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Introduction : people power and the Arab revolutions : towards a new conceptual framework of democracy in the Middle East
chapter
posted on 2012-01-01, 00:00 authored by Benjamin IsakhanBenjamin Isakhan, Fethi MansouriFethi Mansouri, Shahram AkbarzadehShahram AkbarzadehThis introductory chapter analyses the various debates and discussions that have been triggered by the Arab Revolutions. It seizes a unique opportunity to reflect on these seismic events, their causes and consequences, as well as on the core issues facing the region in the future. The central arguments and the key contributions of this chapter are twofold. Firstly, to situate the Arab Revolutions within their broader contextual background, arguing that a unique set of historical events as well as local, regional and global dynamics have converged to provide the catalyst that triggered the recent revolts. Secondly, this book will attempt to situate the events within a new conceptual framework. The argument here is that the Arab Revolutions pose a very specific challenge to conventional wisdom concerning democracy and democratisation in the Middle East.