Original essays, research notes, and reports
by Ahmed E. Souaiaia The so-called Arab Spring is a watershed for learning for those interested in religion and politics. In no other modern uprisings has the relationship between religion and politics been put to the test as it has been during the Arab revolutions. In Western countries, generally, uprisings rebelled against religion. It has Read more
Continue ReadingIn another sign of nervousness resulting from the mounting pressure put by the Arab revolts on authoritarian rulers, members of the GCC (Cooperative Council for the Arab States of the Gulf) unexpectedly opened the door for considering the admission of Jordan and Morocco to this intergovernmental organization. In doing so, what used to be a Read more
Continue ReadingNearly six months after igniting the wave of protest across the Arab world, Tunisia is still struggling to schedule the first vote that would elect a Constituency Assembly (majlis ta’sisi). After the fall of the regime of Ben Ali, the interim president designated July 24, 2011 to be the date on which Tunisians would elect Read more
Continue Readingby Ahmed E. Souaiaia* Family members mourn during a funeral for slain anti-government protester Ali Ahmed al Muameen on February 18, 2011 in Sitra, Bahrain. Credit: Photo by John Moore/Getty Images by Ahmed E. Souaiaia* When the first demonstration took place in Sidi Bouzid after Tarek (Mohamed) Elbouazizi ignited the Arab revolutions by setting himself Read more
Continue ReadingBY JEFF CHARIS-CARLSON • IOWA CITYSCAPES • FEBRUARY 14, 2011 To help make sense of last week’s announced resignation of Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak, I turned to Ahmed Souaiaia, a University of Iowa professor who teaches classes in Religious Studies, International Programs and Law. • Q: What do you think was the final straw to Read more
Continue ReadingSource: • GUEST OPINION • Press-Citizen • FEBRUARY 12, 2011 Three Thursdays ago, I made a bet with one of my students in front of all his classmates: Hosni Mubarak will be out of power in less than 30 days. Today, I know that I will be eating my pizza soon. On the third Friday Read more
Continue Readingby Ahmed E, Souaiaia* Regardless of what would happen in the next months, the year 2011 will enter the history books as the breakthrough year for Arab societies. On January 14, 2011, the Tunisian people ended the reign of a ruthless dictator and with it ended fear. The Tunisian revolution soon inspired peoples of other Read more
Continue Reading[A doctor stitches the head of an eleven-year-old boy who had been hit by a stone thrown by a supporter of President Hosni Mubarak in Tahrir Square on February 3, 2011 in Cairo, Egypt.] by A. E. SOUAIAIA* The Egyptian authoritarian thinks that he is the person keeping the country from falling into chaos. He Read more
Continue Readingby A.E. SOUAIAIA The Egyptian regime’s latest display of brutality in the name of preserving one man’s rule is spectacularly shameful, and should be embarrassing to former allies than to Mubarak per se, for we know that he is a man of no shame already. The thugs that he unleashed in the streets chanting, “We Read more
Continue Readingby A. E. SOUAIAIA It was a mistake for President Obama to call Husni Mubarak on the fourth day of the Egyptian revolt, after nearly 100 people have died, to advise him for anything else but to step down and let a transitional leadership prepare for fair, transparent, and pluralistic elections. Instead, his reaching out Read more
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