Digital Commons Network^™

United States Middle East Policy In The Age Of Donald Trump, Gary Prevost

The Journal of Social Encounters

This essay on the foreign policy of the United States in the Middle East in the middle of the second Trump administration and the continuing conflict in Gaza and the West Bank makes the case for decades of consistency in US policy but also some nuances from the current US administration. The author makes the case that there have been three constants in US policy since the era of the Second World War. First, is the guarantee the flow of reasonably priced oil to the United States and its allies.  Second, the maintenance of the state of Israel as a …

Geopolitical Transformation In The Post-October 7 Middle East (2023–2025): Power Shifts Vs. Structural Shifts, Nael Shama

The Journal of Social Encounters

This essay investigates the geopolitical shifts that unfolded in the Middle East from October 2023 to the end of 2025, stimulated by the surprise attack by Hamas on Israel on October 7, 2023, and the subsequent events it triggered. These included military confrontations between Israel and each of Hamas, Hezbollah and Iran, the fall of the Assad regime in Syria, and Houthi attacks in the Red Sea. The essay demonstrates that these developments have reshaped power positions and alliances in the Middle East, leading to a more complex and unpredictable geopolitical landscape. It sketches out the new regional balance of …

An Alternative To The Liberal World Order: China, Brics, And Middle East Diplomacy, Brice Tseen Fu Lee, Kotchaphop Kornphetcharat, Juan Pablo Sims

Journal of Middle East and Islamic Studies

This paper explores how China and BRICS are emerging as strategic alternatives to the liberal international order, particularly in the realm of diplomacy and mediation for periphery states in the Middle East. Drawing on a realist theoretical framework, the study argues that these platforms offer pragmatic, interest-based avenues for engagement that contrast sharply with the conditionalities and normative expectations of Western-led institutions. Through case studies such as China’s mediation in the Iran–Saudi Arabia normalization and the expansion of BRICS+ to include Middle Eastern actors, the paper demonstrates how sovereignty, non-interference, and multipolarity have become central organizing principles for a new …

Comparative Study Of Halal Certification Procedures In Southeast Asia And Middle Eastern Countries, Miura Sekar Nurindra, Nurwahidin Nurwahidin

Journal of Middle East and Islamic Studies

Halal certification is one of the important aspects that can promote the advancement of the halal sector worldwide. Halal certification can be used for products such as food, beverages, medicines, cosmetics, services, and others. Each country has provisions, processes, and requirements related to halal certification applications and procedures in their country. The purpose of this study is to explain the comparison of halal certification procedures in various parts of the world using case studies in Southeast Asia countries such as Indonesia and Malaysia and countries in the Middle East such as the United Arab Emirates and Turkey. This research is …

China’S Mediation Of The Saudi-Iranian Rapprochement And Its Implications On Regional Peace And Security, Henelito Jr A. Sevilla

Journal of Middle East and Islamic Studies

The Middle East’s geopolitical landscape during the Cold War was characterized by ideological and religious differences among regional powers and their conflicting allegiances to the United States and the Soviet Union. Iran and Saudi Arabia held vast energy reserves and shaped regional divisions along religious and geopolitical lines. These divisions carried over to the post-Cold War era, exposing the Middle East to decades-long crises and proxy warfares. Domestic and regional problems are intensified by the interference of external powers, further deteriorating the prospects of peace and security in the region. Small countries avoid entanglement in big-power rivalries and focus on …

An Examination Of The Association Between Sleep Quality And Psychological Distress Among University Students In The Middle East: A Cross-Sectional Correlational Study, Ayesha Saeed Alsuwaidi

Theses

Literature reviews have revealed that there are limited studies on sleep quality in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and that few studies are available in the Middle Eastern region. The objective of this study was to examine the association between sleep quality and psychological distress among university students in the Middle East. A correlational cross-sectional design was determined, and a self-administered online questionnaire was used. The electronic survey was circulated amongst students on campus and received 435 responses from three universities namely, Menoufia University in Egypt, Sultan Qaboos University in the Sultanate of Oman, and United Arab Emirates University in …

Cultural Challenges For Israeli Sea Power In The Eastern Mediterranean, Samuel Helfont

Naval War College Review

The strategic-military significance of the recent discovery of extensive natural gas fields in the eastern Mediterranean works against Israel’s traditional reluctance to become a sea power. But any “turn to the sea” will require adopting a broad national and strategic mind-set in the face of cultural constraints that keep Israel tied to the land.

