, Medina, Cairo, Tehran, or Istanbul. It’s Hindu nationalist Delhi.
That is because, for the next year, India chairs the Group of 20 largest economies in the world.]]>754cleanfullhttps://www.spreaker.com/user/mideastsoccer/scoring-an-own-goal-us-middle-east-polic
Missed in the hype of Chinese President Xi Jinping's recent visit to Saudi Arabia is that no part of the world lends itself more than the Middle East to put into practice the administration's vision of a world in which the United States and China simultaneously cooperate and compete.]]>tag:soundcloud,2010:tracks/1399459999Fri, 09 Dec 2022 17:01:06 +0000James M. DorseyThe Biden administration excels in scoring its own goals, nowhere more so than in the Middle East. Missed in the hype of Chinese President Xi Jinping's recent visit to Saudi Arabia is that no part of the world lends itself more than the Middle East...
Missed in the hype of Chinese President Xi Jinping's recent visit to Saudi Arabia is that no part of the world lends itself more than the Middle East to put into practice the administration's vision of a world in which the United States and China simultaneously cooperate and compete.]]>527cleanfullhttps://www.spreaker.com/user/mideastsoccer/when-mr-xi-comes-to-town
So are multiple agreements to be signed during Chinese President Xi Jinping’s visit to Saudi Arabia this week, his first venture beyond East and Central Asia in three years.

The visit allows Gulf states, with Saudi Arabia in the lead, to further diversify their foreign relationships and hedge their bets as the world moves from a unipolar to a bipolar, if not multipolar, order.

In addition, Mr. Xi’s visit boosts the positioning of Mr. Bin Salman and his kingdom as undisputed leaders of the Muslim world.]]>tag:soundcloud,2010:tracks/1397895400Wed, 07 Dec 2022 11:21:46 +0000James M. DorseyPomp and circumstance are important. So are multiple agreements to be signed during Chinese President Xi Jinping’s visit to Saudi Arabia this week, his first venture beyond East and Central Asia in three years. The visit allows Gulf states, with...
So are multiple agreements to be signed during Chinese President Xi Jinping’s visit to Saudi Arabia this week, his first venture beyond East and Central Asia in three years.

The visit allows Gulf states, with Saudi Arabia in the lead, to further diversify their foreign relationships and hedge their bets as the world moves from a unipolar to a bipolar, if not multipolar, order.

In addition, Mr. Xi’s visit boosts the positioning of Mr. Bin Salman and his kingdom as undisputed leaders of the Muslim world.]]>703cleanfullhttps://www.spreaker.com/user/mideastsoccer/qatar-punctures-fifa-s-political-fantasytag:soundcloud,2010:tracks/1397181313Tue, 06 Dec 2022 11:01:13 +0000James M. DorseyIf the Qatar World Cup proved anything, it’s that sports and politics are inseparable Siamese twins joined at the hip.568cleanfullhttps://www.spreaker.com/user/mideastsoccer/hungary-s-victor-orban-uses-soccer-to-prtag:soundcloud,2010:tracks/1394785234Fri, 02 Dec 2022 13:52:35 +0000James M. DorseyHungary didn't qualify for the Qatar World Cup, but that hasn't stopped Prime Minister Victor Orban from exploiting the world's current focus on soccer to signal his Putinesque definition of central European borders as defined by civilization and...549cleanfullhttps://www.spreaker.com/user/mideastsoccer/protest-emerges-as-a-mixed-blessing-for-tag:soundcloud,2010:tracks/1391943832Mon, 28 Nov 2022 13:42:44 +0000James M. DorseyProtest on the soccer pitch has proven to be a mixed blessing for World Cup host Qatar, exposing double standards in the Gulf state’s position as well as that of its critics.620cleanfullhttps://www.spreaker.com/user/mideastsoccer/the-qatar-world-cup-soccer-upsets-polititag:soundcloud,2010:tracks/1389984145Thu, 24 Nov 2022 23:09:01 +0000James M. DorseyBarely out of the starting blocks, the Qatar World Cup has already produced a fair share of upsets as well as politically and personally sensitive situations and incidents.813cleanfullhttps://www.spreaker.com/user/mideastsoccer/behind-lofty-declarations-major-muslim-atag:soundcloud,2010:tracks/1387909249Tue, 22 Nov 2022 01:21:22 +0000James M. DorseyAs Indonesia passed the chairmanship of the Group of 20 (G-20) to India earlier this month, major Muslim and Hindu organisations, some backed by their governments, are battling to define the role of religion in global politics and whether the world's...734cleanfullhttps://www.spreaker.com/user/mideastsoccer/us-slow-walks-punitive-measure-against-stag:soundcloud,2010:tracks/1385689849Fri, 18 Nov 2022 11:52:14 +0000James M. DorseyRecent Saudi efforts to appease the Biden administration in the wake of the kingdom’s backing of last month’s OPEC+ oil production cut take on added significance in the wake of this week’s US midterm elections that have strengthened Joe Biden and...677cleanfullhttps://www.spreaker.com/user/mideastsoccer/fifa-uncovered-a-discussion-with-filmmakA four-part documentary, FIFA Uncovered, that has just premiered on Netflix, documents much of this and links the Qatar controversy to the broader issue of the soccer body’s corrupt culture.
It features fresh interviews with several former officials, among them some of the allegedly most corrupt sports officials of our age, saying they did nothing wrong. Several of these officials speak extensively in public for the first time.
Miles Coleman, the producer and writer of the documentary, is here to discuss all of this.]]>tag:soundcloud,2010:tracks/1381568386Sat, 12 Nov 2022 12:14:31 +0000James M. DorseyThe Qatar World Cup kicks off a week from now. It is the most controversial World Cup in the history of global soccer body FIFA and has been enveloped in controversy from the moment Qatar won its hosting rights in December 2010. A four-part...A four-part documentary, FIFA Uncovered, that has just premiered on Netflix, documents much of this and links the Qatar controversy to the broader issue of the soccer body’s corrupt culture.
It features fresh interviews with several former officials, among them some of the allegedly most corrupt sports officials of our age, saying they did nothing wrong. Several of these officials speak extensively in public for the first time.
Miles Coleman, the producer and writer of the documentary, is here to discuss all of this.]]>4127cleanfullhttps://www.spreaker.com/user/mideastsoccer/ukraine-war-offers-china-opportunity-fratag:soundcloud,2010:tracks/1379925949Thu, 10 Nov 2022 05:10:36 +0000James M. DorseyUS President Joe Biden potentially made a strategic mistake when he framed the struggle for Ukraine as a battle between democracy and autocracy. In doing so, he did America’s main rival, China, an unintended favour.1610cleanfullhttps://www.spreaker.com/user/mideastsoccer/maneuvering-minefields-china-s-xi-contem
Mr. Wang's praise of the kingdom came amid Saudi reports, yet to be confirmed by China, of a pending visit by President Xi Jinping to the kingdom before the end of the year.

The Saudi reports did not mention the Chinese leader stopping in other countries, particularly Iran.

The reports' focus on the kingdom and Mr. Wang's remarks boosted Saudi hopes that Beijing may abandon its balancing act between Saudi Arabia and the Islamic republic.]]>tag:soundcloud,2010:tracks/1377027496Sat, 05 Nov 2022 13:40:23 +0000James M. DorseyChinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi hit all the right cords when he spoke virtually with his Saudi counterpart, Prince Faisal Bin Farhan, at a meeting of the China-Saudi Arabia High-Level Joint Committee last month. Mr. Wang's praise of the kingdom came...
Mr. Wang's praise of the kingdom came amid Saudi reports, yet to be confirmed by China, of a pending visit by President Xi Jinping to the kingdom before the end of the year.

The Saudi reports did not mention the Chinese leader stopping in other countries, particularly Iran.

The reports' focus on the kingdom and Mr. Wang's remarks boosted Saudi hopes that Beijing may abandon its balancing act between Saudi Arabia and the Islamic republic.]]>570cleanfullhttps://www.spreaker.com/user/mideastsoccer/the-group-of-20-s-religion-forum-how-mucThe religious leaders are meeting two weeks before the G-20's political leaders are scheduled to gather in Indonesia, the group's current chair, for what potentially promises to be an acrimonious get-together attended by the presidents of the United States, Russia, and China.
The religious summit is likely to find it easier to agree on a common language than their political leaders, but that may be where the easy part ends.
I'll be discussing with acclaimed political scientist Ahmet Kuru the issues that undergird the gathering.]]>tag:soundcloud,2010:tracks/1373362342Mon, 31 Oct 2022 09:12:31 +0000James M. DorseyReligious leaders gather in Bali this week for their first Religion Forum 20 summit (R20) under the auspices of the Group of 20 or G-20 that brings together the world's largest economies. The religious leaders are meeting two weeks before the G-20's...The religious leaders are meeting two weeks before the G-20's political leaders are scheduled to gather in Indonesia, the group's current chair, for what potentially promises to be an acrimonious get-together attended by the presidents of the United States, Russia, and China.
The religious summit is likely to find it easier to agree on a common language than their political leaders, but that may be where the easy part ends.
I'll be discussing with acclaimed political scientist Ahmet Kuru the issues that undergird the gathering.]]>3277cleanfullhttps://www.spreaker.com/user/mideastsoccer/christian-nationalism-a-threat-to-israel
Rising anti-Semitism among Christian nationalists, together with Evangelicals, the mainstay of US grassroots support for Israel, threatens to drive a wedge between the community and Israel.]]>tag:soundcloud,2010:tracks/1372290058Sat, 29 Oct 2022 06:09:11 +0000James M. DorseyThe threats to Israel’s existence as a democratic Jewish state have multiplied and could weaken or undermine a pillar of Israeli national security: unquestioned US support. Rising anti-Semitism among Christian nationalists, together with...
Rising anti-Semitism among Christian nationalists, together with Evangelicals, the mainstay of US grassroots support for Israel, threatens to drive a wedge between the community and Israel.]]>790cleanfullhttps://www.spreaker.com/user/mideastsoccer/the-qatar-world-cup-footballing-for-softtag:soundcloud,2010:tracks/1370344951Wed, 26 Oct 2022 09:31:51 +0000James M. DorseyTo ensure that Qatar was relevant to the international community and had the necessary public empathy to support intervention on the Gulf state's behalf in a time of need, Qatari rulers concluded that Qatar's defence strategy would have to focus on...1032cleanfullhttps://www.spreaker.com/user/mideastsoccer/footballing-for-soft-power-a-conversatio
Joining me today to take a stab at evaluating the often fierce debate about the Qatar World Cup that has sparked deep seated emotions on both sides of the divide, and to look at what the debate has produced in terms of change in Qatar and lessons learned by human rights groups, trade unions, and other activists and NGOs, as well as what happens to these issues once the World Cup is over, is renowned sports journalist and historian James Corbett.]]>tag:soundcloud,2010:tracks/1368535981Sun, 23 Oct 2022 11:11:57 +0000James M. DorseyIt's a good time to take a step back and evaluate where we stand as we enter the final weeks before the World Cup in Qatar, the most controversial in the history of world soccer body FIFA. Joining me today to take a stab at evaluating the often...
Joining me today to take a stab at evaluating the often fierce debate about the Qatar World Cup that has sparked deep seated emotions on both sides of the divide, and to look at what the debate has produced in terms of change in Qatar and lessons learned by human rights groups, trade unions, and other activists and NGOs, as well as what happens to these issues once the World Cup is over, is renowned sports journalist and historian James Corbett.]]>3197cleanfullhttps://www.spreaker.com/user/mideastsoccer/the-2022-world-cup-qatars-make-or-break-
Both will determine Qatar’s ultimate soft power benefit from the World Cup. How Qatar manages the tournament, and potential flare and hick-ups will shape how the 2022 World Cup is perceived and remembered.]]>tag:soundcloud,2010:tracks/1365860623Wed, 19 Oct 2022 04:25:35 +0000James M. DorseyThe final run-up to the 2022 World Cup and the tournament's management is make-it-or-break-it time for Qatar. Both will determine Qatar’s ultimate soft power benefit from the World Cup. How Qatar manages the tournament, and potential flare and...
Both will determine Qatar’s ultimate soft power benefit from the World Cup. How Qatar manages the tournament, and potential flare and hick-ups will shape how the 2022 World Cup is perceived and remembered.]]>3200cleanfullhttps://www.spreaker.com/user/mideastsoccer/indonesian-muslims-gamble-on-problematictag:soundcloud,2010:tracks/1362977575Fri, 14 Oct 2022 14:11:55 +0000James M. DorseyNahdlatul Ulama, arguably the world’s only Muslim mass movement propagating a genuinely moderate and pluralistic form of Islam, has forged an unlikely, albeit temporary, alliance with the Saudi-controlled Muslim World League.677cleanfullhttps://www.spreaker.com/user/mideastsoccer/the-world-cup-a-mixed-blessing-for-qatartag:soundcloud,2010:tracks/1361707216Wed, 12 Oct 2022 15:34:29 +0000James M. DorseyThe glass should have been more than half full rather than half empty. But ‘with a little help from its friends,’ Qatar has proven to be its own worst enemy in the court of public opinion.1865cleanfullhttps://www.spreaker.com/user/mideastsoccer/the-geopolitical-minefields-of-a-turkic-tag:soundcloud,2010:tracks/1359108367Sat, 08 Oct 2022 07:54:06 +0000James M. DorseyRussia’s invasion of Ukraine has blown new life into Turkey’s vision of a Turkic world that stretches from Anatolia to Xinjiang in north-western China.636cleanfullhttps://www.spreaker.com/user/mideastsoccer/betting-on-the-wrong-horse-the-battle-totag:soundcloud,2010:tracks/1357113445Wed, 05 Oct 2022 09:51:57 +0000James M. DorseyProponents of a moderate Islam that embraces tolerance, diversity, and pluralism may be betting on the wrong horse by supporting Muslim scholars on autocrats' payroll.860cleanfullhttps://www.spreaker.com/user/mideastsoccer/saudi-crown-prince-shifts-into-high-geartag:soundcloud,2010:tracks/1355269600Sun, 02 Oct 2022 09:32:43 +0000James M. DorseySaudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman is simultaneously speed dating and playing on multiple diplomatic, religious, and economic chessboards.841cleanfullhttps://www.spreaker.com/user/mideastsoccer/muslim-piety-in-southeast-asia-mirrors-i
Political and business leaders in Southeast Asia, home to 276.5 million Muslims who account for 40 per cent of the region's population, are likely to take note of the Southeast Asian survey as well as the recent polling in the Middle East amid perceptions of greater religious conservatism in their countries that are not only aligned with trends in other parts of the Muslim world but also in major non-Muslim faith groups across the globe.]]>tag:soundcloud,2010:tracks/1352593372Wed, 28 Sep 2022 05:46:09 +0000James M. DorseyIn a mirror image of recent polling in the Middle East, a just-published survey of Muslims in Southeast Asia suggests Islam’s central role in people’s daily lives and choices. Political and business leaders in Southeast Asia, home to 276.5 million...
Political and business leaders in Southeast Asia, home to 276.5 million Muslims who account for 40 per cent of the region's population, are likely to take note of the Southeast Asian survey as well as the recent polling in the Middle East amid perceptions of greater religious conservatism in their countries that are not only aligned with trends in other parts of the Muslim world but also in major non-Muslim faith groups across the globe.]]>629cleanfullhttps://www.spreaker.com/user/mideastsoccer/public-opinion-surveys-challenge-the-ima
The surveys reveal contradictory attitudes among Arab youth towards religion as well as widespread rejection of notions of a moderate Islam and formal diplomatic ties with Israel.]]>tag:soundcloud,2010:tracks/1350123898Sat, 24 Sep 2022 10:44:15 +0000James M. DorseySeveral recent public opinion surveys send a mixed message to autocratic reformers in Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, and Qatar, which hosts this year's World Cup in less than two months. The surveys reveal contradictory attitudes among Arab...
The surveys reveal contradictory attitudes among Arab youth towards religion as well as widespread rejection of notions of a moderate Islam and formal diplomatic ties with Israel.]]>654cleanfullhttps://www.spreaker.com/user/mideastsoccer/debating-religion-s-role-in-infusing-pol
It is called into question by the crisis in democracy in the United States in the wake of his predecessor, Donald Trump, who questioned the legitimacy of the election that brought Mr. Biden to office.

Even worse, Mr. Trump and his followers question the principle of a peaceful, democratic transition of power and are working hard to introduce at the state level legal and electoral procedures that would jeorpardize the principle of one man one vote.

Nevertheless, Mr. Biden has framed NATO support for Ukraine in its resistance to the Russian invasion as a fight of democracy against autocracy although it is more a struggle for upholding international law and the rule of law.

All of this raises the question whether politics and policies should be grounded in inclusive values, moral and ethics and how to square that with realities of realpolitik.

The clash between the two was on public display with Mr. Biden’s controversial pilgrimage to Saudi Arabia in July despite his vow during his election to treat the kingdom as a ‘pariah state’ and his initial refusal after he came to office to deal directly with Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salam because of the 2018 killing of journalist Jamal Khashoggi.

To discuss, all of this today, I am joined by Ronald Llamas, a senior advisor to former Philippine President Benigno Aquino, long standing democracy and human rights activist, and a master of the darker arts of politics and policy implementation.

To watch a video version of this story on YouTube please click here.]]>tag:soundcloud,2010:tracks/1349603674Fri, 23 Sep 2022 13:45:49 +0000James M. DorseyUS President Joe Biden’s pledge to return values, morals and ethics to politics and policies is 18 months into his presidency more of an aspiration than a reality. It is called into question by the crisis in democracy in the United States in the...
It is called into question by the crisis in democracy in the United States in the wake of his predecessor, Donald Trump, who questioned the legitimacy of the election that brought Mr. Biden to office.

Even worse, Mr. Trump and his followers question the principle of a peaceful, democratic transition of power and are working hard to introduce at the state level legal and electoral procedures that would jeorpardize the principle of one man one vote.

Nevertheless, Mr. Biden has framed NATO support for Ukraine in its resistance to the Russian invasion as a fight of democracy against autocracy although it is more a struggle for upholding international law and the rule of law.

All of this raises the question whether politics and policies should be grounded in inclusive values, moral and ethics and how to square that with realities of realpolitik.

The clash between the two was on public display with Mr. Biden’s controversial pilgrimage to Saudi Arabia in July despite his vow during his election to treat the kingdom as a ‘pariah state’ and his initial refusal after he came to office to deal directly with Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salam because of the 2018 killing of journalist Jamal Khashoggi.

To discuss, all of this today, I am joined by Ronald Llamas, a senior advisor to former Philippine President Benigno Aquino, long standing democracy and human rights activist, and a master of the darker arts of politics and policy implementation.

To watch a video version of this story on YouTube please click here.]]>2846cleanfullhttps://www.spreaker.com/user/mideastsoccer/creating-building-blocks-for-cooperativetag:soundcloud,2010:tracks/1348137661Wed, 21 Sep 2022 12:31:34 +0000James M. DorseyFading hopes for a revival of the 2015 international agreement that curbed Iran’s nuclear program potentially puts one more nail in the coffin of a regional security architecture that would include rather than target the Islamic republic.618cleanfullhttps://www.spreaker.com/user/mideastsoccer/returning-morals-and-ethics-to-domestic-tag:soundcloud,2010:tracks/1345454305Sat, 17 Sep 2022 03:03:40 +0000James M. DorseyToo often, opportunism, in the absence of inclusive moral and ethical standards, allows leaders, officials, policymakers, and politicians to prioritise their interests rather than those of the nation or affected people elsewhere.2025cleanfullhttps://www.spreaker.com/user/mideastsoccer/indonesia-s-g-20-chairmanship-balancing-tag:soundcloud,2010:tracks/1342840798Tue, 13 Sep 2022 02:32:50 +0000James M. DorseyIndonesia’s geopolitical plate is piling up as the archipelago state prepares to host the Group of 20 (G20) summit and associated gatherings in November, including the Religion 20 (R20), a high-level meeting of religious leaders, the first under the...623cleanfullhttps://www.spreaker.com/user/mideastsoccer/putin-makes-civilisationalism-fashionabltag:soundcloud,2010:tracks/1340775142Fri, 09 Sep 2022 14:37:57 +0000James M. DorseyRussian President Vladimir Putin has inspired civilisationalist leaders to emerge from the woodwork and publicly define their states as civilisational rather than national entities.648cleanfullhttps://www.spreaker.com/user/mideastsoccer/in-turkey-zero-problems-with-neighbours-
Thank you to all who have demonstrated their appreciation for my column by becoming paid subscribers. This allows me to ensure that it continues to have maximum impact. Maintaining free distributions means that news website, blogs, and newsletters across the globe can republish it. I launched my column, The Turbulent World of Middle East Soccer, 12 years ago. To borrow a phrase from an early proprietor of The Observer, it offers readers, listeners, and viewers ‘the scoop of interpretation.’ If you are able and willing to support the column, please become a paid subscriber by clicking on Substack on the subscription button and choosing one of the subscription options.]]>tag:soundcloud,2010:tracks/1338652414Tue, 06 Sep 2022 12:01:30 +0000James M. DorseyTurkey’s reconciliation with Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, and Israel is doing little to return the country to its “zero problems with our neighbours” policy declared more than a decade ago. Thank you to all who have demonstrated their...
Thank you to all who have demonstrated their appreciation for my column by becoming paid subscribers. This allows me to ensure that it continues to have maximum impact. Maintaining free distributions means that news website, blogs, and newsletters across the globe can republish it. I launched my column, The Turbulent World of Middle East Soccer, 12 years ago. To borrow a phrase from an early proprietor of The Observer, it offers readers, listeners, and viewers ‘the scoop of interpretation.’ If you are able and willing to support the column, please become a paid subscriber by clicking on Substack on the subscription button and choosing one of the subscription options.]]>546cleanfullhttps://www.spreaker.com/user/mideastsoccer/gulf-security-in-peril-with-and-without-tag:soundcloud,2010:tracks/1336743721Sat, 03 Sep 2022 02:11:27 +0000James M. DorseyWith the fate hanging in the balance of the 2015 international agreement that curbed Iran’s nuclear program, prospects for greater security and stability in the Middle East are meagre with or without a deal.972cleanfullhttps://www.spreaker.com/user/mideastsoccer/qatar-world-cup-an-unintended-boon-for-t
Thank you to all who have demonstrated their appreciation for my column by becoming paid subscribers. This allows me to ensure that it continues to have maximum impact. Maintaining free distributions means that news website, blogs, and newsletters across the globe can republish it. I launched my column, The Turbulent World of Middle East Soccer, 12 years ago. To borrow a phrase from an early proprietor of The Observer, it offers readers, listeners, and viewers ‘the scoop of interpretation.’ If you are able and willing to support the column, please become a paid subscriber by clicking on Substack on the subscription button and choosing one of the subscription options.]]>tag:soundcloud,2010:tracks/1334222758Tue, 30 Aug 2022 15:13:20 +0000James M. DorseyQatar's 2022 World Cup promises to benefit not only itself but also to provide an unintended economic, political, and religious soft power boon for its foremost rival in the region, the United Arab Emirates. Thank you to all who have demonstrated...
Thank you to all who have demonstrated their appreciation for my column by becoming paid subscribers. This allows me to ensure that it continues to have maximum impact. Maintaining free distributions means that news website, blogs, and newsletters across the globe can republish it. I launched my column, The Turbulent World of Middle East Soccer, 12 years ago. To borrow a phrase from an early proprietor of The Observer, it offers readers, listeners, and viewers ‘the scoop of interpretation.’ If you are able and willing to support the column, please become a paid subscriber by clicking on Substack on the subscription button and choosing one of the subscription options.]]>573cleanfullhttps://www.spreaker.com/user/mideastsoccer/revival-of-iran-nuclear-agreement-likely
Thank you to all who have demonstrated their appreciation for my column by becoming paid subscribers. This allows me to ensure that it continues to have maximum impact. Maintaining free distributions means that news website, blogs, and newsletters across the globe can republish it. I launched my column, The Turbulent World of Middle East Soccer, 12 years ago. To borrow a phrase from an early proprietor of The Observer, it offers readers, listeners, and viewers ‘the scoop of interpretation.’ If you are able and willing to support the column, please become a paid subscriber by clicking on Substack on the subscription button and choosing one of the subscription options.]]>tag:soundcloud,2010:tracks/1332295936Sat, 27 Aug 2022 09:47:15 +0000James M. DorseyA potential revival of the Iran nuclear accord is likely to test the sustainability of Middle Eastern efforts to dial down tensions and manage differences by improving diplomatic relations and fostering economic cooperation. Thank you to all who have...
Thank you to all who have demonstrated their appreciation for my column by becoming paid subscribers. This allows me to ensure that it continues to have maximum impact. Maintaining free distributions means that news website, blogs, and newsletters across the globe can republish it. I launched my column, The Turbulent World of Middle East Soccer, 12 years ago. To borrow a phrase from an early proprietor of The Observer, it offers readers, listeners, and viewers ‘the scoop of interpretation.’ If you are able and willing to support the column, please become a paid subscriber by clicking on Substack on the subscription button and choosing one of the subscription options.]]>679cleanfullhttps://www.spreaker.com/user/mideastsoccer/turkish-attempt-to-reconcile-with-assad-
Yet it is Mr. Perincek, a man with a world of contacts in Russia, China, Iran, and Syria whose conspiratorial worldview identifies the United States as the core of all evil, that Mr. Erdogan at times turns to help resolve delicate geopolitical issues.

Thank you to all who have demonstrated their appreciation for my column by becoming paid subscribers. This allows me to ensure that it continues to have maximum impact. Maintaining free distributions means that news website, blogs, and newsletters across the globe can republish it. I launched my column, The Turbulent World of Middle East Soccer, 12 years ago. To borrow a phrase from an early proprietor of The Observer, it offers readers, listeners, and viewers ‘the scoop of interpretation.’ If you are able and willing to support the column, please become a paid subscriber by clicking on Substack on the subscription button and choosing one of the subscription options.]]>tag:soundcloud,2010:tracks/1329817957Tue, 23 Aug 2022 16:01:52 +0000James M. DorseyAt first glance, there is little that Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, an Islamist and nationalist, has in common with Dogu Perincek, a maverick socialist, Eurasianist, and militant secularist and Kemalist. Yet it is Mr. Perincek, a man with a...
Yet it is Mr. Perincek, a man with a world of contacts in Russia, China, Iran, and Syria whose conspiratorial worldview identifies the United States as the core of all evil, that Mr. Erdogan at times turns to help resolve delicate geopolitical issues.

Thank you to all who have demonstrated their appreciation for my column by becoming paid subscribers. This allows me to ensure that it continues to have maximum impact. Maintaining free distributions means that news website, blogs, and newsletters across the globe can republish it. I launched my column, The Turbulent World of Middle East Soccer, 12 years ago. To borrow a phrase from an early proprietor of The Observer, it offers readers, listeners, and viewers ‘the scoop of interpretation.’ If you are able and willing to support the column, please become a paid subscriber by clicking on Substack on the subscription button and choosing one of the subscription options.]]>589cleanfullhttps://www.spreaker.com/user/mideastsoccer/saudi-egyptian-world-cup-bid-could-make-
Thank you to all who have demonstrated their appreciation for my column by becoming paid subscribers. This allows me to ensure that it continues to have maximum impact. Maintaining free distributions means that news website, blogs, and newsletters across the globe can republish it. I launched my column, The Turbulent World of Middle East Soccer, 12 years ago. To borrow a phrase from an early proprietor of The Observer, it offers readers, listeners, and viewers ‘the scoop of interpretation.’ If you are able and willing to support the column, please become a paid subscriber by clicking on Substack on the subscription button and choosing one of the subscription options.]]>tag:soundcloud,2010:tracks/1327723981Sat, 20 Aug 2022 15:08:07 +0000James M. DorseyAt first glance, a potential bid by Saudi Arabia and Egypt, two of the world's worst human rights violators, together with Greece, to host the 2030 World Cup sounds like an invitation to a perfect public relations fiasco. Thank you to all who have...
Thank you to all who have demonstrated their appreciation for my column by becoming paid subscribers. This allows me to ensure that it continues to have maximum impact. Maintaining free distributions means that news website, blogs, and newsletters across the globe can republish it. I launched my column, The Turbulent World of Middle East Soccer, 12 years ago. To borrow a phrase from an early proprietor of The Observer, it offers readers, listeners, and viewers ‘the scoop of interpretation.’ If you are able and willing to support the column, please become a paid subscriber by clicking on Substack on the subscription button and choosing one of the subscription options.]]>631cleanfullhttps://www.spreaker.com/user/mideastsoccer/einstein
Thank you to all who have demonstrated their appreciation for my column by becoming paid subscribers. This allows me to ensure that it continues to have maximum impact. Maintaining free distributions means that news website, blogs, and newsletters across the globe can republish it. I launched my column, The Turbulent World of Middle East Soccer, 12 years ago. To borrow a phrase from an early proprietor of The Observer, it offers readers, listeners, and viewers ‘the scoop of interpretation.’ If you are able and willing to support the column, please become a paid subscriber by clicking on Substack on the subscription button and choosing one of the subscription options.]]>tag:soundcloud,2010:tracks/1325261044Tue, 16 Aug 2022 16:48:42 +0000James M. DorseyIf there is one thing that Israelis and Palestinians agree on and religiously adhere to, it’s Albert Einstein’s definition of insanity as “doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results.” Thank you to all who have demonstrated...
Thank you to all who have demonstrated their appreciation for my column by becoming paid subscribers. This allows me to ensure that it continues to have maximum impact. Maintaining free distributions means that news website, blogs, and newsletters across the globe can republish it. I launched my column, The Turbulent World of Middle East Soccer, 12 years ago. To borrow a phrase from an early proprietor of The Observer, it offers readers, listeners, and viewers ‘the scoop of interpretation.’ If you are able and willing to support the column, please become a paid subscriber by clicking on Substack on the subscription button and choosing one of the subscription options.]]>636cleanfullhttps://www.spreaker.com/user/mideastsoccer/unintended-consequences-a-heyday-for-the
Thank you to all who have demonstrated their appreciation for my column by becoming paid subscribers. This allows me to ensure that it continues to have maximum impact. Maintaining free distributions means that news website, blogs, and newsletters across the globe can republish it. I launched my column, The Turbulent World of Middle East Soccer, 12 years ago. To borrow a phrase from an early proprietor of The Observer, it offers readers, listeners, and viewers ‘the scoop of interpretation.’ If you are able and willing to support the column, please become a paid subscriber by clicking on Substack on the subscription button and choosing one of the subscription options.]]>tag:soundcloud,2010:tracks/1323281065Sat, 13 Aug 2022 02:50:39 +0000James M. DorseyWhen Russia invaded Ukraine, it took itself off the map of Eurasian transport corridors linking China and Europe. At the same time, it breathed new life into moribund routes that would allow goods to travel across the Eurasian landmass without...
Thank you to all who have demonstrated their appreciation for my column by becoming paid subscribers. This allows me to ensure that it continues to have maximum impact. Maintaining free distributions means that news website, blogs, and newsletters across the globe can republish it. I launched my column, The Turbulent World of Middle East Soccer, 12 years ago. To borrow a phrase from an early proprietor of The Observer, it offers readers, listeners, and viewers ‘the scoop of interpretation.’ If you are able and willing to support the column, please become a paid subscriber by clicking on Substack on the subscription button and choosing one of the subscription options.]]>544cleanfullhttps://www.spreaker.com/user/mideastsoccer/victor-orban-s-eyes-may-be-bigger-than-h
Thank you to all who have demonstrated their appreciation for my column by becoming paid subscribers. This allows me to ensure that it continues to have maximum impact. Maintaining free distributions means that news website, blogs, and newsletters across the globe can republish it. I launched my column, The Turbulent World of Middle East Soccer, 12 years ago. To borrow a phrase from an early proprietor of The Observer, it offers readers, listeners, and viewers ‘the scoop of interpretation.’ If you are able and willing to support the column, please become a paid subscriber by clicking on Substack on the subscription button and choosing one of the subscription options.]]>tag:soundcloud,2010:tracks/1320808558Tue, 09 Aug 2022 13:34:47 +0000James M. DorseyWhen Prime Minister Victor Orban recently spelled out his vision of Hungary's frontiers, he joined a club of expansionist leaders such as Russia's Vladimir Putin, China's Xi Jinping, and members of the Indian power elite who define their countries’...
Thank you to all who have demonstrated their appreciation for my column by becoming paid subscribers. This allows me to ensure that it continues to have maximum impact. Maintaining free distributions means that news website, blogs, and newsletters across the globe can republish it. I launched my column, The Turbulent World of Middle East Soccer, 12 years ago. To borrow a phrase from an early proprietor of The Observer, it offers readers, listeners, and viewers ‘the scoop of interpretation.’ If you are able and willing to support the column, please become a paid subscriber by clicking on Substack on the subscription button and choosing one of the subscription options.]]>629cleanfullhttps://www.spreaker.com/user/mideastsoccer/winter-sports-in-saudi-arabia-an-unprovetag:soundcloud,2010:tracks/1318932571Sat, 06 Aug 2022 05:53:56 +0000James M. DorseyTemperatures in north-western Saudi Arabia, on average, seldom, if ever, drop below eight degrees Celsius except in the 2,400-metre high Sarawat mountains, where snow falls at best occasionally. However, that hasn't prevented Crown Prince Mohammed bin...647cleanfullhttps://www.spreaker.com/user/mideastsoccer/with-al-qaeda-down-but-not-out-killing-z
The problem is that’s only half of the truth; the other half is that Mr. Zawahiri was more a has-been than a power to be reckoned with on the jihadist totem pole. In death, he may have scored his most significant achievement since becoming head of Al Qaeda as the symbol of the failure of decades of war in Afghanistan.

Thank you to all who have demonstrated their appreciation for my column by becoming paid subscribers. This allows me to ensure that it continues to have maximum impact. Maintaining free distributions means that news website, blogs, and newsletters across the globe can republish it. I launched my column, The Turbulent World of Middle East Soccer, 12 years ago. To borrow a phrase from an early proprietor of The Observer, it offers readers, listeners, and viewers ‘the scoop of interpretation.’ If you are able and willing to support the column, please become a paid subscriber by clicking on Substack on the subscription button and choosing one of the subscription options.]]>tag:soundcloud,2010:tracks/1316391799Tue, 02 Aug 2022 11:56:34 +0000James M. DorseyPresident Joe Biden was not wrong when he declared that “justice has been served” with the killing of Al Qaeda leader Ayman Zawahiri in a US drone strike. The problem is that’s only half of the truth; the other half is that Mr. Zawahiri was more a...
The problem is that’s only half of the truth; the other half is that Mr. Zawahiri was more a has-been than a power to be reckoned with on the jihadist totem pole. In death, he may have scored his most significant achievement since becoming head of Al Qaeda as the symbol of the failure of decades of war in Afghanistan.

