1.

Record Nr.

UNINA9910786159803321

Autore

Pierret Thomas

Titolo

Religion and state in Syria : the Sunni Ulama from coup to revolution / / Thomas Pierret, University of Edinburgh [[electronic resource]]

Pubbl/distr/stampa

Cambridge : , : Cambridge University Press, , 2013

ISBN

1-139-61076-7

1-139-62564-0

1-139-61262-X

1-139-61634-X

1-139-20772-5

Edizione

[1st English ed.]

Descrizione fisica

1 online resource (xiii, 275 pages) : digital, PDF file(s)

Collana

Cambridge Middle East studies ; ; 41

Classificazione

POL040020

Disciplina

322/.1095691

Soggetti

Ulama - Political activity - Syria

Syria Politics and government 20th century

Syria Politics and government 21st century

Lingua di pubblicazione

Inglese

Formato

Materiale a stampa

Livello bibliografico

Monografia

Note generali

Title from publisher's bibliographic system (viewed on 05 Oct 2015).

Nota di bibliografia

Includes bibliographical references (p. 245-261) and index.

Nota di contenuto

Machine generated contents note: 1. The era of the 'founding sheikhs' (1920-79); 2. Landscapes after the battle (1979-2007); 3. (Re)defining orthodoxy against reformist trends; 4. The turban and the chequebook: political economy of the Syrian religious elite; 5. Ulama and Islamists in the political field; 6. Reforms and revolution; 7. Conclusion.

Sommario/riassunto

While Syria has been dominated since the 1960s by a determinedly secular regime, the 2011 uprising has raised many questions about the role of Islam in the country's politics. This book demonstrates that with the eradication of the Muslim Brothers after the failed insurrection of 1982, Sunni men of religion became the only voice of the Islamic trend in the country. Through educational programs, charitable foundations and their deft handling of tribal and merchant networks, they took advantage of popular disaffection with secular ideologies to increase their influence over society. In recent years, with the Islamic resurgence, the Alawi-dominated Ba'thist regime was compelled to bring the clergy into the political fold. This relationship was exposed in 2011 by the division of the Sunni clergy between regime supporters,



bystanders and opponents. This book affords a new perspective on Syrian society as it stands at the crossroads of political and social fragmentation.