ISSN (Print) - 0012-9976 | ISSN (Online) - 2349-8846

Articles by S S TabrazSubscribe to S S Tabraz

The Arab Uprisings and the Question of Democracy

The current difficulties that the Arab uprisings in west Asia face, most notably in Egypt, only affirm that the window of democracy is small and the implications of their closure cannot be underestimated. Yet the fact that there exists something so important, but so little understood or studied, is a cause for cautious optimism because it fi nally frees the study of Arab politics from the clutches of the two equally pretentious paradigms of "democratisation" and "post-democratisation".

Israeli-Palestinian Talks: A Process without Peace

Without accepting the legitimate claims of self-determination by the Palestinians and the historical injustice suffered by them, there can be no "peace" between two unequal participants in the Israel-Palestinian "peace talks". Yet, the Barack Obama-led US administration continues to insist upon a "framework" for such talks without learning the lessons of failure from earlier US-led initiatives.

A Tale of Two Partitions

T he Indian subcontinent and Palestine were partitioned at the same time and to help nation building their first generational partition narratives were based on selective memory. The second generational narratives by scholars question the earlier "official" ones. However, Palestinian intellectuals face a difficult task questioning the dominant narratives since their people are still struggling for a national territory.

Palestine: 'Homecoming' of Hamas

The resounding victory recorded by Hamas in the recent Palestinian elections has created new dilemmas. For the western world, Hamas' recent history raises uncomfortable questions about the future of the peace process. In the longer term, however, the victory and Hamas' accession to political power will ensure a renewed debate on issues of Islamic nationalism, resistance and even the relevance of "political terrorism".

After Arafat: The Palestinian Question

The death of Yasser Arafat has brought the second generation of Palestinian leaders, all close associates of Arafat, into the limelight. While the Oslo Accord lies in a shambles, it is up to them to resume and continue the process of negotiations ? with Israel and other countries that neighbour it in west Asia. On the other hand, the new leadership needs to urgently institute systems of internal democracy in Palestine areas; empowerment could possibly lead to a permanent abjuring of the politics of violence.

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