Morbid Symptoms: Relapse in the Arab Uprising

(Paperback)

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Description

Since the first wave of uprisings in 2011, the euphoria of the "Arab Spring" has given way to the gloom of backlash and a descent into mayhem and war. The revolution has been overwhelmed by clashes between rival counter-revolutionary forces: resilient old regimes on the one hand and Islamic fundamentalist contenders on the other.In this eagerly awaited book, foremost Middle East and international affairs specialist Gilbert Achcar analyzes the factors of the regional relapse. Focusing on Syria and Egypt, Achcar assesses the present stage of the uprising and the main obstacles, both regional and international, that prevent any resolution. In Syria, the regime's brutality has fostered the rise of jihadist forces, among which the so-called Islamic State emerged as the most ruthless and powerful. In Egypt, the Muslim Brotherhood's year in power was ultimately terminated by the contradictory conjunction of a second revolutionary wave and a bloody reactionary coup. Events in Syria and Egypt offer salient examples of a pattern of events happening across the Middle East.Morbid Symptoms offers a timely analysis of the ongoing Arab uprising that will engage experts and general readers alike.Drawing on a unique combination of scholarly and political knowledge of the Arab region, Achcar argues that, short of radical social change, the region will not reach stability any time soon.

Reviews

'One of the best analysts of the contemporary Arab world' Le Monde; 'Morbid Symptoms is a sobering yet generous account of the Arab people's fight for true liberation and the lessons that have been learned from that struggle.' Jacobin Magazine; 'Morbid Symptoms' skilfully explains the mutation of the 'Arab Spring' - though Achcar prefers the term 'uprising' - into an 'Arab Winter'.' Middle East Media and Book Reviews Online; `Morbid Symptoms is a masterfully written and challenging analysis of paramount importance' Studies of Transition States and Societies

Author Bio

Gilbert Achcar is Professor of Development Studies and International Relations at SOAS, University of London. He has written extensively on politics and development economics, as well as social change and social theory. His other works include The People Want: A Radical Exploration of the Arab Uprising and Perilous Power: The Middle East and US Foreign Policy, with Noam Chomsky.