New Opposition in the Middle East

Description

This book uses a Contentious Politics lens to examine patterns of contestation since 2009 and 2011 among the Middle East's most important opposition actors. The volume is comprised of seven chapters that ask questions in relation to the responsiveness of opposition groups to their political environments, the long-term legacies of authoritarianism, and whether the post-2009/2011 political environment is better or worse for Middle Eastern oppositions. It interrogates the ways in which oppositions have morphed in relation to this changed operating environment, subjectively interpreting the costs and benefits of contestation in order to maximise political opportunities. To some oppositions, changes in the power balance between regime structures and opposition agents led to unprecedented opportunity for political action, while for others, structures were galvanised to restrict opposition activities. In total, the volume shows that even though the Arab Uprisings and Green Movement achieved few of their overt goals, the events unleashed smaller shifts across the region that have led to a fundamental change in the politics of contestation amongst the region’s oppositions. These patterns echo experiences in other parts of the world, including the coloured revolutions in post-Soviet states, and the political environment in Chile after Pinochet. Front Matter ....Pages i-xi Contentious Politics and Middle Eastern Oppositions After the Uprisings (Dara Conduit, Shahram Akbarzadeh)....Pages 1-14 The Women’s Movement and State Responses to Contentious Campaigns in Iran (Rebecca Barlow)....Pages 15-40 Pulling and Gouging: The Sadrist Line’s Adaptable and Evolving Repertoire of Contention (Damian Doyle)....Pages 41-69 Opposition Party Political Dynamics in Egypt from the 2011 Revolution to Sisi (Vincent Durac)....Pages 71-96 The Rise and Fall of Bahrain’s Al-Wefaq Society: De-democratisation and Crackdown in a Troubled Gulf State (Kylie Moore-Gilbert)....Pages 97-117 The Iranian Reform Movement Since 2009 (Dara Conduit, Shahram Akbarzadeh)....Pages 119-149 Surviving the Syrian Uprising: The Syrian Muslim Brotherhood (Hanlie Booysen)....Pages 151-175 Nahda and Tunisian Islamic Activism (Fabio Merone, Ester Sigillò, Damiano De Facci)....Pages 177-201 Conclusion (Shahram Akbarzadeh, Dara Conduit)....Pages 203-207 Back Matter ....Pages 209-216