CIAO DATE: 08/2008
Volume: 2007, Issue: 9
Fall 2007
Nicholas Gossen
Despite lackluster economic performance in Iran since the 1979 Islamic Revolution, the political legitimacy of the regime remains intact, suggesting strong non-economic bases of support.
The Rise of Islamic Banking and Finance in Central Asia (PDF)
Geoffrey Gresh
The former Central Asian republics of the Soviet Union are undergoing expansive socio-economic changes since the disintegration of the USSR. The legacy of Soviet central planning held back substantial development in the countries until the rise of Islamic banking and finance among the six Muslim republics of the former Soviet Union. As a result, Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, Tajikistan, and Kyrgyzstan are undergoing an accelerated pace of development today.
Charisma in Modern Islamic Revolutionary Movements: The Case of Ahmad Shah Massoud (PDF)
Casey Johnson
Though it is clear that charisma plays an important role in leadership, particularly with regards to revolutionary movements, the nature of this role, how it is cultivated and how it evolves is not well understood. This study examines the particular role of charisma in modern Islamic revolutionary movement, with a particular look at the case of Ahmad Shah Massoud.Review of The Price of Fear: The Truth Behind the Financial War on Terror by Ibrahim Warde (PDF)
Rebecca Hekman
A review of the recent publication of leading Islamic Finance Scholar, Ibrahim Warde, The Price of Fear: The Truth Behind the Financial War on Terror. Warde skillfully reveals the many paradoxes and problems with the other 9/11-inspired war, the so-called war on terrorist financing.
Iraqi Kurdistan: The Internal Dynamics and Statecraft of a Semistate (PDF)
Matan Chorev
Semistates inhabit the central conflict fault-lines of Southwest Asia's strategic landscape at the dawn of the twenty-first century. This case study of Iraqi kurdistan seeks to advance analytical frameworks for comprehending the internal dynamics and statecraft of these entities in order to contribute to the design of effective conflict management approaches.
Interview with Itamar Rabinovich: Walking the Tightrope of Middle East Diplomacy (PDF)
Michael Mylrea
An interview with Itamar Rabinovich, Isreal's former Ambassador to the United States and chief negotiator with Syria. Rabinovich reflects upon the current attempts at peace by the Bush Administration and the general climate for peace in the Middle East.