History and Democracy of the Modern Middle East - HIST 235 Resource Guide

In 2005, a handful of Danish cartoons sparked a worldwide debate over freedom of expression-and the freedom to express religious outrage. Was a violent Islamic backlash against caricatures of the prophet Mohammed justified? Can democracy and fundamentalism coexist in the global community?

A poignant and powerful film that tells the heartbreaking story of lost youth as it follows the lives of children trapped in a seemingly endless war. International headlines about tit-for-tat murders of Israeli and Palestinian youngsters have only served to highlight how the war in Gaza has become a war about children. They have become the main victims, dying in unprecedented numbers, and caught in the political crossfire in this long-running dispute.

U.S.-led invasion of Iraq in March 2003 that resulted in the fall of Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein and the occupation of the country by coalition troops. The achievement of rapid military victory in April 2003 was followed by a prolonged and bloody insurgency that continues to the present.

The decision to use force against Iraq developed quickly in the aftermath of the September 11, 2001, attacks on the World Trade Center in New York City and the Pentagon near Washington, D.C. Strong advocates of the war were Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld, Vice President Dick Cheney, and Deputy Secretary of Defense Paul Wolfowitz. The justifications for the war given by the Bush administration were the charges of Iraq's possession of weapons of mass destruction and ties between the regime of Saddam Hussein and international terrorists, particularly al Qaeda, headed by Osama bin Laden. Al Qaeda was responsible for the September 11 attacks

Describes sectarianism and changes in Iran, Turkey, Saudi Arabia, the Qatar Crisis, and ISIS.

English-language homepage of the Arabic-language broadcast network Al Jazeera. Features global news and opinion, with a special focus on the Middle East and Arab/Islamic culture.

Carnegie experts in the Middle East and Washington analyze the latest developments and their potential effects on the Arab world.

Popular news magazine covering Israel, the Middle East and the Jewish world

Reports on Gaza, background information, with maps and pictures.

MERIP is a non-profit, non-governmental organization based in Washington, DC. A completely independent organization, it has no links to any religious, educational or political organizations in the US or elsewhere. Since 1996, MERIP has maintained one of the most informative websites on Middle East politics, culture and society.

This site from National Public Radio provides "transcripts and audio of reports about the Mideast produced by NPR in its newsmagazines and talk shows."

Arab Human Development Reports (AHDRs) engage institutions and citizens in the Arab countries in analysis and discussion about the factors which shape the choices and freedoms available to people across the region, so as to foster understanding and consensus around regional and national development priorities.