More Than Sectarianism: How Have State And Non-State Institutions Used Violence To Form The Current Iraqi State And What Is The Effect?, Caitlyn Perkins

Honors Theses

This thesis examines the role of violence in Iraq in establishing the current Iraqi state. My chapters provide historical and theoretical context to the subject before getting into the analysis. The goal of this thesis is to show that violence in Iraq is not only caused by sectarian differences, but has been used and influenced by leaders, outside governments, and non-state institutions for personal gain and political goals at the cost of the Iraqi people.

Efter Jobbet: En Inledande Diskussion Om Studiet Av Fritid, Leif Stenberg, Anders Ackfeldt

Faculty & Staff Publications

No abstract provided.

Pedagogical Philisophy And Education In The Middle East And Central Asia (Ix-Xii Centuries), Baxrom Maxamadxodjaev

The Light of Islam

The article describes the period of the rapid development of education and culture in the Middle East and Central Asia in the IX-XII centuries. At this time, the ideas of the great thinkers Muhammad al-Khwarizmi, Ahmad al-Ferghani, Abu Nasr al-Farabi, Abu Ali Ibn Sina, Abu Rayhan al-Beruni, Ibn Iraq developed, which opened the way to a widespread of science and education in Europe.

Islamic culture has grown based on interconnected cultures of the countries of the Arab caliphate, Byzantium, India, and China. The Arab conquest did not mean a complete break with the cultural and pedagogical traditions of Hellenism and …

Islam, Democracy, And The Leadership Role Of Women In Government, Leea Collard

Senior Honors Theses

This thesis examines the relationship between Islam, democratic government, and the governmental leadership of women in the Middle East, North Africa, and Turkey (MENAT). In order to understand female leadership in this region, the compatibility between Islam and democracy is analyzed. This occurs through the examination of Sharia Law and democratic principles within Islam. Furthermore, a statistical analysis of the successes of democracies in the region will be presented. Each nation will be categorized by the constitutional provisions entrusted to its female citizens. Thus, this thesis will present the legality of the political participation of women in each of the …

“The People Of Aram Shall Go Into Exile”: Practical And Theological Dilemmas Of Middle Eastern Churches Since The Beginning Of The Syrian War, Wilbert Van Saane

The Journal of Social Encounters

This paper discusses the way in which Christian churches in the Middle East have responded to the Syrian War. It signals some practical and theological dilemmas that these churches have faced since the conflict in Syria broke out. The description of these dilemmas is primarily based on interviews with a representative sample of church leaders. Analysis of these dilemmas sheds light on the way the churches of the Middle East have contributed to peaceful resolutions of the Syrian conflict, or failed to do so. Before going into the practical and theological dilemmas of the churches, the article provides a short …

The Arab “Street” And The Middle East’S Democracy Deficit, Dale F. Eickelman

Naval War College Review

Rising education, easier travel, new communications media, and liberalizing voices are quickly making the Arab “street” a true “public sphere”—a force with which governments, and the West, will have to reckon. The good news, argues a scholar of the Muslim world, is that channels exist by which the West can address the Arab public. But that public, better informed, will be quick to notice gaps between statement and action.

Aspects Of Islamic Revival And Radicalization In The Region Of Middle East, Redi Papa

UBT International Conference

The main objective of this topic is to provide a detailed panorama of the causes of Islamic Revival and radicalization of Islam, particularly in the region of Middle East. In this perspective, it’s somehow puzzling to at the first sight that Arab World used to be a leader in the science, military and science, is now paradoxically a region characterized by unrest and turmoil. Contrary to the past decades where peace was a distinctive peculiarity of the region and economy flourished, now is overwhelmed by the phenomena of the Radicalization of Islam for political purposes and to come to power. …

Contentious Politics In The Arab Middle East: Jordanian Salafism And The Social Appropriation Of Tradition, Massimo Ramaioli

Dissertations - ALL

In which ways do intellectuals affect social and political mobilization? How do they impact the trajectory of contention – the kind of mobilization and its developments - through their ideological work? Prominent intellectuals seem to play a relevant role in contentious politics, yet this role is still undertheorized. In this project, I analyze this question in the context of contemporary Arab Salafism, a particularly literal interpretation of Sunni Islam. I seek to unpack the processes by which prominent Islamist intellectuals impact and shape two Salafi currents originating and operating across Jordan during the 1990s and beyond. The first current is …