Thank you to all who have demonstrated their appreciation for my column by becoming paid subscribers. This allows me to ensure that it continues to have maximum impact. Maintaining free distributions means that news website, blogs, and newsletters across the globe can republish it. I launched my column, The Turbulent World of Middle East Soccer, 12 years ago. To borrow a phrase from an early proprietor of The Observer, it offers readers, listeners, and viewers ‘the scoop of interpretation.’ If you are able and willing to support the column, please become a paid subscriber by clicking on Substack on the subscription button and choosing one of the subscription options.]]>567cleanfullhttps://www.spreaker.com/user/mideastsoccer/drones-and-transport-could-reshape-euras
Thank you to all who have demonstrated their appreciation for my column by becoming paid subscribers. This allows me to ensure that it continues to have maximum impact. Maintaining free distributions means that news website, blogs, and newsletters across the globe can republish it. I launched my column, The Turbulent World of Middle East Soccer, 12 years ago. To borrow a phrase from an early proprietor of The Observer, it offers readers, listeners, and viewers ‘the scoop of interpretation.’ If you are able and willing to support the column, please become a paid subscriber by clicking on Substack on the subscription button and choosing one of the subscription options.]]>tag:soundcloud,2010:tracks/1315081123Sun, 31 Jul 2022 07:56:57 +0000James M. DorseyWith Russia, Iranian assistance goes far beyond the supply of drones. Iran stands to gain substantially from being a key node in a Eurasian transport corridor that would help Russia circumvent US and European sanctions. Thank you to all who have...
Thank you to all who have demonstrated their appreciation for my column by becoming paid subscribers. This allows me to ensure that it continues to have maximum impact. Maintaining free distributions means that news website, blogs, and newsletters across the globe can republish it. I launched my column, The Turbulent World of Middle East Soccer, 12 years ago. To borrow a phrase from an early proprietor of The Observer, it offers readers, listeners, and viewers ‘the scoop of interpretation.’ If you are able and willing to support the column, please become a paid subscriber by clicking on Substack on the subscription button and choosing one of the subscription options.]]>590cleanfullhttps://www.spreaker.com/user/mideastsoccer/escaping-a-bear-hug-kazakhstan-seeks-clotag:soundcloud,2010:tracks/1312613215Wed, 27 Jul 2022 07:07:21 +0000James M. DorseyEight years ago, Kazakh shrugged off Russian President Vladimir Putin's remarks suggesting he could pull a Ukraine on Kazakhstan. They did so again in January when Mr. Putin reiterated his denial of Kazakh nation and statehood while Russian troops...548cleanfullhttps://www.spreaker.com/user/mideastsoccer/defense-reform-may-be-the-key-to-us-saud
Thank you to all who have demonstrated their appreciation for my column by becoming paid subscribers. This allows me to ensure that it continues to have maximum impact. Maintaining free distributions means that news website, blogs, and newsletters across the globe can republish it. I launched my column, The Turbulent World of Middle East Soccer, 12 years ago. To borrow a phrase from an early proprietor of The Observer, it offers readers, listeners, and viewers ‘the scoop of interpretation.’ If you are able and willing to support the column, please become a paid subscriber by clicking on Substack on the subscription button and choosing one of the subscription options.]]>tag:soundcloud,2010:tracks/1310763157Sun, 24 Jul 2022 06:00:17 +0000James M. DorseySaudi Arabia’s little touted effort to overhaul its defense and national security architecture may be the United States’ best bet to rebuild relations with the kingdom in ways that imbue values and complicate the establishment of similar defense ties...
Thank you to all who have demonstrated their appreciation for my column by becoming paid subscribers. This allows me to ensure that it continues to have maximum impact. Maintaining free distributions means that news website, blogs, and newsletters across the globe can republish it. I launched my column, The Turbulent World of Middle East Soccer, 12 years ago. To borrow a phrase from an early proprietor of The Observer, it offers readers, listeners, and viewers ‘the scoop of interpretation.’ If you are able and willing to support the column, please become a paid subscriber by clicking on Substack on the subscription button and choosing one of the subscription options.]]>664cleanfullhttps://www.spreaker.com/user/mideastsoccer/the-privatization-of-haifa-port-india-1-
Thank you to all who have demonstrated their appreciation for my column by becoming paid subscribers. This allows me to ensure that it continues to have maximum impact. Maintaining free distributions means that news website, blogs, and newsletters across the globe can republish it. I launched my column, The Turbulent World of Middle East Soccer, 12 years ago. To borrow a phrase from an early proprietor of The Observer, it offers readers, listeners, and viewers ‘the scoop of interpretation.’ If you are able and willing to support the column, please become a paid subscriber by clicking on Substack on the subscription button at www.jamesmdorsey.net, and choosing one of the subscription options.]]>tag:soundcloud,2010:tracks/1308523666Wed, 20 Jul 2022 10:39:09 +0000James M. DorseyI2-U2, the Indo-West Asian quad, has boasted its first success with the acquisition by Indian billionaire Gautam Adani of Haifa Port. Thank you to all who have demonstrated their appreciation for my column by becoming paid subscribers. This allows me...
Thank you to all who have demonstrated their appreciation for my column by becoming paid subscribers. This allows me to ensure that it continues to have maximum impact. Maintaining free distributions means that news website, blogs, and newsletters across the globe can republish it. I launched my column, The Turbulent World of Middle East Soccer, 12 years ago. To borrow a phrase from an early proprietor of The Observer, it offers readers, listeners, and viewers ‘the scoop of interpretation.’ If you are able and willing to support the column, please become a paid subscriber by clicking on Substack on the subscription button at www.jamesmdorsey.net, and choosing one of the subscription options.]]>554cleanfullhttps://www.spreaker.com/user/mideastsoccer/a-double-edged-sword-mr-bidens-pilgrimagtag:soundcloud,2010:tracks/1306747855Sun, 17 Jul 2022 14:20:53 +0000James M. DorseyUS President Joe Biden’s controversial pilgrimage to Jeddah is part of a broader and more complex geopolitical puzzle with multiple Gulf and Red Sea littoral states attempting to hedge their bets and play rival global and regional powers against one...655cleanfullhttps://www.spreaker.com/user/mideastsoccer/haunt-us-and-europe-in-dealings-with-tur
Thank you to all who have demonstrated their appreciation for my column by becoming paid subscribers. This allows me to ensure that it continues to have maximum impact. Maintaining free distributions means that news website, blogs, and newsletters across the globe can republish it. I launched my column, The Turbulent World of Middle East Soccer, 12 years ago. To borrow a phrase from an early proprietor of The Observer, it offers readers, listeners, and viewers ‘the scoop of interpretation.’ If you are able and willing to support the column, please become a paid subscriber by clicking on Substack on the subscription button and choosing one of the subscription options.]]>tag:soundcloud,2010:tracks/1304955223Thu, 14 Jul 2022 07:47:07 +0000James M. DorseyTurkey maintains a sword of Damocles over Finland and Sweden's accession to NATO. The sword matches Saudi and Emirati efforts to pressure US President Joe Biden to take greater account of their concerns about Iran and fortify the United States’...
Thank you to all who have demonstrated their appreciation for my column by becoming paid subscribers. This allows me to ensure that it continues to have maximum impact. Maintaining free distributions means that news website, blogs, and newsletters across the globe can republish it. I launched my column, The Turbulent World of Middle East Soccer, 12 years ago. To borrow a phrase from an early proprietor of The Observer, it offers readers, listeners, and viewers ‘the scoop of interpretation.’ If you are able and willing to support the column, please become a paid subscriber by clicking on Substack on the subscription button and choosing one of the subscription options.]]>1325cleanfullhttps://www.spreaker.com/user/mideastsoccer/biden-goes-to-riyadh-realism-may-not-nee
Lost in the debate is whether the cost of maintaining stability by supporting autocratic rule is lower in the long term than the upfront expense of adhering to human rights principles, pluralism, and transparent and accountable governance that would initially alienate Middle Eastern partners.

Thank you to all who have demonstrated their appreciation for my column by becoming paid subscribers. This allows me to ensure that it continues to have maximum impact. Maintaining free distributions means that news website, blogs, and newsletters across the globe can republish it. I launched my column, The Turbulent World of Middle East Soccer, 12 years ago. To borrow a phrase from an early proprietor of The Observer, it offers readers, listeners, and viewers ‘the scoop of interpretation.’ If you are able and willing to support the column, please become a paid subscriber by clicking on Substack on the subscription button (jamesmdorsey.substanck.com)and choosing one of the subscription options.]]>tag:soundcloud,2010:tracks/1303165411Mon, 11 Jul 2022 08:40:28 +0000James M. DorseyAt the core of a US policy debate over the merits of President Joe Biden's pilgrimage, this week to the Middle East lies the question of how best to ensure regional stability and protect United States interests. Lost in the debate is whether the...
Lost in the debate is whether the cost of maintaining stability by supporting autocratic rule is lower in the long term than the upfront expense of adhering to human rights principles, pluralism, and transparent and accountable governance that would initially alienate Middle Eastern partners.

Thank you to all who have demonstrated their appreciation for my column by becoming paid subscribers. This allows me to ensure that it continues to have maximum impact. Maintaining free distributions means that news website, blogs, and newsletters across the globe can republish it. I launched my column, The Turbulent World of Middle East Soccer, 12 years ago. To borrow a phrase from an early proprietor of The Observer, it offers readers, listeners, and viewers ‘the scoop of interpretation.’ If you are able and willing to support the column, please become a paid subscriber by clicking on Substack on the subscription button (jamesmdorsey.substanck.com)and choosing one of the subscription options.]]>654cleanfullhttps://www.spreaker.com/user/mideastsoccer/munich-gives-way-to-soccer-v-jihadtag:soundcloud,2010:tracks/1300650379Wed, 06 Jul 2022 16:49:34 +0000James M. DorseyIn many ways, the Black September attack on the Olympic Games in Munich in 1972 discloses little about the evolution of the targeting of sporting events by political and religious militants even though it remains to date the incident with the greatest...2217cleanfullhttps://www.spreaker.com/user/mideastsoccer/peter-oborne-nbn-interview
Peter Oborne’s The Fate of Abraham: Why the West is Wrong about Islam (Simon and Schuster 2022) is as much a history of US, British, and French attitudes towards Islam and Muslims as it is about a relationship that was almost doomed from the outset. Not because of inherent problems with either the essence of the West or the essence of Islam but due to prejudice, bias, and, certainly in the 21st century, politicisation and weaponization of religion on both sides of the divide. Nonetheless, the book sketches how many of the Western and non-Western policy assumptions about Islam echo past fears, prejudices, and debates that that have fuelled a widening gap and Islamophobia.

Oborne, the scion of a military and old-style politically conservative family, is passionate but well-documented, well-researched, and well-argued, in his description of the United States, France, and Britain’s encounters with Islam and Muslims, who initially were either subjects with very different experiences of colonialism or slaves. Although these encounters vary widely, Islam, whose adherents were often not granted full and equal recognition in society, has in Oborne’s telling in the 21th century replaced replaced communism as the enemy in the post-Cold War and post 9/11 era.
Based on extensive historical research and investigative journalism, Oborne debunks myths and distortions of the truth. In doing so, he is clear about where he stands in the debate on whether non-violent political Islam poses a threat. Terms that have become fashionable such as Islamism and non-violent extremism constitute in his mind part of the vocabulary developed to force Muslims into a cultural straight jacket.

With a well-put together list for further reading and spiced with historical nuggets, Oborne’s book is a valuable and important contribution to discussions about Islamophobia, political Islam, and the relationship between the United States, European countries, and Islam – a relationship that is likely to co-shape the 21st century world order.

This interview was first published by New Books Network

Dr. James M. Dorsey is an award-winning journalist and scholar, a Senior Fellow at the National University of Singapore’s Middle East Institute and the author of the syndicated column and blog, The Turbulent World of Middle East Soccer.]]>tag:soundcloud,2010:tracks/1298767126Sun, 03 Jul 2022 02:56:30 +0000James M. DorseyLaunched 12 years ago, my column, The Turbulent World of Middle East Soccer, offers, to borrow a phrase from an early proprietor of The Observer, ‘the scoop of interpretation.’ The column continues to have significant impact. It is republished by news...
Peter Oborne’s The Fate of Abraham: Why the West is Wrong about Islam (Simon and Schuster 2022) is as much a history of US, British, and French attitudes towards Islam and Muslims as it is about a relationship that was almost doomed from the outset. Not because of inherent problems with either the essence of the West or the essence of Islam but due to prejudice, bias, and, certainly in the 21st century, politicisation and weaponization of religion on both sides of the divide. Nonetheless, the book sketches how many of the Western and non-Western policy assumptions about Islam echo past fears, prejudices, and debates that that have fuelled a widening gap and Islamophobia.

Oborne, the scion of a military and old-style politically conservative family, is passionate but well-documented, well-researched, and well-argued, in his description of the United States, France, and Britain’s encounters with Islam and Muslims, who initially were either subjects with very different experiences of colonialism or slaves. Although these encounters vary widely, Islam, whose adherents were often not granted full and equal recognition in society, has in Oborne’s telling in the 21th century replaced replaced communism as the enemy in the post-Cold War and post 9/11 era.
Based on extensive historical research and investigative journalism, Oborne debunks myths and distortions of the truth. In doing so, he is clear about where he stands in the debate on whether non-violent political Islam poses a threat. Terms that have become fashionable such as Islamism and non-violent extremism constitute in his mind part of the vocabulary developed to force Muslims into a cultural straight jacket.

With a well-put together list for further reading and spiced with historical nuggets, Oborne’s book is a valuable and important contribution to discussions about Islamophobia, political Islam, and the relationship between the United States, European countries, and Islam – a relationship that is likely to co-shape the 21st century world order.

This interview was first published by New Books Network

Dr. James M. Dorsey is an award-winning journalist and scholar, a Senior Fellow at the National University of Singapore’s Middle East Institute and the author of the syndicated column and blog, The Turbulent World of Middle East Soccer.]]>3707cleanfullhttps://www.spreaker.com/user/mideastsoccer/qatar-world-cup-offers-lessons-for-human
Launched 12 years ago, my column, The Turbulent World of Middle East Soccer, offers, to borrow a phrase from an early proprietor of The Observer, ‘the scoop of interpretation.’ The column continues to have significant impact. It is republished by news websites, blogs, and newsletters across the globe. Maintaining free distribution is key to maintaining the column’s impact. However, to do so, I rely on those readers who value the column and its impact by voluntarily becoming paid subscribers. If you are able and willing to support the column, please become a paid subscriber by clicking on Substack on the subscription button and choosing one of the subscription options.]]>tag:soundcloud,2010:tracks/1297145365Thu, 30 Jun 2022 11:02:07 +0000James M. DorseyIt’s a good time, almost 12 years after the world soccer body, FIFA, awarded Qatar the 2022 World Cup hosting rights and five months before the tournament, to evaluate the campaign to reform the country’s erstwhile onerous labor system and accommodate...
Launched 12 years ago, my column, The Turbulent World of Middle East Soccer, offers, to borrow a phrase from an early proprietor of The Observer, ‘the scoop of interpretation.’ The column continues to have significant impact. It is republished by news websites, blogs, and newsletters across the globe. Maintaining free distribution is key to maintaining the column’s impact. However, to do so, I rely on those readers who value the column and its impact by voluntarily becoming paid subscribers. If you are able and willing to support the column, please become a paid subscriber by clicking on Substack on the subscription button and choosing one of the subscription options.]]>672cleanfullhttps://www.spreaker.com/user/mideastsoccer/saudi-religious-soft-power-diplomacy-eye
Launched 12 years ago, my column, The Turbulent World of Middle East Soccer, offers, to borrow a phrase from an early proprietor of The Observer, ‘the scoop of interpretation.’ The column continues to have significant impact. It is republished by news websites, blogs, and newsletters across the globe. Maintaining free distribution is key to maintaining the column’s impact. However, to do so, I rely on those readers who value the column and its impact by voluntarily becoming paid subscribers. If you are able and willing to support the column, please become a paid subscriber by clicking on Substack on the subscription button and choosing one of the subscription options. If you prefer, you can also make a donation. Thank you for your continued interest, readership, and support.]]>tag:soundcloud,2010:tracks/1294178356Sat, 25 Jun 2022 13:10:33 +0000James M. DorseyGeopolitics is written all over Saudi religious soft power efforts. Nowhere more so than when it comes to Israel and Jews because of the growing importance of security cooperation with the Jewish state and the influence of the Israeli lobby in the...
Launched 12 years ago, my column, The Turbulent World of Middle East Soccer, offers, to borrow a phrase from an early proprietor of The Observer, ‘the scoop of interpretation.’ The column continues to have significant impact. It is republished by news websites, blogs, and newsletters across the globe. Maintaining free distribution is key to maintaining the column’s impact. However, to do so, I rely on those readers who value the column and its impact by voluntarily becoming paid subscribers. If you are able and willing to support the column, please become a paid subscriber by clicking on Substack on the subscription button and choosing one of the subscription options. If you prefer, you can also make a donation. Thank you for your continued interest, readership, and support.]]>556cleanfullhttps://www.spreaker.com/user/mideastsoccer/the-world-cup-and-beyond-thinking-strate
The tit-for-tat between Mr. Aboutreika and supporters of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) rights laid bare a yawning gap.]]>tag:soundcloud,2010:tracks/1290744313Mon, 20 Jun 2022 06:05:53 +0000James M. DorseyWhen Egyptian football legend Mohammed Aboutreika came out swinging against homosexuality in late 2021, he touched a raw nerve across the Muslim world. The tit-for-tat between Mr. Aboutreika and supporters of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender...
The tit-for-tat between Mr. Aboutreika and supporters of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) rights laid bare a yawning gap.]]>675cleanfullhttps://www.spreaker.com/user/mideastsoccer/china-and-the-middle-east-heading-into-ctag:soundcloud,2010:tracks/1289093956Fri, 17 Jun 2022 06:01:15 +0000James M. DorseyChina could be entering choppy Middle Eastern waters. Multiple crises and conflicts will likely shape its relations with the region’s major powers, including Saudi Arabia, Iran, and Turkey.750cleanfullhttps://www.spreaker.com/user/mideastsoccer/recognising-israel-any-asian-volunteers
Welcome to The Turbulent World of Middle East Soccer or Mideastsoccer newsletter. I’m James Dorsey, an award-winning scholar, journalist, and columnist. In this newsletter, I talk about everything from geopolitics, relations between the Middle East or West Asia and the rest of Asia, big power rivalry and its impact on the Middle East and Eurasia, religious soft power rivalry, and the politics of sport. At times, I host authors of interesting and relevant books.
I launched The Turbulent World of Middle East Soccer 12 years ago. It offers, to borrow a phrase from an early proprietor of The Observer, ‘the scoop of interpretation.’ It continues to have significant impact and are republished by news websites, blogs, and newsletters across the globe. It’s used in class rooms and serves many as a tool for understanding the complex world we live in.
Maintaining free distribution is key to maintaining the column’s impact. However, to do so, I rely on those readers who value the column and its impact by voluntarily taking out a paid subscription. Please consider becoming a paid subscriber by going to https://www.jamesmdorsey.substack.com or making a donation at http://www.jamesmdorsey.net so I can keep distributing the column for free to achieve the widest distribution possible.
Paid subscribers additionally get on request individual and/or group briefings and Q&A sessions at their convenience. I’m always happy to answer questions, respond to comments, and provide insights based on my knowledge, understanding and extensive network that will further help readers make sense of the world around them.
Thank you for your continued interest, readership, and support.]]>tag:soundcloud,2010:tracks/1285895836Sun, 12 Jun 2022 10:41:29 +0000James M. DorseyThe question for Saudi Arabia and Pakistan is not whether either country will recognise Israel but when and who will go first. Welcome to The Turbulent World of Middle East Soccer or Mideastsoccer newsletter. I’m James Dorsey, an award-winning...
Welcome to The Turbulent World of Middle East Soccer or Mideastsoccer newsletter. I’m James Dorsey, an award-winning scholar, journalist, and columnist. In this newsletter, I talk about everything from geopolitics, relations between the Middle East or West Asia and the rest of Asia, big power rivalry and its impact on the Middle East and Eurasia, religious soft power rivalry, and the politics of sport. At times, I host authors of interesting and relevant books.
I launched The Turbulent World of Middle East Soccer 12 years ago. It offers, to borrow a phrase from an early proprietor of The Observer, ‘the scoop of interpretation.’ It continues to have significant impact and are republished by news websites, blogs, and newsletters across the globe. It’s used in class rooms and serves many as a tool for understanding the complex world we live in.
Maintaining free distribution is key to maintaining the column’s impact. However, to do so, I rely on those readers who value the column and its impact by voluntarily taking out a paid subscription. Please consider becoming a paid subscriber by going to https://www.jamesmdorsey.substack.com or making a donation at http://www.jamesmdorsey.net so I can keep distributing the column for free to achieve the widest distribution possible.
Paid subscribers additionally get on request individual and/or group briefings and Q&A sessions at their convenience. I’m always happy to answer questions, respond to comments, and provide insights based on my knowledge, understanding and extensive network that will further help readers make sense of the world around them.
Thank you for your continued interest, readership, and support.]]>675cleanfullhttps://www.spreaker.com/user/mideastsoccer/the-india-gulf-spat-protagonists-in-glastag:soundcloud,2010:tracks/1283346604Wed, 08 Jun 2022 07:28:54 +0000James M. DorseyQatar Airways CEO Akbar Al-Baqr, a man known for his pithy retorts, pretended to quiver in his pants. Hindu nationalists had called for a boycott of the Gulf airline after Qatar took India to task for derogatory remarks about the Prophet Mohammed and...551cleanfullhttps://www.spreaker.com/user/mideastsoccer/double-standards-haunt-us-and-europe-in-tag:soundcloud,2010:tracks/1281819700Mon, 06 Jun 2022 06:59:07 +0000James M. DorseyUS and European acquiescence in Turkey's long-standing refusal to honour Kurdish ethnic, cultural, and political rights has come home to roost with Turkish opposition to Finnish and Swedish NATO membership.598cleanfullhttps://www.spreaker.com/user/mideastsoccer/new-books-network-interview-with-peter-mtag:soundcloud,2010:tracks/1279574995Thu, 02 Jun 2022 06:36:21 +0000James M. DorseyWahhabism and the World constitutes one of the few, if not the first comprehensive, impassionate interrogations of the impact on Islam of Saudi financial and other support for the global spread of what Peter Mandaville calls Saudi religious...3786cleanfullhttps://www.spreaker.com/user/mideastsoccer/conflict-in-ukraine-how-long-can-the-midtag:soundcloud,2010:tracks/1277572567Mon, 30 May 2022 02:39:58 +0000James M. DorseyFor now, Ukraine is the far from my bed show for most Middle Eastern nations. The question is not if but when Ukraine will arrive on their doorstep.692cleanfullhttps://www.spreaker.com/user/mideastsoccer/playing-games-in-nato-turkey-eyes-its-ro
Launched 12 years ago, my column, The Turbulent World of Middle East Soccer, offers, to borrow a phrase from an early proprietor of The Observer, ‘the scoop of interpretation.’ The column continues to have significant impact. It is republished by news websites, blogs, and newsletters across the globe. Maintaining free distribution is key to maintaining the column’s impact. However, to do so, I rely on those readers who value the column and its impact by voluntarily becoming paid subscribers. If you are able and willing to support the column, please become a paid subscriber by clicking on Substack on the subscription button and choosing one of the subscription options. (https://jamesmdorsey.substack.com/subscribe?utm_source=menu&simple=true&next=https%3A%2F%2Fjamesmdorsey.substack.com%2F).Thank you for your interest, readership, and support.]]>tag:soundcloud,2010:tracks/1275312400Thu, 26 May 2022 03:14:41 +0000James M. DorseyNATO’s spat over Turkish opposition to Swedish and Finnish membership is about more than expanding the North Atlantic military alliance. It's as much about Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's immediate political goals as Turkey's positioning...
Launched 12 years ago, my column, The Turbulent World of Middle East Soccer, offers, to borrow a phrase from an early proprietor of The Observer, ‘the scoop of interpretation.’ The column continues to have significant impact. It is republished by news websites, blogs, and newsletters across the globe. Maintaining free distribution is key to maintaining the column’s impact. However, to do so, I rely on those readers who value the column and its impact by voluntarily becoming paid subscribers. If you are able and willing to support the column, please become a paid subscriber by clicking on Substack on the subscription button and choosing one of the subscription options. (https://jamesmdorsey.substack.com/subscribe?utm_source=menu&simple=true&next=https%3A%2F%2Fjamesmdorsey.substack.com%2F).Thank you for your interest, readership, and support.]]>606cleanfullhttps://www.spreaker.com/user/mideastsoccer/saudi-crown-prince-mohammed-bin-salman-stag:soundcloud,2010:tracks/1273052641Sun, 22 May 2022 12:03:12 +0000James M. DorseyThese are heady days for Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.543cleanfullhttps://www.spreaker.com/user/mideastsoccer/saudi-religious-moderation-the-world-s-ftag:soundcloud,2010:tracks/1270504327Wed, 18 May 2022 08:10:47 +0000James M. DorseyThe continued production and distribution of Qur'ans that included unaltered ultra-conservative interpretations sits uneasily with Mr. Bin Salman's effort to emphasize nationalism rather than religion as the core of Saudi identity and project a more...765cleanfullhttps://www.spreaker.com/user/mideastsoccer/ignoring-the-middle-east-at-one-s-peril-tag:soundcloud,2010:tracks/1268616139Sun, 15 May 2022 06:28:08 +0000James M. DorseyAmid speculation about a reduced US military commitment to security in the Middle East, Turkey has spotlighted the region's ability to act as a disruptive force if its interests are neglected.544cleanfullhttps://www.spreaker.com/user/mideastsoccer/indian-civilisationalism-a-potential-nextag:soundcloud,2010:tracks/1266740965Thu, 12 May 2022 06:28:58 +0000James M. DorseyWhen Russian President Vladimir Putin invaded Ukraine, he laid down a marker for a critical mass of world leaders who, like him, think in civilizational rather than national terms.669cleanfullhttps://www.spreaker.com/user/mideastsoccer/can-indonesia-s-humanitarian-islam-inspitag:soundcloud,2010:tracks/1264751116Mon, 09 May 2022 07:47:03 +0000James M. DorseyThere's a potential silver lining in Hindu nationalism's endorsement of Indonesia's Humanitarian Islam. That is if the approval produces a Hindu equivalent.727cleanfullhttps://www.spreaker.com/user/mideastsoccer/hamas-eyes-malaysia-as-a-possible-operattag:soundcloud,2010:tracks/1263243106Fri, 06 May 2022 09:16:35 +0000James M. DorseyMalaysia has emerged as a potential external operations base for Hamas, the Islamist group that controls the Gaza Strip if Turkey expels or restricts the group’s movements as a part of its rapprochement with Israel.633cleanfullhttps://www.spreaker.com/user/mideastsoccer/deteriorating-israeli-russian-relations-tag:soundcloud,2010:tracks/1261428187Tue, 03 May 2022 08:57:53 +0000James M. DorseyIsrael’s rapidly deteriorating relations with Russia contain a message for other Middle Eastern powers: attempting to remain on the sidelines of the conflict in Ukraine risks falling in between the cracks.585cleanfullhttps://www.spreaker.com/user/mideastsoccer/ukraine-joins-afghanistan-and-yemen-in-stag:soundcloud,2010:tracks/1260783031Mon, 02 May 2022 06:17:57 +0000James M. DorseyThe US withdrawal from Afghanistan was a geopolitical watershed. Its shockwaves continue to reverberate and are magnified by the wars in Ukraine and Yemen.454cleanfullhttps://www.spreaker.com/user/mideastsoccer/contesting-russia-requires-renewed-us-entag:soundcloud,2010:tracks/1259061496Fri, 29 Apr 2022 03:39:51 +0000James M. DorseyWhen US Defense Secretary Lloyd J. Austin III declared that Washington wanted to see Russia so “weakened" that it would no longer be able to invade a neighbouring state, he lifted the veil on US goals in Ukraine. He also held out the prospect of a...567cleanfullhttps://www.spreaker.com/user/mideastsoccer/a-clash-of-civilisations-the-russian-vs-tag:soundcloud,2010:tracks/1257131434Tue, 26 Apr 2022 03:31:57 +0000James M. DorseyRussia and the Nordic countries’ pavilions at this year’s Venice Biennale, the world’s most prestigious art exhibition, project two different concepts of civilisation, nationalism, and sovereignty that have come to blows in Ukraine.425cleanfullhttps://www.spreaker.com/user/mideastsoccer/saudi-arabia-targets-a-more-republican-wtag:soundcloud,2010:tracks/1254904333Fri, 22 Apr 2022 10:17:25 +0000James M. DorseyRather than push for an immediate improvement of strained relations with the United States, Saudi Arabia appears to be looking forward to a time when US President Joe Biden's wings may be clipped.565cleanfullhttps://www.spreaker.com/user/mideastsoccer/israel-s-ukraine-conundrum-may-have-impltag:soundcloud,2010:tracks/1253085748Tue, 19 Apr 2022 15:44:22 +0000James M. DorseyMiddle Eastern states see their ability narrow to walk a fine line in the Ukraine conflict. Israel is a case in point as tensions with Iran in Syria and Palestinians in Jerusalem flare, and both Russia and the United States signal impatience with its...424cleanfullhttps://www.spreaker.com/user/mideastsoccer/iran-capitalises-on-central-asian-vacuumtag:soundcloud,2010:tracks/1251300484Sat, 16 Apr 2022 13:50:32 +0000James M. DorseyAnti-Iranian protests in Afghanistan and the stabbing of three clerics in Iran threaten to cast a shadow over Iranian efforts to capitalise on the fallout in Central Asia of the Russian invasion of Ukraine.494cleanfullhttps://www.spreaker.com/user/mideastsoccer/us-gulf-divergence-placing-risky-betstag:soundcloud,2010:tracks/1249660243Wed, 13 Apr 2022 19:50:04 +0000James M. DorseyRussia's invasion of Ukraine spotlights seemingly widening differences between the United States and its closest Middle Eastern allies, sparking eulogies for an era of bygone American regional dominance.578cleanfullhttps://www.spreaker.com/user/mideastsoccer/applying-double-standards-in-ukraine-is-
A country that poisons or otherwise does away with its critics at home and abroad and stifles freedom of the press, expression, and association should not qualify for a seat on the Council.

A quick look at current and past membership in the Council explains why the UN General Assembly vote to suspend Russia, like multiple aspects of the Ukraine war, raises the spectre of double standards.]]>tag:soundcloud,2010:tracks/1247589607Sun, 10 Apr 2022 04:19:33 +0000James M. DorseyRussia’s suspension from the United Nations Human Rights Council was long overdue, even without the mass killing of innocent civilians in the Ukrainian town of Bucha. A country that poisons or otherwise does away with its critics at home and abroad...
A country that poisons or otherwise does away with its critics at home and abroad and stifles freedom of the press, expression, and association should not qualify for a seat on the Council.

