Abstract
This paper argues that modern-day Iran is behaving in response to long-held grievances with western powers (like the United States and Great Britain) and because the globalization and integrated world that the West champions (most conspicuously the United States) is perceived as a direct threat to Iran's status as a theocracy, and a direct threat to the austere, non-consumerist tenets of traditional Islam. The paper explains that globalization threatens the very fabric of present Iranian society and the country's leaders therefore want to combat it and those they feel embody values inimical to their own interests. The paper also looks at what it is that has prompted the Middle Eastern land's angry denunciations of Israel, its stubborn adherence to a nuclear development program that is condemned by many in the western world, and its frequently negative characterizations of the United States. The paper concludes that one of the most compelling reasons for Iran's 'odd' actions is that globalization brings with it many threats to Iran and to its leadership; it is also a reminder, surely, of the western imperialism which impressed itself upon Iran in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries.

From the Paper
"To begin with, Iran is a nation that is comparatively insular and one which is dominated by a religion that frowns upon the "decadent," consumption-driven and even hedonistic lifestyle of the west. It is also, if its sometimes hysterical rhetoric and habitual defensiveness about what it is doing and why it is doing it are any indication, a nation that is deeply insecure - or, at the very least, its leaders are very insecure. More than that, Iran is a nation which has long bristled at the projection of western power via globalization and changing technologies and this has pushed it to the forefront of Middle Eastern nations committed to turning back that projection anyway they can."

Tags:Islam, Israel, holocaust, nuclear, weapon, development

Abstract
This paper explores the recent events in the Middle East, which have captured the attention of most of the world. In particular, the paper considers the statements of Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinedad, whose proclamation that the Holocaust was a "myth" and his persistence in defending Iran's controversial nuclear arms program have re-awakened fears that the Arab states will attack Israel and destroy that tiny democratic state.

From the Paper
"The recent events in the Middle East have understandably captured the attention of most of the world. Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinedad's proclamation that the Holocaust was a "myth" and his persistence in defending Iran's controversial nuclear arms program ("Iranian Leader: Holocaust a `Myth,'" para.1-10) have re-awakened fears, never far from the surface, that the Arab states will finally - with the stewardship of a ruthless and resourceful leader - successfully attack Israel and destroy that tiny democratic (and pro-western) state. More than that, the vehement anti-Israeli rhetoric which has been spewing forth from Iran for some ..."

Tags:threat, nuclear, Shah, Arabic, Western

Abstract
An analysis of the three main sponsors of terrorism in the Middle East: Iran, Syria, and Al Qaeda. The paper discusses the global war on terror and the situation in Iraq.

From the Paper
"The Middle East has become the focal point of the global war on terror. Despite the U.S. war in Iraq, however, Iraq has never been one of the main sources of the terrorist movement in the Middle East. The three main sources of terrorism in the Middle East are Iran, Syria and of course Al Qaeda. The first two are traditional state sponsors of terror while Al Qaeda is the main non-state source of terrorism. Iran has a long and storied history of supporting terrorist organizations..."

Tags:terrorism, middle east, iran, syria, al qaeda, Iraq

Abstract
This paper critically assesses the impact of U.S. foreign policy on the Middle East since 1991. It explores how the post-Cold War global order affects Middle East politics and how the conflict in the Middle East affects the 'New World Order'.

Table of Contents:
Part I: Summary
Part II: Background to and Nature of American Policy in the Middle East since 1991
Part III: Impact of American Policy in the Middle East
Part IV: Conclusion.

From the Paper
"America's policy of coercive appropriation of the region's only major resource has had another parallel, though highly profound impact. In order to break free from what the countries of the region perceive as the American stranglehold over their resources, many countries have started cooperating with each other to exploit the oil-rich Caspian region. Based on the idea of excluding America from the pipeline grid, this brings several countries from even outside the periphery of the Middle East in close ties with each other. This could spell a total alteration of the geo-strategic dynamics of the region."

