Book Review: Lina Khatib and Ellen Lust (eds), Taking to the Streets: The Transformation of Arab Activism
| Published date | 01 February 2017 |
| Date | 01 February 2017 |
| DOI | 10.1177/1478929916667033 |
| Author | Nur Köprülü |
| Subject Matter | Book ReviewsOther Areas |
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essay, which features a very brief exploration of
youth in mobilising the protests (p. 5). Moreover,
an alternative Greenlandic epistemology (p. 119),
the evolution of ‘issue-based activism’ that
could perhaps provide an opening for another
bypasses sectarian and ideological affiliations
approach. Given that the evidence regarding cli-
has recently been observed in the cases of
mate change and its connection to the production
Egypt, Tunisia and Syria, which partly crosses
and use of hydrocarbons becomes ever clearer,
party and ideological lines (p. 13).
more committed Green voices would also have
However, the absence of a unified opposi-
been welcomed. Overall, though, this Handbook
tion, which derives from longstanding cleav-
is a significant success and should be a necessary
ages and sociological divisions among
addition to any library.
activists, is seen as the main obstacle to mov-
ing the efforts and attempts at democratisation
forward. This fact has also shown itself in the
Fionn O’Shaughnessy
post-2011 era, where internal cleavages within
(University of Sheffield)
each country have undermined the growth of
© The Author(s) 2016
political activism and prevented the opposition
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from building its own cohesion. Examples of
DOI: 10.1177/1478929916674590
journals.sagepub.com/home/psrev
this are the Islamist-secular cleavage in Egypt
and Tunisia, the Transjordanian rift (with
Jordanians of Palestinian origin in Jordan), the
Sunni-Shi’ite cleavage in Bahrain, and liberal-
Taking to the Streets: The Transformation
Islamist fragmentation in Saudi Arabia.
of Arab Activism by Lina Khatib and Ellen
Thus, Taking to the Streets critically opposes
Lust (eds). Baltimore, MD: The Johns Hopkins
the ‘conventional narrative’ that public rallies in
University Press, 2014. 349pp., £19.50 (p/b), ISBN
the MENA region erupted out of the blue.
9781421413129
Instead,...
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