HARVARD JOURNAL OF MIDDLE EASTERN POLITICS AND POLICY spring 2012 CONTENTS Modern-Day Stories: The Evolving Role of the Me- 6 dia in Solidifying a Cultural Arab Identity BY MINA AL-ORAIBI Political Success of Egypt’s Salafis 13 Tests U.S. Support for Democracy BY MARA REVKIN Islam and Government: 20 Examining the Turkish Model BY MATTHEW COHEN Liberals, Islamists, and the Role of the Middle- Class in the Demise of the Arab Autocracies 31 BY ISHAC DIWAN The Rule of Law and Arab Political Liberalization: Three Models for Change 55 BY DAVID M. MEDNICOFF Emerging Trends in Middle Eastern Health Policy BY NORA EL NAWAWI, TERESA CHAHINE, NADEEM AL-DUAIJ, 84 ALI HAMANDI, AND WILLIAM BEAN The Syrian Uprising: An Interview with Syrian Opposition Member Amr al-Azm 101 INTERVIEWED BY ANYA VODOPYANOV Egypt’s Transition to Democracy: An Interview with Freedom and Justice Politician Amr Darrag 107 INTERVIEWED BY DANIEL TAVANA ii HARVARD JOURNAL OF MIDDLE EASTERN POLITICS AND POLICY Co-Editors-in-Chief: Duncan Pickard Daniel Tavana Managing Editor: Josh Martin Director of Board Relations: Mariam Mansury Chiefs of Marketing and Distribution: Stephen Hall Haitham al-Salama Directors of Outreach: Vivek Chilukuri Asma Jaber Senior Editors, Articles and Features: Abdullah Al-Khalifa Anya Vodopyanov Senior Editors, Online Content: Jessica Brandt Alex Shams Senior Editor, Book Reviews: Jeffrey Karam Senior Editors, Commentaries: Asad Asad Sybil Ottenstein Senior Editors, Special Content: Micah Peckarsky Rustin Zarkar Senior Editor-At-Large: Federico Manfredi Design and Layout: Monique Zoutendijk Cover Photo: Federico Manfredi 4he articles coMMentaries interviews © 2012 by the President and Fellows of book reviews and additional editorial Harvard College. All rights reserved. Except content appearing in the Harvard Journal of as otherwise speciled no article or portion Middle Eastern Politics and Policies do not herein is to be reproduced or adapted to necessarily remect the views of the other works without the expressed written editors the sponsoring university or the consent of the editors of the Harvard board MeMbers of the advisory boards. Journal of Middle Eastern Politics and Policies. ISSN# 2165-9117 iii Editor’s Note We inaugurate the Harvard Journal of Middle Eastern Politics & Policy amid epochal changes in the Middle East and North Africa. The Journal’s mission — to contribute thoughtful, policy-relevant analysis on regional politics and interna- tional affairs — has rarely been so critical to policymakers and the academy. ,QRXUÀUVWHGLWLRQRXUDXWKRUVRIIHUVRPHSUHOLPLQDU\FRQFOXVLRQVDERXWZK\ WKHXSULVLQJVDFURVVWKHUHJLRQRFFXUUHGWKHLUFXUUHQWSROLWLFVDQGZKDWZHFDQ JOHDQIURPWKHP,VKDF'LZDQH[SODLQVWKHLPSHWXVEHKLQGWKHUHFHQWXSULVLQJV LQWKHFRQWH[WRI$UDEDXWKRULWDULDQLVP'DYLG0HGQLFRIIH[SORUHVGLIIHUHQWZD\V LQZKLFKODZDQGSROLWLFVKDYHZRUNHGWRJHWKHUWRIDFLOLWDWHGHPRFUDWL]DWLRQLQ WKH$UDEZRUOG 7ZRFRPPHQWDULHVH[SORUHWKHUROHRIUHOLJLRQLQWKHVWDWH0DUD5HYNLQGUDZV LQIHUHQFHVIURPWKH6DODÀVWV·VXFFHVVLQWKH(J\SWLDQHOHFWLRQVDQG0DWWKHZ Cohen offers lessons of the Turkish model of Islam and politics. :HDUHSOHDVHGWRLQFOXGHWZRLQWHUYLHZVZLWKOHDGHUVIURPWKHUHJLRQ$PU $O$]PRIWKH6\ULDQ1DWLRQDO&RXQFLOSURYLGHVDQXSGDWHRIWKHSROLWLFVRIRS- position in Syria, and Amr Darrag of Egypt’s Muslim Brotherhood describes the Freedom and Justice Party’s legislative agenda. We also hope to return discourse on the Middle East to some of the most press- ing questions encountering policymakers before the recent uprisings in order to HPSKDVL]HWKRVHTXHVWLRQVWKDWKDYHQRWUHFHLYHGWKHLUGXHDWWHQWLRQLQWKHSDVW \HDUDQGDKDOI1RUD(O1DZDZL7HUHVD&KDKLQH1DGHHP$O'XDLM$OL+DPDQ- GLDQG:LOOLDP%HDQUHYLHZFKDOOHQJHVRIKHDOWKSROLF\LQWKH0LGGOH(DVWDUJX- ing that the Arab uprisings have made space for long-needed reforms in health policy. Storytelling and its impact on shaping Arab political identities is the focus of Mina Al-Oraibi’s analysis. 3ROLF\PDNHUVWRGD\PXVWUHFNRQZLWKWKHPRVWH[WUHPHUHRUGHULQJRISROLWLFDO VWUXFWXUHVVLQFHLQGHSHQGHQFHZDVDFKLHYHGDFURVVWKHUHJLRQIURPWKHVWR VZKLOHEDODQFLQJSUHH[LVWLQJSXEOLFFKDOOHQJHV7KHDXWKRUVLQWKLVMRXU- nal have sought, in short, to begin the process of addressing these multifaceted problems. Duncan Pickard & Daniel Tavana Editors-in-Chief iv v Modern-Day Stories: The Evolving Role of the Media in Solidifying a Cultural Arab Identity BY MINA AL-ORAIBI torytelling, in its various forms, :KLOHWKHKDNDZDWLRUVWRU\WHOOHU Sis intrinsic to solidifying, and at had an important role to play before times creating, collective identities. the era of mass print or television, in Whether it is the story of a family more recent history, Arabs and Ara- SDVVHGGRZQIURPIDWKHUWRVRQRUWKDW bists in the Middle East and beyond RIDQDWLRQÀJKWLQJIRULWVLQGHSHQ- have been brought together by another dence, the sense of sharing a collective variety of storytelling—one provided past, present, or future brings people by the media. Whether through me- together. One of the greatest collec- diums of print, television, or digital, tions of these stories is One Thousand QHZVFRQWHQWSOD\HGDVLJQLÀFDQWUROH and One Nights, the preeminent fable LQVKDSLQJ$UDERSLQLRQLQWKHWZHQ- SDVVHGGRZQWKURXJKJHQHUDWLRQVLQ tieth century and continues to do so WKH$UDEZRUOGZLWKWDOHVZRYHQIURP LQWKHWZHQW\ÀUVW7KHKLVWRULFHYHQWV YDULRXV$UDEFLWLHVDORQJZLWKWKRVHRI RIVWDUWLQJZLWKWKH7XQLVLDQ Persia and South Asia. Many modern “Jasmine” revolution and spilling into stories are rooted in One Thousand Egypt, Libya, and beyond, are a prime and One Nights or take inspiration example of a cultural identity intensi- from it. While there is much debate ÀHGWKURXJKHYHQWVDQGWKHQHZVRI around the history and origins of One WKRVHHYHQWV7KHXSULVLQJVWKDWZHUH Thousand and One Nights, it is impor- inspired from one Arab city to an- tant to note the strong connection of RWKHUZHUHFDSWXUHGWKURXJKYDULRXV the lauded tales to a historical sense of media—from mobile phone cameras identity that has endured for hundreds to constant television coverage—and of years. It helps to highlight the role FDUULHGDFURVVWKHZRUOG:KLOHLWLV of storytelling in forging the identities impossible to highlight one singular of many peoples in the Middle East factor in explaining the revolutions region and especially amongst Arabs DQGXSULVLQJVRIDQGLQWKH ZKRFRQVLGHURUDWLRQDQGSRHWU\WR $UDEZRUOGWKHPHGLDIDFLOLWDWHGWKH be amongst the most distinguished of UHJLRQDOULSSOHHIIHFWIROORZLQJDQG