Tags:Saddam, Iraq, Iran, nuclear, Islam

Abstract
This paper discusses how the nations of the Islamic world represent one of the great battlegrounds between modernity and tradition. It looks at how freed only recently from the yoke of colonialism, they struggle to find their way in a rapidly changing world, hoping on the one hand to preserve the sacred tenets of their religion, while on the other embracing the temporal wonders of industry and technology. It also examines how the native-born citizens of Saudi Arabia, Syria, Lebanon, Iran, Iraq, and other Middle Eastern Muslim states, find themselves caught between the forces of fundamentalism and globalism.

From the Paper
"The centrality of Islam in traditional Middle Eastern life has contributed to the significance of revivalist movement sin many parts of the region. The Saudi government has always subscribed to the fundamentalist Wahabi tradition, while Iran has, for the past thirty years, been controlled by an equally fundamentalist form of Shiism. In the Palestinian territories, Lebanon, Iraq, and other areas of open conflict, religious fundamentalism is behind various terrorist movements. Jihad is seen as a way of propagating Islam and its values at the expense of the alien ideas of the West. The violence of repressive Western-sponsored regimes is met by the actions of warriors for the faith, suicide bombers who blow themselves up in marketplaces and other prominent venues. The desire to restore a traditional Islamic way of life motivates many who give themselves over to such violence. In places controlled by these groups women are forced to assume the veil and are prevented from being schooled in the Western manner. "

Tags:fundamentalism, globalism, terrorism

Abstract
This paper argues that the Middle East crisis is a clash of civilizations. All of the conflicts coloring the Middle East's problems tend to be disputes between different civilizations - both historically and today.

From the Paper
"The Middle East crisis is certainly a clash of civilizations. All of the conflicts coloring the Middle East's problems tend to be disputes between different civilizations - both historically and today. Even in recent decades, the Middle East owes its many conflicts to clashes between different civilizations. In the late 1960s and throughout the seventies, tensions revolved primarily around conflicts between Jordan and Syria. This conflict represented a clashing of two civilizations: one a pro-Western, monarchical society, the other a socialist government, "Nasserite" in nature. The conflict was, as is usual with Middle East..."

Tags:middle, east, civilization

Abstract
This paper, written from a religious Islamic perspective, explores how diversity represents a major roadblock to achieving peace and harmony in the Middle East. The writer first describes the Muslim outlook on cultural diversity, as opposed to Christianity. The paper then highlights the different religious outlooks and sects within Islam. Several obstacles to establishing democracy in the Middle East are illustrated, with an emphasis on the suppression of minorities in the region. The author concludes citing Islamic concerns about democratization in Israel.

From the Paper
"The Sunni is the largest group of the Islamic faith, with nearly 90% of all Muslims subscribing to this practice (Ibrahim, p. 323-369). The Kharawaj is another major political force in the Islamic world. When the prophet Muhammad died he had no sons to inherit leadership. The primary point of contention between these two groups is how to decide the leadership succession. The Kharawaj reject the Sunni idea that bloodlines are the most important factor, but feel that the right to rule is divinely granted."

Tags:Middle, East, Sunni, Islam, Muslim, Israel, Shi'ite, democracy

Abstract
This paper examines Middle East terrorism. It looks at how ever since the emergence of Middle East terrorism in the nineteen-seventies, it has become increasingly evident that terrorism thrives on media coverage, and tends to fade in influence and significance when media attention is diverted elsewhere. It discusses how subsequently, radical Islamic terrorist tactics and strategy are very media-oriented, for the mass media is seen by terrorists as a long-range weapon that can strike fear into their enemies, regardless of where they live.

Tags:middle, east, terrorism

Abstract
This thesis examines the impact of telecommunications improvements on the Islamic people. Specifically, the impact of these improvements on Saudi Arabia, an Arab state, and Iran, a Persian state. Although not "anti-technology" or opposed to modernization, the people in Saudi Arabia and Iran are adapting to telecommunications improvements in a method that is in accordance with their core beliefs. The belief in Islam accounts for the "non-Western" model of implementing telecommunications improvements for the citizens of these two countries.

