Middle Eastern Studies Glossary

A series of anti-government protests and uprisings beginning in 2010 across the Arab world, demanding political freedom and economic reform.

A political ideology combining Arab nationalism, pan-Arabism, and Arab socialism. Ba'ath parties ruled in Syria (1963-present) and Iraq (1968-2003).

An Islamic form of government led by a caliph, considered a successor to the Prophet Muhammad and leader of the Muslim community (ummah).

A political system that distributes governmental power proportionally among religious communities, as practiced in Lebanon.

A non-Muslim subject of an Islamic state, historically granted protection and religious freedom in exchange for payment of a special tax (jizya).

The dispersion of a people from their original homeland. In Middle Eastern Studies, commonly refers to Jewish, Palestinian, Armenian, and Kurdish diasporas.

A formal ruling or interpretation on a point of Islamic law issued by a qualified religious scholar (mufti).

A Lebanese Shia political party and militant group founded in 1982 with Iranian support, functioning as both a political party and armed resistance movement.

Arabic for 'shaking off,' referring to Palestinian uprisings against Israeli occupation, notably in 1987-1993 and 2000-2005.

A collective agricultural community in Israel based on socialist principles of communal living, shared property, and collective labor.

The post-WWI arrangement under the League of Nations placing former Ottoman territories under European administration.

The Ottoman administrative system granting religious minorities (Christians, Jews) internal autonomy in personal law, education, and communal affairs.

Arabic for 'catastrophe,' referring to the mass displacement of approximately 700,000 Palestinians during the 1948 Arab-Israeli War.

The Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries, an intergovernmental organization coordinating oil production and pricing among member states.

The Western tradition of patronizing and essentialist representations of Eastern societies, critiqued by Edward Said as serving colonial power structures.

The 1993 agreements between Israel and the PLO establishing mutual recognition and creating the Palestinian Authority for interim self-governance.

A political ideology advocating for the unification of Arab peoples and nations based on shared language, culture, and history.

A state that derives a substantial portion of its national revenue from external rents, especially oil and gas exports, rather than domestic taxation.

The privileging of religious or ethnic sect identity in political and social life, often leading to communal conflict or power-sharing arrangements.

Islamic law derived from the Quran and Hadith, covering personal, social, and political matters. Its interpretation and application vary widely across Muslim societies.

The 1956 international crisis sparked by Egypt's nationalization of the Suez Canal, resulting in a failed British-French-Israeli invasion and marking the end of European dominance in the region.

A period of modernizing reforms in the Ottoman Empire (1839-1876) aimed at centralizing administration, secularizing law, and granting equal citizenship rights.

A proposed resolution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict envisioning an independent Palestinian state alongside Israel, with borders based on pre-1967 lines.

An ultraconservative Sunni Islamic movement originating in 18th-century Arabia, emphasizing strict monotheism and literal interpretation of scripture.

A nationalist movement advocating for the establishment and maintenance of a Jewish homeland in the historic Land of Israel/Palestine.