Cover -- Half Title -- Title -- Copyright -- Contents -- Editor and Contributors -- Preface -- Part I: Politics of Governing in the Middle East -- Part II. Middle East Economics -- Part III. Middle East Media -- Part IV: Religion in the Middle East -- Part V. Middle East Cultures -- Part VI: People of the Middle East -- Part VII. Women in the Middle East -- Conclusion -- Index -- Middle Eastern Governance: An Introduction -- Monarchies in the Middle East -- The Rise of the Radical-Nationalist Regimes -- The Decline of Radicalism and the Institutionalization of the Nationalist States. Instruments of Governance Among the Arab RegimesSyria -- Lebanon -- Iran -- Israel -- Iraq -- Postscript -- Economics in the Middle East: An Introduction -- Section 1. Common Issues -- Section 2. Societies -- The Middle East Media: An Introduction -- The Syrian Media -- The Egyptian Media -- Iraq: From Captive to Relatively Free Media -- Iraqi Politics and Control of the Media -- The Iranian Media Under President Muhammad Khatami -- The Israeli Media -- The Palestinian Media and Anti-Americanism -- The Virtual Frontiers of the Iranian Blogistan -- How Satellite TV Challenges State Media Monopoly: Al-Jazeera's Coverage of syria. European-Based and Satellite Arabic-Language MediaReligion in the Middle East: An Introduction -- Islam and Christianity in the Middle East -- Homogeneity and Diversity -- Protectors of the Faith -- The Republic of Islam -- The Republic of Religions -- Islam in Conflict -- The Jewish State -- Conclusion -- Section 1. Arab Culture -- Section 2. Iranian Culture -- Section 3. Israeli Culture -- The People of the Middle East: An Introduction -- The Arabs -- The Persians -- Iranian Tribal and Other Minorities -- Turkic Minorities -- The Jews -- The Kurds -- The Berbers -- Middle Eastern Peoples and Their Cultures in Flux. Women's Status in the Middle East: An IntroductionA Short History of Women in the Middle East -- Women in Egypt -- Women in Iran -- Women in Afghanistan -- Women in Saudi Arabia -- Women in Iraq -- Jewish Women in Israel -- Middle Eastern Women: Patterns and trends -- Oil -- Water -- Demography -- Governance -- Gulf Monarchies -- Iraq -- Arab Levant -- Nile Valley -- Maghreb -- Iran -- Israel -- Conclusion: Great Opportunities, Unimpressive Results, Modest Prospects -- Middle Eastern Culture: An Introduction -- Naguib Mahfouz's Children of the Alley -- Culture in Post-Saddam Iraq. Popular Music, Popular Culture, and Social Change in Arabic-Speaking SocietiesThe Post-Revolutionary Culture of Iran: Transformation and Islamization -- "Cultura Oficial" in Post-Revolutionary Iran: The Case of State Sponsored Political Wall Murals -- Israel, Tel Aviv, and the Mediterranean Cultural Theme -- Contemporary Israeli Art -- Israeli Cinema -- Israeli Popular Music.