The underpinning of this thesis is that telecommunications improvements will impact the Islamic world no less than any other region of the world experiencing the same improvements. In the case of Saudi Arabia, the CDLR(Committee for the Defense of Legitimate Rights) is an influential organization using facsimile machines to impact the domestic political environment. Iran, growing as fast in telephone line installations and satellite services as their economic peers, is moving towards privatization in telecommunication systems. Furthermore, Iran is using its capabilities to influence Central Asian neighbors and spread their Shi'i Islam belief.

With the growth and availability of telecommunications services, it is inevitable that current technology will allow unique opportunities to gain and disseminate information. The international community is unlikely to find a viable method to control the proliferation of telecommunications around the globe. Therefore, each society or nation is its own regulator of improving telecommunications systems. Each society, to include the Islamic people, must rely on their culture to determine the degree telecommunications will penetrate the fabric of their society.


Table of contents
List of Tables and Charts
Introduction
Literature Review
Social and Cultural Structures of Islam
Muhhammad: The Messenger
Islamic Cultures-Revolutionary Aspects
The Historical Influence of the West
Information Infrastructures
Electronically Influencing the Globe
Regulation in an Information World
Cultural and Societal Considerations of
Accessible Information
Images of the Middle East Through Western
Media

Saudi Arabia: Modernization and Adaptation for an Arab State
The Peninsula Prior to the Nineteenth Century
Oil Wealth: Modernizing Saudi Arabia
The Gulf War and Fundamentalism
Post Gulf War Islamist Movement
Telecommunication Trends in Saudi Arabia
Iran: An Islamic Republic and Communication Improvements
Shi'i Islam
Modernization and the Influence of the West
Current Telecommunication Trends in the Islamic Republic
Conclusion
Bibliography

From the Paper
"Ranging from the dynamic to the mundane, the improvement of global information systems crosses cultures, languages, and generations. With the information communication sector growing at twice the rate of the rest of the economy, the globalization of information infrastructures has just begun. The global distribution of telephone circuitry, although not as prevalent as television sets, constitutes the largest interconnected global public communications network. Furthermore, the telephone companies, while at the forefront of media providers, are at the leading edge of the digitalization process as a result of experience in providing service and maintenance communication systems to millions of customers."

Tags:media, communication

Abstract
This paper explains that the Cold War was a globalized conflict, which dragged every nation into the geopolitical game being played by U.S.S.R. and the U.S. It shows how the third world nations of Africa, Middle East, Asia and Latin America had severe economic repercussions under the shadow of the superpowers. The author points out that the 'Guatemalan Affair' is an instance of how the U.S. used its economic might to create instability in this Latin nation and use the opportunity to install a favorable puppet government. The paper relates that the Cold War had a positive effect of the economic recovery of Japan and Germany, spurred scientific research and served as a proxy war.

Table of Contents
Introduction
Cold War (Effect on Japan and West Germany)
Effect on Third World Countries
Guatemala Affair
Cold War and Africa
Iran-Contra Affair
Cuban Missile Crisis
Gorbachev and the End of Cold War
Conclusion

From the Paper
"Gorbachev's presidency marked a new dawn in the relationships between U.S. and the Soviet Union. It was during his tenure that the INF treaty (Intermediate Range Nuclear Forces) was signed that eliminated all nuclear arms in the range of 500 and 5500 Kilometers. The early nineties however meant an economic downturn for the soviets and many European countries and the soaring unemployment under the socialist policies created poverty and social unrest. The Soviet Union was forced to enter the open market in exchange for aid. The ensuing coup saw the disintegration of the Soviet Union and the declaration of independence by the republics. Thus the death of the soviet empire marked the end of the Cold War."

Tags:pigs, game, guatemalan, third, proxy