skills. SXEOLFL]LQJHYHU\PRPHQWDQGHYROX- tion. 6 Modern-Day Stories The bonds, direct or indirect, that WKHLPSHULDOLVWYLHZRQ$UDEVRFLHWLHV DUHIRUPHGDVDUHVXOWRIQHZVVKDULQJ Yet this reference has been used in a DUHRISDUDPRXQWVLJQLÀFDQFH,QKLV QHZFRQWH[WDVWKH´$UDEVWUHHWµFDPH VHPLQDOZRUN,PDJLQHG&RPPXQL- WROLIHZLWKGHPRQVWUDWLRQVDQGSRSX- WLHV%HQHGLFW$QGHUVRQ PDNHV ODUH[SUHVVLRQLQ$QGWKLVPRYH- DFRPSHOOLQJDUJXPHQWDERXWWKHZD\ PHQWZKLFKGRPLQDWHGQHZVSDSHU communities are forged based on a KHDGOLQHVWRRNRYHUWKHQHZVEXOOHWLQV collective sense of understanding. His of major Arab satellite broadcasters HPSKDVLVRQWKHSULQWHGZRUGDQGLWV DQGLQMHFWHGQHZG\QDPLVPLQVRFLDO role in fostering “imagined communi- media exchanges. It has become the fo- ties” resonates both historically and FDOSRLQWRIDQHZVHQVHRILGHQWLW\IRU in the present day. Anderson explains many Arabs. While the actual events KRZ´SULQWDVFRPPRGLW\LVWKHNH\ ZHUHRIFRQVLGHUDEOHVLJQLÀFDQFH WRWKHJHQHUDWLRQRIZKROO\QHZLGHDV domestically, the instant and constant of simultaneity” that came to play an discussion of the developments in integral part in developing national one country had an immediate impact FRQVFLRXVQHVV $QGHUVRQ across borders. This is especially true The element of “simultaneity” is as at the start of an uprising. Key slogans LPSRUWDQWDVWKH´FRPPRGLW\µRIQHZV OLNHLUKDOPHDQLQJGHSDUWZHUHSLFNHG LWVHOIDQH[SHULHQFHLVPDJQLÀHGZLWK up from the chants of demonstrators in the understanding that others are go- the streets of Cairo and Sana’a, in- LQJWKURXJKLWWRR7KHVLJQLÀFDQFH VHUWHGLQPHVVDJHVRQOLQHDQGZULWWHQ here is the consumption of the same on banners of protestors outside the QHZVLWHPRQDZLGHVSUHDGOHYHOHYHQ embassies of unpopular governments though it is accompanied by varying in London and Washington, DC. One individual reactions. ZRUGFKDQWHGE\DFWLYLVWVWKRXVDQGV of miles apart and enforced by the Readers and audiences in general media’s repetition, became a rally- IRUPDNLQVKLSZLWKRWKHUVLQWKHVDPH ing cry for revolution. As the Syrian DXGLHQFHRIWHQZLWKRXWHYHQEHLQJ uprising developed, many protestors conscious of the realities of this bond. EHJDQWRFDUU\SODFDUGVZLWKVORJDQV Paul Vierkant from the University of GLUHFWHGDWVSHFLÀFFRXQWULHVSDU- Berlin builds on Anderson’s analysis, ticularly Arab states that expressed explaining that “the reader—being opposition to the Syrian regime, in DZDUHRIWKLVLQGLUHFWO\VKDUHGH[SH- order to get their message across the rience—imagines his community of DLUZDYHVDQGWKURXJKF\EHUVSDFH7KH IHOORZUHDGHUVµ 7KH´FRP- sharing of this experience via media PXQLW\RIIHOORZUHDGHUVµRI$UDEV DURXQGWKHZRUOGKDVFUHDWHGDVHQVH DQGPRUHUHFHQWO\IHOORZYLHZHUVQRZ RIDIÀQLW\WKDWKDGDSSHDUHGWREH VKDSHVDGLVWLQFWIHDWXUHRIZKDWLV PLVVLQJDPRQJVWPDQ\$UDEVZKR often named the “Arab street.” It must ZHUHULGGOHGE\VWULIHDQGFRQÁLFWE\ be noted that there are several nega- WKHHQGRIWKHWZHQWLHWKFHQWXU\ WLYHFRQQRWDWLRQVZLWKWKHWHUP´$UDE street,” including a criticism that the It is important to distinguish be- many cities and countries of the Arab WZHHQFXOWXUDOERQGVWKDWFUHDWHDIÀQ- ZRUOGFDQQRWEHFRQVLGHUHGRQHVWUHHW LW\EHWZHHQGLIIHUHQWSHRSOHVDQG$UDE ZKLOHRWKHUVVHHLWDVDQH[WHQVLRQRI nationalism. Without a doubt, there HARVARD JOURNAL