Winds of Change: The Challenge of Modernity in the Middle East and North Africa

Recent developments in the Middle East and North Africa have radically destabilised the region, which is beset with rising religious and political tensions, sectarian conflict and terrorism. Though in crisis and suffering from a paralysis of will, the region is also vastly rich in culture, and vital for the stability of the international order. There is an urgent need for an accurate understanding of these complex developments. What does the future hold for this geopolitically critical region? In this vital multidisciplinary volume, leading Middle Eastern and Western scholars present constructive, long-term solutions to endemic socio-cultural, economic and political issues facing the MENA region - issues which require a fundamental transformation of the current system of values and patterns of thought. They offer expert analysis on critical facets of the region, including globalisation, the environment and sustainability, education, nonviolence, human rights, inter-religious coexistence, Islamic social principles, and Qur'anic ethics. Enriching our understanding of the contemporary affairs of the MENA region, Winds of Change is essential reading for achieving peace, socio-cultural progress and prosperity in the region.

Table of Contents:
Foreword Preface 1. Towards a Discursive Framework of Change, Behrooz Sabet & Cyrus Rohani 2. Culture for Openness and Coexistence: How Can We Create It?, Abdul Hamid Al-Ansari 3. Guiding Principles of Leadership for the Twenty-First Century, Cyrus Rohani 4. Confronting Violence through Policies of Dialogue: Towards Establishing a 'Citizenship that Incorporates Diversity' in the Post-ISIS Era, Saad Salloum 5. Nonviolence and the Challenges in the Middle East, Ramin Jahanbegloo 6. Religion of Peace: Islamic Principles of Good Governance, Christopher Buck 7. Traditionalist and Reformist Discourses Pertaining to Islamic Revival, Armin Eschraghi 8. Defining Islamic Social Principles, Christopher Buck 9. Women's Rights in the Middle East, Nazila Ghanea 10. Reason in Islam: Taking Back Their Own, Ian Kluge 11. 'Be Just': Qur'anic Ethics as Benchmarks for Islamic Law, Christopher Buck

About the Author :
Cyrus Rohani is an advisor on social and economic development, and a management and education consultant. He studied at the American University of Beirut and later received an MBA from Sacred Heart University, Connecticut, USA. He worked with Shell-Qatar and then with Qatar Petroleum (oil and gas). Behrooz Sabet holds a doctorate from the State University of New York at Buffalo. For more than twenty years, Dr Sabet has been intellectually engaged in research and writing on the intersection of religion, science and culture in the Middle East. He has been a university professor, academic dean and consultant on aspects of education and culture in the Middle East, and has translated and written extensively on religious, ethical, educational, philosophical and social themes. Dr Sabet is a renowned scholar of religion, contemporary political thought and movements in Iran, and the conceptual and historical origins of modernity and its impact on Islam and Middle Eastern societies