A quick look at current and past membership in the Council explains why the UN General Assembly vote to suspend Russia, like multiple aspects of the Ukraine war, raises the spectre of double standards.]]>510cleanfullhttps://www.spreaker.com/user/mideastsoccer/cooperating-with-autocrats-when-is-too-mtag:soundcloud,2010:tracks/1245129964Wed, 06 Apr 2022 08:07:19 +0000James M. DorseyTwo recent publications have fuelled debate about democratic cooperation with autocratic governments in general, and Saudi Arabia in particular, in the wake of the Ukraine war. It is a debate that challenges US President Joe Biden’s framing of the...711cleanfullhttps://www.spreaker.com/user/mideastsoccer/the-2022-world-cup-is-qatar-putting-its-
A major producer of natural gas, the tiny Gulf state is under the magnifying glass as it enters the final phase of hosting the 2022 World Cup later this year and emerges as a potential part of efforts to reduce European dependence on Russian energy.]]>tag:soundcloud,2010:tracks/1243452097Sun, 03 Apr 2022 07:37:21 +0000James M. DorseyThis is Qatar's year to put its best foot forward. A major producer of natural gas, the tiny Gulf state is under the magnifying glass as it enters the final phase of hosting the 2022 World Cup later this year and emerges as a potential part of...
A major producer of natural gas, the tiny Gulf state is under the magnifying glass as it enters the final phase of hosting the 2022 World Cup later this year and emerges as a potential part of efforts to reduce European dependence on Russian energy.]]>610cleanfullhttps://www.spreaker.com/user/mideastsoccer/always-a-major-middle-eastern-power-isratag:soundcloud,2010:tracks/1241398924Wed, 30 Mar 2022 15:43:45 +0000James M. DorseyA straightforward message emerged from this week’s meeting in the Negev desert of the foreign ministers of four Arab countries, Israel and the United States: Israel is key to the security of Gulf autocracies and continued US engagement in the Middle East.401cleanfullhttps://www.spreaker.com/user/mideastsoccer/nbn-interview-david-warrenWarren looks at the issue through the lens of two of the foremost Middle Eastern religious protagonists and their backers: Egyptian-born Qatari national Yusuf a Qaradawi, widely seen as advocating an Islamic concept of democracy, and UAE-backed Abdullah Bin Bayyah who legitimizes in religious terms autocratic rule in the UAE as well as the Muslim world at large.
In doing so, Warren traces the history of the relationship between the two Islamic legal scholars and their Gulf state sponsors, their influence in shaping and/or legitimizing polices and systems of governance, and their vision of the proper relationship between the ruler and the ruled. He also highlights the development by Qaradawi and Bin Bayyah of new Islamic jurisprudence to religiously frame their differing approaches towards governance.
Warren’s book constitutes a significant contribution to the literature on the positioning of Islam in the 21st century, the regional competition for religious soft power in the Muslim world and beyond, and the struggle between autocratic regimes and social movements that strive to build more open systems of governance.]]>tag:soundcloud,2010:tracks/1239015106Sat, 26 Mar 2022 03:02:47 +0000James M. DorseyRivals in the Gulf: Yusuf Al-Qaradawi, Abdullah Bin Bayyah, and the Qatar-UAE Contest Over the Arab Spring and the Gulf Crisis (Routledge, 2021) goes to key questions of governance at the heart of developments in the Muslim world. Warren looks at the...Warren looks at the issue through the lens of two of the foremost Middle Eastern religious protagonists and their backers: Egyptian-born Qatari national Yusuf a Qaradawi, widely seen as advocating an Islamic concept of democracy, and UAE-backed Abdullah Bin Bayyah who legitimizes in religious terms autocratic rule in the UAE as well as the Muslim world at large.
In doing so, Warren traces the history of the relationship between the two Islamic legal scholars and their Gulf state sponsors, their influence in shaping and/or legitimizing polices and systems of governance, and their vision of the proper relationship between the ruler and the ruled. He also highlights the development by Qaradawi and Bin Bayyah of new Islamic jurisprudence to religiously frame their differing approaches towards governance.
Warren’s book constitutes a significant contribution to the literature on the positioning of Islam in the 21st century, the regional competition for religious soft power in the Muslim world and beyond, and the struggle between autocratic regimes and social movements that strive to build more open systems of governance.]]>3511cleanfullhttps://www.spreaker.com/user/mideastsoccer/autocratic-vs-democratic-islam-uae-vs-intag:soundcloud,2010:tracks/1236633301Tue, 22 Mar 2022 10:16:04 +0000James M. DorseyIndonesia has emerged as a primary battleground between democratic and autocratic visions of Islam in the 21st century.648cleanfullhttps://www.spreaker.com/user/mideastsoccer/in-saudi-arabia-dance-maybe-dissent-notag:soundcloud,2010:tracks/1235487064Sun, 20 Mar 2022 05:41:39 +0000James M. DorseyThree scantily dressed samba dancers wearing traditional feather headdresses laid bare the limits of social liberalisation in Saud Arabia when they earlier this year danced on the streets of Jizan, a historically conservative city on the border with...657cleanfullhttps://www.spreaker.com/user/mideastsoccer/the-gulf-crisis-has-lessons-for-vladimirtag:soundcloud,2010:tracks/1233703936Thu, 17 Mar 2022 04:05:42 +0000James M. DorseyShort of the war, the destruction, and the massive loss of life, Ukraine is in many ways similar to the Gulf crisis in which the UAE, together with Saudi Arabia, led a 3.5-year-long economic and diplomatic boycott of Qatar that, like the Russian...456cleanfullhttps://www.spreaker.com/user/mideastsoccer/putin-hums-georgia-on-my-mindtag:soundcloud,2010:tracks/1231922818Mon, 14 Mar 2022 08:52:06 +0000James M. DorseyWhat did Russian President Vladimir Putin think when he ordered his troops into Ukraine? Ray Charles' 'Georgia on mind" must have been humming in his head.404cleanfullhttps://www.spreaker.com/user/mideastsoccer/ukraine-may-force-middle-eastern-rivals-tag:soundcloud,2010:tracks/1231386586Sun, 13 Mar 2022 05:38:54 +0000James M. DorseyStruggling to remain on the sidelines of the 21st century’s watershed war in Ukraine, Middle Eastern nations are discovering that they may be fighting their battles with an outdated toolkit.607cleanfullhttps://www.spreaker.com/user/mideastsoccer/russian-societal-tensions-are-mirrored-itag:soundcloud,2010:tracks/1227819424Mon, 07 Mar 2022 07:57:25 +0000James M. DorseyThe Russian Orthodox Church blesses rather than fires weapons. In doing so, it has emerged as a powerful weapon in its own right in President Vladimir Putin’s civilisationalist arsenal.481cleanfullhttps://www.spreaker.com/user/mideastsoccer/saudi-arabia-and-indonesia-clashing-visitag:soundcloud,2010:tracks/1226176174Fri, 04 Mar 2022 09:02:26 +0000James M. DorseyTwo diametrically opposed visions of moderate Islam have emerged as major Muslim powers battle to define the soul of their faith in the 21st century in a struggle that is as much about geopolitics as it is about autocratic survival and visualisations...664cleanfullhttps://www.spreaker.com/user/mideastsoccer/ukraine-middle-eastern-states-eye-cost-otag:soundcloud,2010:tracks/1224940273Wed, 02 Mar 2022 09:32:44 +0000James M. DorseyEmiratis celebrated their failure to condemn the Russian invasion of Ukraine in the United Nations Security Council as the end of an era in which the Gulf state took its foreign policy cues from the United States. However, the Emiratis may be...482cleanfullhttps://www.spreaker.com/user/mideastsoccer/ukraine-lessons-not-being-learned
They are lessons that should have been learned in past global crises but weren't. However, the Ukraine crisis offers an opportunity to correct that mistake.]]>tag:soundcloud,2010:tracks/1223656318Mon, 28 Feb 2022 03:27:04 +0000James M. DorseyRussian President Vladimir Putin's invasion of Ukraine and the international condemnation it generated contains key lessons for policymakers. They are lessons that should have been learned in past global crises but weren't. However, the Ukraine...
They are lessons that should have been learned in past global crises but weren't. However, the Ukraine crisis offers an opportunity to correct that mistake.]]>593cleanfullhttps://www.spreaker.com/user/mideastsoccer/imaging-the-day-after-a-russian-conquest
However, that may not be the end of the story. Russian President Vladimir Putin’s troops could find themselves in Ukraine for the long haul depending on whether Ukrainians have the stomach to launch an insurgency.]]>tag:soundcloud,2010:tracks/1222757977Sat, 26 Feb 2022 07:14:01 +0000James M. DorseyIt may be only a matter of time before Russian troops control the Ukrainian capital of Kyiv and topple President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. However, that may not be the end of the story. Russian President Vladimir Putin’s troops could find themselves in...
However, that may not be the end of the story. Russian President Vladimir Putin’s troops could find themselves in Ukraine for the long haul depending on whether Ukrainians have the stomach to launch an insurgency.]]>411cleanfullhttps://www.spreaker.com/user/mideastsoccer/middle-eastern-states-walk-a-tightrope-ttag:soundcloud,2010:tracks/1221642688Thu, 24 Feb 2022 11:19:01 +0000James M. DorseyIsrael and Gulf states struggle not to fall off the tightrope they walk as a Russian attack on Ukraine makes hedging bets increasingly tricky.473cleanfullhttps://www.spreaker.com/user/mideastsoccer/ukraine-it-s-the-new-world-order-stupidtag:soundcloud,2010:tracks/1221194041Wed, 23 Feb 2022 16:01:42 +0000James M. DorseyUkraine is about much more than the security of one sovereign nation. The battle for Ukraine is a battle for the new world order.686cleanfullhttps://www.spreaker.com/user/mideastsoccer/russia-breathes-down-middle-eastern-necktag:soundcloud,2010:tracks/1220307016Tue, 22 Feb 2022 07:13:50 +0000James M. DorseyEurope is likely to shoulder the brunt of the fallout of a rapidly escalating crisis over Ukraine. Middle Eastern states could prove to be a close second.509cleanfullhttps://www.spreaker.com/user/mideastsoccer/food-in-israel-divides-and-unites-as-muctag:soundcloud,2010:tracks/1218777490Sat, 19 Feb 2022 12:12:22 +0000James M. DorseyFood, far more than diplomatic relations with Arab states, could be turning Israel into a state rooted rather than implanted in the Middle East even if Palestinians are likely to continue to look at the Jewish state as an implant and usurper for...499cleanfullhttps://www.spreaker.com/user/mideastsoccer/turkey-and-israel-eye-extended-cooperatitag:soundcloud,2010:tracks/1216299358Tue, 15 Feb 2022 14:23:03 +0000James M. DorseyA recent dinner in Washington suggests that a seemingly forthcoming visit to Turkey by Israeli President Isaac Herzog could be about more than putting an end to strained relations between the two erstwhile allies.550cleanfullhttps://www.spreaker.com/user/mideastsoccer/turkish-gold-conversion-plan-likely-to-f
Ms. G., whose last name has been abbreviated to preserve her anonymity, has had a life-long troubled relationship with gold. When she was barely three years old, her distaste for it as an adornment was already so strong that she dumped all her gold rings, bracelets, necklaces, and earrings into the Bosporus.]]>tag:soundcloud,2010:tracks/1214484313Sat, 12 Feb 2022 09:34:03 +0000James M. DorseyWhen Turkish finance minister Nureddin Nebati this week announced plans to encourage households to convert their gold holdings into Turkish liras in a bid to shore up Turkish central bank reserves, he was targeting people like Esra G. Ms. G., whose...
Ms. G., whose last name has been abbreviated to preserve her anonymity, has had a life-long troubled relationship with gold. When she was barely three years old, her distaste for it as an adornment was already so strong that she dumped all her gold rings, bracelets, necklaces, and earrings into the Bosporus.]]>579cleanfullhttps://www.spreaker.com/user/mideastsoccer/katherine-harvey-a-self-fulfilling-proph
Iraq has in the last year taken a lead in sponsoring talks between Middle Eastern arch-rivals Saudi Arabia and Iran in an effort to prevent tension in the region spinning out of control. The Iraqi role is remarkable given that Saudi Arabia for more than a decade after the 2003-led US invasion of Iraq and the toppling of Saddam Hussein wanted nothing to do with the country’s post-Saddam leadership. Saudi perceptions of Iraq as an Iranian pawn persuaded it even to refuse reopening a diplomatic mission in Baghdad until 2019.

In Self-fulfilling Prophet: The Saudi Struggle for Iraq (Oxford University Press 2022), Katherine Harvey paints a fascinating picture of what happens when policy is crafted based on perception rather than fact. Harvey tells the story of a post-invasion Iraq that was systematically rebuffed by Saudi Arabia in its efforts to reintegrate into the predominantly Sunni Arab world. Iraq had been ostracized following its 1990 invasion of Kuwait and expulsion from the Gulf state in 1991 by a US-coalition.

Saudi King Abdullah, convinced that Iran had successfully infiltrated Iraq and that Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki was an Iranian stooge, blocked Iraq’s reaching out to the kingdom and eventually drove into the hands of Iran. In doing so, Saudi Arabia was standing up for its perceived interests that diverged from those of the United States. The US wanted the Saudis to engage with the Shiite Muslim majority that came to power in Iraq as a result of the US invasion.

As a result, Harvey’s well-documented book contributes to understanding the limits of US power in the Middle East and the significant perceptual gaps that Middle Eastern states need to bridge to ensure that a regional détente is sustainable.]]>tag:soundcloud,2010:tracks/1212569119Wed, 09 Feb 2022 09:05:05 +0000James M. DorseyKatherine Harvey, A Self-Fulfilling Prophecy: The Saudi Struggle for Iraq, Oxford University Press 2022 Iraq has in the last year taken a lead in sponsoring talks between Middle Eastern arch-rivals Saudi Arabia and Iran in an effort to prevent...
Iraq has in the last year taken a lead in sponsoring talks between Middle Eastern arch-rivals Saudi Arabia and Iran in an effort to prevent tension in the region spinning out of control. The Iraqi role is remarkable given that Saudi Arabia for more than a decade after the 2003-led US invasion of Iraq and the toppling of Saddam Hussein wanted nothing to do with the country’s post-Saddam leadership. Saudi perceptions of Iraq as an Iranian pawn persuaded it even to refuse reopening a diplomatic mission in Baghdad until 2019.

In Self-fulfilling Prophet: The Saudi Struggle for Iraq (Oxford University Press 2022), Katherine Harvey paints a fascinating picture of what happens when policy is crafted based on perception rather than fact. Harvey tells the story of a post-invasion Iraq that was systematically rebuffed by Saudi Arabia in its efforts to reintegrate into the predominantly Sunni Arab world. Iraq had been ostracized following its 1990 invasion of Kuwait and expulsion from the Gulf state in 1991 by a US-coalition.

Saudi King Abdullah, convinced that Iran had successfully infiltrated Iraq and that Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki was an Iranian stooge, blocked Iraq’s reaching out to the kingdom and eventually drove into the hands of Iran. In doing so, Saudi Arabia was standing up for its perceived interests that diverged from those of the United States. The US wanted the Saudis to engage with the Shiite Muslim majority that came to power in Iraq as a result of the US invasion.

As a result, Harvey’s well-documented book contributes to understanding the limits of US power in the Middle East and the significant perceptual gaps that Middle Eastern states need to bridge to ensure that a regional détente is sustainable.]]>3913cleanfullhttps://www.spreaker.com/user/mideastsoccer/israel-expands-its-iran-strategytag:soundcloud,2010:tracks/1210712164Sun, 06 Feb 2022 07:16:34 +0000James M. DorseyIsraeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett has laid out an expanded Israeli strategy to confront Iran that appears to move beyond a potential military strike against the Islamic republic’s nuclear facilities.694cleanfullhttps://www.spreaker.com/user/mideastsoccer/holocaust-museum-in-indonesia-highlightstag:soundcloud,2010:tracks/1209560971Fri, 04 Feb 2022 05:35:39 +0000James M. DorseyControversy over the opening of Southeast Asia’s first Holocaust museum highlights differences in the Muslim world over the limits of religious tolerance and Muslims’ ability to debate those limits.579cleanfullhttps://www.spreaker.com/user/mideastsoccer/iranian-soccer-s-curse-politicstag:soundcloud,2010:tracks/1207598908Tue, 01 Feb 2022 08:52:39 +0000James M. DorseyIran recently scored not one but two soccer successes. That good news. But there is bad news too, and that may be more consequential and contain a cautionary note for Iranian sports and sports globally, particularly in lands governed by autocrats and...584cleanfullhttps://www.spreaker.com/user/mideastsoccer/the-middle-east-rush-to-bury-hatchets-istag:soundcloud,2010:tracks/1204579765Thu, 27 Jan 2022 10:47:10 +0000James M. DorseyHow sustainable is Middle Eastern détente? That is the $64,000 question. The answer is probably not.2387cleanfullhttps://www.spreaker.com/user/mideastsoccer/ukraine-crisis-could-produce-an-unexpecttag:soundcloud,2010:tracks/1203114745Tue, 25 Jan 2022 05:44:53 +0000James M. DorseyIran potentially could emerge as an unintended winner in the escalating crisis over Ukraine. That is, if Russian troops cross the Ukrainian border and talks in Vienna to revive the 2015 Iranian nuclear agreement fail.511cleanfullhttps://www.spreaker.com/user/mideastsoccer/uae-schoolbooks-earn-high-marks-for-cult
At the same time, the report appeared in its evaluation of Emirati textbooks to hue closely to Israeli policy towards the UAE and, more generally, most states that populate the Middle East.]]>tag:soundcloud,2010:tracks/1201367011Sat, 22 Jan 2022 05:21:42 +0000James M. DorseyAn Israeli NGO gives the United Arab Emirates high marks for mandating schoolbooks that teach tolerance, peaceful coexistence, and engagement with non-Muslims. At the same time, the report appeared in its evaluation of Emirati textbooks to hue...
At the same time, the report appeared in its evaluation of Emirati textbooks to hue closely to Israeli policy towards the UAE and, more generally, most states that populate the Middle East.]]>520cleanfullhttps://www.spreaker.com/user/mideastsoccer/putin-s-post-soviet-world-remains-a-worktag:soundcloud,2010:tracks/1199265508Wed, 19 Jan 2022 09:46:49 +0000James M. DorseyRussian civilisationalism is proving handy as President Vladimir Putin seeks to expand the imaginary boundaries of his Russian World, whose frontiers are defined by Russian speakers and adherents to Russian culture rather than international law and/or...474cleanfullhttps://www.spreaker.com/user/mideastsoccer/kazakhstan-like-ukraine-spotlights-the-s
The intervention brought to the fore a brewing competition for spheres of influence in Eurasia between perceived Russian and Turkish worlds whose boundaries are defined by civilization and /or language rather than a nation state’s internationally recognized borders.]]>tag:soundcloud,2010:tracks/1197346291Sun, 16 Jan 2022 03:38:18 +0000James M. DorseyWhen a Russian-led military force intervened earlier this month, it did more than help Kazakh President Qasym-Johart Toqayev restore and strengthen his grip on power following days of protest and violent clashes with security forces. The intervention...
The intervention brought to the fore a brewing competition for spheres of influence in Eurasia between perceived Russian and Turkish worlds whose boundaries are defined by civilization and /or language rather than a nation state’s internationally recognized borders.]]>575cleanfullhttps://www.spreaker.com/user/mideastsoccer/kazakhstan-has-lessons-for-the-gulftag:soundcloud,2010:tracks/1195477609Thu, 13 Jan 2022 04:31:55 +0000James M. DorseyRussia's intervention in Kazakhstan contains a cautionary message for Gulf foreign ministers visiting Beijing this week.457cleanfullhttps://www.spreaker.com/user/mideastsoccer/saudi-diplomacy-needs-flesh-on-its-skeletag:soundcloud,2010:tracks/1194225217Tue, 11 Jan 2022 07:11:55 +0000James M. DorseyLike Qatar, after winning the right to host this year's World Cup, Saudi Arabia is discovering the pitfalls of seeking soft power, whether through sports or religion, without coming to grips with skeletons in its closet.585cleanfullhttps://www.spreaker.com/user/mideastsoccer/saudi-and-emirati-religious-moderation-i
Yet, Saudi and Emirati efforts to position their countries as the Muslim world’s beacons of an autocratic notion of moderate Islam have done little to encourage moderation beyond their borders despite a radical cutback in decades-long global Saudi funding for the spread of an ultra-conservative interpretation of Islam and the Emirates’ trumpeting of notions of tolerance.]]>tag:soundcloud,2010:tracks/1192530814Sat, 08 Jan 2022 07:03:45 +0000James M. DorseySaudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates have drawn praise for social reforms that have domestically reduced the role of religion in public life, enhanced women's rights, and, in the case of the UAE, catered to non-Muslim lifestyles. Yet, Saudi and...
Yet, Saudi and Emirati efforts to position their countries as the Muslim world’s beacons of an autocratic notion of moderate Islam have done little to encourage moderation beyond their borders despite a radical cutback in decades-long global Saudi funding for the spread of an ultra-conservative interpretation of Islam and the Emirates’ trumpeting of notions of tolerance.]]>729cleanfullhttps://www.spreaker.com/user/mideastsoccer/is-kazakhstan-russia-s-next-ukrainetag:soundcloud,2010:tracks/1190530984Wed, 05 Jan 2022 02:52:32 +0000James M. DorseyWith Russian troops massing on Ukraine's borders, it's not only Ukrainians who worry about what President Vladimir Putin may have in store for them. It's Kazakhs too.572cleanfullhttps://www.spreaker.com/user/mideastsoccer/qatar-like-saudi-arabia-and-the-uae-but-tag:soundcloud,2010:tracks/1188769057Sun, 02 Jan 2022 05:23:43 +0000James M. DorseyQatar has begun to cleanse its schoolbooks of supremacist, racist or derogatory references as well as celebrations of violent jihad and martyrdom, according to a recently released study.692cleanfullhttps://www.spreaker.com/user/mideastsoccer/pakistan-revamps-education-at-the-point-tag:soundcloud,2010:tracks/1186525813Wed, 29 Dec 2021 04:58:35 +0000James M. DorseyThere is little indication that the government is doing anything but strengthening an education system that potentially constitutes a breeding ground for ultra-conservatism and radicalism in a region adjacent to Afghanistan where the Taliban appear...574cleanfullhttps://www.spreaker.com/user/mideastsoccer/christmas-arrives-in-saudi-arabia-as-kintag:soundcloud,2010:tracks/1185072448Sun, 26 Dec 2021 04:58:43 +0000James M. DorseyLong banned, Christmas has finally, at least tacitly, arrived in Saudi Arabia; just don’t use the name in marketing or be ostentatious about your tree.555cleanfullhttps://www.spreaker.com/user/mideastsoccer/are-arab-militias-losing-their-usefulnestag:soundcloud,2010:tracks/1182938392Wed, 22 Dec 2021 11:19:24 +0000James M. DorseyIranian support for Arab militias has long threatened Iran's detractors, unable to develop an effective counterstrategy. Now, the tide may be turning.467cleanfullhttps://www.spreaker.com/user/mideastsoccer/qatar-world-cup-sparks-culture-controvertag:soundcloud,2010:tracks/1180510396Sun, 19 Dec 2021 05:04:29 +0000James M. DorseyFootballers with diametrically opposed views on homosexuality and alcohol consumption have sparked heated controversy about Islamic mores and human and workers’ rights in Qatar's final stretch in the run-up for next year’s FIFA World Cup.754cleanfullhttps://www.spreaker.com/user/mideastsoccer/china-s-bri-crown-jewel-joins-the-era-oftag:soundcloud,2010:tracks/1178689603Thu, 16 Dec 2021 03:43:12 +0000James M. DorseyThe crown jewel of China’s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) increasingly looks like a powder keg that has exploded.496cleanfullhttps://www.spreaker.com/user/mideastsoccer/playing-cat-and-mouse-uae-energy-companytag:soundcloud,2010:tracks/1176897724Mon, 13 Dec 2021 06:16:10 +0000James M. DorseyIncreasingly, compliance with US sanctions against Iran could emerge as a litmus test of the United Arab Emirates’ close ties to the United States.571cleanfullhttps://www.spreaker.com/user/mideastsoccer/saudi-arabia-targets-banned-ultra-consertag:soundcloud,2010:tracks/1175388820Fri, 10 Dec 2021 08:53:24 +0000James M. DorseySaudi Islamic affairs minister Abdullatif bin Abdulaziz al-Sheikh has ordered imams in the kingdom to identify one of the world’s largest Muslim movements as misguided, deviant, dangerous, and a breeder of militancy.634cleanfullhttps://www.spreaker.com/user/mideastsoccer/pakistan-slips-on-a-slippery-slope-of-retag:soundcloud,2010:tracks/1173861628Wed, 08 Dec 2021 04:07:12 +0000James M. DorseyWhatever sparked the brutal mob lynching of a Sri Lankan accused of blasphemy , the government's response seemed aimed to project determination to tackle a festering problem. It is a claim that rings hollow, despite Prime Minister Imran Khan’s strong...463cleanfullhttps://www.spreaker.com/user/mideastsoccer/contradictory-us-human-rights-policies-itag:soundcloud,2010:tracks/1172245867Sun, 05 Dec 2021 10:36:10 +0000James M. DorseyA cursory look at Saudi Arabia and Iran suggests that emphasizing human rights in US foreign policy may complicate relations but has little impact on regional stability or the willingness of protagonists to reduce tension and manage conflicts when it...634cleanfullhttps://www.spreaker.com/user/mideastsoccer/middle-eastern-autocrats-sigh-relief-thetag:soundcloud,2010:tracks/1171057084Fri, 03 Dec 2021 04:50:18 +0000James M. DorseyThe United States has signalled in advance of next week’s Summit for Democracy that it is unlikely to translate lip service to adherence to human rights and democratic values in the Middle East into a policy that demonstrates seriousness and commitment.674cleanfullhttps://www.spreaker.com/user/mideastsoccer/saudi-religious-moderation-is-as-much-prtag:soundcloud,2010:tracks/1169239750Tue, 30 Nov 2021 12:13:08 +0000James M. DorseyMohammed Ali al-Husseini, one of Saudi Arabia’s newest naturalized citizens, ticks all the boxes needed to earn brownie points in the kingdom’s quest for religious soft power garnered by positioning itself as the beacon of 'moderate,' albeit...660cleanfullhttps://www.spreaker.com/user/mideastsoccer/testing-the-waters-russia-explores-recontag:soundcloud,2010:tracks/1168069393Sun, 28 Nov 2021 04:25:32 +0000James M. DorseyRussia hopes to blow new life into a proposal for a multilateral security architecture in the Gulf, with the tacit approval of the Biden administration.464cleanfullhttps://www.spreaker.com/user/mideastsoccer/uae-chalks-up-diplomatic-successes-with-
Headline-grabbing, fast-paced moves reinforce the UAE's position as a regional power. They highlight the UAE's willingness to chart a course that increasingly competes with Saudi Arabia, the Gulf's regional behemoth; is at times at odds with US policy; and scoffs at assertions of human rights abuse by activists and Western politicians.]]>tag:soundcloud,2010:tracks/1166455201Thu, 25 Nov 2021 09:27:02 +0000James M. DorseyIt has been a good week for United Arab Emirates Crown Prince Mohammed bin Zayed. Headline-grabbing, fast-paced moves reinforce the UAE's position as a regional power. They highlight the UAE's willingness to chart a course that increasingly competes...
Headline-grabbing, fast-paced moves reinforce the UAE's position as a regional power. They highlight the UAE's willingness to chart a course that increasingly competes with Saudi Arabia, the Gulf's regional behemoth; is at times at odds with US policy; and scoffs at assertions of human rights abuse by activists and Western politicians.]]>601cleanfullhttps://www.spreaker.com/user/mideastsoccer/tackling-migration-crises-fighting-corrutag:soundcloud,2010:tracks/1165812640Wed, 24 Nov 2021 08:05:22 +0000James M. DorseyTwenty-three-year-old Mohamed Rasheed was at a loss after returning to Iraq from a grueling failed attempt to cross the Belarus-Polish border. “There’s no life for us here. There are no jobs; there is no future,” he told a Washington Post reporter....547cleanfullhttps://www.spreaker.com/user/mideastsoccer/qatari-world-cup-sparks-healthy-controve
So will the Danish Football Union (DBU), Denmark’s governing soccer body, that announced that its commercial sponsors had agreed to surrender space on training kits to allow for messaging critical of Qatar’s treatment of migrant workers.]]>tag:soundcloud,2010:tracks/1164993139Tue, 23 Nov 2021 02:55:26 +0000James M. DorseyWhen seven-time Formula One world champion Lewis Hamilton wore a helmet this weekend featuring the colours of the LGBTI Pride Progress Flag during the debut Qatar Grand Prix, he was challenging more than the Gulf state’s failure to recognise rights....
So will the Danish Football Union (DBU), Denmark’s governing soccer body, that announced that its commercial sponsors had agreed to surrender space on training kits to allow for messaging critical of Qatar’s treatment of migrant workers.]]>635cleanfullhttps://www.spreaker.com/user/mideastsoccer/a-new-world-the-middle-east-tries-coopertag:soundcloud,2010:tracks/1163491513Sat, 20 Nov 2021 05:02:04 +0000James M. DorseyJust in case there were any doubts, Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu demonstrated with his visit to Lebanon this week that improved relations between Middle Eastern rivals would not bury hatchets.475cleanfullhttps://www.spreaker.com/user/mideastsoccer/saudi-keeps-eye-on-religious-ball-in-glo
But the first beneficiaries of a recent decree to give citizenship to high-end achievers in law, medicine, science, technology, culture, and sports suggests that Prince Mohammed, in contrast to the kingdom’s main competitors seeking to attract foreign talent that include the United Arab Emirates, Qatar and Singapore, sees religion as an equally important realm of competition.]]>tag:soundcloud,2010:tracks/1161620752Wed, 17 Nov 2021 02:24:13 +0000James M. DorseySaudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman has tamed his kingdom’s ultra-conservative religious establishment and made hyper-nationalism rather than religion a pillar of a new 21st century Saudi identity. But the first beneficiaries of a recent decree to...
But the first beneficiaries of a recent decree to give citizenship to high-end achievers in law, medicine, science, technology, culture, and sports suggests that Prince Mohammed, in contrast to the kingdom’s main competitors seeking to attract foreign talent that include the United Arab Emirates, Qatar and Singapore, sees religion as an equally important realm of competition.]]>668cleanfullhttps://www.spreaker.com/user/mideastsoccer/pulling-back-from-the-brink-religious-antag:soundcloud,2010:tracks/1159682488Sun, 14 Nov 2021 03:52:07 +0000James M. DorseyThe family of nations is balancing on the edge of an abyss as mushrooming religious and ethnic intolerance becomes the norm.576cleanfullhttps://www.spreaker.com/user/mideastsoccer/whither-muslim-solidarity-and-moderationtag:soundcloud,2010:tracks/1157948137Thu, 11 Nov 2021 07:52:41 +0000James M. DorseyFormer Saudi intelligence chief Prince Turki AlFaisal Al Saud must have gotten his tenses mixed up when he asserted in a recently published memoir that no one should underestimate the political importance of Muslims’ commitment to helping other Muslims.555cleanfullhttps://www.spreaker.com/user/mideastsoccer/south-asia-replaces-the-middle-east-as-ttag:soundcloud,2010:tracks/1156100629Mon, 08 Nov 2021 13:26:04 +0000James M. DorseyAs Middle Eastern states attempt to manage their political and security differences, Muslim-majority countries are regrouping along a fault line that separates proponents of varying concepts of an authoritarian but religiously and socially more...495cleanfullhttps://www.spreaker.com/user/mideastsoccer/how-much-is-religious-soft-power-worth-itag:soundcloud,2010:tracks/1154801722Sat, 06 Nov 2021 04:22:44 +0000James M. DorseyAn Indonesian promise to work with the United Arab Emirates to promote ‘moderate’ Islam raises questions of what constitutes moderation and how it can best be achieved.560cleanfullhttps://www.spreaker.com/user/mideastsoccer/ultraconservative-triumph-puts-pakistan-tag:soundcloud,2010:tracks/1153618420Thu, 04 Nov 2021 07:36:17 +0000James M. DorseyPakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan may have averted for now further violence by caving in to demands of a militant, supremacist religious group. But in doing so, Mr. Khan is allowing radical ultra-conservatism to fester, undermining social cohesion,...622cleanfullhttps://www.spreaker.com/user/mideastsoccer/sudan-and-the-uae-pulling-sudanese-strintag:soundcloud,2010:tracks/1152253309Tue, 02 Nov 2021 04:09:07 +0000James M. DorseySudan is the exception to the rule in the United Arab Emirates’ counterrevolutionary playbook.662cleanfullhttps://www.spreaker.com/user/mideastsoccer/religious-ultra-conservatism-has-a-fieldtag:soundcloud,2010:tracks/1150651474Sat, 30 Oct 2021 07:18:25 +0000James M. DorseyBarely three months after the Taliban claimed victory in Afghanistan, Pakistan, the second most populous Muslim-majority state, is moving to join Kabul in becoming an outpost of religious intolerance and Muslim supremacy.621cleanfullhttps://www.spreaker.com/user/mideastsoccer/the-pendulum-gradually-swings-towards-intag:soundcloud,2010:tracks/1148858062Wed, 27 Oct 2021 08:18:06 +0000James M. DorseyThe Taliban and Pakistan, both viewed warily by the West and others in the international community, appear to be benefitting from mounting concerns about the humanitarian and security situation in Afghanistan.494cleanfullhttps://www.spreaker.com/user/mideastsoccer/turkey-and-iran-find-soft-power-more-diftag:soundcloud,2010:tracks/1146993457Sun, 24 Oct 2021 05:27:07 +0000James M. DorseyThe times they are a changin’. Iranian leaders may not be Bob Dylan fans, but his words are likely to resonate as they contemplate their next steps in Iraq, Iraqi Kurdistan, Lebanon, and Azerbaijan. The same is true for Turkish President Recep Tayyip...751cleanfullhttps://www.spreaker.com/user/mideastsoccer/iran-poll-contains-different-messages-fo
However, the substance of the message differs for newly elected hardline Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi and the Biden administration as Mr. Raisi toughens his negotiating position and the United States grapples with alternative ways of curbing the Islamic republic’s nuclear programme should the parties fail to agree on terms for the revival of the 2015 international agreement.]]>tag:soundcloud,2010:tracks/1144788385Wed, 20 Oct 2021 06:06:13 +0000James M. Dorsey“It’s the economy, stupid.” That is the message of a just-published survey of Iranian public opinion. However, the substance of the message differs for newly elected hardline Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi and the Biden administration as Mr. Raisi...
However, the substance of the message differs for newly elected hardline Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi and the Biden administration as Mr. Raisi toughens his negotiating position and the United States grapples with alternative ways of curbing the Islamic republic’s nuclear programme should the parties fail to agree on terms for the revival of the 2015 international agreement.]]>545cleanfullhttps://www.spreaker.com/user/mideastsoccer/shaping-us-middle-east-policy-amidst-fai
Two decades of forever war in Afghanistan and continued military engagement in Iraq and elsewhere in the region have prompted debate about what constitutes a US interest in the Middle East. China, and to a lesser degree Russia, loom large in the debate as America’s foremost strategic and geopolitical challenges.

Questions about US interests have also sparked discussion about whether the United States can best achieve its objectives by continued focus on security and military options or whether a greater emphasis on political, diplomatic, economic, and civil society tools may be a more productive approach.]]>tag:soundcloud,2010:tracks/1143133186Sun, 17 Oct 2021 03:25:58 +0000James M. DorseyThe future of US engagement in the Middle East hangs in the balance. Two decades of forever war in Afghanistan and continued military engagement in Iraq and elsewhere in the region have prompted debate about what constitutes a US interest in the...
Two decades of forever war in Afghanistan and continued military engagement in Iraq and elsewhere in the region have prompted debate about what constitutes a US interest in the Middle East. China, and to a lesser degree Russia, loom large in the debate as America’s foremost strategic and geopolitical challenges.

