Saudi Arabia and the Politics of Dissent

Middle East Policy
...this [is a] well-researched, intelligent and readable book...full of astute observations.


Review
...this [is a] well-researched, intelligent and readable book...full of astute observations. Middle East Policy



Book Description
Few books on Saudi Arabia deal with primary sources in examining internal Saudi dissent. In contrast, Saudi Arabia and the Politics of Dissent relies on field work and the analysis of more than 100 taped sermons by Saudi Islamic activists, examining their personal backgrounds, their rhetoric, and their strategies. Mamoun Fandy traces the evolution of Islamic opposition in Saudi Arabia, focusing on the Gulf War and its aftermath and scrutinizing the works of Safar al Hawali and Salman al-Auda. He also documents the history of the Shi`a Reform Movement and its leader, Sheik Hassan al-Safar, of Mohammed al-Mas`ari and his Committee for the Defense of Legitimate Rights, of Sa'd al-Faqih and the Movement of Islamic Reform in Arabia, and finally the radical Usama bin Laden and his organization. By analyzing the Saudi opposition’s use of modern technologies of communication and discussing the ways in which supposedly fundamentalist thinkers have been influenced by global debates and events, this book contributes significantly to the theoretical debate on domination and resistance in the current age of globalization and postmodernity.



Card catalog description
Few books on Saudi Arabia use primary sources to examine internal Saudi dissent. In contrast, Saudi Arabia and the Politics of Dissent relies on field work and the analysis of more than one hundred taped sermons by Saudi Islamic activists, examining their personal backgrounds, their rhetoric, and their strategies. Mamoun Fandy traces the evolution of Islamic opposition in Saudi Arabia, focusing on the Gulf War and its aftermath and scrutinizing the works of Safar al Hawali and Salman al-'Auda. He also documents the history of the Shi'a Reform Movement and its leader, Sheik Hassan al-Saffar, of Mohammed al-Mas'ari and his Committee for the Defense of Legitimate Rights; of Sa'd al-Faqih and the Movement of Islamic Reform in Arabia; and, finally, the radical Usama bin Laden and his organization.


About the Author
Mamoun Fandy is Professor of Politics at the Center for Contemporary Arab Studies, Georgetown University. He spent two years in Saudi Arabia researching this book.



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Paperbound reprint of a 1999 work, about which Book News wrote: Based on fieldwork and over 100 taped sermons by Saudi Islamic activists, this book traces the evolution of Islamic opposition in Saudi Arabia. It focuses on the Gulf War and its aftermath by examining the works of Safar al Hawali and Salman al-'Aud, among others. Also examined are the opposition's use of modern communication technologies and the ways in which fundamentalist thinkers have been influenced by global debates and events. Annotation c. Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)


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