A Fractured Family And Its Heirs: Seljuq Power And The “Sunni Revival” In The Middle East, 1000-1200 Ce, Elijah Sloat

History Summer Fellows

The Seljuq Turks were a group of nomadic warriors who converted to Sunni Islam by the end of the tenth century. Over the course of the next half century the Seljuqs conquered the majority of what we now call the Middle East. One Seljuq dynasty in particular, known to historians as the Great Seljuqs, positioned themselves as the dominant political power in the region as well as champions of Sunni Islam. Scholars refer to this period of Seljuq control as the “Sunni Revival” and debate heavily whether Seljuq political and religious practices were the cause of this “Revival,” as well …

Education As Counter Terrorism In Iraq, Thanaa Sulaiman

English (TESOL) Master Theses

There is not much research written about the relationship between education and the rise of terrorism. Some scholars have urged for educative response to end terrorism (Krueger and Maleckova, 2003; Brockhoff et al., 2015; Malazada, 2016; Illiteracy rates drop in Iraq: Government, 2014) In his study, Brockhoff et al., (2015) found that when country specific factors like the economic situation and political representation were unfavorable, education is the reason some individuals become terrorists. Abrifor (2008) concluded that abuse of students in Nigeria lead them to get involved in criminal activities, suicide bombing and terrorism. In light of these studies, it …

Explaining The Rise Of Isis, Anas Alqaed

Political Science Theses and Capstones

In this paper I study the circumstances that led to the rise the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (ISIS/Daesh) and its economic power. I use articles, testimonies before US House of Representatives and analyze economic data to generate facts and draw conclusions. All references rely on primary source documents that were not released in an official capacity by ISIS. These are documents that have been released online by pro or anti-ISIS activists or information that was gathered and analyzed by research centers and international organizations. It is worth noting that non-officially released documents were very helpful in shedding more …

Fearless Friday: Anya Jameson, Anya Jameson

SURGE

This Friday we are celebrating the work of Anya Jameson ’17, a senior at Gettysburg College who is originally from Gettysburg, PA. Anya is a Political Science major and a Middle Eastern/Islamic Studies minor, whose most active involvement at Gettysburg is as co-founder and President of Refugee Action Committee. This group, which is only in its second year at Gettysburg, runs many fundraisers to raise money for various organizations that aim to support refugees. This spring, the group will be running a Refugee Rights week, with a CUB table and events including a movie night and a guest speaker. As …

Bodies In Conflict: From Gettysburg To Iraq, Laura E. Bergin

Schmucker Art Catalogs

The exhibition Bodies in Conflict: From Gettysburg to Iraq not only conveys an ambitious geographic and historical range, but also reflects the sensitivity, ambition, and thoughtfulness of its curator, Laura Bergin ’17. In examining how the human figure is represented in prints and photographs of modern war and political conflict, Laura considers how journalistic photographs, artistic interpretations, and other visual documentation of conflict and its aftermath compare between wars and across historical periods. Specific objects include a print and photographs from the Civil War, propaganda posters from World Wars I and II, photographs and a protest poster from the Vietnam …

Engagement And Resistance: African Americans, Saudi Arabia And Islamic Transnationalisms, 1975 To 2000, Jeffrey Diamant

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

Since the 1960s, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia has financed missionary efforts to Muslims around the world, attempting to spread a Salafi form of Islam that professes strict adherence to Islamic sacred scripture. The effects of this transnational proselytization have depended on numerous factors in “host countries.” This project explores the various impacts of Saudi transnational religious influence in the United States among African-Americans. By relying on previously unused documentary sources and fresh oral histories, it shows how Saudi “soft power” attempted to effect change in religious practices of African-American Muslims from 1975 through 2000. It provides the most detailed …

Gender Roots: Conceptualizing "Honor" Killing And Interpretations Of Women's Gender In Muslim Society, Brittany N. Barry

What All Americans Should Know About Women in the Muslim World

The phenomenon of “honor” killing is one that has formed out of deeply rooted concepts of sexuality and gender roles in Muslim societies. These conceptions have been implemented into everyday life and social infrastructure and have created, in some places, a generally accepted power dynamic that subjugates women and generates conceptualizations about women’s sexuality and their assumed obedience. In recent decades the gender constructions of, predominantly, the Middle East and of other Muslim populations have captured the attention of Western thinkers, especially with regards to feminist thought. The Western gaze has produced a number of responses, some of which have …

Qatari Foreign Policy And The Arab Spring: From Mediation To Intervention, Basma Mahmoud Eletreby