Questions about US interests have also sparked discussion about whether the United States can best achieve its objectives by continued focus on security and military options or whether a greater emphasis on political, diplomatic, economic, and civil society tools may be a more productive approach.]]>579cleanfullhttps://www.spreaker.com/user/mideastsoccer/us-military-presence-in-the-middle-east-tag:soundcloud,2010:tracks/1141557556Thu, 14 Oct 2021 09:45:05 +0000James M. DorseyIt may not have been planned or coordinated but efforts by Middle Eastern states to dial down tensions serve as an example of what happens when big power interests coincide.665cleanfullhttps://www.spreaker.com/user/mideastsoccer/gulf-security-it-s-not-all-bad-news
They fear that the emerging parameters of a reconfigured US commitment to security in the Middle East threaten to upend a more-than-a-century-old pillar of regional security and leave them with no good alternatives.]]>tag:soundcloud,2010:tracks/1139750464Mon, 11 Oct 2021 08:59:48 +0000James M. DorseyGulf states are in a pickle. They fear that the emerging parameters of a reconfigured US commitment to security in the Middle East threaten to upend a more-than-a-century-old pillar of regional security and leave them with no good alternatives.
They fear that the emerging parameters of a reconfigured US commitment to security in the Middle East threaten to upend a more-than-a-century-old pillar of regional security and leave them with no good alternatives.]]>452cleanfullhttps://www.spreaker.com/user/mideastsoccer/reducing-middle-east-tensions-potentialltag:soundcloud,2010:tracks/1138751353Sat, 09 Oct 2021 05:39:36 +0000James M. DorseyTwo separate developments involving improved relations between Sunni and Shiite Muslims and women’s sporting rights demonstrate major shifts in how rivalry for leadership of the Muslim world and competition to define Islam in the 21st century is...619cleanfullhttps://www.spreaker.com/user/mideastsoccer/comparing-textbooks-even-afghanistan-sco
Take education for example.]]>tag:soundcloud,2010:tracks/1137467116Thu, 07 Oct 2021 06:05:07 +0000James M. DorseySocietal struggles and reform often take unexpected turns in vast swaths of land stretching from the Middle East into Central Asia. Take education for example.
Take education for example.]]>619cleanfullhttps://www.spreaker.com/user/mideastsoccer/concern-about-iran-prompts-israel-to-weitag:soundcloud,2010:tracks/1135664938Mon, 04 Oct 2021 04:48:06 +0000James M. DorseyThe report has sparked public debate in Israel about whether the Jewish state, which is long believed to have multiple nuclear weapons but consistently stopped short of confirming or denying the assertion, should finally do so to lay down a marker for...475cleanfullhttps://www.spreaker.com/user/mideastsoccer/afghanistan-highlights-link-between-relitag:soundcloud,2010:tracks/1134236446Fri, 01 Oct 2021 08:53:37 +0000James M. DorseyWhen Qatari foreign minister Sheikh Mohammed Abdulrahman Al-Thani this week described the Taliban’s repressive policies towards women and brutal administration of justice as “very disappointing” and taking Afghanistan “a step backwards,” he was doing...536cleanfullhttps://www.spreaker.com/user/mideastsoccer/uae-nation-branding-encounters-early-heatag:soundcloud,2010:tracks/1132789108Wed, 29 Sep 2021 02:33:14 +0000James M. DorseyA series of setbacks in recent weeks raises the spectre of the UAE’s decades-long, multi-million-dollar nation branding campaign fraying at the edges553cleanfullhttps://www.spreaker.com/user/mideastsoccer/uae-israel-relations-risk-being-built-ontag:soundcloud,2010:tracks/1131286510Sun, 26 Sep 2021 09:30:06 +0000James M. DorseyA year of diplomatic relations between the United Arab Emirates and Israel has proven to be mutually beneficial. The question is whether the assumptions underlying the UAE’s initiative that led three other Arab countries to also formalise their...742cleanfullhttps://www.spreaker.com/user/mideastsoccer/the-battle-for-the-soul-of-islam-will-thtag:soundcloud,2010:tracks/1129669951Thu, 23 Sep 2021 11:26:46 +0000James M. DorseySaudi and Emirati efforts to define ‘moderate’ Islam as socially more liberal while being subservient to an autocratic ruler is as much an endeavour to ensure regime survival and bolster aspirations to lead the Muslim world as it is an attempt to fend...625cleanfullhttps://www.spreaker.com/user/mideastsoccer/a-shift-in-militants-strategy-could-shintag:soundcloud,2010:tracks/1128504187Tue, 21 Sep 2021 12:41:27 +0000James M. DorseyA paradigm shift in jihadist thinking suggests that the US invasion of Afghanistan may prove to have achieved more than many counterterrorism experts would want policymakers and military strategists to believe.834cleanfullhttps://www.spreaker.com/user/mideastsoccer/indonesian-g20-presidency-promises-to-putag:soundcloud,2010:tracks/1127308660Sun, 19 Sep 2021 08:12:09 +0000James M. DorseyIndonesian religious affairs minister Yaqut Cholil Qoumas set the bar high for President Joko Widodo as well as Nahdlatul Ulama, the religious backbone of Mr. Widodo’s government when he laid out the agenda for his country’s presidency of the Group of...653cleanfullhttps://www.spreaker.com/user/mideastsoccer/opposing-hindutava-us-conference-raises-tag:soundcloud,2010:tracks/1125538867Thu, 16 Sep 2021 08:20:06 +0000James M. DorseyControversy over a recent ‘Dismantling Global Hindutava’ conference that targeted a politically charged expression of Hindu nationalism raises questions that go far beyond the anti-Muslim discriminatory policies of Indian Prime Minister Narendra...502cleanfullhttps://www.spreaker.com/user/mideastsoccer/initial-taliban-moves-fail-to-convince-a
A litmus test of Taliban willingness to compromise may come sooner than later.]]>tag:soundcloud,2010:tracks/1124332162Tue, 14 Sep 2021 08:43:19 +0000James M. DorseyThe Taliban’s record in recent weeks on making good on promises to respect human and women’s rights as well as uphold freedom of the press is mixed at best. Afghanistan’s neighbours and near-neighbours are not holding their breath even if some are...
A litmus test of Taliban willingness to compromise may come sooner than later.]]>771cleanfullhttps://www.spreaker.com/user/mideastsoccer/to-include-or-not-include-china-led-sco-tag:soundcloud,2010:tracks/1123228840Sun, 12 Sep 2021 06:59:27 +0000James M. DorseyThe Taliban takeover of Afghanistan may help Iran reduce its international isolation. At least, that’s what the Islamic Republic hopes when leaders of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) gather in Tajikistan next weekend.513cleanfullhttps://www.spreaker.com/user/mideastsoccer/bin-laden-s-legacy-probably-surpasses-hitag:soundcloud,2010:tracks/1121467594Thu, 09 Sep 2021 08:30:34 +0000James M. DorseyAt the very outset of the 21st century, Osama bin Laden wittingly or unwittingly positioned himself with the 9/11 attacks as one of its most important figures.646cleanfullhttps://www.spreaker.com/user/mideastsoccer/taliban-perpetuate-muslim-worlds-failed-tag:soundcloud,2010:tracks/1120121206Tue, 07 Sep 2021 04:43:50 +0000James M. DorseyThe Taliban takeover of Afghanistan perpetuates a paradigm of failed governance in the Muslim world based on a centuries-old alliance between Islamic scholars and the state that, according to scholar Ahmet T Kuru, explains underdevelopment in many...647cleanfullhttps://www.spreaker.com/user/mideastsoccer/meet-zayed-fadi-turkish-tv-s-bellwether-
TRT 1 is set to broadcast a new and second season of Teskilat (The Organization), a series allegedly endorsed by Turkey’s intelligence agency, that portrays it as fighting a covert war against a thinly disguised Arab adversary, the United Arab Emirates.]]>tag:soundcloud,2010:tracks/1119066727Sun, 05 Sep 2021 05:54:58 +0000James M. DorseyTurkish state-run television appears to have not gotten the message: Turkey and the United Arab Emirates are burying the hatchet – one of several Turkish efforts to reduce tensions in the Middle East and prevent them from spinning out of control. TRT...
TRT 1 is set to broadcast a new and second season of Teskilat (The Organization), a series allegedly endorsed by Turkey’s intelligence agency, that portrays it as fighting a covert war against a thinly disguised Arab adversary, the United Arab Emirates.]]>670cleanfullhttps://www.spreaker.com/user/mideastsoccer/afghanistan-has-lessons-for-the-gulftag:soundcloud,2010:tracks/1117453519Thu, 02 Sep 2021 11:17:24 +0000James M. DorseyThe US withdrawal from Afghanistan will likely clarify what the Gulf’s security options are.738cleanfullhttps://www.spreaker.com/user/mideastsoccer/afpak-takes-on-a-new-meaning-with-the-ri_1tag:soundcloud,2010:tracks/1116062587Tue, 31 Aug 2021 04:24:21 +0000James M. DorseyRecent attacks on Kabul’s international airport by the Islamic State’s Afghan affiliate raise multiple questions as well as the spectre of paradigm shifts in the drivers and expanding geography of political violence.834cleanfullhttps://www.spreaker.com/user/mideastsoccer/afpak-takes-on-a-new-meaning-with-the-ritag:soundcloud,2010:tracks/1116062221Tue, 31 Aug 2021 04:22:58 +0000James M. DorseyRecent attacks on Kabul’s international airport by the Islamic State’s Afghan affiliate raise multiple questions as well as the spectre of paradigm shifts in the drivers and expanding geography of political violence.834cleanfullhttps://www.spreaker.com/user/mideastsoccer/taliban-victory-threatens-to-be-a-doubletag:soundcloud,2010:tracks/1114446667Sat, 28 Aug 2021 08:05:25 +0000James M. DorseyPakistani efforts to exploit the Taliban victory in Afghanistan threaten to reinforce ultra-conservative inclinations in Pakistan itself, the world’s second-most populous Muslim majority country, long accused of supporting militant religious groups.752cleanfullhttps://www.spreaker.com/user/mideastsoccer/hedging-saudi-bet-iran-looms-israel-beck
The Saudi deputy defence minister was signalling by not postponing the visit that he was trying to hedge the kingdom’s bets by signing a defence cooperation agreement with Russia as the United States fumbled to evacuate thousands from Afghanistan after Kabul was captured by the Taliban.]]>tag:soundcloud,2010:tracks/1112892043Thu, 26 Aug 2021 02:22:29 +0000James M. DorseyPrince Khalid bin Salman may not have planned it that way but the timing of his visit to Moscow last week and message to Washington resounded loud and clear. The Saudi deputy defence minister was signalling by not postponing the visit that he was...
The Saudi deputy defence minister was signalling by not postponing the visit that he was trying to hedge the kingdom’s bets by signing a defence cooperation agreement with Russia as the United States fumbled to evacuate thousands from Afghanistan after Kabul was captured by the Taliban.]]>526cleanfullhttps://www.spreaker.com/user/mideastsoccer/putting-the-taliban-and-mustafa-kemal-onHis response to the US withdrawal from Afghanistan suggests that it is not just Islamists and jihadists who are having a field day with the American setback. So are civilisationalists who think in terms of a civilizational rather than a nation-state and ultra-nationalists who propagate the notion of a Eurasia-dominated world.]]>tag:soundcloud,2010:tracks/1111194568Mon, 23 Aug 2021 13:08:08 +0000James M. DorseyDogu Perincek is celebrating the perceived defeat of US forces in Afghanistan. The staunchly anti-American Turkish politician doesn’t fare well in elections and has no official position in government but his sway on official thinking should not be...His response to the US withdrawal from Afghanistan suggests that it is not just Islamists and jihadists who are having a field day with the American setback. So are civilisationalists who think in terms of a civilizational rather than a nation-state and ultra-nationalists who propagate the notion of a Eurasia-dominated world.]]>491cleanfullhttps://www.spreaker.com/user/mideastsoccer/afghanistan-debacle-potentially-puts-uaetag:soundcloud,2010:tracks/1110540115Sun, 22 Aug 2021 05:26:30 +0000James M. DorseyAfghanistan is showing the United Arab Emirates the downside of being a haven for deposed leaders and exiled politicians whose wealth is reportedly parked without question in Emirati financial institutions.551cleanfullhttps://www.spreaker.com/user/mideastsoccer/taliban-and-al-qaeda-putting-a-fox-in-chThe first and only person to have been executed since the Taliban gained full control of Afghanistan, Mr. Khorasani was the head of the Islamic State in South Asia until he was arrested by government forces last year.
The precise circumstances of his execution are not known. His killing was, however, at least in part designed to send a message to the international community, and particularly Afghanistan’s neighbours, including China and Iran, as well as Russia, Central Asia’s security overlord.
The message was that the Taliban were cracking down on foreign jihadists and militants in Afghanistan.]]>tag:soundcloud,2010:tracks/1108669510Thu, 19 Aug 2021 08:52:23 +0000James M. DorseyAbu Omar Khorasani was taken from Kabul’s Pul-i-Charkhi prison and unceremoniously shot. The first and only person to have been executed since the Taliban gained full control of Afghanistan, Mr. Khorasani was the head of the Islamic State in South...The first and only person to have been executed since the Taliban gained full control of Afghanistan, Mr. Khorasani was the head of the Islamic State in South Asia until he was arrested by government forces last year.
The precise circumstances of his execution are not known. His killing was, however, at least in part designed to send a message to the international community, and particularly Afghanistan’s neighbours, including China and Iran, as well as Russia, Central Asia’s security overlord.
The message was that the Taliban were cracking down on foreign jihadists and militants in Afghanistan.]]>495cleanfullhttps://www.spreaker.com/user/mideastsoccer/defining-change-who-are-the-taliban-thattag:soundcloud,2010:tracks/1107512170Tue, 17 Aug 2021 12:34:23 +0000James M. DorseyHaving taken control, the Taliban want the world to believe that they have become more pragmatic and inclusive in the twenty years since they brutally ruled Afghanistan. Whether true or not, will be determined by the group’s attitudes towards...591cleanfullhttps://www.spreaker.com/user/mideastsoccer/what-starts-in-afghanistan-does-not-staytag:soundcloud,2010:tracks/1106313772Sun, 15 Aug 2021 08:25:00 +0000James M. DorseyTaliban advances in Afghanistan shift the Central Asian playing field on which China, India and the United States compete with rival infrastructure-driven approaches. At first glance, a Taliban takeover of Kabul would give China a 2:0 advantage...442cleanfullhttps://www.spreaker.com/user/mideastsoccer/israel-tries-to-bridge-gap-with-diasporatag:soundcloud,2010:tracks/1105111843Fri, 13 Aug 2021 04:13:23 +0000James M. DorseyIsrael’s first post-Netanyahu government is seeking to rebuild fractured relations with the Jewish Diaspora and rebrand the country as a liberal rather than an illiberal democracy against the backdrop of uncertainty about future US policy towards the...705cleanfullhttps://www.spreaker.com/user/mideastsoccer/saudi-social-and-economic-change-proves-tag:soundcloud,2010:tracks/1102251136Sun, 08 Aug 2021 06:19:47 +0000James M. DorseyThe World Bank issued a stark warning in its 2018 outlook for the Saudi economy. “The Kingdom likely faces a looming poverty problem,” the bank said.497cleanfullhttps://www.spreaker.com/user/mideastsoccer/afghanistan-may-be-a-bellwether-for-saudtag:soundcloud,2010:tracks/1099066246Tue, 03 Aug 2021 03:56:57 +0000James M. DorseyBoasting an almost 1,000-kilometer border with Iran and a history of troubled relations between the Iranians and Sunni Muslim militants, including the Taliban, Afghanistan could become a bellwether for the future of the rivalry between the Islamic...507cleanfullhttps://www.spreaker.com/user/mideastsoccer/hardened-us-and-iranian-positions-questitag:soundcloud,2010:tracks/1097034370Fri, 30 Jul 2021 13:56:22 +0000James M. DorseyThe United States and Iran seem to be hardening their positions in advance of a resumption of negotiations to revive a 2015 international nuclear agreement once Iranian President-elect Ebrahim Raisi takes office in early August.445cleanfullhttps://www.spreaker.com/user/mideastsoccer/middle-eastern-interventionism-galore-netag:soundcloud,2010:tracks/1094917273Tue, 27 Jul 2021 11:01:29 +0000James M. DorseyA recent analysis of Middle Eastern states’ interventionist policies suggests that misguided big power approaches have fueled a vicious cycle of interference and instability over the last decade.1008cleanfullhttps://www.spreaker.com/user/mideastsoccer/indictment-of-trump-associate-threatens-tag:soundcloud,2010:tracks/1093193767Sat, 24 Jul 2021 05:48:51 +0000James M. DorseyThis month’s indictment of a billionaire, one-time advisor and close associate of former US President Donald J. Trump, on charges of operating as an unregistered foreign agent in the United States for the United Arab Emirates highlights the successes...479cleanfullhttps://www.spreaker.com/user/mideastsoccer/greater-middle-east-may-force-china-to-ptag:soundcloud,2010:tracks/1091364847Wed, 21 Jul 2021 09:53:38 +0000James M. DorseyChina may have no short-term interest in contributing to guaranteeing security in parts of a swath of land stretching from Central Asia to the East coast of Africa, but that does not prevent the People’s Republic from preparing for a time when it may...654cleanfullhttps://www.spreaker.com/user/mideastsoccer/muslim-evangelical-alliance-strives-to-ctag:soundcloud,2010:tracks/1089585088Sun, 18 Jul 2021 04:24:39 +0000James M. DorseyA recent unprecedented alliance between Muslims and Evangelicals takes on added significance in a world in which human rights are on the defensive, religious groups tend to forge political as well as ideational partnerships, and the role of the clergy...678cleanfullhttps://www.spreaker.com/user/mideastsoccer/defining-moderate-islam-muslims-and-evantag:soundcloud,2010:tracks/1087233166Wed, 14 Jul 2021 08:51:59 +0000James M. DorseyA major Muslim and Evangelical organization joined forces this week to significantly advance hitherto state-backed ceremonial inter-faith dialogues that seldom go beyond platitudes and lofty statements.650cleanfullhttps://www.spreaker.com/user/mideastsoccer/personality-and-ambition-potentially-fuetag:soundcloud,2010:tracks/1085536351Sun, 11 Jul 2021 09:53:59 +0000James M. DorseyPersonality as well as the conflation of genuine national interest with personal ambition contribute to the widening gap between Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates.637cleanfullhttps://www.spreaker.com/user/mideastsoccer/pakistani-pm-khan-s-ultra-conservative-itag:soundcloud,2010:tracks/1083639061Thu, 08 Jul 2021 05:38:54 +0000James M. DorseyWidely seen as a populist with ultra-conservative inklings, Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan increasingly appears to reinforce widespread traditionalist attitudes that reject religious tolerance as well as the rights of women and minorities.519cleanfullhttps://www.spreaker.com/user/mideastsoccer/israel-deprives-central-europeans-of-mortag:soundcloud,2010:tracks/1081231237Sun, 04 Jul 2021 11:31:59 +0000James M. DorseyWhen Israeli Foreign Minister Yair Lapid recently sparked a war of words with Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki he was doing more than resisting Central European attempts at rewriting the history and legacy of the Holocaust and right-wing...419cleanfullhttps://www.spreaker.com/user/mideastsoccer/saudi-transport-and-logistics-plan-stepstag:soundcloud,2010:tracks/1079365585Thu, 01 Jul 2021 08:09:07 +0000James M. DorseyRecent announcements by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman of plans to turn the kingdom into a transportation and logistics hub that connects continents take to a new level Saudi efforts to replace the United Arab Emirates and Qatar as the Middle East’s...386cleanfullhttps://www.spreaker.com/user/mideastsoccer/maneuvering-jerusalems-future-upcoming-dtag:soundcloud,2010:tracks/1077413668Mon, 28 Jun 2021 11:26:16 +0000James M. DorseyUS President Joe Biden may have little appetite for Israeli-Palestinian peacemaking but seems determined to prevent some third parties from exploiting the regional stalemate to their advantage. That seems to be one message contained in ensuring that...509cleanfullhttps://www.spreaker.com/user/mideastsoccer/forging-a-future-with-rather-than-againstag:soundcloud,2010:tracks/1075511458Fri, 25 Jun 2021 04:19:30 +0000James M. DorseyThe rise of hardline President-elect Ebrahim Raisi has prompted some analysts to counterintuitively suggest that it could pave the way for reduced regional tensions and potential talks on a rejiggered Middle Eastern security architecture but getting...538cleanfullhttps://www.spreaker.com/user/mideastsoccer/middle-eastern-powers-vie-in-shaping-a-ntag:soundcloud,2010:tracks/1073457655Tue, 22 Jun 2021 09:02:24 +0000James M. DorseyEducation is emerging as a major flashpoint in competing visions of a future Muslim world. Rival concepts being instilled in a next generation are likely to shape what amounts to a battle for the soul of Islam.600cleanfullhttps://www.spreaker.com/user/mideastsoccer/pakistan-quo-vadis-where-are-you-goingtag:soundcloud,2010:tracks/1071678586Sat, 19 Jun 2021 05:25:53 +0000James M. DorseyPakistan’s place in a new world order is anybody’s guess. Recent policy moves suggest options that run the gamut from a state that emphasizes religion above all else to a country that forges a more balanced relationship with China and the United States.462cleanfullhttps://www.spreaker.com/user/mideastsoccer/iran-floats-reports-of-imminent-shanghaitag:soundcloud,2010:tracks/1069377634Wed, 16 Jun 2021 04:50:09 +0000James M. DorseyEager to enhance its negotiating leverage with the United States and Europe, Iran is projecting imminent membership of the China-led Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) in much the same way it pushed the signing of a much-touted 25-year...436cleanfullhttps://www.spreaker.com/user/mideastsoccer/saudi-arabia-steps-up-effort-to-replace-tag:soundcloud,2010:tracks/1067465104Sun, 13 Jun 2021 05:12:44 +0000James M. DorseySaudi Arabia has stepped up efforts to outflank the United Arab Emirates and Qatar as the Gulf’s commercial, cultural, and/or geostrategic hub.504cleanfullhttps://www.spreaker.com/user/mideastsoccer/athletes-knock-the-legs-from-under-globatag:soundcloud,2010:tracks/1029148261Wed, 14 Apr 2021 05:27:04 +0000James M. DorseySports governance worldwide has had the legs knocked out from under it. Yet, national and international sports administrators are slow in realizing the magnitude of what has hit them.501cleanfullhttps://www.spreaker.com/user/mideastsoccer/jordan-is-where-domestic-and-regional-fitag:soundcloud,2010:tracks/1023366235Tue, 06 Apr 2021 15:09:56 +0000James M. DorseyFormer Crown Prince Hamzah bin Hussein has papered over a rare public dispute in the ruling Jordanian family in a move that is unlikely to resolve long-standing fissures in society and among the country’s elite and that echo multiple Middle Eastern...457cleanfullhttps://www.spreaker.com/user/mideastsoccer/china-signals-possible-greater-middle-eatag:soundcloud,2010:tracks/1017709948Sun, 28 Mar 2021 04:00:44 +0000James M. DorseyTwo initiatives send the clearest signal, yet, that China may be gearing up to play a greater political role in the Middle East.477cleanfullhttps://www.spreaker.com/user/mideastsoccer/playing-us-politics-saudi-arabia-targetstag:soundcloud,2010:tracks/1015411507Wed, 24 Mar 2021 12:50:59 +0000James M. DorseyAmid Washington chatter about the future of US-Saudi relations, the kingdom has launched an unprecedented public diplomacy campaign to marshal business and grassroots support beyond the Beltway to counter anti-Saudi sentiment in the Biden...661cleanfullhttps://www.spreaker.com/user/mideastsoccer/in-the-bulls-eye-turkish-not-saudi-schootag:soundcloud,2010:tracks/1011622435Sat, 20 Mar 2021 04:04:56 +0000James M. DorseyIn a sign of the times, Turkish schoolbooks have replaced Saudi texts as the bull’s eye of criticism of supremacist and intolerant curricula in the Muslim world.559cleanfullhttps://www.spreaker.com/user/mideastsoccer/reform-in-saudi-arabia-a-road-not-takentag:soundcloud,2010:tracks/1009571212Wed, 17 Mar 2021 04:08:59 +0000James M. DorseySaudi Sheikh Salman al-Awdah, a popular but controversial religious scholar who has been mostly in solitary confinement since 2017, appeared in court this week only to hear that his case had been again adjourned for four months.636cleanfullhttps://www.spreaker.com/user/mideastsoccer/smugglers-protests-iran-succumbs-to-trautag:soundcloud,2010:tracks/1006534282Sun, 14 Mar 2021 10:02:44 +0000James M. DorseyRecent clashes in the Iranian province of Sistan and Balochistan highlight Iran’s vulnerabilities as well as its inability to overcome trauma and control its demons.509cleanfullhttps://www.spreaker.com/user/mideastsoccer/russia-foreign-minister-s-gulf-tour-a-betag:soundcloud,2010:tracks/1000660225Mon, 08 Mar 2021 01:05:11 +0000James M. DorseyAs Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov embarks on a four-day visit to the Gulf, Middle Eastern leaders are either struggling to get a grip on Joe Biden’s recalibration of US policy in the region or signalling their refusal to adapt to the...528cleanfullhttps://www.spreaker.com/user/mideastsoccer/papal-visit-to-iraq-breaking-historic-grtag:soundcloud,2010:tracks/998935081Fri, 05 Mar 2021 03:12:35 +0000James M. DorseyWhen Pope Francis sets foot in Iraq on Friday, he will be breaking historic ground while manoeuvring religious and political minefields. So will his foremost religious counterpart, Grand Ayatollah Sayyid Ali al-Husayni al-Sistani, one of the Shia...561cleanfullhttps://www.spreaker.com/user/mideastsoccer/china-in-the-middle-east-stepping-up-to-tag:soundcloud,2010:tracks/997799662Wed, 03 Mar 2021 13:33:18 +0000James M. DorseyWhen prominent Chinese Middle East scholars Sun Degang and Wu Sike last year described the Middle East as a “key region in big power diplomacy with Chinese characteristics in a new era,” they were signalling a shift in thinking that went further than...469cleanfullhttps://www.spreaker.com/user/mideastsoccer/us-intelligence-report-leaves-saudi-arabtag:soundcloud,2010:tracks/994814992Sun, 28 Feb 2021 07:49:15 +0000James M. DorseyThe Biden administration’s publication of a US intelligence report that holds Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman responsible for the killing of journalist Jamal Khashoggi creates a fundamental challenge to the kingdom’s geopolitical ambitions.577cleanfullhttps://www.spreaker.com/user/mideastsoccer/a-little-acknowledged-clause-may-be-maintag:soundcloud,2010:tracks/993437515Fri, 26 Feb 2021 09:04:33 +0000James M. DorseyA little acknowledged provision of the 2015 international agreement that curbed Iran’s nuclear program explains jockeying by the United States and the Islamic republic over the modalities of a US return to the deal from which President Donald J. Trump...547cleanfullhttps://www.spreaker.com/user/mideastsoccer/myanmar-exploiting-lessons-learnt-in-thetag:soundcloud,2010:tracks/991661506Wed, 24 Feb 2021 02:53:55 +0000James M. DorseyDemonstrating for the third week their determination to force the country’s military to return to its barracks, protesters in Myanmar appear to be learning lessons from a decade of protest in the Middle East and North Africa.764cleanfullhttps://www.spreaker.com/user/mideastsoccer/turkey-signals-sweeping-regional-ambitiotag:soundcloud,2010:tracks/990328042Mon, 22 Feb 2021 04:16:26 +0000James M. DorseyA nationalist Turkish television station with close ties to President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has dug up a 12-year-old map that projects Turkey’s sphere of influence in 2050 as stretching from South-eastern Europe on the northern coast of the...512cleanfullhttps://www.spreaker.com/user/mideastsoccer/saudi-schoolbooks-what-does-it-take-to-rtag:soundcloud,2010:tracks/987920713Thu, 18 Feb 2021 09:08:14 +0000James M. DorseyTwo decades of snail pace revisions of Saudi schoolbooks aimed at removing supremacist references to Jews, Christians, and Shiites suggest a willingness to delete offensive language while keeping in place fundamental concepts of an ultra-conservative,...662cleanfullhttps://www.spreaker.com/user/mideastsoccer/muslim-scholar-human-rights-policy-needstag:soundcloud,2010:tracks/985903345Mon, 15 Feb 2021 10:09:09 +0000James M. DorseyA prominent Muslim scholar has warned that the West’s failure to include the incarceration in Saudi Arabia and elsewhere in the Muslim world of pro-democracy religious scholars risks perpetuating autocratic rule.607cleanfullhttps://www.spreaker.com/user/mideastsoccer/saudi-moderation-has-its-limitstag:soundcloud,2010:tracks/983933986Fri, 12 Feb 2021 04:35:49 +0000James M. DorseyTwo recent reports documenting significant Saudi progress in countering ingrained religious anti-Jewish, anti-Christian and anti-Shiite supremacism as well as anti-Western and other xenophobic attitudes suggest the kingdom’s receptivity to external...607cleanfullhttps://www.spreaker.com/user/mideastsoccer/separating-the-wheat-from-the-chaff-saudtag:soundcloud,2010:tracks/980748127Sun, 07 Feb 2021 09:40:52 +0000James M. DorseySaudi Arabia’s combustible mix of religion, nationalism, and tradition as well as contradictions in the kingdom’s projection of itself as a driver of moderate Islam and major voice in combatting discrimination and racism spark heated debate on social...480cleanfullhttps://www.spreaker.com/user/mideastsoccer/concentration-camp-guides-the-far-right-tag:soundcloud,2010:tracks/978047764Wed, 03 Feb 2021 02:40:04 +0000James M. DorseyReligion scholar Esra Ozyurek has a knack for identifying trends that ring warning bells about where Europe is heading.743cleanfullhttps://www.spreaker.com/user/mideastsoccer/islamophobia-a-fungible-prop-for-muslim-tag:soundcloud,2010:tracks/975655795Sat, 30 Jan 2021 09:45:57 +0000James M. DorseyThink the Muslim world is united in opposing Islamophobia? Think twice.471cleanfullhttps://www.spreaker.com/user/mideastsoccer/iranians-move-into-front-line-of-the-midtag:soundcloud,2010:tracks/972905041Tue, 26 Jan 2021 06:30:40 +0000James M. DorseyA recent online survey by scholars at two Dutch universities of Iranian attitudes towards religion has revealed a stunning rejection of state-imposed adherence to conservative religious mores as well as the role of religion in public life.567cleanfullhttps://www.spreaker.com/user/mideastsoccer/when-is-usury-usury-turkish-fatwa-casts-tag:soundcloud,2010:tracks/969090058Wed, 20 Jan 2021 06:50:02 +0000James M. DorseyTurkey’s state-controlled top religious authority has conditionally endorsed usury in a ruling that is likely to fuel debate about concepts of Islamic finance and could weaken President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s efforts to garner religious soft power by...474cleanfullhttps://www.spreaker.com/user/mideastsoccer/egypt-s-search-for-a-fig-leaf-its-not-thtag:soundcloud,2010:tracks/965923036Fri, 15 Jan 2021 02:29:45 +0000James M. DorseyEgyptian general-turned president Abdel Fattah Al-Sisi sees the 2021 men’s handball world championship in Cairo and Alexandria as an opportunity to put his best foot forward at a time when Egypt’s relations with its closest regional and global...585cleanfullhttps://www.spreaker.com/user/mideastsoccer/gulf-state-religious-moderation-falls-bytag:soundcloud,2010:tracks/960735652Thu, 07 Jan 2021 02:37:40 +0000James M. DorseySilent about rising sectarian violence in Pakistan, Gulf states vying for religious soft power risk exposing the limitations of their concepts of an undefined ‘moderate’ Islam that is tolerant and endorses pluralism.689cleanfullhttps://www.spreaker.com/user/mideastsoccer/erdogan-positions-powerful-turkish-milittag:soundcloud,2010:tracks/959075371Mon, 04 Jan 2021 10:42:34 +0000James M. DorseyPresident Recep Tayyip Erdogan ushered in the new year, pledging to employ his country’s military to secure Turkey’s place in a rebalanced new world order.488cleanfullhttps://www.spreaker.com/user/mideastsoccer/indonesia-potentially-set-to-take-on-chitag:soundcloud,2010:tracks/957613240Fri, 01 Jan 2021 12:19:38 +0000James M. DorseyPresident Joko Widodo’s recent cabinet reshuffle suggests that Indonesia may adopt a more critical attitude towards China and reinforce government support for efforts by Nahdlatul Ulama (NU), the world’s largest Muslim movement, to reform Islam and...581cleanfullhttps://www.spreaker.com/user/mideastsoccer/turkey-gambles-in-bid-to-rival-china-as-tag:soundcloud,2010:tracks/953308078Thu, 24 Dec 2020 03:08:30 +0000James M. DorseyA projected sharp reduction in trade between the United States and China in the next two years coupled with moves to diversify supply chains potentially position Turkey alongside Vietnam, Mexico, Taiwan and Poland as competitors in efforts to reduce...549cleanfullhttps://www.spreaker.com/user/mideastsoccer/turkish-shadow-boxing-reflects-growing-rtag:soundcloud,2010:tracks/949181965Thu, 17 Dec 2020 04:48:46 +0000James M. DorseyTurkey is leveraging its successful backing of Azerbaijan’s recent war against Armenia to counter Iran in the Caucasus and gradually challenge Russia in Central Asia, the heart of what Moscow considers its backyard.683cleanfullhttps://www.spreaker.com/user/mideastsoccer/saudi-arabia-sends-joe-biden-mixed-messatag:soundcloud,2010:tracks/945517516Fri, 11 Dec 2020 10:08:10 +0000James M. DorseySaudi Arabia appears to be drawing lines in the sand as the kingdom prepares for a new era in relations with the United States once President-elect Joe Biden assumes office in January.575cleanfullhttps://www.spreaker.com/user/mideastsoccer/france-belgium-and-austria-move-into-thetag:soundcloud,2010:tracks/942311704Sun, 06 Dec 2020 06:32:43 +0000James M. DorseyPunching above its weight, the United Arab Emirates is wielding a combination of religious soft power, commercial and economic sway, and hard power in its bid to counter political Islam in ways that potentially could threaten pillars of Western...611cleanfullhttps://www.spreaker.com/user/mideastsoccer/the-muslim-world-s-changing-dynamics-pak
At the heart of the tensions, that potentially complicate Pakistan’s economic recovery, is also India’s ability to enhance Gulf states’ capacity to hedge their bets amid uncertainty about the continued US commitment to regional security.]]>tag:soundcloud,2010:tracks/938534683Mon, 30 Nov 2020 06:48:38 +0000James M. DorseyIncreasing strains between Pakistan and its traditional Arab allies, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates, is about more than Gulf states opportunistically targeting India’s far more lucrative market. At the heart of the tensions, that...
At the heart of the tensions, that potentially complicate Pakistan’s economic recovery, is also India’s ability to enhance Gulf states’ capacity to hedge their bets amid uncertainty about the continued US commitment to regional security.]]>490cleanfullhttps://www.spreaker.com/user/mideastsoccer/vision-or-mirage-saudi-arabia-at-the-cro
Rundell skilfully weaves history into a multi-layered portrait of the transformation for good and bad that Saudi Arabia is experiencing under King Salman and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.]]>tag:soundcloud,2010:tracks/936196795Thu, 26 Nov 2020 02:01:56 +0000James M. DorseyDavid Rundell brings to his book, Vision or Mirage: Saudi Arabia at the Crossroads (I. B. Tauris, 2020), a granular analysis and insider’s understanding of the inner workings of the kingdom garnered as a US foreign service officer who served a total...
Rundell skilfully weaves history into a multi-layered portrait of the transformation for good and bad that Saudi Arabia is experiencing under King Salman and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.]]>4294cleanfullhttps://www.spreaker.com/user/mideastsoccer/saudi-rushes-to-improve-its-image-in-advtag:soundcloud,2010:tracks/933250687Sat, 21 Nov 2020 03:08:14 +0000James M. DorseySaudi Arabia has taken multiple steps to polish its tarnished image in advance of this weekend’s hosting of the virtual summit of the G20 that groups the world’s foremost economies and in anticipation of an incoming Biden administration in the United...553cleanfullhttps://www.spreaker.com/user/mideastsoccer/subtly-china-pressures-gulf-states-to-retag:soundcloud,2010:tracks/931329388Wed, 18 Nov 2020 05:36:47 +0000James M. DorseyPublic debates about China’s Middle East policy are as much internal Chinese discussions as they are indications of where Beijing’s thinking is going and efforts to nudge countries like Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates to accommodate...493cleanfullhttps://www.spreaker.com/user/mideastsoccer/uae-and-israeli-settlers-find-common-grotag:soundcloud,2010:tracks/929522311Sun, 15 Nov 2020 04:42:04 +0000James M. DorseyWeakened by Joe Biden’s electoral defeat of US President Donald J. Trump, Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu risks being caught between a rock and a hard place as Jordan, the Palestine Authority and the United Arab Emirates manoeuvre for...552cleanfullhttps://www.spreaker.com/user/mideastsoccer/ceasefire-in-the-caucasus-opens-door-to-tag:soundcloud,2010:tracks/926475310Tue, 10 Nov 2020 06:31:16 +0000James M. DorseyA Russian mediated-ceasefire in the Caucasus cements a Turkish-backed Azerbaijani military defeat of Armenia but raises tantalizing questions.461cleanfullhttps://www.spreaker.com/user/mideastsoccer/conflict-in-ethiopia-extends-the-greatertag:soundcloud,2010:tracks/924192841Fri, 06 Nov 2020 02:11:19 +0000James M. DorseyEthiopia, an African darling of the international community, is sliding towards civil war as the coronavirus pandemic hardens ethnic fault lines. The consequences of prolonged hostilities could echo across East Africa, the Middle East and Europe.416cleanfullhttps://www.spreaker.com/user/mideastsoccer/michael-q-morton-masters-of-the-pearl-a-
Nov 3, 2020 / James M. Dorsey

Masters of the Pearl

A History of Qatar

REAKTION BOOKS 2020

History is not the first thing that comes to mind when one thinks of young, energy-rich monarchies of the Gulf that often punch above their weight in geopolitics and geoeconomics. Yet, that is the rich, mostly unknown story of Qatar that Michael Quentin Morton tells in his book, Masters of the Pearl: A History of Qatar (Reaktion Books, 2020).

It is a story that sheds light on a country that is ruled by an autocratic family that has wielded power for centuries and that frequently dominates headlines with its grand and often controversial ambitions, including its hosting of the 2022 World Cup, as well as its predicaments, controversies, and idiosyncrasies. Morton, author of nine books on the Gulf and oil, brings an understanding of Qatari history to the table based on extensive research and the fact that he lived as a young age in Qatar and the United Arab Emirates where his father worked as a geologist.

