Editorial Reviews
‘A critical compass for all to rethink the Middle East as it is, and reimagine what it could be. This is an ambitious charter to realign history and inspire hope for a new generation, and generations to come.’
— Lyse Doucet, Chief International Correspondent, BBC News
‘A passionate and accurate analysis of the past and future of the Middle East, showing that while tyranny persists after the 2011 uprisings, there is also resilience and resistance. Offering a sound, creative path away from devastating Western military intervention, this is a loud cry for profound transformation by two prominent activists of the region.’
— Madawi Al-Rasheed, Fellow of the British Academy, Visiting Professor at the LSE Middle East Centre, and author of The Son King
‘A rare genuine effort to provide an objective yet impassioned analysis of the Middle East from inside the region. From 9/11 to the Arab Spring to ISIS and countless ill-conceived foreign interventions, this book is essential reading for understanding the cycle of violence and tyranny—and for breaking that cycle.’
— Garry Kasparov, Chairman of the Human Rights Foundation and the Renew Democracy Initiative
‘Anyone who wants to understand the traumas of the contemporary Middle East, and is willing to learn how deeply implicated in them the West is, must read this book.’
— Peter Beinart, author of The Crisis of Zionism
‘It is a tribute to Iyad El-Baghdadi and Ahmed Gatnash that this book makes just as uncomfortable reading for Western politicians and policymakers as it would for the Middle East’s tyrants and terrorists. A brave, unflinching analysis of a region bedevilled by crises, written not by another Western “expert” but by two compelling Arab voices.’
— Justin Marozzi, author of Islamic Empires: Fifteen Cities that Define a Civilisation
‘It took me a lifetime to try to understand why the region where I was born and raised is a crisis factory. This book is a genuine guide, full of important information, accurate context and honest hope for those who want to understand the Middle East.’
— Ghada Oueiss, Principal Presenter, Al Jazeera Arabic
‘An astute geopolitical analysis that is also deeply heartfelt. The authors’ discussion of tyranny, terrorism and foreign intervention in the Middle East is well researched and unsparing; their personal stories and hopes for the future (complete with practical suggestions) make it stand out.’
— Sarah Kendzior, author of Hiding in Plain Sight and The View from Flyover Country
‘After decades of the West aiding and abetting authoritarianism across the Middle East, on 6 January 2021, a white supremacist mob attacked the seat of US democracy, aiming to install a dictator. In The Middle East Crisis Factory, two prominent activists sound the alarm that authoritarianism anywhere is a threat to democracy everywhere.’
— Rula Jebreal, award-winning author and journalist
Has autocracy won out in the Middle East? Or is another future still possible? Why is the Middle East a crisis factory, and how can it be fixed? What does the future look like for its 500 million people? And what role should the West play?
Iyad El-Baghdadi and Ahmed Gatnash, two children of the region, tell the story of the modern Middle East, charting the entrenchment of tyranny, terrorism and foreign intervention and showing how these systems of oppression simultaneously feed off and battle each other. Exploring demographic, economic and social trends, the authors paint a picture of the region’s prospects that is alarming yet hopeful. Finally, they present ambitious and thoughtful ideas that reject both aggressive military intervention and cynical deals with dictators.
This book is about the failures of history and the reasons for hope. The Middle East Crisis Factory offers a bold vision for those seeking peace and democracy in the Middle East.