Theses and Dissertations

This thesis examines the controversial role that Qatar has been playing in the Arab Spring, specifically from 2011 to 2013. Evidently, Qatari foreign policy will be assessed to comprehend the power this small state has been gaining in Middle East politics in a region plagued by never ending manifestations of power struggles and turbulent developments. The case studies of Egypt, Libya and Syria in which Qatari foreign policy involvement deployed the same rationale will be investigated to examine the increasing involvement of Qatar in Middle East politics. It concludes that the foreign policy of Qatar was both opportunistic and pro-Islamist …

Exploratory Study Of Countries Lacking Data On Female Genital Mutilation In The Middle East And Africa, Nazia Rose Naeem

Sociology & Criminal Justice Theses & Dissertations

Female genital mutilation (FGM) is the cutting off of female genitals for nonmedical purposes (WHO 2008). FGM is a gender specific practice, which has no health benefits and severe consequences. In addition, the victims of this form of physical, sexual, psychological, and emotional violence are predominantly children between birth and age 15 (WHO 2008). Female genital mutilation is an egregious act, which must be eradicated. This study sought to begin the process of securing preliminary estimates for FGM in countries that lacked data on FGM in the Middle East and Africa, thereby shedding light on this extremely detrimental and oppressive …

Dying For Love: Homosexuality In The Middle East, Heather Simmons

Human Rights & Human Welfare

Today in the United States, the most frequent references to the Middle East are concerned with the War on Terrorism. However, there is another, hidden battle being waged: the war for human rights on the basis of sexuality. Homosexuality is a crime in many of the Middle Eastern states and is punishable by death in Sudan, Saudi Arabia, Yemen, Qatar, Kuwait, and Iran (Ungar 2002). Chronic abuses and horrific incidences such as the 2009 systematic murders of hundreds of “gay” men in Iraq are seldom reported in the international media. Speculation as to why this population is hidden includes the …

Konflik Israel - Palestin Dari Aspek Sejarah Moden Dan Langkah Pembebasan Dari Cengkaman Zionis (Conflict Israel-Palestine From Modern Historical Aspect And The Step To Liberate From Zionist Clutched), Mohd Roslan Mohd Nor

Research Publications (2006 to 2010)

President of the United States, Obama, speaking in Cairo in June 2009, expressed deep sympathy to the Palestinians who have been oppressed for over a century. Zionist occupation of Palestine has changed the landscape of government in the Middle East. Some of the scholars believe that as long as the injustice committed by the Zionists, so long that there can be no peace in the region in particular and the world in general. This article is to review aspects of the modern history of the conflict and suggests some steps that can be brought to the goodness and global peace.

Perancangan Zionis Ke Arah Pembentukan Negara Israel (Zionist Plan Towards Establishing The State Of Israel), Mohd Roslan Mohd Nor, Nor Dalila Zakaria

Research Publications (2006 to 2010)

The official establishment of the State of Israel in 1948 on the land of Palestine was a result of hardworking and strategic planning of Zionists. By using several methods and their continuous effort including the moral boost that they received from the west which always supported Zionists effort, has given a huge advantage to the Zionists. This article will attempt to explore the Zionists plan which they have succeeded in taking over Palestine and established the state that is merely for the Jews.

American West Scholar Looks East

This Month

Dr. Jim Leiker is an associate professor of history whose expertise is race relations in the American West. But Leiker's studies took a decided turn east when he was selected for a a Fullbright-Hays Scholarship in summer 2007.

Allen Keiswetter On Women In The Middle East: Past And Present By Nikki R. Keddie. Princeton: Princeton University Press, 2006. 416pp., Allen Keiswetter

Human Rights & Human Welfare

A review of:

Women in the Middle East: Past and Present by Nikki R. Keddie. Princeton: Princeton University Press, 2006. 416pp.

Saudi Arabia: Islamic Threat, Political Reform, And The Global War On Terror, Sherifa D. Zuhur Dr.

Books, Monographs & Collaborative Studies

This monograph examines the convergence of the war on terror on Saudi soil, calls for and modest programs of political reform, and heightened post-9/11 tensions with the United States. Saudi Arabia has been condemned for its Wahhabist version of Islam, and linked to the growth of salafist extremism operating locally, regionally, and internationally. This monograph more clearly defines the background and nature of today's Islamic threat in Saudi Arabia, and argues for continuing counter- and anti-terrorist measures but also for political reform and development.