Morton puts into perspective Qatar’s differences with Bahrain, Saudi Arabia and the UAE that exploded in 2017 with the imposition of a diplomatic and economic boycott that its detractors unsuccessfully hoped would force Qatar to fall into line with their designs for the Gulf and the Middle East at large. Morton draws the reader in by weaving a well-written tale of tribal intrigue, regional and historic animosities, and big power rivalry.

It is a history that on the one hand illustrates the forces that have shaped Qatar and other Gulf states and on the other describes how much the region has and is changing as the result of economic and social development and wealth garnered from oil and gas. Masters of the Pearl constitutes a critical, yet compassionate contribution to an understanding of a small state that manages to punch above its weight and the stormy winds that attracts.]]>tag:soundcloud,2010:tracks/923562430Thu, 05 Nov 2020 02:44:01 +0000James M. DorseyMichael Quentin Morton Nov 3, 2020 / James M. Dorsey Masters of the Pearl A History of Qatar REAKTION BOOKS 2020 History is not the first thing that comes to mind when one thinks of young, energy-rich monarchies of the Gulf that often punch above...
Nov 3, 2020 / James M. Dorsey

Masters of the Pearl

A History of Qatar

REAKTION BOOKS 2020

History is not the first thing that comes to mind when one thinks of young, energy-rich monarchies of the Gulf that often punch above their weight in geopolitics and geoeconomics. Yet, that is the rich, mostly unknown story of Qatar that Michael Quentin Morton tells in his book, Masters of the Pearl: A History of Qatar (Reaktion Books, 2020).

It is a story that sheds light on a country that is ruled by an autocratic family that has wielded power for centuries and that frequently dominates headlines with its grand and often controversial ambitions, including its hosting of the 2022 World Cup, as well as its predicaments, controversies, and idiosyncrasies. Morton, author of nine books on the Gulf and oil, brings an understanding of Qatari history to the table based on extensive research and the fact that he lived as a young age in Qatar and the United Arab Emirates where his father worked as a geologist.

Morton puts into perspective Qatar’s differences with Bahrain, Saudi Arabia and the UAE that exploded in 2017 with the imposition of a diplomatic and economic boycott that its detractors unsuccessfully hoped would force Qatar to fall into line with their designs for the Gulf and the Middle East at large. Morton draws the reader in by weaving a well-written tale of tribal intrigue, regional and historic animosities, and big power rivalry.

It is a history that on the one hand illustrates the forces that have shaped Qatar and other Gulf states and on the other describes how much the region has and is changing as the result of economic and social development and wealth garnered from oil and gas. Masters of the Pearl constitutes a critical, yet compassionate contribution to an understanding of a small state that manages to punch above its weight and the stormy winds that attracts.]]>3494cleanfullhttps://www.spreaker.com/user/mideastsoccer/the-qatar-world-cup-dreaming-of-bridgingtag:soundcloud,2010:tracks/920771677Sat, 31 Oct 2020 04:10:07 +0000James M. DorseyWith the 2022 World Cup in Qatar only two years away, and a resolution of the three-year-old Gulf rift nowhere in sight, government officials, soccer governance executives, and pundits are playing with the notion that the tournament could serve as an...305cleanfullhttps://www.spreaker.com/user/mideastsoccer/us-secretary-of-state-pompeo-set-to-boostag:soundcloud,2010:tracks/917231114Sun, 25 Oct 2020 02:23:39 +0000James M. DorseyUS Secretary of State Mike Pompeo is set to boost efforts by the world’s largest Muslim movement to recontextualize Islam during a forthcoming visit to Indonesia as part of a three-nation Asian tour. The tour is likely to be the secretary’s last...612cleanfullhttps://www.spreaker.com/user/mideastsoccer/war-in-the-caucasus-one-more-effort-to-stag:soundcloud,2010:tracks/913084243Mon, 19 Oct 2020 07:50:54 +0000James M. DorseyFighting in the Caucasus between Azerbaijan and Armenia is about much more than deep-seated ethnic divisions and territorial disputes. It’s the latest clash designed, at least in part, to shape a new world order.501cleanfullhttps://www.spreaker.com/user/mideastsoccer/alan-chong-critical-reflections-on-china
Critical Reflections on China’s Belt and Road Initiative

PALGRAVE MACMILLAN 2020

October 16, 2020 James M. Dorsey

Political scientists Alan Chong and Quang Min Pham bring with their edited volume, Critical Reflections on China’s Belt and Road Initiative (Palgrave MacMillan, 2020), originality as well as dimensions and perspectives to the discussion about the Belt and Road that are highly relevant but often either unrecognized or underemphasized.

The book is about much more than the material aspects of China’s Belt and Road Initiative. In fact, various chapter authors use the Belt and Road to look at perhaps the most fundamental issue of our times: how does one build a global world order and societies that are inclusive, cohesive and capable of managing interests of all stakeholders as well as political, cultural, ethnic and religious differences in ways that all are recognized without prejudice and/or discrimination?d

In doing so, the book introduces a moral category into policy and policy analysis. That is an important and commendable effort even if it may be a hard sell in an increasingly polarized world in which prejudice and bias and policies that flow from it have gained new legitimacy and become mainstream in various parts of the world.
Nonetheless, it allows for the introduction of considerations that are fundamental to managing multiple current crises.

One just has to look at the pandemic the world is trying to come to grips with, the need for a global health care governance that can confront future pandemics, and the world’s environmental crisis to realize the relevance of former Singaporean diplomat and public intellectual Kishore Mahbubani’s description of the nation state system as a boat with 193 cabins and cabin administrators but no captain at the helm.

In his contributions to the book, Chong looks for answers in the experience of ancient Silk Road travellers. That may be a standard that a Belt and Road managed by an autocratic Chinese leadership that is anything but inclusive would at best struggle to meet.
That does not detract from the book being an invaluable and unique contribution to a vast literature on the Belt and Road.
________________________________________
Dr. James M. Dorsey is an award-winning journalist and a senior fellow at Nanyang Technological University’s S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies in Singapore. He is also a senior research fellow at the National University of Singapore’s Middle East Institute and the author of The Turbulent World of Middle East Soccer, a globally syndicated column and blog.]]>tag:soundcloud,2010:tracks/912051319Sat, 17 Oct 2020 04:49:31 +0000James M. DorseyALAN CHONG AND QUANG MIN PHAM Critical Reflections on China’s Belt and Road Initiative PALGRAVE MACMILLAN 2020 October 16, 2020 James M. Dorsey Political scientists Alan Chong and Quang Min Pham bring with their edited volume, Critical Reflections...
Critical Reflections on China’s Belt and Road Initiative

PALGRAVE MACMILLAN 2020

October 16, 2020 James M. Dorsey

Political scientists Alan Chong and Quang Min Pham bring with their edited volume, Critical Reflections on China’s Belt and Road Initiative (Palgrave MacMillan, 2020), originality as well as dimensions and perspectives to the discussion about the Belt and Road that are highly relevant but often either unrecognized or underemphasized.

The book is about much more than the material aspects of China’s Belt and Road Initiative. In fact, various chapter authors use the Belt and Road to look at perhaps the most fundamental issue of our times: how does one build a global world order and societies that are inclusive, cohesive and capable of managing interests of all stakeholders as well as political, cultural, ethnic and religious differences in ways that all are recognized without prejudice and/or discrimination?d

In doing so, the book introduces a moral category into policy and policy analysis. That is an important and commendable effort even if it may be a hard sell in an increasingly polarized world in which prejudice and bias and policies that flow from it have gained new legitimacy and become mainstream in various parts of the world.
Nonetheless, it allows for the introduction of considerations that are fundamental to managing multiple current crises.

One just has to look at the pandemic the world is trying to come to grips with, the need for a global health care governance that can confront future pandemics, and the world’s environmental crisis to realize the relevance of former Singaporean diplomat and public intellectual Kishore Mahbubani’s description of the nation state system as a boat with 193 cabins and cabin administrators but no captain at the helm.

In his contributions to the book, Chong looks for answers in the experience of ancient Silk Road travellers. That may be a standard that a Belt and Road managed by an autocratic Chinese leadership that is anything but inclusive would at best struggle to meet.
That does not detract from the book being an invaluable and unique contribution to a vast literature on the Belt and Road.
________________________________________
Dr. James M. Dorsey is an award-winning journalist and a senior fellow at Nanyang Technological University’s S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies in Singapore. He is also a senior research fellow at the National University of Singapore’s Middle East Institute and the author of The Turbulent World of Middle East Soccer, a globally syndicated column and blog.]]>3248cleanfullhttps://www.spreaker.com/user/mideastsoccer/the-battle-for-jerusalem-turkey-s-erdogatag:soundcloud,2010:tracks/910354903Wed, 14 Oct 2020 11:08:02 +0000James M. DorseyTurkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan didn’t mince his words at this month’s opening of parliament. In his first assertion of a claim to a lost non-Turkic part of the Ottoman empire, Mr. Erdogan declared that Jerusalem is Turkish.467cleanfullhttps://www.spreaker.com/user/mideastsoccer/changing-attitudes-towards-religiosity-atag:soundcloud,2010:tracks/908146393Sat, 10 Oct 2020 07:51:16 +0000James M. DorseyPublic opinion polling in the Arab world suggests that autocratic leaders like Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and his UAE counterpart, Mohammed bin Zayed, have gotten some things right.555cleanfullhttps://www.spreaker.com/user/mideastsoccer/saudi-chairmanship-of-g20-proves-to-be-mtag:soundcloud,2010:tracks/904851580Mon, 05 Oct 2020 08:37:21 +0000James M. DorseySaudi Arabia’s chairmanship of the Group of Twenty (G20) is proving to be a mixed blessing.1110cleanfullhttps://www.spreaker.com/user/mideastsoccer/chinas-belt-and-road-pinpoints-fundamenttag:soundcloud,2010:tracks/901426414Tue, 29 Sep 2020 07:28:34 +0000James M. DorseyPolitical scientists Alan Chong and Quang Min Pham bring with their edited volume originality as well as dimensions and perspectives to the discussion about the Belt and Road that are highly relevant but often either unrecognized or underemphasized.621cleanfullhttps://www.spreaker.com/user/mideastsoccer/shaping-palestinian-politics-the-uae-hastag:soundcloud,2010:tracks/899808349Sat, 26 Sep 2020 04:30:56 +0000James M. DorseyThe United Arab Emirates may have the upper hand in its competition with Turkey in efforts to shape Palestinian politics. Similarly, the UAE’s recognition of the Jewish state gives it a leg up in ensuring that its voice is heard in Israel and...508cleanfullhttps://www.spreaker.com/user/mideastsoccer/the-uae-israel-deal-s-historicity-is-in-tag:soundcloud,2010:tracks/898026127Wed, 23 Sep 2020 04:47:41 +0000James M. DorseyA close read of the agreement between the United Arab Emirates and Israel suggests that the Jewish state has won far more than diplomatic recognition. It won acknowledgement of its claim to historic Jewish rights. By the same token, the UAE has...635cleanfullhttps://www.spreaker.com/user/mideastsoccer/controversial-israeli-soccer-club-may-betag:soundcloud,2010:tracks/896729758Mon, 21 Sep 2020 01:42:15 +0000James M. DorseyAn Emirati offer to invest in Israel’s most controversial soccer club could serve as a figurative litmus test of hopes that Arab recognition of the Jewish state may persuade it to be more empathetic towards Palestinian national aspirations.488cleanfullhttps://www.spreaker.com/user/mideastsoccer/will-they-or-won-t-they-saudi-recognitiotag:soundcloud,2010:tracks/893793757Tue, 15 Sep 2020 18:29:35 +0000James M. DorseyWill the Saudis formalize relations with Israel or will they not? That is the 64,000-dollar question.666cleanfullhttps://www.spreaker.com/user/mideastsoccer/uae-recognition-of-israel-dents-emirati-tag:soundcloud,2010:tracks/890684953Thu, 10 Sep 2020 02:09:49 +0000James M. DorseyThe United Arab Emirates’ establishment of diplomatic relations with Israel is damaging its efforts to garner religious soft power by projecting itself as a model of Islamic moderation and tolerance and a force for peace. The UAE move has sparked...585cleanfullhttps://www.spreaker.com/user/mideastsoccer/china-could-signal-increased-engagement-tag:soundcloud,2010:tracks/889647802Tue, 08 Sep 2020 09:29:20 +0000James M. DorseyHere are two potential indicators of Chinese interest in moving ahead with a proposed US$400 billion economic and military cooperation agreement with Iran: a Chinese push for Iranian membership in the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) and...539cleanfullhttps://www.spreaker.com/user/mideastsoccer/the-tumultuous-decade-arab-public-opinio
The Tumultuous Decade: Arab Public Opinion and the Upheavals of 2010–2019

STEUBEN PRESS 2020

September 4, 2020 James M. Dorsey

James Zogby’s The Tumultuous Decade: Arab Public Opinion and the Upheavals of 2010–2019 (Steuben Press, 2020) takes the reader on a decade-long tour of the Middle East as the region reverberates from popular revolts that toppled long-standing dictators, civil and proxy wars that sparked some of the world’s worst humanitarian crises, foreign interventions and seemingly intractable power struggles.

It does so through the eyes of ordinary Arabs, Iranians, and Turks rather than the region’s political elites. Zogby’s ability to tease out a sense of public opinion in a part of the world in which freedom of expression and freedom of the media are rare quantities constitutes an important contribution to the literature and understanding of a region that often seems too complex and intricate to easily wrap one’s head around.

In a world of autocracy, repression and conflict, polls often offer ordinary citizens a rare opportunity to express an opinion. Zogby demonstrates that autocratic and authoritarian leaders frequently ignore public opinion but track it closely and at times are swayed by what the public thinks and wants. Years of polling also demonstrates that failure to understand public sentiment and/or take it into account produces misinformed and misguided policies not only by rulers in the region but also governments like that of the United States.

Zogby’s discussion of Iraq since the 2003 US invasion that toppled Saddam Hussein illustrates the point. So does his analysis of polling of attitudes over several years in countries that overthrew their leaders during the 2011 popular Arab revolts as well as of perceptions of Iran and Palestinians incapable of wresting themselves from Israeli occupation. Zogby’s book offers a different look at the Middle East, one that offers fresh insights on the basis of citizens’ aspirations rather than what authoritarian and often corrupt elites would like the world to believe.

James Zogby is director of Zogby Research Services, a firm that has conducted groundbreaking surveys across the Middle East, and the founder and president of the Washington, DC-based Arab American Institute.

James M. Dorsey is a senior fellow at Nanyang Technological University S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies and the National University of Singapore’s Middle East Institute. He is the author of the syndicated, column, blog and podcast, The Turbulent World of Middle East Soccer]]>tag:soundcloud,2010:tracks/888056947Sat, 05 Sep 2020 03:05:45 +0000James M. DorseyJAMES ZOGBY The Tumultuous Decade: Arab Public Opinion and the Upheavals of 2010–2019 STEUBEN PRESS 2020 September 4, 2020 James M. Dorsey James Zogby’s The Tumultuous Decade: Arab Public Opinion and the Upheavals of 2010–2019 (Steuben Press,...
The Tumultuous Decade: Arab Public Opinion and the Upheavals of 2010–2019

STEUBEN PRESS 2020

September 4, 2020 James M. Dorsey

James Zogby’s The Tumultuous Decade: Arab Public Opinion and the Upheavals of 2010–2019 (Steuben Press, 2020) takes the reader on a decade-long tour of the Middle East as the region reverberates from popular revolts that toppled long-standing dictators, civil and proxy wars that sparked some of the world’s worst humanitarian crises, foreign interventions and seemingly intractable power struggles.

It does so through the eyes of ordinary Arabs, Iranians, and Turks rather than the region’s political elites. Zogby’s ability to tease out a sense of public opinion in a part of the world in which freedom of expression and freedom of the media are rare quantities constitutes an important contribution to the literature and understanding of a region that often seems too complex and intricate to easily wrap one’s head around.

In a world of autocracy, repression and conflict, polls often offer ordinary citizens a rare opportunity to express an opinion. Zogby demonstrates that autocratic and authoritarian leaders frequently ignore public opinion but track it closely and at times are swayed by what the public thinks and wants. Years of polling also demonstrates that failure to understand public sentiment and/or take it into account produces misinformed and misguided policies not only by rulers in the region but also governments like that of the United States.

Zogby’s discussion of Iraq since the 2003 US invasion that toppled Saddam Hussein illustrates the point. So does his analysis of polling of attitudes over several years in countries that overthrew their leaders during the 2011 popular Arab revolts as well as of perceptions of Iran and Palestinians incapable of wresting themselves from Israeli occupation. Zogby’s book offers a different look at the Middle East, one that offers fresh insights on the basis of citizens’ aspirations rather than what authoritarian and often corrupt elites would like the world to believe.

James Zogby is director of Zogby Research Services, a firm that has conducted groundbreaking surveys across the Middle East, and the founder and president of the Washington, DC-based Arab American Institute.

James M. Dorsey is a senior fellow at Nanyang Technological University S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies and the National University of Singapore’s Middle East Institute. He is the author of the syndicated, column, blog and podcast, The Turbulent World of Middle East Soccer]]>4231cleanfullhttps://www.spreaker.com/user/mideastsoccer/uae-geopolitical-gamble-keeps-palestiniatag:soundcloud,2010:tracks/885460513Tue, 01 Sep 2020 05:23:43 +0000James M. DorseyThe decision by the UAE to establish diplomatic relations with Israel keeps a negotiated solution with Palestine on life support. There is no indication that forging relations with Israel will be more successful in nudging the Jewish state towards...600cleanfullhttps://www.spreaker.com/user/mideastsoccer/pakistan-saudi-spat-hitting-the-kingdom-tag:soundcloud,2010:tracks/881523685Tue, 25 Aug 2020 03:28:15 +0000James M. DorseyA rift between Pakistan and Saudi Arabia throws into sharp relief deepening fissures in the Muslim world. Coupled with the establishment of diplomatic relations between Israel and the United Arab Emirates, and a myriad of other conflicts in the Middle...641cleanfullhttps://www.spreaker.com/user/mideastsoccer/ignore-at-your-peril-palestine-ranks-higtag:soundcloud,2010:tracks/880512568Sun, 23 Aug 2020 06:00:20 +0000James M. DorseyRare polling of public opinion in Saudi Arabia suggests that Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman may be more sensitive to domestic public opinion on foreign policy issues such as Palestine than he lets on. The polling also indicates that a substantial...482cleanfullhttps://www.spreaker.com/user/mideastsoccer/playing-with-fire-china-fuels-middle-eastag:soundcloud,2010:tracks/877582906Tue, 18 Aug 2020 00:26:55 +0000James M. DorseyUnfettered Chinese support for Saudi Arabia’s so far peaceful nuclear energy program risks fueling a burgeoning Middle East arms race amid concerns that the 2015 Iranian nuclear agreement is all but dead, Turkey suggesting it has the right to develop...608cleanfullhttps://www.spreaker.com/user/mideastsoccer/whither-the-arab-and-the-muslim-worldtag:soundcloud,2010:tracks/875716873Fri, 14 Aug 2020 13:00:28 +0000James M. DorseyAn agreement to establish diplomatic relations between the United Arab Emirates and Israel and a Saudi-Pakistani spat over Kashmir coupled with feuds among Gulf states and between Turkey, the kingdom, and the Emirates drive nails into the notion that...444cleanfullhttps://www.spreaker.com/user/mideastsoccer/rejiggering-gulf-security-china-s-game-otag:soundcloud,2010:tracks/873751105Tue, 11 Aug 2020 03:35:03 +0000James M. DorseyChina and Saudi Arabia are engaged in a complex game of shadow boxing to shape a future security framework for the Gulf designed to contain regional conflicts. In a bid to ensure plausible deniability, the boxers are for now intellectuals and...573cleanfullhttps://www.spreaker.com/user/mideastsoccer/saudi-sports-diplomacy-a-train-barrellintag:soundcloud,2010:tracks/869871088Tue, 04 Aug 2020 08:31:12 +0000James M. DorseySaudi efforts to position the kingdom as a key player in global soccer resembles a train crashing multiple times with the locomotive continuing to barrel ever closer to an abyss552cleanfullhttps://www.spreaker.com/user/mideastsoccer/danyel-reiche-and-tamir-sorek-sport-poli
Sport, Politics, and Society in the Middle East

OXFORD UNIVERSITY PRESS 2019

July 29, 2020 James M. Dorsey

Sports scholars Danyel Reiche and Tamir Sorek’s edited volume, Sport, Politics, and Society in the Middle East (Oxford University Press, 2019), makes a significant contribution to what remains a largely understudied, yet critically important segment of Middle Eastern political and social life. It does so by discussing in eleven chapters multiple aspects and consequences of the region’s incestuous relationship between sports and politics. These range from corruption, the role of the private sector, an emphasis on elite sports and projection of the state at the expense of grassroots sports to battles for identity expressed among others in memories to how sports chants in Israel reflect society’s political and social moods as well as it fault lines, the struggle of women to overcome deeply entrenched social modes and how social media helps them with branding. The edited volume is not only an at times ethnographic dive into Middle Eastern sports’ multiple facets but also in many ways a mapping of how much remains to be explored. This is a volume that should attract the attention of anyone who is interested in the Middle East, sports and/or gender issues as well as readers whose focus is a specific country like Turkey, Israel, Palestine or Jordan or a group of nations like the Gulf states. Whatever one’s preference is, Reiche and Sorek have produced a volume rich in texture, insight and breadth that is likely to prompt the reader to think differently about the political and societal importance of Middle Eastern sports.

Dr. James M. Dorsey is an award-winning journalist and a senior fellow at Nanyang Technological University’s S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies in Singapore. He is also a senior research fellow at the National University of Singapore’s Middle East Institute and co-director of the University of Wuerzburg’s Institute of Fan Culture in Germany.]]>tag:soundcloud,2010:tracks/868709929Sun, 02 Aug 2020 03:06:02 +0000James M. DorseyDANYEL REICHE AND TAMIR SOREK Sport, Politics, and Society in the Middle East OXFORD UNIVERSITY PRESS 2019 July 29, 2020 James M. Dorsey Sports scholars Danyel Reiche and Tamir Sorek’s edited volume, Sport, Politics, and Society in the Middle East...
Sport, Politics, and Society in the Middle East

OXFORD UNIVERSITY PRESS 2019

July 29, 2020 James M. Dorsey

Sports scholars Danyel Reiche and Tamir Sorek’s edited volume, Sport, Politics, and Society in the Middle East (Oxford University Press, 2019), makes a significant contribution to what remains a largely understudied, yet critically important segment of Middle Eastern political and social life. It does so by discussing in eleven chapters multiple aspects and consequences of the region’s incestuous relationship between sports and politics. These range from corruption, the role of the private sector, an emphasis on elite sports and projection of the state at the expense of grassroots sports to battles for identity expressed among others in memories to how sports chants in Israel reflect society’s political and social moods as well as it fault lines, the struggle of women to overcome deeply entrenched social modes and how social media helps them with branding. The edited volume is not only an at times ethnographic dive into Middle Eastern sports’ multiple facets but also in many ways a mapping of how much remains to be explored. This is a volume that should attract the attention of anyone who is interested in the Middle East, sports and/or gender issues as well as readers whose focus is a specific country like Turkey, Israel, Palestine or Jordan or a group of nations like the Gulf states. Whatever one’s preference is, Reiche and Sorek have produced a volume rich in texture, insight and breadth that is likely to prompt the reader to think differently about the political and societal importance of Middle Eastern sports.

Dr. James M. Dorsey is an award-winning journalist and a senior fellow at Nanyang Technological University’s S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies in Singapore. He is also a senior research fellow at the National University of Singapore’s Middle East Institute and co-director of the University of Wuerzburg’s Institute of Fan Culture in Germany.]]>3967cleanfullhttps://www.spreaker.com/user/mideastsoccer/danyel-reiche-and-tamir-sorek-sport-poli_1
Sport, Politics, and Society in the Middle East

OXFORD UNIVERSITY PRESS 2019

July 29, 2020 James M. Dorsey

Sports scholars Danyel Reiche and Tamir Sorek’s edited volume, Sport, Politics, and Society in the Middle East (Oxford University Press, 2019), makes a significant contribution to what remains a largely understudied, yet critically important segment of Middle Eastern political and social life. It does so by discussing in eleven chapters multiple aspects and consequences of the region’s incestuous relationship between sports and politics. These range from corruption, the role of the private sector, an emphasis on elite sports and projection of the state at the expense of grassroots sports to battles for identity expressed among others in memories to how sports chants in Israel reflect society’s political and social moods as well as it fault lines, the struggle of women to overcome deeply entrenched social modes and how social media helps them with branding. The edited volume is not only an at times ethnographic dive into Middle Eastern sports’ multiple facets but also in many ways a mapping of how much remains to be explored. This is a volume that should attract the attention of anyone who is interested in the Middle East, sports and/or gender issues as well as readers whose focus is a specific country like Turkey, Israel, Palestine or Jordan or a group of nations like the Gulf states. Whatever one’s preference is, Reiche and Sorek have produced a volume rich in texture, insight and breadth that is likely to prompt the reader to think differently about the political and societal importance of Middle Eastern sports.

Dr. James M. Dorsey is an award-winning journalist and a senior fellow at Nanyang Technological University’s S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies in Singapore. He is also a senior research fellow at the National University of Singapore’s Middle East Institute and co-director of the University of Wuerzburg’s Institute of Fan Culture in Germany.]]>tag:soundcloud,2010:tracks/868709185Sun, 02 Aug 2020 03:03:36 +0000James M. DorseyDANYEL REICHE AND TAMIR SOREK Sport, Politics, and Society in the Middle East OXFORD UNIVERSITY PRESS 2019 July 29, 2020 James M. Dorsey Sports scholars Danyel Reiche and Tamir Sorek’s edited volume, Sport, Politics, and Society in the Middle East...
Sport, Politics, and Society in the Middle East

OXFORD UNIVERSITY PRESS 2019

July 29, 2020 James M. Dorsey

Sports scholars Danyel Reiche and Tamir Sorek’s edited volume, Sport, Politics, and Society in the Middle East (Oxford University Press, 2019), makes a significant contribution to what remains a largely understudied, yet critically important segment of Middle Eastern political and social life. It does so by discussing in eleven chapters multiple aspects and consequences of the region’s incestuous relationship between sports and politics. These range from corruption, the role of the private sector, an emphasis on elite sports and projection of the state at the expense of grassroots sports to battles for identity expressed among others in memories to how sports chants in Israel reflect society’s political and social moods as well as it fault lines, the struggle of women to overcome deeply entrenched social modes and how social media helps them with branding. The edited volume is not only an at times ethnographic dive into Middle Eastern sports’ multiple facets but also in many ways a mapping of how much remains to be explored. This is a volume that should attract the attention of anyone who is interested in the Middle East, sports and/or gender issues as well as readers whose focus is a specific country like Turkey, Israel, Palestine or Jordan or a group of nations like the Gulf states. Whatever one’s preference is, Reiche and Sorek have produced a volume rich in texture, insight and breadth that is likely to prompt the reader to think differently about the political and societal importance of Middle Eastern sports.

Dr. James M. Dorsey is an award-winning journalist and a senior fellow at Nanyang Technological University’s S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies in Singapore. He is also a senior research fellow at the National University of Singapore’s Middle East Institute and co-director of the University of Wuerzburg’s Institute of Fan Culture in Germany.]]>3967cleanfullhttps://www.spreaker.com/user/mideastsoccer/indonesia-a-major-prize-in-the-battle-fotag:soundcloud,2010:tracks/867065398Thu, 30 Jul 2020 11:05:23 +0000James M. DorseySaudi support of religious ultra-conservatism in Indonesia contradicts Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman’s promotion of an undefined form of moderate Islam intended to project his kingdom as tolerant, innovative, and forward-looking. It also suggests...1001cleanfullhttps://www.spreaker.com/user/mideastsoccer/breaking-with-the-past-china-hints-at-grtag:soundcloud,2010:tracks/865876591Tue, 28 Jul 2020 10:19:16 +0000James M. DorseyChina is contemplating greater political engagement in the Middle East in what would constitute a break with its longstanding effort to avoid being sucked into the region’s myriad conflicts and a bid to counter mounting US pressure to force Gulf...495cleanfullhttps://www.spreaker.com/user/mideastsoccer/jmd-on-nbn-the-gulf-region-and-israel-by


Shunned by Arab states for much of its existence, Israel has become in recent years a key factor in efforts by Gulf states to punch above their weight, shape the greater Middle East in their mould, box in countries like Iran and Turkey, and manage their reputations in Washington and ties to the United States.



A keen student of the region, Neubauer clearly lays out the limitations of burgeoning alliances in the absence of the resolution of the Middle East’s myriad conflicts among which are the dispute between Israelis and Palestinians and the rift between Gulf states.



In doing so, he has written an easily accessible book that is must read for anyone, even those with only a cursory interest in a part of the world that too often impacts the lives of those far beyond its boundaries.



Sigurd Neubauer is an internationally recognized authority on the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), Persian Gulf Security, U.S.-Arab relations, Middle East politics, Arab-Israeli relations, Afghanistan, and U.S. defense industry. His expertise also includes NATO, Norwegian defense policy and transatlantic relations.



James M. Dorsey is a senior fellow at Singapore’s S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies, adjunct senior fellow at the National University of Singapore’s Middle East Institute and the author of the globally syndicated column and blog, The Turbulent World of Middle East Soccer.]]>tag:soundcloud,2010:tracks/864168343Sat, 25 Jul 2020 02:18:38 +0000James M. DorseyGulf scholar Sigurd Neubauer’s The Gulf Region and Israel: Old Struggles, New Alliances makes a significant contribution to our understanding of what drives shifting alliances in the Middle East, an ever more volatile part of the world. Shunned by...


Shunned by Arab states for much of its existence, Israel has become in recent years a key factor in efforts by Gulf states to punch above their weight, shape the greater Middle East in their mould, box in countries like Iran and Turkey, and manage their reputations in Washington and ties to the United States.



A keen student of the region, Neubauer clearly lays out the limitations of burgeoning alliances in the absence of the resolution of the Middle East’s myriad conflicts among which are the dispute between Israelis and Palestinians and the rift between Gulf states.



In doing so, he has written an easily accessible book that is must read for anyone, even those with only a cursory interest in a part of the world that too often impacts the lives of those far beyond its boundaries.



Sigurd Neubauer is an internationally recognized authority on the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), Persian Gulf Security, U.S.-Arab relations, Middle East politics, Arab-Israeli relations, Afghanistan, and U.S. defense industry. His expertise also includes NATO, Norwegian defense policy and transatlantic relations.



