The Arab Upheavals: From Spring to Winter

ISDP FORUM with Dr. Raphael Israeli

Lecturer in Islamic, Chinese and Middle Eastern History at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem

Monday, May 11, 2015, 10.00-11.30

 

The world is watching with uncertainty as the repercussions of the “Arab Spring” continue to unfold. During its initial phase, the term “Arab Spring” was associated with renewal, revival and democratization by optimistic Western observers. Many hoped the overthrow of authoritarian leaders would signal a new beginning for the Arab world.

ISDP will be guested by Raphael Israeli, who argues that such optimistic takes are flawed. Instead of paving a path toward liberal democracy, the Arab Spring was the catalyst for a protracted power struggle. Judging from the experiences of countries where the dust is settling, it appears that Islamist governments may fill the vacuum in leadership, and it is increasingly clear that democratic outcomes are not on the horizon. What is worse is that the West seems to have abandoned its hopes for democracy and freedom in the region, instead making peace with the idea that Islamist governments must be accepted as the lesser evil of the available options.

Dr. Raphael Israeli is Lecturer in Islamic, Chinese and Middle Eastern History at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. He is the author of 46 books and some 100 scholarly articles in the fields of Islamic radicalism, Islamic terrorism, the Modern Middle East, Islam in China and Asia and the opening-up of China. His latest book is Years of Upheaval: The Axial Years in Islam since 1989.

Location: ISDP, Västra Finnbodavägen 2, Stockholm-Nacka. For a map and directions, please go here.