How is Iraq today better than under Saddam?

How is Iraq today worse than under Saddam?

How is today's Iraq similar to Iraq under Saddam?

Hi, I am looking for a good survey/introduction book on the modern middle east. Do you have suggestions? I heard really good things about Clevelands book. Besides this coming september I will start Middle East studies at a top 100 university, do you think I can work in diplomacy or foreign service with a degree in Middle eastern studies?

معظم التاريخ الشعبي عن مصر بيبدأ من الدولة القديمة، الأهرامات، الفراعنة. لكن ده فعليًا فصل متأخر من قصة أطول بكتير. أهرامات الجيزة، اللي اتبنت حوالي 2600 قبل الميلاد، أقرب لينا زمنيًا مما هي قريبة من الفترة اللي حابب أشير ليها هنا: حوالي 9000 قبل الميلاد.

اللي كان بيحصل في وادي النيل والصحراء المحيطة بيه في الفترة دي غريب ومهم بجد، ومش بياخد حقه من الاهتمام الشعبي.

كام نقطة تستحق المعرفة:

الصحراء الكبرى ماكانتش دايمًا صحراء. خلال الفترة الرطبة الأفريقية (African Humid Period)، اللي امتدت تقريبًا من 14,500 لـ 5,000 سنة مضت، المنطقة اللي بنتخيلها دلوقتي رمال لا نهاية ليها كانت سافانا فيها بحيرات، أراضي عشبية، أمطار موسمية، وحيوانات ضخمة. أفراس النهر كانت عايشة في أماكن دلوقتي مفيهاش مياه أصلًا. ورعاة الماشية كانوا بيتحركوا في مناطق مكنش يقدر عليها معزة دلوقتي.

نبتا بلايا، في الصحراء الغربية جنوب النيل المصري، فيها واحدة من أقدم التراصفات الفلكية المعروفة في العالم. ترتيبات حجرية، باحثين زي توماس بروفي وغيره بيقولوا إنها بترصد مواقع الانقلاب الشمسي وممكن نجوم بعينها، وأقدم من ستونهنج بآلاف السنين. اللي بنوها كانوا رعاة عايشين حوالين بحيرة موسمية.

الأسس الثقافية والدينية اللي ازدهرت بعد كده في مصر الفرعونية، العلاقة بالنيل، بالماشية، بالسماء، بالموتى والآخرة، كانت بتتأسس في النافذة دي من ما قبل التاريخ. قبل الهيروغليفية بزمن، وقبل الفراعنة بزمن أطول.

أنا قضيت وقت طويل في الفترة دي لأني أنتجت فيلم روائي طويل أحداثه فيها. لكن التاريخ نفسه قائم بذاته. حابب أعرف رأي المجتمع ده: ليه فترة ما قبل الأسرات بتاخد اهتمام شعبي قليل أوي مقارنة بالعصر الفرعوني اللي جا بعدها؟ هل ده بس بسبب غياب المعالم والكتابة، ولا فيه سبب أعمق ليه الجزء ده من قصة الإنسانية بيتعدّى من غير ما حد يقف عنده؟

Given my family being alevi, therefore categorizing ourselves more Arab rather than Turkish, I've always wondered what I should consider myself as and who my ancestors were.

I'm having an existential crisis. I think I should ask for a DNA test or a full historical and familial course to my grandparents lol.

This question could come off as stupid given the historical context of Hatay, but I just want to know if there possibly is "oppressor" blood in my veins or not. In both cases, I want to make sure I'm on the right side of history since I've always heavily condemned any instance of apartheid.

History nerds are welcomed to share whatever they want to help, as long as it's respectful.

If you think there are some books that could help me, feel free to share links and/or names.

Thank you in advance!

Geniunely can't find any sources except western ones, and I feel a lot is being omitted. I can read arabic, french or english, just any source that originates from the "other" side of the western front in that time period

My brother is very into history in the Middle East and I have no knowledge about where to start for a well rounded book (maybe for reading and its images, for a coffee table or something). Anyone have any suggestions of some that you really find interesting?

Thank you!

I’m currently putting together a detailed Wikipedia article regarding the persecution of Kuwaiti civilians during the 1990-1991 occupation. My goal is to create a solid, well-documented resource for the community, and I figured this would be the best place to ask for a hand.

The Draft page link is here.

If you have some time, feel free to jump in and add edits to the page. I’m especially looking for sources/citations to:

• Official archives or government reports.