James M. Dorsey is a senior fellow at Singapore’s S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies, adjunct senior fellow at the National University of Singapore’s Middle East Institute and the author of the globally syndicated column and blog, The Turbulent World of Middle East Soccer.]]>3546cleanfullhttps://www.spreaker.com/user/mideastsoccer/flying-under-the-radar-iran-russian-and-tag:soundcloud,2010:tracks/862328035Wed, 22 Jul 2020 05:51:07 +0000James M. DorseyIran, together with India and Russia, is pushing forward with a sea and rail corridor that could substantially reduce the time and cost of shipping goods from India to Europe. If successful, the corridor could challenge the Suez Canal’s primacy and...576cleanfullhttps://www.spreaker.com/user/mideastsoccer/the-china-iran-deal-it-s-not-about-busintag:soundcloud,2010:tracks/859663876Fri, 17 Jul 2020 12:14:52 +0000James M. DorseyHobbled by harsh US sanctions and a global economic downturn, Iran has discovered a new opportunity: hot air that carries messages to its opponents. China, albeit far less economically impaired, sees virtue in the business too.538cleanfullhttps://www.spreaker.com/user/mideastsoccer/palestine-plays-regional-power-politics-tag:soundcloud,2010:tracks/858231256Wed, 15 Jul 2020 05:48:08 +0000James M. DorseyA Palestinian move to secure Palestine’s energy needs by tying them to high-stakes Turkish regional gambits constitutes an effort to reduce Palestinian dependence on Israel at a time when the Jewish state is looking at annexing parts of the occupied...459cleanfullhttps://www.spreaker.com/user/mideastsoccer/on-the-front-lines-middle-eastern-rivalstag:soundcloud,2010:tracks/854068789Wed, 08 Jul 2020 03:45:45 +0000James M. DorseyAlready at the core of the Israel-Palestinian conflict, Jerusalem is emerging as yet another frontline in the struggle for regional hegemony in the Middle East. With its annexationist policies, Israel is backing Saudi and UAE efforts to counter...626cleanfullhttps://www.spreaker.com/user/mideastsoccer/turning-gulf-security-upside-downtag:soundcloud,2010:tracks/852889684Mon, 06 Jul 2020 04:44:38 +0000James M. DorseyResolving the tug of war in the Middle East will require a backing away from approaches that treat conflicts as zero-sum games, and engagement by all regional and external players. To achieve that, players would have to recognise that in many ways,...1261cleanfullhttps://www.spreaker.com/user/mideastsoccer/economic-crisis-does-little-to-dampen-motag:soundcloud,2010:tracks/850032958Wed, 01 Jul 2020 04:10:08 +0000James M. DorseyThe hiring by Saudi Arabia of an international public relations firm to counter doubts about Mohammed bin Salman’s $500 billion USD dream of a futuristic city on the Red Sea suggests that the kingdom’s economic and financial crisis has not dampened...537cleanfullhttps://www.spreaker.com/user/mideastsoccer/gulf-states-beware-chinese-policy-toward
Geography was but one reason why China favoured the strategic island that straddles one of the Indian Ocean’s busiest shipping routes.]]>tag:soundcloud,2010:tracks/847677649Sat, 27 Jun 2020 03:25:27 +0000James M. DorseyChina was quick to aid coronavirus-stricken Sri Lanka. Chinese magnanimity and speed in responding to the Indian Ocean island’s request contrasted starkly with Beijing’s more measured response to Africa’s needs, widely expected to be the pandemic’s...
Geography was but one reason why China favoured the strategic island that straddles one of the Indian Ocean’s busiest shipping routes.]]>502cleanfullhttps://www.spreaker.com/user/mideastsoccer/us-china-rivalry-gulf-states-struggle-totag:soundcloud,2010:tracks/845766946Wed, 24 Jun 2020 05:28:45 +0000James M. DorseyThe Trump administration’s quest to curb relationships between its allies in the Middle East and China offers a preview of how big power rivalry in the region is likely to unfold. It also suggests the limits on the United States’ ability to reduce its...500cleanfullhttps://www.spreaker.com/user/mideastsoccer/hedging-bets-turkey-positions-itself-as-
The Turkish effort comes two weeks after President Recep Tayyip Erdogan heralded a new era in long-strained relations with Washington.]]>tag:soundcloud,2010:tracks/844578892Mon, 22 Jun 2020 06:59:32 +0000James M. DorseyA Turkish-US business council is projecting Turkey as a trading alternative to China with the help of influential US Republican Senator Lindsey Graham, a close associate of President Donald J. Trump. The Turkish effort comes two weeks after...
The Turkish effort comes two weeks after President Recep Tayyip Erdogan heralded a new era in long-strained relations with Washington.]]>559cleanfullhttps://www.spreaker.com/user/mideastsoccer/fragile-big-power-relationships-add-to-mtag:soundcloud,2010:tracks/842903479Fri, 19 Jun 2020 04:30:16 +0000James M. DorseyA web of relationships between Turkey, Russia, Iran, and China have to a significant degree shaped Middle Eastern and North African geopolitics. The fragility of those relationships, however, begs the question whether fluidity in regional geopolitics...481cleanfullhttps://www.spreaker.com/user/mideastsoccer/uae-targets-turkey-and-qatar-in-the-meditag:soundcloud,2010:tracks/839827747Sun, 14 Jun 2020 05:06:39 +0000James M. DorseyEurope is progressively being sucked into the Middle East and North Africa’s myriad conflicts. As if wars on its doorstep in Libya and Syria were not enough, UAE support for an Eastern Mediterranean pipeline that could hurt Qatar economically —...563cleanfullhttps://www.spreaker.com/user/mideastsoccer/syria-lures-but-will-china-bitetag:soundcloud,2010:tracks/838592668Fri, 12 Jun 2020 01:11:53 +0000James M. DorseyChina looms large as a potentially key player alongside Russia and Iran in President Bashas al-Assad’s post-war Syria. With Russia and Iran lacking the financial muscle and the United States and Europe refusing to engage with the Al-Assad regime,...1134cleanfullhttps://www.spreaker.com/user/mideastsoccer/confronting-a-pandemic-of-crises-few-midtag:soundcloud,2010:tracks/837357337Wed, 10 Jun 2020 03:34:33 +0000James M. DorseyThe Middle East is at a crossroads. The coronavirus pandemic and its economic fallout confronts regional leaders with a stark choice: dial down tensions to open the door toward cooperation in tackling existential challenges or risk ever more...583cleanfullhttps://www.spreaker.com/user/mideastsoccer/iranian-naval-activity-shines-light-on-ctag:soundcloud,2010:tracks/835219711Sat, 06 Jun 2020 13:43:44 +0000James M. DorseyIranian naval activity in the Gulf and Turkish maritime expansion in the Eastern Mediterranean have hogged the limelight, but Russian and Gulf policymakers are also watching with Argus eyes moves by the Islamic Republic in the Caspian Sea.482cleanfullhttps://www.spreaker.com/user/mideastsoccer/gulf-sands-shift-as-anchors-of-regional-tag:soundcloud,2010:tracks/833170363Wed, 03 Jun 2020 04:49:51 +0000James M. DorseyRejiggering security arrangements in the Gulf may be a more pressing issue than meets the eye. That is not good news for the Gulf states. It is also bad news for China, which could see the rug pulled out from under its studious effort to remain on the...571cleanfullhttps://www.spreaker.com/user/mideastsoccer/israel-china-relations-staring-into-the-
Echoing a US warning two decades ago that Israeli dealings with China jeopardized the country’s relationship with the United States, Mr. Pompeo’s trip solidified Israel’s position at the cusp of the widening US-Chinese divide.]]>tag:soundcloud,2010:tracks/831455155Sun, 31 May 2020 05:06:59 +0000James M. DorseyIsrael knew the drill even before US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo boarded his flight to Tel Aviv earlier this month four days after the death of his father. It was Mr. Pompeo’s first and only overseas trip since March. Echoing a US warning two...
Echoing a US warning two decades ago that Israeli dealings with China jeopardized the country’s relationship with the United States, Mr. Pompeo’s trip solidified Israel’s position at the cusp of the widening US-Chinese divide.]]>512cleanfullhttps://www.spreaker.com/user/mideastsoccer/will-gulf-states-learn-from-their-succestag:soundcloud,2010:tracks/829516183Thu, 28 May 2020 03:06:28 +0000James M. DorseyBy and large, Gulf states garnered public trust with degrees of transparency in their handling of the pandemic and its associated economic crisis. Retaining that trust going forward will depend on Gulf rulers’ willingness to embrace transparency when...636cleanfullhttps://www.spreaker.com/user/mideastsoccer/what-do-donald-trump-and-ultra-conservattag:soundcloud,2010:tracks/828461680Tue, 26 May 2020 16:34:13 +0000James M. DorseyUS President Donald J. Trump and ultra-conservative Pakistani religious scholars may have more in common than either would want to admit: a belief that congregation is an essential pillar of prayer irrespective of public health concerns.627cleanfullhttps://www.spreaker.com/user/mideastsoccer/uae-turkish-rivalry-wreaks-regional-havotag:soundcloud,2010:tracks/826256362Sat, 23 May 2020 03:48:01 +0000James M. DorseyThe United Arab Emirates and Turkey are locked into a regional power struggle that has fuelled conflict in Libya and could spark renewed fighting in Syria. It is a struggle, like that between Saudi Arabia and Iran, that threatens to keep the Middle...451cleanfullhttps://www.spreaker.com/user/mideastsoccer/israel-shines-in-the-gulf-where-big-powetag:soundcloud,2010:tracks/823713619Tue, 19 May 2020 13:51:03 +0000James M. DorseyIsrael is proving to Gulf states that it is a more reliable partner in some respects than big powers like the United States, China, or Russia. But the limits of cooperation with Israel could come to the forefront at a time of economic crisis in which...452cleanfullhttps://www.spreaker.com/user/mideastsoccer/the-potential-dark-side-of-the-militariztag:soundcloud,2010:tracks/822812539Mon, 18 May 2020 07:32:23 +0000James M. DorseyThe coronavirus pandemic’s economic fallout calls into question Gulf states’ ability to fund a brewing, costly regional arms race. That in turn could not only reshape their geopolitical posture but also efforts to make the military a pillar of a new...505cleanfullhttps://www.spreaker.com/user/mideastsoccer/us-military-drawdown-in-saudi-arabia-thrtag:soundcloud,2010:tracks/819382375Wed, 13 May 2020 05:32:22 +0000James M. DorseyOne thing is certain: the recent US military pullback from Saudi Arabia will fuel a brewing arms race in the Middle East at a time that the region, struggling with the public health and devastating economic fallout of the coronavirus pandemic, can...487cleanfullhttps://www.spreaker.com/user/mideastsoccer/an-outbreak-anywhere-is-an-outbreak-evertag:soundcloud,2010:tracks/817995226Mon, 11 May 2020 06:27:55 +0000James M. DorseyIf New York governor Andrew. Cuomo learnt anything from his delayed response to the coronavirus pandemic, it was that “an outbreak anywhere is an outbreak everywhere.”1080cleanfullhttps://www.spreaker.com/user/mideastsoccer/ibrahim-fraihat-iran-and-saudi-arabia-taIran and Saudi Arabia
Taming a Chaotic Conflict
EDINBURGH UNIVERSITY PRESS 2020
May 5, 2020 James M. Dorsey

Ibrahim Fraihat’s latest book, Iran and Saudi Arabia: Taming a Chaotic Conflict (Edinburgh University Press, 2020) is much more than an exploration of the history of animosity between Saudi Arabia and Iran and its debilitating impact on an already volatile Middle East. It is a detailed roadmap for management and resolution of what increasingly looks like an intractable conflict. Based on years of field research, Fraihat builds a framework that initially could help Saudi Arabia and Iran prevent their conflict from spinning out of control, create mechanisms for communication and travel down a road of confidence building that could create building blocks for a resolution. Fraihat’s book could not have been published at a more critical moment. A devastating coronavirus pandemic has hit both Saudi Arabia and Iran hard. So has the associated global economic breakdown and the collapse of oil markets. The double whammies constitute the most existential crisis the kingdom has faced in at least half a century. They hit Iran particularly hard as it labours under harsh US sanctions. Fraihat offers a roadmap that would allow Saudi Arabia and Iran to ultimately extricate themselves from costly proxy wars in Yemen, Syria and Libya. By providing a detailed roadmap, Fraihat’s book makes a major contribution not only to a vast literature of conflict in the Middle East but also to policymakers in Saudi Arabia and as well as would-be mediators.

________________________________________
James M. Dorsey is a senior fellow at Nanyang Technological University S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies and the National University of Singapore’s Middle East Institute.]]>tag:soundcloud,2010:tracks/815263981Thu, 07 May 2020 03:57:08 +0000James M. DorseyIBRAHIM FRAIHAT Iran and Saudi Arabia Taming a Chaotic Conflict EDINBURGH UNIVERSITY PRESS 2020 May 5, 2020 James M. Dorsey Ibrahim Fraihat’s latest book, Iran and Saudi Arabia: Taming a Chaotic Conflict (Edinburgh University Press, 2020) is much...Iran and Saudi Arabia
Taming a Chaotic Conflict
EDINBURGH UNIVERSITY PRESS 2020
May 5, 2020 James M. Dorsey

Ibrahim Fraihat’s latest book, Iran and Saudi Arabia: Taming a Chaotic Conflict (Edinburgh University Press, 2020) is much more than an exploration of the history of animosity between Saudi Arabia and Iran and its debilitating impact on an already volatile Middle East. It is a detailed roadmap for management and resolution of what increasingly looks like an intractable conflict. Based on years of field research, Fraihat builds a framework that initially could help Saudi Arabia and Iran prevent their conflict from spinning out of control, create mechanisms for communication and travel down a road of confidence building that could create building blocks for a resolution. Fraihat’s book could not have been published at a more critical moment. A devastating coronavirus pandemic has hit both Saudi Arabia and Iran hard. So has the associated global economic breakdown and the collapse of oil markets. The double whammies constitute the most existential crisis the kingdom has faced in at least half a century. They hit Iran particularly hard as it labours under harsh US sanctions. Fraihat offers a roadmap that would allow Saudi Arabia and Iran to ultimately extricate themselves from costly proxy wars in Yemen, Syria and Libya. By providing a detailed roadmap, Fraihat’s book makes a major contribution not only to a vast literature of conflict in the Middle East but also to policymakers in Saudi Arabia and as well as would-be mediators.

________________________________________
James M. Dorsey is a senior fellow at Nanyang Technological University S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies and the National University of Singapore’s Middle East Institute.]]>4105cleanfullhttps://www.spreaker.com/user/mideastsoccer/gulf-security-arab-gulf-states-have-no-gtag:soundcloud,2010:tracks/813937429Tue, 05 May 2020 10:43:46 +0000James M. DorseyThe coronavirus pandemic and its economic fallout may rewrite the security as well as the political and economic map of the Middle East. The crisis will probably color Gulf attitudes towards the region’s major external players: the United States,...523cleanfullhttps://www.spreaker.com/user/mideastsoccer/saudi-arabia-s-problems-not-just-a-pande
However, looming large on the horizon is a potential rift with the United States as a result of the kingdom’s price war with Russia that contributed to the collapse of oil markets and an existential crisis for America’s shale industry.]]>tag:soundcloud,2010:tracks/808941589Tue, 28 Apr 2020 13:16:07 +0000James M. DorseySaudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman may feel that the global pandemic and its economic fallout are the more immediate of his problems as the kingdom gradually lifts restrictions put in place to stymie the spread of the coronavirus. However,...
However, looming large on the horizon is a potential rift with the United States as a result of the kingdom’s price war with Russia that contributed to the collapse of oil markets and an existential crisis for America’s shale industry.]]>415cleanfullhttps://www.spreaker.com/user/mideastsoccer/pandemic-threatens-to-drive-wedge-into-utag:soundcloud,2010:tracks/808131433Mon, 27 Apr 2020 11:44:47 +0000James M. DorseyIt is early days, but first indications are that the global pandemic is entrenching long-drawn Middle Eastern geopolitical, political, ethnic, and sectarian battle lines rather than serving as a vehicle to build bridges and build confidence.522cleanfullhttps://www.spreaker.com/user/mideastsoccer/middle-eastern-juxtapositions-the-phone-
The ministry was convinced that Israel, with whom Armenia shared an experience of genocide, were natural allies.

The ministry waited in vain. Israel never made the call.]]>tag:soundcloud,2010:tracks/806638534Sat, 25 Apr 2020 05:03:56 +0000James M. DorseyPopulated by fluent Hebrew speakers, the Israel desk of Armenia’s foreign ministry waited back in 1991 in the wake of the collapse of the Soviet Union for a phone call that never came. The ministry was convinced that Israel, with whom Armenia shared...
The ministry was convinced that Israel, with whom Armenia shared an experience of genocide, were natural allies.

The ministry waited in vain. Israel never made the call.]]>466cleanfullhttps://www.spreaker.com/user/mideastsoccer/dialogue-of-the-deaf-drives-escalating-utag:soundcloud,2010:tracks/803782171Tue, 21 Apr 2020 12:44:40 +0000James M. DorseyThe United States and Iran, acting on perceptions of one another that seem to be engraved in stone, are on a collision course that could have devastating consequences for Arab Gulf states and Iraq. The risk is magnified by each one’s adoption of...470cleanfullhttps://www.spreaker.com/user/mideastsoccer/saudi-arabia-rolls-the-dice-with-bid-fortag:soundcloud,2010:tracks/800764321Fri, 17 Apr 2020 12:03:09 +0000James M. DorseySaudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman has rolled the dice with a US$ 374 million bid to acquire storied British soccer club Newcastle United.448cleanfullhttps://www.spreaker.com/user/mideastsoccer/us-saudi-oil-clash-sets-stage-for-futuretag:soundcloud,2010:tracks/798275758Tue, 14 Apr 2020 12:39:48 +0000James M. DorseyThe coronavirus pandemic and the global economic meltdown forced Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, the United States, and Russia to call time out in a war that was less about prices and more about market share and survival of the fittest. The...475cleanfullhttps://www.spreaker.com/user/mideastsoccer/opec-production-cut-papers-over-cracks-itag:soundcloud,2010:tracks/795156163Fri, 10 Apr 2020 07:01:10 +0000James M. DorseyA decision by the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) and non-OPEC producers like Russia to temporarily end a price war and cut production amounts to a time-out rather than an end to what is likely to erupt at some point in the future...513cleanfullhttps://www.spreaker.com/user/mideastsoccer/stopping-covid-19-in-its-ttracks-sciencetag:soundcloud,2010:tracks/792934627Tue, 07 Apr 2020 11:10:58 +0000James M. DorseyScience has knocked religion and traditional healing methods out of the ring in the battle between rival approaches towards getting the coronavirus pandemic under control.591cleanfullhttps://www.spreaker.com/user/mideastsoccer/resisting-lockdowns-bringing-ultra-consetag:soundcloud,2010:tracks/790545826Sat, 04 Apr 2020 08:12:11 +0000James M. DorseyThe Coronavirus pandemic points a finger not only at the colossal global collapse of responsible public health policy but also the importance of balancing exclusionary religious practices and social cohesion592cleanfullhttps://www.spreaker.com/user/mideastsoccer/global-response-to-coronavirus-exposes-gtag:soundcloud,2010:tracks/788152960Wed, 01 Apr 2020 04:59:43 +0000James M. DorseyThere’s a message in Pakistani and Egyptian responses to the Coronavirus: neither ultra-conservative science-rejecting worldviews nor self-serving autocratic policies aimed at regime enhancement produced initial prevention and mitigation strategies...544cleanfullhttps://www.spreaker.com/user/mideastsoccer/ahmet-t-kuru-islam-authoritarianism-and-
Islam, Authoritarianism, and Underdevelopment

A Global and Historical Comparison

CAMBRIDGE UNIVERSITY PRESS 2019

March 25, 2020 James M. Dorsey

Ahmet T. Kuru’s new book Islam, Authoritarianism and Underdevelopment, A Global and Historical Comparison (Cambridge University Press, 2019) is a ground-breaking history and analysis of the evolution of the state in Muslim countries. Thoroughly researched and accessibly written, Kuru’s work traces the template of the modern-day state in many Muslim-majority countries to fundamental political, social and economic changes in the 11th century. That was when Islamic scholars who until then had by and large refused to surrender their independence to the state were co-opted by Muslim rulers. It was a time when the merchant class lost its economic clout as the Muslim world moved from a mercantile to a feudal economy. Religious and other scholars were often themselves merchants or funded by merchants.

The transition coincided with the rise of the military state legitimized by religious scholars who had little choice but to go into its employ. They helped the state develop a forced Sunni Muslim orthodoxy based on text rather than reason- or tradition based interpretation of Islam with the founding of madrassahs or religious seminaries that were designed to counter the rise of Shiite states in North Africa and counter less or unorthodox strands of the faith. Kuru’s history could hardly be more relevant. It lays bare the roots of modern-day, illiberal, authoritarian or autocratic states in the Muslim world that are characterized by some form of often rent-driven state capitalism and frequently expansionary in their effort to ensure regime survival and increase rents.

These states feature education systems that fail to develop critical thinking and religious establishments that are subservient to their rulers. Kuru’s book also in effect describes one of the original sources of the civilizational state that has become a fixture in the struggle to shape a new world order. With his book, Kuru has made an invaluable contribution to the understanding of the stagnation as well as the turmoil that has swept the Middle East and North Africa as well as the wider Islamic world.

James M. Dorsey is a senior fellow at Nanyang Technological University's S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies and the National University of Singapore’s Middle East Institute.]]>tag:soundcloud,2010:tracks/785097649Sat, 28 Mar 2020 04:44:58 +0000James M. DorseyAHMET T. KURU Islam, Authoritarianism, and Underdevelopment A Global and Historical Comparison CAMBRIDGE UNIVERSITY PRESS 2019 March 25, 2020 James M. Dorsey Ahmet T. Kuru’s new book Islam, Authoritarianism and Underdevelopment, A Global and...
Islam, Authoritarianism, and Underdevelopment

A Global and Historical Comparison

CAMBRIDGE UNIVERSITY PRESS 2019

March 25, 2020 James M. Dorsey

Ahmet T. Kuru’s new book Islam, Authoritarianism and Underdevelopment, A Global and Historical Comparison (Cambridge University Press, 2019) is a ground-breaking history and analysis of the evolution of the state in Muslim countries. Thoroughly researched and accessibly written, Kuru’s work traces the template of the modern-day state in many Muslim-majority countries to fundamental political, social and economic changes in the 11th century. That was when Islamic scholars who until then had by and large refused to surrender their independence to the state were co-opted by Muslim rulers. It was a time when the merchant class lost its economic clout as the Muslim world moved from a mercantile to a feudal economy. Religious and other scholars were often themselves merchants or funded by merchants.

The transition coincided with the rise of the military state legitimized by religious scholars who had little choice but to go into its employ. They helped the state develop a forced Sunni Muslim orthodoxy based on text rather than reason- or tradition based interpretation of Islam with the founding of madrassahs or religious seminaries that were designed to counter the rise of Shiite states in North Africa and counter less or unorthodox strands of the faith. Kuru’s history could hardly be more relevant. It lays bare the roots of modern-day, illiberal, authoritarian or autocratic states in the Muslim world that are characterized by some form of often rent-driven state capitalism and frequently expansionary in their effort to ensure regime survival and increase rents.

These states feature education systems that fail to develop critical thinking and religious establishments that are subservient to their rulers. Kuru’s book also in effect describes one of the original sources of the civilizational state that has become a fixture in the struggle to shape a new world order. With his book, Kuru has made an invaluable contribution to the understanding of the stagnation as well as the turmoil that has swept the Middle East and North Africa as well as the wider Islamic world.

James M. Dorsey is a senior fellow at Nanyang Technological University's S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies and the National University of Singapore’s Middle East Institute.]]>3551cleanfullhttps://www.spreaker.com/user/mideastsoccer/islam-authoritarianism-and-underdevelopm
Islam, Authoritarianism, and Underdevelopment

A Global and Historical Comparison

CAMBRIDGE UNIVERSITY PRESS 2019

March 25, 2020 James M. Dorsey

Ahmet T. Kuru’s new book Islam, Authoritarianism and Underdevelopment, A Global and Historical Comparison (Cambridge University Press, 2019) is a ground-breaking history and analysis of the evolution of the state in Muslim countries. Thoroughly researched and accessibly written, Kuru’s work traces the template of the modern-day state in many Muslim-majority countries to fundamental political, social and economic changes in the 11th century. That was when Islamic scholars who until then had by and large refused to surrender their independence to the state were co-opted by Muslim rulers. It was a time when the merchant class lost its economic clout as the Muslim world moved from a mercantile to a feudal economy. Religious and other scholars were often themselves merchants or funded by merchants.

The transition coincided with the rise of the military state legitimized by religious scholars who had little choice but to go into its employ. They helped the state develop a forced Sunni Muslim orthodoxy based on text rather than reason- or tradition based interpretation of Islam with the founding of madrassahs or religious seminaries that were designed to counter the rise of Shiite states in North Africa and counter less or unorthodox strands of the faith. Kuru’s history could hardly be more relevant. It lays bare the roots of modern-day, illiberal, authoritarian or autocratic states in the Muslim world that are characterized by some form of often rent-driven state capitalism and frequently expansionary in their effort to ensure regime survival and increase rents.

These states feature education systems that fail to develop critical thinking and religious establishments that are subservient to their rulers. Kuru’s book also in effect describes one of the original sources of the civilizational state that has become a fixture in the struggle to shape a new world order. With his book, Kuru has made an invaluable contribution to the understanding of the stagnation as well as the turmoil that has swept the Middle East and North Africa as well as the wider Islamic world.

James M. Dorsey is a senior fellow at Nanyang Technological University's S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies and the National University of Singapore’s Middle East Institute.]]>tag:soundcloud,2010:tracks/785095795Sat, 28 Mar 2020 04:40:16 +0000James M. DorseyAHMET T. KURU Islam, Authoritarianism, and Underdevelopment A Global and Historical Comparison CAMBRIDGE UNIVERSITY PRESS 2019 March 25, 2020 James M. Dorsey Ahmet T. Kuru’s new book Islam, Authoritarianism and Underdevelopment, A Global and...
Islam, Authoritarianism, and Underdevelopment

A Global and Historical Comparison

CAMBRIDGE UNIVERSITY PRESS 2019

March 25, 2020 James M. Dorsey

Ahmet T. Kuru’s new book Islam, Authoritarianism and Underdevelopment, A Global and Historical Comparison (Cambridge University Press, 2019) is a ground-breaking history and analysis of the evolution of the state in Muslim countries. Thoroughly researched and accessibly written, Kuru’s work traces the template of the modern-day state in many Muslim-majority countries to fundamental political, social and economic changes in the 11th century. That was when Islamic scholars who until then had by and large refused to surrender their independence to the state were co-opted by Muslim rulers. It was a time when the merchant class lost its economic clout as the Muslim world moved from a mercantile to a feudal economy. Religious and other scholars were often themselves merchants or funded by merchants.

The transition coincided with the rise of the military state legitimized by religious scholars who had little choice but to go into its employ. They helped the state develop a forced Sunni Muslim orthodoxy based on text rather than reason- or tradition based interpretation of Islam with the founding of madrassahs or religious seminaries that were designed to counter the rise of Shiite states in North Africa and counter less or unorthodox strands of the faith. Kuru’s history could hardly be more relevant. It lays bare the roots of modern-day, illiberal, authoritarian or autocratic states in the Muslim world that are characterized by some form of often rent-driven state capitalism and frequently expansionary in their effort to ensure regime survival and increase rents.

These states feature education systems that fail to develop critical thinking and religious establishments that are subservient to their rulers. Kuru’s book also in effect describes one of the original sources of the civilizational state that has become a fixture in the struggle to shape a new world order. With his book, Kuru has made an invaluable contribution to the understanding of the stagnation as well as the turmoil that has swept the Middle East and North Africa as well as the wider Islamic world.

