![]() | Middle Eastern Minorities: The Impact of the Arab Spring Subjects: Humanities; Politics & International Relations; Social Sciences; Security Studies - Pol & Intl Relns; Religion; International Politics; Political Behavior and Participation; Sociology & Social Policy; Islam - Religion; Middle East Politics; Racial & Ethnic Politics; Religion & Politics; Political Sociology; Race & Ethnic Studies; This is a comprehensive survey of minorities in the Middle East with a special focus on the post Arab Spring era. Minority communities in the Middle East are the most susceptible to the turbulence engulfing the region; the majority may suffer physical violence and socioeconomic loss, but minorities could potentially vanish. Instead of ushering in democracy and inclusive politics, the revolutionary upheavals have prompted chaos and fear and reinforced the resurgence of Islamic fundamentalism throughout the region. Zabad uses historical sources as well as first-hand interviews to vividly describe the current status of minorities in the Middle East, explaining attitudes towards the revolutionary upheavals as well as the various strategies they used to avail themselves of the opportunities presented and to confront the risks posed. The question of ethnic, sectarian and religious minorities is situated in the context of the broader history of the region in order to explain the underlying institutional and ideological factors that caused their predicament and problematized their relationship with the majority. Ibrahim Zabad is Assistant Professor of Political Science and Co-director of the International Studies Program at St. Bonaventure University in Western New York.
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