The Arab Mind Bound
Format: 
Pages: 192
ISBN: 9780853038948
Pub Date: July 2011
Price: £55.00
Usually available in 6-8 weeks
Pages: 288
ISBN: 9781803710129
Pub Date: February 2022
Price: £24.95
This book will be reprinted and your order will be released in due course.
Description:
The Arab Mind Bound proposes that Arab culture has been stifled by two major problems. The first is that of religion misinterpreted. Islam has come to be seen and propagated as a religion of violence, while in reality this violence is merely the result of a single interpretation of Islam. In fact, there are other interpretations that call for moderation and progress. The second problem is education. The backward education system engenders misconceptions which in turn provoke political, social, and economic problems. These trigger a vicious circle which fortifies the existing Arab mindset. The Arab societies are thus trapped in this cycle, to which the only solution is science and modern management. The Arab Mind Bound looks at the factors which led to the rapid spread and influence of violent Islam and its effect on Arab societies. Written by Tarek Heggy, this insightful and topical book is a companion volume to Heggy's The Arab Cocoon: Progress and Modernity in Arab Societies.
The Arab Spring in Egypt and Tunisia was a manifestation of all that is amiss in the Arab world. Heggy seeks to understand the conditions which created the breeding ground for those upheavals. He deals first with religion, and how Islam is seen and propagated as a religion of violence. However this is one interpretation of Islam, while others call for moderation and progress. He explains the factors which led to the rapid spread and influence of violent Islam and its effect on Arab societies. A key player in the power struggle in Egypt is the Muslim Brotherhood. Are they the radical Islamists of Mubarak propaganda, the democratic actors they claim to be, or is the truth more complex than that? Heggy's chapter on the Muslim Brotherhood should be read by all who have a stake in peace in the Middle East or an interest in Egypt. Next he tackles the backward education system that engenders misconceptions which, in turn, provoke political, social, and economic problems. These trigger a vicious circle which fortifies the existing Arab mindset. Arab societies are thus trapped in a cycle of political, social, and economic problems to which the only solution is science and modern management.