James M. Dorsey is a senior fellow at Nanyang Technological University's S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies and the National University of Singapore’s Middle East Institute.]]>3551cleanfullhttps://www.spreaker.com/user/mideastsoccer/china-manoeuvres-to-protect-its-interesttag:soundcloud,2010:tracks/783604858Thu, 26 Mar 2020 10:13:54 +0000James M. DorseyThe question is not if, but when the long-standing American defence umbrella in the Gulf, the world’s most militarised and volatile region, will be replaced by a multilateral security arrangement that would have to include China as well as Russia.487cleanfullhttps://www.spreaker.com/user/mideastsoccer/refugees-and-shantytowns-in-mena-and-beytag:soundcloud,2010:tracks/782206237Tue, 24 Mar 2020 11:40:33 +0000James M. DorseySyria’s announcement of its first COVID-19 case highlights the public health threat posed by war zones that produce millions of refugees and displaced persons living in sub-human and sub-standard health and hygienic conditions. The enforcement of...682cleanfullhttps://www.spreaker.com/user/mideastsoccer/playing-for-higher-stakes-saudi-arabia-gtag:soundcloud,2010:tracks/777651001Tue, 17 Mar 2020 15:12:10 +0000James M. DorseySaudi Arabia’s oil spat with Russia throws a spanner into the works of the Kingdom’s long-standing effort to hedge its bets, a strategy that has taken on added significance as the Gulf comes to grips with the likelihood that the region’s security...439cleanfullhttps://www.spreaker.com/user/mideastsoccer/coronavirus-the-middle-east-s-lessons-no
Nor is there any suggestion that they are willing to see the pandemic as an opportunity to negotiate new social contracts at a time that the virus has temporarily taken the sails out of mass anti-government protests in various countries and discontent continues to simmer in others.]]>tag:soundcloud,2010:tracks/776877004Mon, 16 Mar 2020 05:37:00 +0000James M. DorseyThere is little indication that Middle Eastern rulers are learning the lessons of the Coronavirus’ devastating effect. Nor is there any suggestion that they are willing to see the pandemic as an opportunity to negotiate new social contracts at a...
Nor is there any suggestion that they are willing to see the pandemic as an opportunity to negotiate new social contracts at a time that the virus has temporarily taken the sails out of mass anti-government protests in various countries and discontent continues to simmer in others.]]>555cleanfullhttps://www.spreaker.com/user/mideastsoccer/biden-sanders-or-trump-us-policy-towardstag:soundcloud,2010:tracks/774241339Wed, 11 Mar 2020 13:22:22 +0000James M. DorseyThe fight in this week’s Democratic primaries may have been about who confronts Donald J. Trump in November’s US presidential election, Bernie Sanders or Joe Biden. But irrespective of who wins the primaries and the election, one thing is certain: the...504cleanfullhttps://www.spreaker.com/user/mideastsoccer/the-long-term-political-fallout-of-coron
For authoritarians and autocrats, the fallout is likely to be a mixed bag.]]>tag:soundcloud,2010:tracks/772639132Sun, 08 Mar 2020 11:38:26 +0000James M. DorseyAs the coronavirus spreads, so does its likely political fallout. For authoritarians and autocrats, the fallout is likely to be a mixed bag.
For authoritarians and autocrats, the fallout is likely to be a mixed bag.]]>637cleanfullhttps://www.spreaker.com/user/mideastsoccer/eastern-mediterranean-a-microcosm-of-regtag:soundcloud,2010:tracks/771028699Thu, 05 Mar 2020 05:49:38 +0000James M. DorseyThe Eastern Mediterranean has become a flash-point for the meshing of geopolitics, the struggle for regional hegemony, battles for control of resources, religious soft power rivalry, and blatant interference in the politics of others.508cleanfullhttps://www.spreaker.com/user/mideastsoccer/coming-home-to-roost-war-threatens-to-sptag:soundcloud,2010:tracks/769319080Mon, 02 Mar 2020 04:57:09 +0000James M. DorseyAs tens of thousands of refugees shiver in the cold on Turkey’s borders with Europe and a new phase of the brutal Syrian war erupts, Russia, Turkey, the European Union and the international community are being presented with the bill for a flawed,...568cleanfullhttps://www.spreaker.com/user/mideastsoccer/trump-vs-sanders-populism-vs-populism
To what degree, civilisationalism continues its march and how US foreign policy will be re-defined is likely to be determined by who wins this year’s US presidential election.]]>tag:soundcloud,2010:tracks/768451492Sun, 01 Mar 2020 11:31:00 +0000James M. DorseyCivilisationalism’s train may well have left the station. That may also be true for a fundamental re-definition of US foreign policy. To what degree, civilisationalism continues its march and how US foreign policy will be re-defined is likely to be...
To what degree, civilisationalism continues its march and how US foreign policy will be re-defined is likely to be determined by who wins this year’s US presidential election.]]>591cleanfullhttps://www.spreaker.com/user/mideastsoccer/not-a-pretty-picture-the-contours-of-a-ntag:soundcloud,2010:tracks/766886647Wed, 26 Feb 2020 15:43:59 +0000James M. DorseyTelevision news summarizes daily what a new world order shaped by civilisationalists entails.734cleanfullhttps://www.spreaker.com/user/mideastsoccer/jmd-on-nbn-more-noble-than-war-a-soccer-________________________________________
James M. Dorsey is a senior fellow at Nanyang Technological University S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies and the National University of Singapore’s Middle East Institute.]]>tag:soundcloud,2010:tracks/764106691Fri, 21 Feb 2020 02:44:58 +0000James M. DorseyNicholas Blincoe’s More Noble Than War: A Soccer History of Israel-Palestine (Bold Type Books, 2019) is a beautifully narrated and written history of a century of conflict between pre-state Jews and Palestinians and Israeli Jews and Israeli...________________________________________
James M. Dorsey is a senior fellow at Nanyang Technological University S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies and the National University of Singapore’s Middle East Institute.]]>3639cleanfullhttps://www.spreaker.com/user/mideastsoccer/pakistan-puts-press-freedom-at-the-core-tag:soundcloud,2010:tracks/761875933Mon, 17 Feb 2020 02:24:03 +0000James M. DorseySweeping new regulations restricting social media in Pakistan put freedom of expression and the media at the heart of the struggle to counter both civilizationalist and authoritarian aspects of an emerging new world order.425cleanfullhttps://www.spreaker.com/user/mideastsoccer/defending-political-freedoms-incidents-i
They highlight how the rise of civilizationalist leaders in democracies empower anti-liberal and anti-democratic forces.]]>tag:soundcloud,2010:tracks/760611136Fri, 14 Feb 2020 15:28:00 +0000James M. DorseyIncidents this week in Israel and Scandinavia ring alarm bells. They highlight how the rise of civilizationalist leaders in democracies empower anti-liberal and anti-democratic forces.
They highlight how the rise of civilizationalist leaders in democracies empower anti-liberal and anti-democratic forces.]]>497cleanfullhttps://www.spreaker.com/user/mideastsoccer/erdogan-battles-on-multiple-fronts-in-ritag:soundcloud,2010:tracks/759196723Wed, 12 Feb 2020 05:32:43 +0000James M. DorseyThe optics seem evident: Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan is at odds with just about everybody.428cleanfullhttps://www.spreaker.com/user/mideastsoccer/iran-looms-large-in-central-asia-despitetag:soundcloud,2010:tracks/756983050Sat, 08 Feb 2020 02:10:03 +0000James M. DorseySaudi Arabia may have been getting more than it bargained for when authorities in Khujand, Tajikistan’s second largest city, ordered that the city’s largest and most popular mosque be converted into a cinema.470cleanfullhttps://www.spreaker.com/user/mideastsoccer/what-the-deal-of-the-century-tells-us-ab
More important is the fact that Israel will, in violation of international law, be empowered to unilaterally annex occupied territory and take steps towards creating an ethnically more homogenous state by transferring a significant proportion of the Jewish state’s Israeli Palestinian population to what the plan envisions as a future Palestinian entity.]]>tag:soundcloud,2010:tracks/754673950Tue, 04 Feb 2020 01:22:22 +0000James M. DorseyThe real issue with US President Donald J. Trump’s Deal of the Century Israeli-Palestinian peace plan is not whether it stands a chance of resolving one of the world’s most intractable conflicts. It doesn’t. More important is the fact that Israel...
More important is the fact that Israel will, in violation of international law, be empowered to unilaterally annex occupied territory and take steps towards creating an ethnically more homogenous state by transferring a significant proportion of the Jewish state’s Israeli Palestinian population to what the plan envisions as a future Palestinian entity.]]>486cleanfullhttps://www.spreaker.com/user/mideastsoccer/protesters-push-arab-militaries-off-theitag:soundcloud,2010:tracks/753076771Sat, 01 Feb 2020 03:11:02 +0000James M. DorseyA decade of anti-government protests in the Arab world have thrown popular trust in the military into the garbage bin and undermined the military’s position as one of the most trusted institutions.452cleanfullhttps://www.spreaker.com/user/mideastsoccer/saudi-arabia-and-iran-not-places-for-pertag:soundcloud,2010:tracks/751377925Wed, 29 Jan 2020 05:11:18 +0000James M. DorseyA series of recent measures in Saudi Arabia and Iran that violate the rights, if not endanger religious and ethnic minorities call into question their moral claims of adhering to core faith-based values of mercy and compassion.566cleanfullhttps://www.spreaker.com/user/mideastsoccer/drawing-battle-lines-centre-right-partietag:soundcloud,2010:tracks/749530867Sun, 26 Jan 2020 00:44:12 +0000James M. DorseyThe Centrist Democrat International (CDI), in an attempt to counter the rise of civilizationalist states and leaders, has called for the creation of an alliance of nations, political parties and faith groups, that would seek to ensure that politics...504cleanfullhttps://www.spreaker.com/user/mideastsoccer/iran-crisis-test-drives-fundaments-of-trtag:soundcloud,2010:tracks/749148568Sat, 25 Jan 2020 06:14:25 +0000James M. DorseyAt the core of US president Donald J. Trump’s maximum pressure campaign against Iran lies the belief that Iran can be forced to negotiate terms for the lifting of harsh US economic sanctions even if it has no confidence in US intentions and adherence...621cleanfullhttps://www.spreaker.com/user/mideastsoccer/china-and-india-place-risky-bets-on-musltag:soundcloud,2010:tracks/746338186Mon, 20 Jan 2020 11:21:26 +0000James M. DorseyLast month’s Islamic summit in Malaysia failed to challenge with a bang Saudi influence in the Islamic world and Muslim silence about repression of adherents to the faith in countries like China and India. Yet, it has produced ripples that spotlight...582cleanfullhttps://www.spreaker.com/user/mideastsoccer/the-battle-for-libya-the-uae-calls-the-s
The inauguration took on added significance as rebel Libyan Field Marshall Khalifa Haftar, backed by United Arab Emirates crown prince Mohammed bin Zayed and Egyptian general-turned-president Abdul Fattah al-Sisi, snubbed Russian president Vladimir Putin by refusing to agree to a ceasefire in the Libyan war.]]>tag:soundcloud,2010:tracks/745415476Sat, 18 Jan 2020 11:00:23 +0000James M. DorseyThis week’s inauguration of a new Red Sea Egyptian military base was pregnant with the symbolism of the rivalries shaping the future of the Middle East as well as north and east Africa. The inauguration took on added significance as rebel Libyan...
The inauguration took on added significance as rebel Libyan Field Marshall Khalifa Haftar, backed by United Arab Emirates crown prince Mohammed bin Zayed and Egyptian general-turned-president Abdul Fattah al-Sisi, snubbed Russian president Vladimir Putin by refusing to agree to a ceasefire in the Libyan war.]]>444cleanfullhttps://www.spreaker.com/user/mideastsoccer/iran-crisis-a-high-stakes-bet-on-who-blitag:soundcloud,2010:tracks/743940322Wed, 15 Jan 2020 17:52:00 +0000James M. DorseyTwo sets of US government cables suggest that Iran hawks in and outside the Trump administration appear to have the upper hand as European countries give hardliners a helping hand by attempting to force Iran to seek a diplomatic solution to a crisis...475cleanfullhttps://www.spreaker.com/user/mideastsoccer/reading-tea-leaves-us-backs-off-support-
Coming on the back of the Soleimani killing, Mr. Pompeo’s directive appears to put an end to the Trump administration’s hinting that it covertly supports insurgent efforts to at the very least destabilize the Iranian government if not topple it.]]>tag:soundcloud,2010:tracks/742084435Sun, 12 Jan 2020 03:05:22 +0000James M. DorseyAn Iran hawk who advocated killing general Qassim Soleimani, US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo has ordered his diplomats to limit contacts with militant Iranian exile and opposition groups that support either regime change or greater rights for ethnic...
Coming on the back of the Soleimani killing, Mr. Pompeo’s directive appears to put an end to the Trump administration’s hinting that it covertly supports insurgent efforts to at the very least destabilize the Iranian government if not topple it.]]>474cleanfullhttps://www.spreaker.com/user/mideastsoccer/ripples-of-1mdb-scandal-likely-to-complitag:soundcloud,2010:tracks/741626131Sat, 11 Jan 2020 02:40:16 +0000James M. DorseyDisclosures of taped phone calls between embattled former prime minister Najib Razak and a person believed to be United Arab Emirate crown prince Mohammed bin Zayed go a long way to explain Malaysian efforts to counter UAE and Saudi influence in the...479cleanfullhttps://www.spreaker.com/user/mideastsoccer/iran-plays-chess-the-us-plays-backgammon
That is becoming increasingly obvious in the US-Iranian tit-for-tat on an Iraqi gameboard.]]>tag:soundcloud,2010:tracks/740265553Wed, 08 Jan 2020 18:11:41 +0000James M. DorseyIranians play chess, Americans play backgammon when it comes to warfare, military strategy and conflict management. That is becoming increasingly obvious in the US-Iranian tit-for-tat on an Iraqi gameboard.
That is becoming increasingly obvious in the US-Iranian tit-for-tat on an Iraqi gameboard.]]>509cleanfullhttps://www.spreaker.com/user/mideastsoccer/soleimani-s-death-opens-a-door-to-alterntag:soundcloud,2010:tracks/739580689Tue, 07 Jan 2020 07:29:18 +0000James M. DorseyThe US killing of Iranian general Qassim Soleimani has further opened the door to a potential restructuring of the Gulf’s security architecture.483cleanfullhttps://www.spreaker.com/user/mideastsoccer/killing-qassim-soleimani-rule-of-law-or-tag:soundcloud,2010:tracks/739005640Mon, 06 Jan 2020 03:03:34 +0000James M. DorseyInternational law may not be a major consideration in debates about the US killing of Iranian military commander Qassim Soleimani, yet the legality of the assassination could prove to have long-term consequences for whether the rule of law or the law...528cleanfullhttps://www.spreaker.com/user/mideastsoccer/the-killing-of-qassim-soleimani-the-unittag:soundcloud,2010:tracks/738169648Sat, 04 Jan 2020 05:45:46 +0000James M. DorseyThe killing of Iranian military leader Qassim Soleimani proves the point: The United States has perfected the art of strengthening Iranian hardliners fuelled by an apparently ingrained misreading of Iranian politics and strategy sustained over decades.548cleanfullhttps://www.spreaker.com/user/mideastsoccer/us-military-strikes-in-iraq-stir-regionatag:soundcloud,2010:tracks/737110057Thu, 02 Jan 2020 10:58:32 +0000James M. DorseyThe United States stirred a hornet’s nest that stretches far beyond Iraq when it this weekend attacked an Iranian-backed militia542cleanfullhttps://www.spreaker.com/user/mideastsoccer/2019-was-a-decade-of-defiance-and-dissen
The question is what the protests that last year toppled the leaders of Sudan, Algeria, Lebanon and Iraq but only led to a genuine transition process in Sudan will produce.]]>tag:soundcloud,2010:tracks/736689937Wed, 01 Jan 2020 10:56:58 +0000James M. DorseyLike 2019, the new year and perhaps the new decade is likely to be pockmarked by popular protest, particularly in the Middle East and North Africa. The question is what the protests that last year toppled the leaders of Sudan, Algeria, Lebanon and...
The question is what the protests that last year toppled the leaders of Sudan, Algeria, Lebanon and Iraq but only led to a genuine transition process in Sudan will produce.]]>488cleanfullhttps://www.spreaker.com/user/mideastsoccer/a-symptom-of-fragile-anti-us-alliances-r
If, however, the weapons industry is anything to go by, a fraying at the edges of close ties between the two Asian powers may be on the horizon.]]>tag:soundcloud,2010:tracks/735351220Sun, 29 Dec 2019 12:33:51 +0000James M. DorseyChinese Russian military and geopolitical cooperation is flourishing – for now. If, however, the weapons industry is anything to go by, a fraying at the edges of close ties between the two Asian powers may be on the horizon.
If, however, the weapons industry is anything to go by, a fraying at the edges of close ties between the two Asian powers may be on the horizon.]]>539cleanfullhttps://www.spreaker.com/user/mideastsoccer/sports-a-battlefield-for-freedom-of-exprtag:soundcloud,2010:tracks/733842619Wed, 25 Dec 2019 15:26:35 +0000James M. DorseyAthletes, executives and fans are turning sports in an era of defiance and dissent into a battleground for freedom of expression and political change, putting national and international sports associations that nominally adhere to human rights on the...515cleanfullhttps://www.spreaker.com/user/mideastsoccer/israeli-soccer-club-s-anti-racism-echoes
Today, in an anti-cyclical development, Beitar Jerusalem, with its acquisition by technology entrepreneur Moshe Hogeg, is at the forefront of the fight against racism, including anti-Arab sentiment and Islamophobia.]]>tag:soundcloud,2010:tracks/732362887Sun, 22 Dec 2019 17:21:56 +0000James M. DorseyStoried and crowned soccer club Beitar Jerusalem was for decades a pillar of the Israeli right-wing and an often-extreme symbol of Israel’s lurch towards the right as well as its`` ever more uncompromising attitude towards an equitable peace with the...
Today, in an anti-cyclical development, Beitar Jerusalem, with its acquisition by technology entrepreneur Moshe Hogeg, is at the forefront of the fight against racism, including anti-Arab sentiment and Islamophobia.]]>481cleanfullhttps://www.spreaker.com/user/mideastsoccer/gulf-security-china-envisions-continued-tag:soundcloud,2010:tracks/731099563Thu, 19 Dec 2019 21:57:00 +0000James M. DorseyA first-ever joint Chinese-Russian-Iranian naval exercise signals that closer Chinese military ties with a host of Middle Eastern nations does not translate into Chinese aspirations for a greater role in regional security any time soon.582cleanfullhttps://www.spreaker.com/user/mideastsoccer/china-struggles-to-fend-off-allegations-tag:soundcloud,2010:tracks/726596875Thu, 12 Dec 2019 05:54:00 +0000James M. DorseyDesperate for cash, Tajikistan is about to sell yet another vital asset to China at a time that countries like Sri Lanka and the Maldives are demanding renegotiation of debt settlements that either forced them to surrender control of critical...575cleanfullhttps://www.spreaker.com/user/mideastsoccer/ending-the-gulf-crisis-natural-gas-frametag:soundcloud,2010:tracks/724406914Sun, 08 Dec 2019 09:01:30 +0000James M. DorseyNatural gas could well emerge as the litmus test of how relations among the Gulf’s energy-rich monarchies evolve if and when a Saudi-United Arab Emirates-led alliance and Qatar bury their hatchet.513cleanfullhttps://www.spreaker.com/user/mideastsoccer/a-microcosm-of-iran-s-domestic-problems-
Located in Iran’s oil-rich Khuzestan province, home to the country’s restive ethnic Arab minority, the protests in Bandar-e-Mahshahr strengthened Iran in its belief that the anti-government outburst was yet another effort to destabilize the Islamic republic by the United States, Saudi Arabia and/or Israel.]]>tag:soundcloud,2010:tracks/722387140Tue, 03 Dec 2019 23:41:18 +0000James M. DorseyThe Iranian port city of Bandar-e-Mahshahr has emerged as the scene of some of the worst violence in Iran’s brutal crackdown on recent anti-government protests. Located in Iran’s oil-rich Khuzestan province, home to the country’s restive ethnic Arab...
Located in Iran’s oil-rich Khuzestan province, home to the country’s restive ethnic Arab minority, the protests in Bandar-e-Mahshahr strengthened Iran in its belief that the anti-government outburst was yet another effort to destabilize the Islamic republic by the United States, Saudi Arabia and/or Israel.]]>573cleanfullhttps://www.spreaker.com/user/mideastsoccer/standing-up-to-china-czech-mayor-sets-a-tag:soundcloud,2010:tracks/721842208Mon, 02 Dec 2019 22:22:40 +0000James M. DorseyA Czech mayor’s refusal to endorse Beijing’s One China policy potentially sets a high bar as Western powers grapple with how to respond to allegations of excessive use of violence by police against Hong Kong protesters and the implications of leaked...467cleanfullhttps://www.spreaker.com/user/mideastsoccer/global-turmoil-ethics-offer-a-way-out-of
The stakes couldn't be higher in a world in which civilizationalist leaders risk shepherding in an era of even greater political violence, disenfranchisement and marginalisation, and mass migration.]]>tag:soundcloud,2010:tracks/718540747Tue, 26 Nov 2019 00:46:15 +0000James M. DorseyRarely is out-of-the-box thinking needed more than in this era of geopolitical, political and economic turmoil. The stakes couldn't be higher in a world in which civilizationalist leaders risk shepherding in an era of even greater political...
The stakes couldn't be higher in a world in which civilizationalist leaders risk shepherding in an era of even greater political violence, disenfranchisement and marginalisation, and mass migration.]]>664cleanfullhttps://www.spreaker.com/user/mideastsoccer/mending-gulf-fences-could-weaken-supporttag:soundcloud,2010:tracks/717275233Sat, 23 Nov 2019 09:44:47 +0000James M. DorseySaudi efforts to negotiate an end to the Yemen war in a bid to open a dialogue with Iran could call into question continued Gulf support for US President Donald J. Trump’s maximum pressure campaign against the Islamic republic.567cleanfullhttps://www.spreaker.com/user/mideastsoccer/middle-eastern-protests-a-tug-of-war-ovetag:soundcloud,2010:tracks/715291861Tue, 19 Nov 2019 09:15:42 +0000James M. DorseyMass anti-government protests in several Arab countries are turning into competitions to determine who has the longer breath, the protesters or the government.453cleanfullhttps://www.spreaker.com/user/mideastsoccer/strategic-black-sea-falls-by-the-waysidetag:soundcloud,2010:tracks/713040871Fri, 15 Nov 2019 02:25:12 +0000James M. DorseyPresident Trump’s display of empathy for an illiberal leader at a White House meeting with his Turkish counterpart, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, was not the only tell-tale sign of the president’s instincts. So was what was not on the two men’s agenda:...488cleanfullhttps://www.spreaker.com/user/mideastsoccer/gulf-soccer-suggests-that-the-times-theytag:soundcloud,2010:tracks/712085584Wed, 13 Nov 2019 07:26:59 +0000James M. DorseyGulf soccer may be giving Bob Dylan’s 1964 hit, ‘The Times They Are a-Changin,’ a new lease on life.491cleanfullhttps://www.spreaker.com/user/mideastsoccer/its-when-not-if-chinas-middle-eastern-ti_1tag:soundcloud,2010:tracks/711480484Tue, 12 Nov 2019 05:23:09 +0000James M. DorseyChina is manoeuvring to avoid being sucked into the Middle East’s numerous disputes amid mounting debate in Beijing on whether the People’s Republic will be able to remain aloof yet ensure the safety and security of its mushrooming interests and...572cleanfullhttps://www.spreaker.com/user/mideastsoccer/its-when-not-if-chinas-middle-eastern-titag:soundcloud,2010:tracks/711479833Tue, 12 Nov 2019 05:20:23 +0000James M. DorseyChina is manoeuvring to avoid being sucked into the Middle East’s numerous disputes amid mounting debate in Beijing on whether the People’s Republic will be able to remain aloof yet ensure the safety and security of its mushrooming interests and...572cleanfullhttps://www.spreaker.com/user/mideastsoccer/salvaging-international-law-the-best-of-tag:soundcloud,2010:tracks/709746745Fri, 08 Nov 2019 12:39:42 +0000James M. DorseyThese are uncertain times with trade wars, regional conflicts and increased abuse of human and minority rights pockmarking the transition from a unipolar to a multipolar world. What may be potentially the most dangerous casualty of the transition is...577cleanfullhttps://www.spreaker.com/user/mideastsoccer/rise-of-civilisationalists-forces-rethintag:soundcloud,2010:tracks/708052369Tue, 05 Nov 2019 03:29:00 +0000James M. DorseyThe rise of the civilizational state and of civilizational rather than national leaders is calling into question the concept of sovereign nation states.830cleanfullhttps://www.spreaker.com/user/mideastsoccer/global-protests-russia-and-china-risk-entag:soundcloud,2010:tracks/707133490Sun, 03 Nov 2019 05:08:40 +0000James M. DorseyWidespread perceptions see Russia together with China as the rising powers in the Middle East as a result of America’s flip flops in Syria and US president Donald J. Trump’s transactional approach towards foreign policy as well as Russian and Chinese...589cleanfullhttps://www.spreaker.com/user/mideastsoccer/countering-civilisationalism-lebanese-an
The protests constitute a rare demand for political and social structures that emphasize national rather than ethnic or sectarian religious identities in a world in which civilizational leaders who advocate some form of racial, ethnic or religious supremacy govern the world’s major as well as key regional powers.]]>tag:soundcloud,2010:tracks/706252318Fri, 01 Nov 2019 04:01:03 +0000James M. DorseyProtests in Lebanon have evolved into more than a fight against failed and corrupt government that has long stymied development in the Middle East and North Africa. The protests constitute a rare demand for political and social structures that...
The protests constitute a rare demand for political and social structures that emphasize national rather than ethnic or sectarian religious identities in a world in which civilizational leaders who advocate some form of racial, ethnic or religious supremacy govern the world’s major as well as key regional powers.]]>565cleanfullhttps://www.spreaker.com/user/mideastsoccer/popular-protest-how-effective-is-ittag:soundcloud,2010:tracks/703008823Mon, 28 Oct 2019 14:42:54 +0000James M. DorseyIf there is one theme, beyond corruption and a host of economic and social grievances, that have driven protests -- large and small, local, sectoral and national – across the globe, it has been a call for dignity.685cleanfullhttps://www.spreaker.com/user/mideastsoccer/joining-the-global-protest-fray-islamist
Islamist-led protests also threaten to be a fight for the future of the government of prime minister Imran Khan.]]>tag:soundcloud,2010:tracks/701876323Sat, 26 Oct 2019 03:51:40 +0000James M. DorseyPakistan, long viewed as an incubator of religious militancy, is gearing up for a battle over the future of the country’s notorious madrassas, religious seminaries accused of breeding radicalism. Islamist-led protests also threaten to be a fight for...
Islamist-led protests also threaten to be a fight for the future of the government of prime minister Imran Khan.]]>551cleanfullhttps://www.spreaker.com/user/mideastsoccer/joanna-lillis-dark-shadows-inside-the-setag:soundcloud,2010:tracks/700921135Thu, 24 Oct 2019 05:54:02 +0000James M. DorseyJoanna Lillis’ Dark Shadows, Inside the Secret World of Kazakhstan (I. B. Tauris, 2018) takes the reader on a penetrating, colourfully written journey into the recesses of a little known Central Asian nations on the frontier of tectonic shifts across...3565cleanfullhttps://www.spreaker.com/user/mideastsoccer/turkey-and-china-tie-themselves-in-knots
Speaking in Turkish through a translator at a news conference at his Beijing embassy, Mr. Onen implicitly put China on the spot by calling on it to stand with Turkey in its fight against political violence.

In doing so, Mr. Onen was laying bare long-standing strains in Turkish-Chinese relations as well as contradictions that link Turkey’s long-standing refusal to fully recognize Kurdish rights to China’s brutal crackdown in its troubled, north-western province of Xinjiang.]]>tag:soundcloud,2010:tracks/700373431Wed, 23 Oct 2019 02:52:41 +0000James M. DorseyTurkey’s ambassador to China, Emin Onen, didn’t mince his words this week when he took his Chinese hosts to task for failing to support Turkey’s military campaign against a Kurdish militia in Syria. Speaking in Turkish through a translator at a news...
Speaking in Turkish through a translator at a news conference at his Beijing embassy, Mr. Onen implicitly put China on the spot by calling on it to stand with Turkey in its fight against political violence.

In doing so, Mr. Onen was laying bare long-standing strains in Turkish-Chinese relations as well as contradictions that link Turkey’s long-standing refusal to fully recognize Kurdish rights to China’s brutal crackdown in its troubled, north-western province of Xinjiang.]]>573cleanfullhttps://www.spreaker.com/user/mideastsoccer/turkey-and-the-kurds-what-goes-around-cotag:soundcloud,2010:tracks/696689971Wed, 16 Oct 2019 05:13:47 +0000James M. DorseyTurkey, like much of the Middle East, is discovering that what goes around comes around.587cleanfullhttps://www.spreaker.com/user/mideastsoccer/landing-in-riyadh-geopolitics-work-in-putag:soundcloud,2010:tracks/694969531Sun, 13 Oct 2019 06:19:18 +0000James M. DorseyWhen Russian President Vladimir Putin lands in Riyadh this week for the second time in 12 years, his call for endorsement of his proposal to replace the US defense umbrella in the Gulf with a multilateral security architecture is likely to rank high...489cleanfullhttps://www.spreaker.com/user/mideastsoccer/a-self-inflicted-wound-trump-surrenders-tag:soundcloud,2010:tracks/694159147Fri, 11 Oct 2019 09:11:07 +0000James M. DorseyFor the better part of a century, the United States could claim the moral high ground despite allegations of hypocrisy because its policies continuously contradicted its proclaimed propagation of democracy and human rights. Under President Donald J....428cleanfullhttps://www.spreaker.com/user/mideastsoccer/learning-lessons-protesters-stay-one-ste
It’s not that this year saw the toppling of the leaders of Algeria and Sudan as a result of popular revolts, a harking back to the 2011 protests that overthrew the leaders of Tunisia, Egypt, Libya and Yemen.

It’s that it’s the protesters in Iraq, Lebanon, Jordan, Egypt, and Morocco rather than illiberal or autocratic regimes that have learnt the lessons of 2011.]]>tag:soundcloud,2010:tracks/692618710Tue, 08 Oct 2019 05:28:10 +0000James M. DorseyThere’s a déjà vu feeling to this year’s wave of protests across the Arab world. It’s not that this year saw the toppling of the leaders of Algeria and Sudan as a result of popular revolts, a harking back to the 2011 protests that overthrew the...
It’s not that this year saw the toppling of the leaders of Algeria and Sudan as a result of popular revolts, a harking back to the 2011 protests that overthrew the leaders of Tunisia, Egypt, Libya and Yemen.

It’s that it’s the protesters in Iraq, Lebanon, Jordan, Egypt, and Morocco rather than illiberal or autocratic regimes that have learnt the lessons of 2011.]]>507cleanfullhttps://www.spreaker.com/user/mideastsoccer/running-hot-and-cold-gulf-balances-on-th
Saudi and Iranian leaders are this week walking back from the brink, signalling that they want to avoid outright military confrontation and manage rather than resolve differences.

In fact, there is every reason to believe that neither Riyadh nor Tehran has a vested interest in a definitive solution of the Middle East and North Africa’s multiple problems.]]>tag:soundcloud,2010:tracks/691706230Sun, 06 Oct 2019 07:48:15 +0000James M. DorseyWith war and peace hanging in the balance, tensions in the Gulf are running hot and cold. Saudi and Iranian leaders are this week walking back from the brink, signalling that they want to avoid outright military confrontation and manage rather than...
Saudi and Iranian leaders are this week walking back from the brink, signalling that they want to avoid outright military confrontation and manage rather than resolve differences.

In fact, there is every reason to believe that neither Riyadh nor Tehran has a vested interest in a definitive solution of the Middle East and North Africa’s multiple problems.]]>534cleanfullhttps://www.spreaker.com/user/mideastsoccer/hints-of-gulf-rapprochement-iranian-tacttag:soundcloud,2010:tracks/689876305Wed, 02 Oct 2019 08:26:29 +0000James M. DorseyFears of a potential military conflict with Iran may have opened the door to a Saudi-Iranian dialogue against the backdrop of a rethink of US military logistics, involving at least a gradual partial relocation to the United States of command and...541cleanfullhttps://www.spreaker.com/user/mideastsoccer/nicholas-walton-singapore-singapura-from
To do so, Singapore’s leadership will have to upgrade if not reinvent its relevance to its neighbours as well as the international community at large given tectonic geopolitical and technological shifts among which first and foremost artificial intelligence. Walton argues convincingly that complacency may be one of Singapore’s greatest challenges. Generational change involves not only a new generation of leadership but also a generation that was born into a wealthy welfare state, lacks the older generations’ sense of being pioneers and takes things for granted. It is a challenge that is likely to have consequences for a rethink of Singapore’s education system, considered one of the world’s best. In portraying the miracle of Singapore’s success and the challenges it faces, Walton brings a strong sense of history, keen observation and a journalist’s ability to paint with words an incisive picture of a country that has turned its lack of resources into an asset.
________________________________________
James M. Dorsey is a senior fellow at Nanyang Technological University’s S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies and the National University of Singapore’s Middle East Institute.]]>tag:soundcloud,2010:tracks/688493545Sun, 29 Sep 2019 15:25:18 +0000James M. DorseyNicholas Walton’s Singapore, Singapura: From Miracle to Complacency (Hurst, 2019) is far more than a portrait of the rise of a resource-poor nation that has become a model of economic development, governance and management of inter-communal relations....
To do so, Singapore’s leadership will have to upgrade if not reinvent its relevance to its neighbours as well as the international community at large given tectonic geopolitical and technological shifts among which first and foremost artificial intelligence. Walton argues convincingly that complacency may be one of Singapore’s greatest challenges. Generational change involves not only a new generation of leadership but also a generation that was born into a wealthy welfare state, lacks the older generations’ sense of being pioneers and takes things for granted. It is a challenge that is likely to have consequences for a rethink of Singapore’s education system, considered one of the world’s best. In portraying the miracle of Singapore’s success and the challenges it faces, Walton brings a strong sense of history, keen observation and a journalist’s ability to paint with words an incisive picture of a country that has turned its lack of resources into an asset.
________________________________________
James M. Dorsey is a senior fellow at Nanyang Technological University’s S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies and the National University of Singapore’s Middle East Institute.]]>3703cleanfullhttps://www.spreaker.com/user/mideastsoccer/saudi-policy-shift-a-rare-trump-foreign-tag:soundcloud,2010:tracks/686947021Thu, 26 Sep 2019 06:16:34 +0000James M. DorseyBy the law of unintended consequences, US President Donald J. Trump’s mix of uncritical and cynical embrace of Saudi Arabia and transactional approach towards relations with the kingdom may be producing results.605cleanfullhttps://www.spreaker.com/user/mideastsoccer/big-power-rivalry-in-the-gulf-requires-atag:soundcloud,2010:tracks/686494831Wed, 25 Sep 2019 10:26:01 +0000James M. DorseyAs French, Pakistani and other leaders seek to engineer a meeting between the US and Iranian presidents on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly, big power rivalry could rack up tension in the waters of the Gulf and the Indian Ocean.507cleanfullhttps://www.spreaker.com/user/mideastsoccer/trumps-trade-wars-a-new-world-order
Mr. Trump’s liberal use of sanctions amounts to more than a penchant for economic warfare in an effort to create trade terms more advantageous to the United States. Economic warfare is the president’s strategy to shape a new world order that is likely to be multi-polar. Almost three years into Mr. Trump’s administration, it is proving to be a strategy with unintended consequences.

Mr. Trump is not the only leader to discover that the employment of trade, commerce, and investment as not only an economic but also political tool can be a double-edged sword. So is Chinese president Xi Jinping.]]>tag:soundcloud,2010:tracks/685489831Mon, 23 Sep 2019 12:04:52 +0000James M. DorseyUS President Donald J. Trump may not like armed conflict, but he sure loves economic warfare, whether it is to impose his political will on countries, protect sectors of the U.S. economy, secure more preferential trade terms, or stop others from...
Mr. Trump’s liberal use of sanctions amounts to more than a penchant for economic warfare in an effort to create trade terms more advantageous to the United States. Economic warfare is the president’s strategy to shape a new world order that is likely to be multi-polar. Almost three years into Mr. Trump’s administration, it is proving to be a strategy with unintended consequences.

Mr. Trump is not the only leader to discover that the employment of trade, commerce, and investment as not only an economic but also political tool can be a double-edged sword. So is Chinese president Xi Jinping.]]>1658cleanfullhttps://www.spreaker.com/user/mideastsoccer/putin-clumsily-seeks-to-exploit-mountingtag:soundcloud,2010:tracks/684549209Sat, 21 Sep 2019 07:16:46 +0000James M. DorseyVladimir Putin, eager to capitalize on escalating tension in the Gulf, looks like he needs a marketing and reputation management advisor.702cleanfullhttps://www.spreaker.com/user/mideastsoccer/saudi-oil-attacks-put-us-commitments-to-
That is not to say that Saudi Arabia and/or the United States will not retaliate in what could prove to be a game changer in the geopolitics of the Middle East.

Yet, reading the tea leaves of various US and Saudi statements lifts the veil on the constituent elements that could change the region’s dynamics.]]>tag:soundcloud,2010:tracks/682827083Wed, 18 Sep 2019 12:56:15 +0000James M. DorseyNeither Saudi Arabia nor the United States is rushing to retaliate for a brazen, allegedly Iranian attack that severely damaged two of the kingdom’s key oil facilities. That is not to say that Saudi Arabia and/or the United States will not retaliate...
That is not to say that Saudi Arabia and/or the United States will not retaliate in what could prove to be a game changer in the geopolitics of the Middle East.