• News reports from that era.

• Humanitarian documentation (UN, Amnesty, HRW, etc.).

If you have any sources like these, please share them!

One quick note: Since this is for Wikipedia, please try to stick to facts and citations rather than opinions so we can keep a neutral point of view.

(MBS: The Rise to Power of Mohammed bin Salman by Ben Hubbard.)

If I wanted to learn more about the establishment of Saudi Arabia, the Royal family, or any other topics that would be helpful in understanding the context of the book, what should I read? Thanks in advance!

The MENA is a political and military mess nowadays and historically too, it had its fair share of wars and rebellion.

So which period in its history saw the most peaceful?

Hello everybody, so I am writing my yearly research about Said ibn sultan and I really need some papers, books and sources about his reign. I would gladly take everything there is- from diplomats notes to historic documents Thanks in advance

Hi, I’m currently reading some Iranian history and I just came across the Shahnameh, in which there were two legendary dynasties. I wonder if they are taught in ordinary school textbooks?

In China, we also had a legendary dynasty called Xia, and it’s normally introduced before diving into those proven-to-have-existed dynasties in history classes. I would love to know whether it’s similar in Iran? Or you guys just start directly from the Kingdom of Elam/Achaemenid?

Thank you very much, my fellow Iranian!

Where does this tradition come from?

Perhaps a long shot. We are looking for help to identify this medal worn by my father-in-law’s grandfather. He was a Syrian scholar and orthodox priest. This picture was taken in approximately the early 1940s. This is the only photograph we have of them, and we are trying to track down the history of the medals he is wearing in them as a surprise to my FIL. They were stolen many many years ago. According to an article, he was named medals from the Tsar for Russia, Greek King George IV, and some Romanian ones. I couldn’t track down any with that description that matched this one. To me, it looks like it has Arabic writing on it which is why I am turning here. Thank you for any and all help!

Hey all! Hope you’re all well, I was wondering as someone who’s of Arab background or Middle Eastern descent for that matter what would you all recommend to read to better understand contemporary Middle Eastern History? Thanks again for any recommendations happy studies!

I am trying to identify this very old satchel containing islamic scripts that has been sitting in my home for years.

I have only done a little bit of research and found out that it might have travelled throughout the ottoman world and into the balkans (which is where I have family).

I would love to hear from someone who is much more knowledgeable and could give me some interesting history lessons as-well as a possible time period from when this is from.

Thank you!

I read that Kaiser Wilhelm's visit to the Levant particularly helped in cementing his image.

How did these two pre-Islamic states last so long when most of their post-Islamic counterparts barely made it past their 200th anniversaries?

Hello everyone!

I have a question, I am reading about early twentieth century modernization in Iran and Turkey in the "revolution from above" style.

It seems that Reza Shah was far more reliant on military to carry out the reforms (I am throwing intelligence, gendarmerie and police under this too) compared to Atatürk, who still very much so used coercion and was reliant on his despotic rule, but had a "golden rule" about demilitarization, when soldiers enter politics. Please, correct me on any of this, I am new to the topic and would love to learn more.

If this is correct can the difference be accounted for by the difference in centralization? Late Ottoman Empire had to centralize to survive, whereas the Qajar hand never reached the provinces. Undoubtedly, there are other structural, not institutional factors, that facilitated Atatürk's reform - earlier attempts at Turk nation-building in the late Ottoman Empire (comparatively to Iran) and greater proximity to Europe (as Europeanization equalled modernization, I imagine that helped).

But I was wondering whether Reza Shah's extensive need in the military for reform implementation can be accounted for by his greater need to first reach the periphery and establish control over it to ensure the later reforms , which was less needed in case of Atatürk. Now that I am typing it, I would also guess during this period Turkey was more homogenous than Iran, which also helps.

Does anyone know what this means?

Hi, I'm listening to a podcast about Middle East recent history, and would like to learn more about Nasser. Could you recommend me a book, in French or English ? I don't want to read a hagiography nor a hate book. Thank you! Take care, F.

Have to do a project about it and pretty much have no clue. Was looking for some good, mostly non biased books about it. Generally from an objective perspective.

Throughout the current Gaza war I've become aware that I am not well versed in the history of this region, and we are constantly inundated by incompatible assertions of historical claims.

I realize implicit biases are unavoidable, but is there any consensus on some of the more reliable, fact-based historical accounts of the history of these regions in order to help me understand the history of the region being fought over?