Publications
Egypt and the Rise of Islamism
The 2011 uprisings across the Arab world spectacularly removed decades-long regimes from power in Tunisia, Egypt, Libya, Yemen and threaten to do so in Syria. The once-imagined prospect of Islamist political forces playing a central role in the region’s future is now a reality. The complex challenges of defining what Islamism means in this new political setting, who are its leading protagonists, what are their qualities, and ultimately what are their goals remain fundamental to efforts to successfully navigate the region’s domestic politics, security and stability and international relations. This paper attempts to offer some understanding of the movement in its most modern form – as an emphatically political phenomenon in the context of the Arab Spring – and what this means for both Arab Muslim states and their western counterparts, now.
To read Charles Holmes’ pamphlet, please click here.
What the Arabs Really Want
The Conservative Middle East Council was delighted to welcome Sir Sherard Cowper- Coles for its second Annual Policy Lecture and it gives me particular pleasure to see the text published here.
Sir Sherard’s remarkable speech captures a great swathe of modern Middle Eastern history and weaves together not just a masterly overview of Britain’s historical links with the region, but also explains the immense challenges facing the modern Arab world and the political imperatives that must be resolved if the region is to have any hope of a just and peaceful future.
To read Sir Sherard’s lecture, please click here.
Nuclear Iran: Engagement or Intervention?
Shashank Joshi, a Research Fellow of the Royal United Services Institute (RUSI), explores the future of Nuclear Iran. This insightful and lucid document investigates the regime’s capacity and desire to acquire nuclear weapons; examines the threat of a nuclear Iran and whether international sanctions are proving an effective discouragement; and questions the viability of military actions as a Western response.
“By structuring his commentary around seven key questions, Shashank has skilfully brought to light the perils of a military strike on Iran, something that all parliamentarians should keep at the forefront of their minds.”
The Rt. Hon. Nicholas Soames MP, President of the Conservative Middle East Council.