Yet, reading the tea leaves of various US and Saudi statements lifts the veil on the constituent elements that could change the region’s dynamics.]]>603cleanfullhttps://www.spreaker.com/user/mideastsoccer/eurasia-s-great-game-india-japan-and-eur
A burgeoning alliance between China and Russia that at least for now is relegating potential differences between the two powers to the sidelines has sparked a complex geopolitical dance of its own.]]>tag:soundcloud,2010:tracks/681895088Mon, 16 Sep 2019 15:43:21 +0000James M. DorseyEurasia’s Great Game is anything but simple and straightforward. A burgeoning alliance between China and Russia that at least for now is relegating potential differences between the two powers to the sidelines has sparked a complex geopolitical dance...
A burgeoning alliance between China and Russia that at least for now is relegating potential differences between the two powers to the sidelines has sparked a complex geopolitical dance of its own.]]>547cleanfullhttps://www.spreaker.com/user/mideastsoccer/death-of-female-iranian-soccer-fans-putstag:soundcloud,2010:tracks/680010467Thu, 12 Sep 2019 12:24:21 +0000James M. DorseyWhen Sahar Khodayari this week set herself alight in front of a Tehran courthouse, she indicted world soccer body FIFA, its Asian regional group, the Asian Football Confederation (AFC), and their presidents, Gianni Infantino and Sheikh Salman bin...535cleanfullhttps://www.spreaker.com/user/mideastsoccer/playing-politics-trump-and-netanyahu-ris
The cancellation likely reduces fears harboured in recent weeks by Mr. Netanyahu and the Israeli intelligence community that the US president may reverse his hardline on Iran and seek to negotiate a resolution of differences with his Iranian counterpart, Hassan Rouhani.]]>tag:soundcloud,2010:tracks/679378125Wed, 11 Sep 2019 01:58:20 +0000James M. DorseyAfghan president Ashraf Ghani may not be the only one to have welcomed US President Donald J. Trump’s cancellation of peace talks with the Taliban. Probably, so did Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu in the run-up to this month’s Israeli elections....
The cancellation likely reduces fears harboured in recent weeks by Mr. Netanyahu and the Israeli intelligence community that the US president may reverse his hardline on Iran and seek to negotiate a resolution of differences with his Iranian counterpart, Hassan Rouhani.]]>555cleanfullhttps://www.spreaker.com/user/mideastsoccer/a-bird-s-eye-view-of-asia-a-continental-
Yet, a host of Asian nations led by men and women, who redefine identity as concepts of exclusionary civilization, ethnicity, and religious primacy rather than inclusive pluralism and multiculturalism, risk sowing the seeds of radicalization rooted in the despair of population groups that are increasingly persecuted, disenfranchised and marginalized.]]>tag:soundcloud,2010:tracks/678110187Sun, 08 Sep 2019 17:10:24 +0000James M. DorseyMany in Asia look at the Middle East with a mixture of expectation of stable energy supplies, hope for economic opportunity and concern about a potential fallout of the region’s multiple violent conflicts that are often cloaked in ethnic, religious...
Yet, a host of Asian nations led by men and women, who redefine identity as concepts of exclusionary civilization, ethnicity, and religious primacy rather than inclusive pluralism and multiculturalism, risk sowing the seeds of radicalization rooted in the despair of population groups that are increasingly persecuted, disenfranchised and marginalized.]]>783cleanfullhttps://www.spreaker.com/user/mideastsoccer/challenging-the-word-order-erdogan-wantstag:soundcloud,2010:tracks/677576775Sat, 07 Sep 2019 09:32:15 +0000James M. DorseyBrinkmanship may be his trademark, but Turkish president Recep Tayyip Erdogan is unlikely to provoke the ire of the international community by launching a nuclear weapons program. Yet, his demand that Turkey have the right to do so highlights the...441cleanfullhttps://www.spreaker.com/user/mideastsoccer/gulf-wealth-all-that-glitters-is-not-goltag:soundcloud,2010:tracks/676596191Thu, 05 Sep 2019 08:57:31 +0000James M. DorseyLittle suggests that fabulously wealthy Gulf states and their Middle Eastern and North African beneficiaries have recognized what is perhaps the most important lesson of this year’s popular uprisings in Algeria and Sudan and the 2011 Arab revolts: All...661cleanfullhttps://www.spreaker.com/user/mideastsoccer/playing-palestinian-politics-uae-backed-tag:soundcloud,2010:tracks/674044694Sun, 01 Sep 2019 10:42:54 +0000James M. DorseyA controversial former security official and Abu Dhabi-based political operator, Mohammed Dahlan, has lurked for several years in the shadows of Palestinian politics. Now, he could emerge as a monkey wrench in an attempt to pave the way for US...518cleanfullhttps://www.spreaker.com/user/mideastsoccer/protest-the-king-is-dead-long-live-the-k
Protesters occupy streets in cities ranging from Hong Kong and Moscow to Khartoum and Algiers. They would likely do so in Srinagar, the capital of Indian-controlled Kashmir, were it not for unprecedented pre-emptive security measures.]]>tag:soundcloud,2010:tracks/672833174Thu, 29 Aug 2019 16:38:43 +0000James M. DorseyProtest is back on the front burner. Protesters occupy streets in cities ranging from Hong Kong and Moscow to Khartoum and Algiers. They would likely do so in Srinagar, the capital of Indian-controlled Kashmir, were it not for unprecedented...
Protesters occupy streets in cities ranging from Hong Kong and Moscow to Khartoum and Algiers. They would likely do so in Srinagar, the capital of Indian-controlled Kashmir, were it not for unprecedented pre-emptive security measures.]]>501cleanfullhttps://www.spreaker.com/user/mideastsoccer/aramcos-ipo-a-bell-weather-of-saudi-balatag:soundcloud,2010:tracks/670817666Sun, 25 Aug 2019 16:43:07 +0000James M. DorseySaudi Arabia’s planned awarding of mandates for the management of an initial public offering (IPO) by its national oil company Aramco is likely to serve as a bell weather for how Riyadh balances its relations with the United States and China.491cleanfullhttps://www.spreaker.com/user/mideastsoccer/diverging-gulf-responses-to-kashmir-and-tag:soundcloud,2010:tracks/669878738Fri, 23 Aug 2019 09:13:57 +0000James M. DorseyRecent diametrically opposed responses to repression of Muslims by China, India and other Asian countries highlight deep differences among Gulf states that ripple across Asia.588cleanfullhttps://www.spreaker.com/user/mideastsoccer/israeli-contrasts-likuds-favoured-soccertag:soundcloud,2010:tracks/668789201Wed, 21 Aug 2019 02:04:36 +0000James M. DorseyThe contrast could not be starker. As Israel plays a dangerous game of US politics by restricting or banning visits by controversial Democratic members of Congress to seemingly please President Donald J. Trump’s prejudiced electoral instincts, the...549cleanfullhttps://www.spreaker.com/user/mideastsoccer/business-and-boxing-two-sides-of-the-sam
Both reflect a world in which power and economics drive policy, politics and business at the expense of fundamental rights.]]>tag:soundcloud,2010:tracks/666483740Fri, 16 Aug 2019 02:00:48 +0000James M. DorseyWhat do a planned US$15 billion Saudi investment in petroleum-related Indian businesses and a controversial boxing championship have in common? Both reflect a world in which power and economics drive policy, politics and business at the expense of...
Both reflect a world in which power and economics drive policy, politics and business at the expense of fundamental rights.]]>579cleanfullhttps://www.spreaker.com/user/mideastsoccer/sean-foley-changing-saudi-arabia-art-cultag:soundcloud,2010:tracks/665520473Wed, 14 Aug 2019 04:38:01 +0000James M. DorseyIn Changing Saudi Arabia, Art, Culture and Society in the Kingdom (Lynne Rienner, 2019), Sean Foley offers eye-opening insights into a changing society that is under the international magnifying glass. Using the prism of an exploding arts scene...3983cleanfullhttps://www.spreaker.com/user/mideastsoccer/the-kashmir-crisis-spotlights-what-a-civtag:soundcloud,2010:tracks/664510400Mon, 12 Aug 2019 02:05:20 +0000James M. DorseyIndia’s decision to deprive Kashmir of its autonomy, alongside a clampdown in the troubled north-western Chinese province of Xinjiang and US-backed Israeli annexation of Arab land, is the latest indication of what a new world order led by...555cleanfullhttps://www.spreaker.com/user/mideastsoccer/uyghur-asylum-seeker-puts-international-
But Mr. Yusuf’s perilous search that took him from Pakistan to Qatar to Bosnia Herzegovina where was refused entry and back to Qatar highlighted China’s inability to enforce its depiction of the brutal clampdown on Turkic Muslims in its troubled, north-western province of Xinjiang as a purely domestic matter.]]>tag:soundcloud,2010:tracks/662291309Wed, 07 Aug 2019 04:49:05 +0000James M. DorseyAblikim Yusuf, a 53-year old Uyghur Muslim seeking a safe haven from potential Chinese persecution, landed this week in the United States, his new home. But Mr. Yusuf’s perilous search that took him from Pakistan to Qatar to Bosnia Herzegovina where...
But Mr. Yusuf’s perilous search that took him from Pakistan to Qatar to Bosnia Herzegovina where was refused entry and back to Qatar highlighted China’s inability to enforce its depiction of the brutal clampdown on Turkic Muslims in its troubled, north-western province of Xinjiang as a purely domestic matter.]]>460cleanfullhttps://www.spreaker.com/user/mideastsoccer/security-architecture-in-the-gulf-troubltag:soundcloud,2010:tracks/661731731Tue, 06 Aug 2019 01:33:44 +0000James M. DorseyRussia, backed by China, hoping to exploit mounting doubts in the Gulf about the reliability of the United States as the region’s sole security guarantor, is proposing a radical overhaul of the security architecture in an area that is home to massive...562cleanfullhttps://www.spreaker.com/user/mideastsoccer/george-orwell-s-1984-revisited-the-rise-tag:soundcloud,2010:tracks/660878282Sun, 04 Aug 2019 08:54:53 +0000James M. DorseyThe rise of a critical mass of world leaders including Donald J. Trump, Xi Jinping and others In Europe, Asia and Latin America who are bent on shaping a new world order in their authoritarian and civilizationalist mould, has given 1984, George...580cleanfullhttps://www.spreaker.com/user/mideastsoccer/saudi-iranian-rivalry-polarises-nigeriantag:soundcloud,2010:tracks/658839272Wed, 31 Jul 2019 02:25:52 +0000James M. DorseyA recent ban on a militant, Iranian-backed Shiite group raised the spectre of the Saudi Iranian rivalry spilling onto Nigerian streets as security forces launched a manhunt to find the alleged Boko Haram operatives who killed 65 people attending a...660cleanfullhttps://www.spreaker.com/user/mideastsoccer/kashmir-a-battleground-for-middle-eastertag:soundcloud,2010:tracks/657935858Mon, 29 Jul 2019 07:21:26 +0000James M. DorseyThought that sectarianism was a pillar of the Saud Iranian rivalry? Think again, think Kashmir where the two countries’ geopolitical rivalry and Turkish ambitions cross sectarian lines.496cleanfullhttps://www.spreaker.com/user/mideastsoccer/shifting-sands-chinese-encroachment-in-ctag:soundcloud,2010:tracks/657065465Sat, 27 Jul 2019 04:14:21 +0000James M. DorseyChina and Russia are as much allies as they are rivals.638cleanfullhttps://www.spreaker.com/user/mideastsoccer/china-s-risky-betstag:soundcloud,2010:tracks/655261472Tue, 23 Jul 2019 14:35:49 +0000James M. DorseyChina’s infrastructure and energy driven US$1 trillion Belt and Road initiative involves risky bets across a swath of land populated by often illiberal or autocratic governments exercising power without independent checks and balances.548cleanfullhttps://www.spreaker.com/user/mideastsoccer/climate-change-uae-and-russia-eye-geopoltag:soundcloud,2010:tracks/654364922Sun, 21 Jul 2019 17:38:07 +0000James M. DorseyClimate change, much like war, could prove to be a geopolitical and commercial gold mine. At least, that is the take of DP World, Dubai’s global port operator, and Russia’s sovereign wealth fund.537cleanfullhttps://www.spreaker.com/user/mideastsoccer/algerian-soccer-success-is-a-double-edge
Mr. Sardouk was convicted for shouting “There is no God but Allah, and they will come down” during the African Cup of Nation’s opening match in the Egyptian capital of Cairo on June 21.]]>tag:soundcloud,2010:tracks/653255426Fri, 19 Jul 2019 01:49:55 +0000James M. DorseyIt took Algeria barely two weeks to charge Algerian soccer fan Samir Sardouk and sentence him to a year in jail for harming the national interests of his country. Mr. Sardouk was convicted for shouting “There is no God but Allah, and they will come...
Mr. Sardouk was convicted for shouting “There is no God but Allah, and they will come down” during the African Cup of Nation’s opening match in the Egyptian capital of Cairo on June 21.]]>550cleanfullhttps://www.spreaker.com/user/mideastsoccer/muslim-causes-vs-national-interest-muslitag:soundcloud,2010:tracks/652828556Thu, 18 Jul 2019 06:45:12 +0000James M. DorseySaudi attitudes towards the plight of thousands of illegal Rohingya in the kingdom fleeing persecution in Myanmar and squalid Bangladeshi refugee camps help explain Saudi support for China’s brutal clampdown on Turkic Muslims in its troubled,...582cleanfullhttps://www.spreaker.com/user/mideastsoccer/tension-in-the-gulf-not-just-maritime-potag:soundcloud,2010:tracks/650891228Sun, 14 Jul 2019 09:13:47 +0000James M. DorseyA recent interview in which Baloch National Movement chairman Khalil Baloch legitimized recent militant attacks on Iranian, Chinese and Pakistani targets is remarkable less for what he said and more for the fact that his remarks were published by a...549cleanfullhttps://www.spreaker.com/user/mideastsoccer/african-cup-of-nations-a-pr-fiasco-for-etag:soundcloud,2010:tracks/649486844Thu, 11 Jul 2019 08:38:06 +0000James M. DorseyFormer coach and player Farouk Gaafar put his finger on Egyptian soccer’s fundamental problem even if his call for the military to take over and run the Egyptian Football Association (EFA) with an “iron fist” amounted to inviting the fox into the...614cleanfullhttps://www.spreaker.com/user/mideastsoccer/a-risky-gamble-official-turkish-delegatitag:soundcloud,2010:tracks/647991563Mon, 08 Jul 2019 15:47:20 +0000James M. DorseyAn official Turkish visit to the troubled north-western Chinese province of Xinjiang to assess reports of a brutal crackdown on the region’s Turkic Muslims could shape Turkey’s challenge to conservative Gulf states’ leadership of the Islamic world and...569cleanfullhttps://www.spreaker.com/user/mideastsoccer/crisis-in-georgia-russians-challenge-puttag:soundcloud,2010:tracks/646922601Sat, 06 Jul 2019 03:48:44 +0000James M. DorseyA political crisis in the former Soviet republic of Georgia challenges the fundament of Russian president Vladimir Putin’s civilizationalist effort to project Russia as a major power whose defense of the Russian Diaspora allows it to redefine the...494cleanfullhttps://www.spreaker.com/user/mideastsoccer/uae-withdraws-from-yemen-managing-alliantag:soundcloud,2010:tracks/645575640Wed, 03 Jul 2019 09:52:03 +0000James M. DorseyA United Arab Emirates decision to withdraw the bulk of its forces from Yemen shines a spotlight on hard realities underlying Middle Eastern geopolitics.491cleanfullhttps://www.spreaker.com/user/mideastsoccer/vladimir-putin-vs-liberalism-1-0tag:soundcloud,2010:tracks/644469471Mon, 01 Jul 2019 01:56:44 +0000James M. DorseyCertain that Western and liberal democratic leaders would limit themselves to verbal denials, Russian president Vladimir Putin knew he was kicking into an open goal when he declared on the eve of the Group of 20 (G20) summit in Osaka that liberalism...432cleanfullhttps://www.spreaker.com/user/mideastsoccer/fatf-ultimata-to-iran-and-pakistan-threatag:soundcloud,2010:tracks/642768180Thu, 27 Jun 2019 09:47:19 +0000James M. DorseyChina’s chairmanship of an international anti-money laundering and terrorism finance watchdog could put to the test the cohesiveness of global efforts to counter political violence with Iran and Pakistan hoping that they will be able to avoid...571cleanfullhttps://www.spreaker.com/user/mideastsoccer/the-middle-east-barrelling-towards-a-nuctag:soundcloud,2010:tracks/641382786Mon, 24 Jun 2019 15:52:41 +0000James M. DorseyThe Middle East is barrelling towards a nuclear and ballistic missiles arms race.603cleanfullhttps://www.spreaker.com/user/mideastsoccer/public-decency-law-puts-saudi-reforms-intag:soundcloud,2010:tracks/640502691Sat, 22 Jun 2019 13:25:16 +0000James M. DorseyA newly adopted Saudi law on public decency helps define Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman’s vague notion of ‘moderate Islam.’562cleanfullhttps://www.spreaker.com/user/mideastsoccer/building-cohesive-societies-southeast-astag:soundcloud,2010:tracks/637385601Sun, 16 Jun 2019 07:49:15 +0000James M. DorseySeveral Southeast Asian governments and social movements are seeking to counter mounting polarization and inter-communal strife across the globe fuelled by the rise of civilizationalist leaders who think in exclusionary rather than inclusionary terms.745cleanfullhttps://www.spreaker.com/user/mideastsoccer/russia-joins-gulf-states-in-coaching-sudtag:soundcloud,2010:tracks/635607705Wed, 12 Jun 2019 16:32:16 +0000James M. DorseyRussia has emerged as Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates’ silent partner in assisting the Sudanese military’s efforts to weaken, if not defeat a months-long popular revolt that has already toppled president Omar al-Bashir.517cleanfullhttps://www.spreaker.com/user/mideastsoccer/russian-iranian-strains-raise-spectre-oftag:soundcloud,2010:tracks/634934388Tue, 11 Jun 2019 07:22:39 +0000James M. DorseyWith Israel set to host an unprecedented meeting of the national security advisors of the United States, Russia and Israel, this week’s efforts by German foreign minister Heiko Maas and Japanese prime minister Shinzo Abe to mediate between the US and...533cleanfullhttps://www.spreaker.com/user/mideastsoccer/clerics-and-entertainment-seek-to-bolstetag:soundcloud,2010:tracks/633908367Sun, 09 Jun 2019 04:39:33 +0000James M. DorseyA public apology by a prominent Salafi scholar sheds a light on Saudi crown prince Mohammed bin Salman’s version of ‘moderate Islam,’ his effort to shape the Middle East and North Africa in his mould, and the replacement of religion with...666cleanfullhttps://www.spreaker.com/user/mideastsoccer/soccer-emerges-as-the-gulf-crisis-s-potetag:soundcloud,2010:tracks/632963487Fri, 07 Jun 2019 02:15:05 +0000James M. DorseyIt was on the soccer pitch that 2022 World Cup host Qatar definitively shrugged off the UAE-Saudi-led economic and diplomatic boycott of the Gulf state as the crisis entered its third year with no prospect of resolution.814cleanfullhttps://www.spreaker.com/user/mideastsoccer/defying-authority-arab-russia-and-pakisttag:soundcloud,2010:tracks/632139759Wed, 05 Jun 2019 14:42:50 +0000James M. DorseyDemonstrators in Sudan, Algeria and nations beyond the Middle East such as Pakistan and Russia are applying lessons learnt from the 2011 popular Arab revolts as the Sudanese military uses an apparent Saudi-United Arab Emirates template to crack down.586cleanfullhttps://www.spreaker.com/user/mideastsoccer/civilisationalism-ignoring-early-warningtag:soundcloud,2010:tracks/630757200Mon, 03 Jun 2019 05:46:28 +0000James M. DorseyA controversy about a University of British Columbia invitation to a Chinese advocate of forced re-education and assimilation of ethnic minorities highlights the risks involved in ignoring early stage civilisationalism, the emerging system of...764cleanfullhttps://www.spreaker.com/user/mideastsoccer/saudi-arabia-banking-on-muslim-and-arab-tag:soundcloud,2010:tracks/629469852Fri, 31 May 2019 10:41:26 +0000James M. DorseyThree back-to-back, high-level Muslim and Arab summits held over the past two days are likely to yield very little despite the hype surrounding them.480cleanfullhttps://www.spreaker.com/user/mideastsoccer/eyeing-uk-soccer-clubs-gulf-buyers-come-tag:soundcloud,2010:tracks/628289232Wed, 29 May 2019 07:54:54 +0000James M. DorseyThe bitter Gulf rift between Qatar and its Saudi and United Arab Emirates-led detractors could spill on to the pitches of English soccer.505cleanfullhttps://www.spreaker.com/user/mideastsoccer/saudi-religious-moderation-how-real-is-itag:soundcloud,2010:tracks/627232791Mon, 27 May 2019 07:53:53 +0000James M. DorseyMeet Mohammed bin Abdul-Karim Al-Issa, the public face of Saudi crown prince Mohammed bin Salman’s version of moderate Islam.627cleanfullhttps://www.spreaker.com/user/mideastsoccer/pakistani-woes-likely-to-dominate-chinestag:soundcloud,2010:tracks/626301990Sat, 25 May 2019 07:17:28 +0000James M. DorseySecurity and the viability of China’s massive investment is likely to top Chinese Vice President Wang Qishan’s agenda when he lands this weekend in the Pakistani capital of Islamabad.471cleanfullhttps://www.spreaker.com/user/mideastsoccer/us-geopolitical-interests-offer-iran-santag:soundcloud,2010:tracks/624131454Tue, 21 May 2019 12:06:48 +0000James M. DorseyThe Indian-backed Iranian port of Chabahar has emerged as a major loophole in a tightening military and economic noose and ever harsher US sanctions that President Donald J. Trump, reluctant to be sucked into yet another war, sees as the best way to...503cleanfullhttps://www.spreaker.com/user/mideastsoccer/a-survey-of-arab-youth-highlights-gaps-btag:soundcloud,2010:tracks/623521251Mon, 20 May 2019 10:02:20 +0000James M. DorseyResults of a recent annual survey of Arab youth concerns about their future suggest that Arab autocracies have yet to deliver expected public services and goods, explain autocratic efforts to promote nationalism, and indicate that jobs and social...533cleanfullhttps://www.spreaker.com/user/mideastsoccer/chinese-purchases-of-iranian-oil-raise-ttag:soundcloud,2010:tracks/622193097Fri, 17 May 2019 16:58:51 +0000James M. DorseyA fully loaded Chinese oil tanker ploughing its way eastwards from two Iranian oil terminals raises questions of how far Beijing is willing to go in defying US sanctions amid a mounting US military build-up in the Gulf and a US-China trade war.505cleanfullhttps://www.spreaker.com/user/mideastsoccer/andreas-krieg-divided-gulf-the-anatomy-otag:soundcloud,2010:tracks/620456847Tue, 14 May 2019 12:45:12 +0000James M. DorseyAndreas Krieg’s edited volume, Divided Gulf: The Anatomy of a Crisis (Palgrave, 2019), brings together a group of prominent Gulf scholars to discuss the Gulf crisis that pits a Saudi-United Arab Emirates-led alliance against Qatar. The alliance’s...3795cleanfullhttps://www.spreaker.com/user/mideastsoccer/walking-a-tightrope-pakistan-struggles-t
Developments in recent days, including this weekend’s Baloch nationalist attack on a luxury hotel in the strategic port city of Gwadar and a legal dispute over completion of a gas pipeline against the backdrop of Saudi-Iranian-Qatari competition for the Pakistani gas market, suggest that Pakistan is caught between a rock and a hard place.]]>tag:soundcloud,2010:tracks/619389930Sun, 12 May 2019 09:43:05 +0000James M. DorseyPakistan risks falling off the tightrope it walks as it attempts to balance its relations with rivals Saudi Arabia and Iran. Developments in recent days, including this weekend’s Baloch nationalist attack on a luxury hotel in the strategic port city...
Developments in recent days, including this weekend’s Baloch nationalist attack on a luxury hotel in the strategic port city of Gwadar and a legal dispute over completion of a gas pipeline against the backdrop of Saudi-Iranian-Qatari competition for the Pakistani gas market, suggest that Pakistan is caught between a rock and a hard place.]]>651cleanfullhttps://www.spreaker.com/user/mideastsoccer/mounting-tension-with-iran-sheds-a-lighttag:soundcloud,2010:tracks/617853489Thu, 09 May 2019 04:30:38 +0000James M. DorseyMounting tension between the Trump administration and Iran are likely to shed light on US dynamics shaping today’s geopolitical environment.530cleanfullhttps://www.spreaker.com/user/mideastsoccer/does-or-doesn-t-it-work-sustainability-otag:soundcloud,2010:tracks/615908013Sun, 05 May 2019 05:22:47 +0000James M. DorseyThe effectiveness of China’s effort to brainwash Uyghurs and Central Asian Muslims in the troubled north-western province of Xinjiang may be tested.562cleanfullhttps://www.spreaker.com/user/mideastsoccer/tackling-hate-speech-tech-companies-and-tag:soundcloud,2010:tracks/615037632Fri, 03 May 2019 07:12:16 +0000James M. DorseyThere’s a ‘blame the messenger’ quality to global efforts to counter misinformation, extremism and hate speech by world leaders and technology companies.626cleanfullhttps://www.spreaker.com/user/mideastsoccer/want-to-curb-violent-attacks-curb-civili
The same is true for civilisationalism of which jihadism is just one expression as are intolerant, supremacist expressions of Evangelism, Hinduism and Buddhism.]]>tag:soundcloud,2010:tracks/613683603Tue, 30 Apr 2019 16:10:23 +0000James M. DorseyDecades of Saudi global funding of Sunni Muslim ultra-conservatism is perceived to have created breeding grounds for radicalism in Muslim communities even if it was largely not directly responsible for the rise of jihadism. The same is true for...
The same is true for civilisationalism of which jihadism is just one expression as are intolerant, supremacist expressions of Evangelism, Hinduism and Buddhism.]]>643cleanfullhttps://www.spreaker.com/user/mideastsoccer/saudi-gas-ambitions-likely-to-have-geopotag:soundcloud,2010:tracks/613025262Mon, 29 Apr 2019 10:00:17 +0000James M. DorseyA Saudi push to become a major natural gas player is as much about diversifying the kingdom’s domestic consumption and export mix as it is about taking advantage of harsh US economic sanctions against Iran designed to force a change of the Islamic...457cleanfullhttps://www.spreaker.com/user/mideastsoccer/arab-power-struggles-the-king-is-dead-lo
Libya’s battle for Tripoli alongside ongoing mass anti-government demonstrations that toppled autocratic leaders of Algeria and Sudan demonstrate that both popular Arab protests that in 2011 forced four presidents out of office and the counterrevolution it provoked are alive and kicking.]]>tag:soundcloud,2010:tracks/612214473Sat, 27 Apr 2019 14:11:57 +0000James M. DorseyPolitical transition in the Middle East and North Africa operates so far on the principle of ‘The King is dead, long live the King.’ Libya’s battle for Tripoli alongside ongoing mass anti-government demonstrations that toppled autocratic leaders of...
Libya’s battle for Tripoli alongside ongoing mass anti-government demonstrations that toppled autocratic leaders of Algeria and Sudan demonstrate that both popular Arab protests that in 2011 forced four presidents out of office and the counterrevolution it provoked are alive and kicking.]]>522cleanfullhttps://www.spreaker.com/user/mideastsoccer/sudan-puts-saudi-uae-religious-and-chequtag:soundcloud,2010:tracks/610070217Tue, 23 Apr 2019 04:48:25 +0000James M. DorseySaudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates’ chequebook diplomacy driven-soft power strategy is being put to the test in Sudan where a stand-off between protesters and the country’s ruling military council is at a decisive point.758cleanfullhttps://www.spreaker.com/user/mideastsoccer/violence-complicates-pakistan-pm-s-tighttag:soundcloud,2010:tracks/609241977Sun, 21 Apr 2019 11:47:23 +0000James M. DorseyTwo attacks in as many weeks in Pakistan’s troubled province of Balochistan shatter hopes that the country has gained the upper hand in efforts to reduce political violence. The attacks also raise questions about Pakistan’s ability to walk a...561cleanfullhttps://www.spreaker.com/user/mideastsoccer/war-in-libya-a-rare-instance-of-us-russitag:soundcloud,2010:tracks/608216655Fri, 19 Apr 2019 04:59:46 +0000James M. DorseyThere is little that Russia and the United States agree on these days. Renegade Libyan Field Marshal Khalifa Belqasim Haftar may be a rare exception.478cleanfullhttps://www.spreaker.com/user/mideastsoccer/battling-for-the-future-arab-protests-2-tag:soundcloud,2010:tracks/607340667Wed, 17 Apr 2019 13:53:56 +0000James M. DorseyMomentous developments across Arab North and East Africa suggest the long-drawn-out process of political transition in the region as well as the greater Middle East is still in its infancy.541cleanfullhttps://www.spreaker.com/user/mideastsoccer/eurasia-s-great-game-and-the-future-of-ttag:soundcloud,2010:tracks/606271827Mon, 15 Apr 2019 12:07:54 +0000James M. DorseyJim Mattis’ prediction of a US-China-India entente may seem even further away today than it did a year ago, but his doubts about the sustainability of the Chinese-Russian alliance are being echoed by Chinese and Russian analysts and developments on...628cleanfullhttps://www.spreaker.com/user/mideastsoccer/illiberals-and-autocrats-unite-to-craft-tag:soundcloud,2010:tracks/604805133Fri, 12 Apr 2019 05:33:02 +0000James M. DorseyUnderlying global efforts to counter fake news, psychological warfare and malicious manipulation of public opinion is a far more fundamental battle: the global campaign by civilisationalists, autocrats, authoritarians and illiberals to create a new...1349cleanfullhttps://www.spreaker.com/user/mideastsoccer/ratcheting-up-tension-us-designation-of-tag:soundcloud,2010:tracks/603263202Tue, 09 Apr 2019 11:10:49 +0000James M. DorseySuspicion that the United States’ intent is to change the regime in Tehran rather than its officially stated goal of forcing Iran to curb its ballistic missile program and support for militias in Lebanon, Gaza and Yemen was heightened with this week’s...480cleanfullhttps://www.spreaker.com/user/mideastsoccer/kazakhstan-testing-a-21st-century-upgradtag:soundcloud,2010:tracks/602096415Sat, 06 Apr 2019 23:57:35 +0000James M. DorseyA recent study of the popularity of a Saudi-inspired quietist ultra-conservative strand of Islam among Kazakh businessmen suggests that the kingdom has upgraded its faith-driven soft power campaign as part of crown prince Mohammed bin Salman’s vow to...625cleanfullhttps://www.spreaker.com/user/mideastsoccer/middle-eastern-protests-challenge-debili
This week’s successful toppling of ailing Algerian president Abdelaziz Bouteflika and months of anti-government demonstrations that have put Sudanese leader Omar al-Bashir on the defensive suggest that the Saudi-UAE effort may be faltering.]]>tag:soundcloud,2010:tracks/600701610Thu, 04 Apr 2019 05:13:07 +0000James M. DorseyMuch of the Middle East’s recent turmoil stems from internecine Middle Eastern rivalries spilling onto third country battlefields and Saudi and United Arab Emirates-led efforts to roll back the achievements of the 2011 popular Arab revolts and...
This week’s successful toppling of ailing Algerian president Abdelaziz Bouteflika and months of anti-government demonstrations that have put Sudanese leader Omar al-Bashir on the defensive suggest that the Saudi-UAE effort may be faltering.]]>550cleanfullhttps://www.spreaker.com/user/mideastsoccer/economic-reform-in-the-gulf-who-benefitstag:soundcloud,2010:tracks/600239733Wed, 03 Apr 2019 09:51:08 +0000James M. DorseyFor Gulf leaders, long-overdue economic reforms were never going to be easy.386cleanfullhttps://www.spreaker.com/user/mideastsoccer/squaring-the-circle-us-challenges-china-
The resolution, if formally tabled in the full United Nations Security Council, could force China to justify its ten-year long blocking of efforts to designate Masood Azhar, the head of Jaish-e-Mohammed, the UN designated Pakistani group believed to be responsible for last month’s suicide attack in Indian-administered Kashmir.]]>tag:soundcloud,2010:tracks/598300770Sat, 30 Mar 2019 12:45:38 +0000James M. DorseyA draft US resolution that would designate a Pakistani militant as a global terrorist threatens to be China’s, and possibly Pakistan’s showdown at the OK Corral. The draft is supported by Britain and France. The resolution, if formally tabled in the...
The resolution, if formally tabled in the full United Nations Security Council, could force China to justify its ten-year long blocking of efforts to designate Masood Azhar, the head of Jaish-e-Mohammed, the UN designated Pakistani group believed to be responsible for last month’s suicide attack in Indian-administered Kashmir.]]>617cleanfullhttps://www.spreaker.com/user/mideastsoccer/balochistan-a-powder-keg-at-a-geopolitictag:soundcloud,2010:tracks/597132348Thu, 28 Mar 2019 05:49:03 +0000James M. DorseyBalochistan should be oozing with optimism as Chinese and Saudi investment pours into the troubled Pakistani province. It is not. Instead, Balochistan, a key node in China’s Belt and Road initiative that borders Iran, is gripped by anger, fear and...533cleanfullhttps://www.spreaker.com/user/mideastsoccer/civilizationism-vs-the-nation-state
Civilisationalism creates the basis for an unspoken consensus on the values that would underwrite a new world order on which men like Xi Jinping, Vladimir Putin, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Victor Orban, Mohammed bin Salman, Narendra Modi and Donald Trump find a degree of common ground. If anything, it is this tacit understanding that in the shaping of a new world order constitutes the greatest threat to liberal values such as human and minority rights. By the same token, the tacit agreement on fundamental values reduces the Great Game to a power struggle over spheres of influence and the sharing of the pie as well as a competition of political systems in which concepts such as democracy are hollowed out.]]>tag:soundcloud,2010:tracks/594991605Sun, 24 Mar 2019 09:54:10 +0000James M. DorseyLargely underrated in debates about the Eurasia-centred Great Game is the fact that increasingly there is a tacit meeting of the minds among world leaders as well as conservative and far-right politicians and activists that frames the rivalry: the...
Civilisationalism creates the basis for an unspoken consensus on the values that would underwrite a new world order on which men like Xi Jinping, Vladimir Putin, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Victor Orban, Mohammed bin Salman, Narendra Modi and Donald Trump find a degree of common ground. If anything, it is this tacit understanding that in the shaping of a new world order constitutes the greatest threat to liberal values such as human and minority rights. By the same token, the tacit agreement on fundamental values reduces the Great Game to a power struggle over spheres of influence and the sharing of the pie as well as a competition of political systems in which concepts such as democracy are hollowed out.]]>1881cleanfullhttps://www.spreaker.com/user/mideastsoccer/the-fallacy-of-soccer-s-magical-bridge-b
It may be a nice idea, but it is grounded in the fiction that soccer can play an independent role in bringing nations together or developing national identity.]]>tag:soundcloud,2010:tracks/594482580Sat, 23 Mar 2019 04:27:19 +0000James M. DorseyImagining himself as a peacemaker in a conflict-ridden part of the world, FIFA President Gianni Infantino sees a 2022 World Cup shared by Qatar with its Gulf detractors, the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia, as the magic wand that would turn...
It may be a nice idea, but it is grounded in the fiction that soccer can play an independent role in bringing nations together or developing national identity.]]>503cleanfullhttps://www.spreaker.com/user/mideastsoccer/the-battle-for-leadership-of-the-muslim-
Messrs. Oktay and Cavusoglu were planting Turkey's flag far and wide in a global effort to expand beyond the Turkic and former Ottoman world support for President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's style of religiously-packaged authoritarian rule, a marriage of Islam and Turkish nationalism.]]>tag:soundcloud,2010:tracks/592383102Tue, 19 Mar 2019 07:53:01 +0000James M. DorseyWhen Turkish vice-president Fuat Oktay and foreign minister Mevlut Cavusoglu became this weekend the first high-level foreign government delegation to travel to Christchurch they were doing more than expressing solidarity with New Zealand's grieving...
Messrs. Oktay and Cavusoglu were planting Turkey's flag far and wide in a global effort to expand beyond the Turkic and former Ottoman world support for President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's style of religiously-packaged authoritarian rule, a marriage of Islam and Turkish nationalism.]]>558cleanfullhttps://www.spreaker.com/user/mideastsoccer/the-emerging-new-world-order-s-alarm-beltag:soundcloud,2010:tracks/590908764Sat, 16 Mar 2019 08:25:51 +0000James M. DorseyThis week’s attack on two mosques in New Zealand reflects a paradigm shift: the erosion of liberal values and the rise of civilisationalism at the expense of the nation state.657cleanfullhttps://www.spreaker.com/user/mideastsoccer/chinese-pressure-tactics-put-countries-btag:soundcloud,2010:tracks/589338462Wed, 13 Mar 2019 08:50:06 +0000James M. DorseyRecent Chinese pressure on Myanmar to approve a controversial dam project and the arrest in recent days in Kazakhstan of a human rights activist suggest that China in a seemingly tone-deaf pursuit of its interests is forcing governments to choose...513cleanfullhttps://www.spreaker.com/user/mideastsoccer/kazakh-police-raid-raises-spectre-of-chitag:soundcloud,2010:tracks/587868144Sun, 10 Mar 2019 15:56:37 +0000James M. DorseyA police raid on a Kazakh group documenting the plight of Kazakhs and Uyghurs caught in a brutal crackdown in China’s north-western province of Xinjiang is about more than a government seeking to please Beijing in the hope that it improves the lot of...598cleanfullhttps://www.spreaker.com/user/mideastsoccer/iran-and-north-korea-highlight-pitfalls-tag:soundcloud,2010:tracks/587229657Sat, 09 Mar 2019 04:04:08 +0000James M. DorseyDonald J. Trump’s hitherto failed ‘maximum pressure’ approach to Iran, as well as for that matter North Korea, begs the question what the US president’s true objectives are and what options he is left with should the policy ultimately fail.624cleanfullhttps://www.spreaker.com/user/mideastsoccer/walking-a-chinese-tightrope-kazakh-quiettag:soundcloud,2010:tracks/585894627Wed, 06 Mar 2019 17:19:29 +0000James M. DorseyThe Kazakh government, in defense of Kazakh and by implication Central Asian behind-closed-doors diplomacy towards China in the face of mounting domestic pressure, has offered a rare public account of its ability to improve conditions for its ethnic...492cleanfullhttps://www.spreaker.com/user/mideastsoccer/turkish-chinese-spat-puts-central-asian-tag:soundcloud,2010:tracks/584656692Mon, 04 Mar 2019 06:46:22 +0000James M. DorseyA Turkish-Chinese spat as a result of Turkish criticism of China’s crackdown on Turkic Muslims in its strategic but troubled north-western province of Xinjiang complicates efforts by Kazakhstan and other Central Asian states to at best deal quietly...513cleanfullhttps://www.spreaker.com/user/mideastsoccer/once-the-backbone-of-middle-eastern-prottag:soundcloud,2010:tracks/583684140Sat, 02 Mar 2019 04:16:07 +0000James M. DorseyEfforts in the Middle East to control soccer fans takes on added relevance with mass protests in the greater Middle East occurring in Sudan, Algeria and Jordan while Kazakh president Nursultan Nazarbayev recently replaced his cabinet in a bid to halt...721cleanfullhttps://www.spreaker.com/user/mideastsoccer/saudi-gas-export-plans-shine-new-light-otag:soundcloud,2010:tracks/582629052Thu, 28 Feb 2019 10:35:04 +0000James M. DorseySaudi plans to become a major gas exporter within a decade raise questions about what the real goal of the kingdom’s policy, and by extension that of the United States, is towards Iran.549cleanfullhttps://www.spreaker.com/user/mideastsoccer/a-china-wins-twice-proposition-the-belt-tag:soundcloud,2010:tracks/581481774Tue, 26 Feb 2019 04:31:44 +0000James M. DorseyChina’s dazzling infrastructure and energy-driven Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), a US$1 trillion investment across Eurasia and beyond, has lost its shine. Increasingly, China’s leveraging of the initiative is being perceived by a growing number of...2752cleanfullhttps://www.spreaker.com/user/mideastsoccer/saudis-yemeni-headache-won-t-go-away-if-
The drama enveloping the killing of journalist Jamal Khashoggi and the brutal way in which it was carried out have captured public attention. In reality, however, Saudi Arabia’s real problems began earlier as a result of its conduct of the Yemen war.]]>tag:soundcloud,2010:tracks/580549410Sun, 24 Feb 2019 17:21:07 +0000James M. DorseyThese are tough times for Saudi Arabia. The drama enveloping the killing of journalist Jamal Khashoggi and the brutal way in which it was carried out have captured public attention. In reality, however, Saudi Arabia’s real problems began earlier as...
The drama enveloping the killing of journalist Jamal Khashoggi and the brutal way in which it was carried out have captured public attention. In reality, however, Saudi Arabia’s real problems began earlier as a result of its conduct of the Yemen war.]]>724cleanfullhttps://www.spreaker.com/user/mideastsoccer/south-asian-geopolitics-saudi-arabia-1-itag:soundcloud,2010:tracks/579049014Thu, 21 Feb 2019 17:13:01 +0000James M. DorseyIt may be reading tea leaves but analysis of the walk-up to Saudi crown prince Mohammed bin Salman’s visit and his sojourn in Islamabad suggests that Pakistan may be about to fight battles on two fronts rather than just the Indian one in the wake of...550cleanfullhttps://www.spreaker.com/user/mideastsoccer/kashmir-puts-chinese-counterterrorism-ontag:soundcloud,2010:tracks/578345706Wed, 20 Feb 2019 09:33:49 +0000James M. DorseyHeightened tension in Kashmir and evidence of a Chinese military presence on the Tajik and Afghan side of their border with China’s troubled north-western province of Xinjiang are putting on display contradictions between the lofty principles of the...409cleanfullhttps://www.spreaker.com/user/mideastsoccer/saudi-crown-prince-mohammed-bin-salman-mtag:soundcloud,2010:tracks/577139868Mon, 18 Feb 2019 05:02:40 +0000James M. DorseySaudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman’s three-nation tour of Asia is as much about demonstrating he stands tall – despite Western criticism of the murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi and the war in Yemen – as it is about exploiting geopolitical and...474cleanfullhttps://www.spreaker.com/user/mideastsoccer/geopolitics-the-black-swan-in-saudi-inditag:soundcloud,2010:tracks/576275058Sat, 16 Feb 2019 09:21:27 +0000James M. DorseyWhen Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman meets Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi next week, the elephant in the room is likely to be what weighs more: the issues the two men agree on or the ones that divide them.535cleanfullhttps://www.spreaker.com/user/mideastsoccer/suicide-attack-in-iran-frames-visit-to-ptag:soundcloud,2010:tracks/575163132Thu, 14 Feb 2019 08:20:50 +0000James M. DorseyThis week’s suicide attack on Revolutionary Guards in Iran’s south-eastern province of Sistan and Baluchistan, the second in two months, could not have come at a more awkward moment for Pakistani prime minister Imran Khan.524cleanfullhttps://www.spreaker.com/user/mideastsoccer/harsh-turkish-condemnation-of-xinjiang-ctag:soundcloud,2010:tracks/573115701Sun, 10 Feb 2019 15:59:34 +0000James M. DorseyIn perhaps the most significant condemnation to date of China’s brutal crackdown on Turkic Muslims in its north-western province of Xinjiang. Turkey’s foreign ministry demanded this weekend that Chinese authorities respect human rights of the Uighurs...484cleanfullhttps://www.spreaker.com/user/mideastsoccer/prince-mohammed-s-khashoggi-bullet-an-intag:soundcloud,2010:tracks/572244585Fri, 08 Feb 2019 18:06:45 +0000James M. DorseyContinued, albeit slower-paced US and Turkish leaks potentially provide insight into far more than the circumstances of the October killing of Saudi journalist and Washington Post columnist Jamal Khashoggi. They focus attention on crown prince...472cleanfullhttps://www.spreaker.com/user/mideastsoccer/papal-visit-boosts-uae-effort-to-redefintag:soundcloud,2010:tracks/569558418Sun, 03 Feb 2019 19:13:19 +0000James M. DorseyThe United Arab Emirates is projecting itself as a leader of inter-communal and inter-faith harmony with the first ever visit by a Catholic pope to the Gulf and an inter-faith conference that is as much about dialogue as it is about absolute political...553cleanfull