The Invisible Arab is a voyage in time from the Arab world's 'liberation generation' through the 'defeated' and 'lost generations', arriving at today's 'miracle generation'. Bishara unpacks how this new generation, long seen as a demographic bomb, has proved to be the agent of progress, unity and freedom. It has in turn used social networks to mobilize for social justice.
Bishara discusses how Israel, oil, terrorism and radical Islam have affected the interior identity of the region as well as Western projections upon it. Protection of Israel, Western imperial ambition, a thirst for oil, and fear of radicalism have caused many Western regimes and media to characterize Arab countries and people as unreceptive to democracy or progress. These ideas are as one-dimensional as they are foolhardy. Bishara argues that the Arab revolutions present a great window of opportunity for reinventing and improving Arab ties with the rest of the world — notably the West — on the basis of mutual respect and mutual interest.
The revolutions will be judged by how they realize freedom and justice, and how they can pave the way for reconciling and accommodating nationalism and Islam with democracy. Bishara argues that these pillars — liberty and justice reconciled with religion and nationalism, form the bedrock that will allow stability and progress to flourish in the Arab world and beyond.
The Invisible Arab is a voyage in time from the Arab world's 'liberation generation' through the 'defeated' and 'lost generations', arriving at today's 'miracle generation'. Bishara unpacks how this new generation, long seen as a demographic bomb, has proved to be the agent of progress, unity and freedom. It has in turn used social networks to mobilize for social justice.
Bishara discusses how Israel, oil, terrorism and radical Islam have affected the interior identity of the region as well as Western projections upon it. Protection of Israel, Western imperial ambition, a thirst for oil, and fear of radicalism have caused many Western regimes and media to characterize Arab countries and people as unreceptive to democracy or progress. These ideas are as one-dimensional as they are foolhardy. Bishara argues that the Arab revolutions present a great window of opportunity for reinventing and improving Arab ties with the rest of the world — notably the West — on the basis of mutual respect and mutual interest.
The revolutions will be judged by how they realize freedom and justice, and how they can pave the way for reconciling and accommodating nationalism and Islam with democracy. Bishara argues that these pillars — liberty and justice reconciled with religion and nationalism, form the bedrock that will allow stability and progress to flourish in the Arab world and beyond.
Reviews-
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February 27, 2012
Bishara, chief policy analyst for Al-Jazeera, provides a compelling and spirited history of the modern Arab nation, from colonial liberation to the recent revolutions. Painting an image of a past tainted by militaries that did not fulfill their anticipated goals, dictators that ruled through fear, and exploitation by more powerful nations, Bishara devotes most of his attention to the new youth movement: "eople, especially the younger generation, couldn't see why they had a choice amongâ¦television sets, but not textbooks; news networks, but not political leaders." Despite the significant changes brought about by the revolutions that swept through Tunisia, Libya, Egypt, Yemen, and Syria, Bishara does not see an easy road ahead; he advises emphasis needs to be placed on protecting the futureâas opposed to punishing for the pastânoting that this will involve a reassessment of international relationships: "No longer will rogue regimes be defined according to their proximity to Western powers." Bishara (Palestine/Israel: Peace or Apartheid) concludes with a gentle warning that the unrest that set the stage for the Arab Spring is showing signs around the world, with the same root causes: unemployment, inequality, and corruption. Fast-paced, impassioned, and eloquent, Bishara's newest will interest activists, politicians, and others concerned with foreign affairs and current events. -
Starred review from March 15, 2012
The events of the Arab Spring in North Africa and the Middle East drew worldwide attention to the plights of people who for decades have endured injustice, repression, and often violence at the hands of corrupt and abusive regimes. Here Bishara (senior political analyst, Al-Jazeera English; Palestine/Israel: Peace or Apartheid) focuses on those whose lives and actions influenced the uprisings, while providing a thorough review of the historical events that led to the revolutions and the influences of Western intervention, religion, economics, local culture, and other factors. Using anecdotes and examples from several Arab countries including Libya, Egypt, Jordan, Syria, and Tunisia, Bishara also chronicles the varying responses of local regimes and world powers and discusses what the future may hold for the region and its peoples. VERDICT Highly informative and thorough, this book is essential reading for anyone interested in current events, intelligence studies, or evolving events in the Arab world.--Jennifer Harris, Mercyhurst Univ. Lib., Erie, PA
Copyright 2012 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.
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February 1, 2012
Al-Jazeera English's chief political analyst offers a keen, journalistic look at the making of the Arab Spring and its ramifications. Bishara (Palestine/Israel, 2001, etc.) characterizes the "invisible Arab" as the benumbed masses long brutalized under the military dictatorships of Hosni Mubarak, Muammar Gaddafi and others who finally found their voice in the Arab Spring uprisings. The corruption, oppression and sheer ineptitude of the Arab world's autocratic rulers had long been acknowledged and monitored by U.S. officials (as revealed in recent WikiLeaks documents), yet the leaders had been propped up for "economic and strategic interests." How have the once-mighty Arab people been kept down for so long? Bishara starts with the "humiliation" and "sadistic paternalism" caused by the arbitrary division of the Arab world by the imperialist powers, creating a corrupt, rapacious regime comprised of populist military leaders who consolidated power under the enabling complacency of the U.S. or Soviet leaders. A uniform ruling ideology kept their families and cronies in power, and democratic and Islamic movements in check. Yet the "miracle generation" has emerged with the information revolution, making the people "visible in public spaces" not through suicide bombings but by "the affirmation of life, dignity, and liberty through their protests." From humble beginnings, community activists and coalition builders, marginalized, voiceless labor unions and women built the protest movement, from Tunisia to Egypt, and emboldened others. Bishara also looks at the negative role of the ayatollahs and Saudi Arabians and the positive role of Al-Jazeera and social media. Unlike John R. Bradley's skeptical After the Arab Spring (2012), Bishara does not believe the Islamists are poised to co-opt the revolution, but sees more "creative thinking" in the Arab transformation.COPYRIGHT(2012) Kirkus Reviews, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.
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February 15, 2012
While the Arab Spring may appear to signal recent unrest in the Arab nations, Bishara argues that the tensions have been building for decades. As Arabs have suffered under regimes that used torture and imprisonment to maintain power, often with the support of the U.S., resistance built to a boiling point, aided by electronic media that allowed for more unfettered communication. Scholar and journalist Bishara, chief policy analyst for Al-Jazeera, brings a long perspective on the factors that have led to the Arab Spring and the challenges ahead as resisters take up the task of securing freedom and justice and reconciling the emerging sense of nationalism with democracy. Bishara captures the spirit and energy of the young resisters and the violent reactions in Yemen, Libya, Bahrain, and Syria. He profiles resisters, amid references to the thousands of citizen-journalists reporting with the aid of cell phones, and observers whose own impressions of what was possible were changed forever by their witness to resistance. While Bishara sees dangers ahead as regimes fight back, he has high hopes for Arab youth redefining what it means to be Arab.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2012, American Library Association.)
