Arab-Iranian Relations [Hardcover]

Khair el-Din Haseeb (Editor)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 1860641563 | ISBN-13: 978-1860641565 | Publication Date: December 15, 1998

Regionally-based Arabs and Iranian scholars here explore the preoccupation of the economic, political, educational and strategist present of Arab-Iranian relationships in the context of the historical and cultural past.

The issues covered include: historical ties and the current state of mutual awareness between Arabs and Iranians; the impact of the political and journalistic rhetoric of each side on their relationships; the image of Arabs and Iranians in each others' schoolbooks; economic ties and the prospects for their future development; the status of Arab and Iranian women; border and territorial disputes between Arab states and Iran; the position of Arab states and Iran on the Kurdish question; the Palestine question in Arab-Iranian relations; a comparative study of civil society in Iran and in Arab countries; and Arab-Iranian ties in the context of international relations.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 528 pages
• Publisher: I. B. Tauris (December 15, 1998)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1860641563
• ISBN-13: 978-1860641565
• Product Dimensions: 9.5 x 6.5 x 1.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.9 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 2.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #3,858,246 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Arab-Iranian Relations., August 4, 2001

By 

Daniel Pipes, Middle East Forum, Philadelphia (Philadelphia, PA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Arab-Iranian Relations (Hardcover)

The editor claims that this is the first book of its sort, and he is no doubt right, just as he is right to assert that "the theoretical joinder between Arabs and Iranians is of far broader sort than that exists between Arabs and other neighboring states." Confirming this observation, a large number of leading intellectual and cultural figures from the Arab countries and Iran fill a hefty tome with serious analysis of their connections. A few essays deal with the long historical record; a much greater number take up current issues. Their topics include bilateral politics (governmental signals, territorial disputes), international topics (the "Middle East order," Kurdish and Palestinian issues), and domestic matters (women, economics, civil society, textbooks). Unfortunately, what could be a highly innovative collection of essays is marred by two main drawbacks. First, many of the writers are constrained by their governments to parrot the official line; and so than a few of the essays sound like propaganda tracts. Second, the study has an explicitly activist agenda (for Arabs to look at Iran "as a part of the Islamic strategic depth to the Arab nation") that puts a premium on getting along, no matter what tensions must be buried to do so. Symbolic of this, Ghoulam Ali Haddad Adel of Iran writes approvingly that Iranian textbooks never ascribed the "slaughter" of Iranian visitors and pilgrims in Iraq to "Arab fanaticism"; a coy formulation that permits Adel to appear broadminded even as he criticizes Arabs. Only when the participants are free to express their own views, and to do so disinterestedly, will the quality of such a project as this one notably improve.

5 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Interesting Perspectives, May 7, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: Arab-Iranian Relations (Hardcover)

This book represents a significant effort to bring together two groups that rarely meet to address the issues that both bind and divide them. The articles in this edited volume were written for presentation at a conference in 1995 on the same subject and they reflect serious efforts by participants from both groups to reach new levels of understanding.

Each area of discussion is addressed by an Arab and an Iranian writer, which lends a sense of balance not often found in scholarly works of this type. The topics addressed include border and territorial disputes, civil society, media and schoolbook portrayals of each side, economic and political ties, and others.

With so many books addressing relations between the West and other parts of the world, this volume is refreshing both in concept and subject matter. While it is not for those new to the Middle East, it can provide specialists with useful perspectives and information about this important relationship.