1.

Record Nr.

UNINA9910827888303321

Autore

Rubin Lawrence <1973->

Titolo

Islam in the balance : ideational threats in Arab politics / / Lawrence Rubin

Pubbl/distr/stampa

Stanford, California : , : Stanford Security Studies, , 2014

©2014

ISBN

0-8047-9210-0

Descrizione fisica

1 online resource : illustrations (black and white)

Disciplina

320.55/70956

Soggetti

Islam and politics - Middle East

National security - Middle East

Threat (Psychology) - Political aspects - Middle East

International relations - Psychological aspects

Egypt Politics and government 1981-2011

Saudi Arabia Politics and government 1982-

Iran Foreign public opinion, Arab

Sudan Foreign public opinion, Arab

Middle East Foreign relations 1979-

Middle East Politics and government 1979-

Lingua di pubblicazione

Inglese

Formato

Materiale a stampa

Livello bibliografico

Monografia

Note generali

Bibliographic Level Mode of Issuance: Monograph

Nota di bibliografia

Includes bibliographical references and index.

Nota di contenuto

Front matter -- Contents -- Acknowledgments -- 1. Introduction -- 2. The Ideational Security Dilemma, Ideational Power, and Ideational Balancing -- 3. Ideational Projection after the Iranian Revolution -- 4. The Power of a Weak State: Sudan’s Relations with Saudi Arabia and Egypt -- 5. Indirect Power Projection and Ideational Balancing after Khomeini -- 6. Conclusion: Balancing the Brotherhood -- Notes -- Bibliography -- Index

Sommario/riassunto

Islam in the Balance: Ideational Threats in Arab Politics is an analysis of how ideas, or political ideology, can threaten states and how states react to ideational threats. It examines the threat perception and policies of two Arab Muslim majority states, Egypt and Saudi Arabia, in response to the rise and activities of two revolutionary "Islamic states,"



established in Iran (1979) and Sudan (1989). Using these comparative case studies, the book provides important insight about the role of religious ideology for the international and domestic politics of the Middle East and, in doing so, advances our understanding of how, why, and when ideology affects threat perception and state policy. Rubin makes clear that transnational ideologies may present a greater and more immediate national security threat than shifts in the military balance of power: first because ideology, or ideational power, triggers threat perception and affects state policy; second because states engage in ideational balancing in response to an ideological threat. The book has significant implications for international relations theory and engages important debates in comparative politics about authoritarianism and Islamic activism. Its findings about how an Islamist regime or state behaves will provide vital insight for policy creation by the US and its Middle East allies should another such regime or state emerge.