Oxford University Press

This chapter seeks to recapture the classical tradition of Islamic jurisprudence that recognizes universal human rights irrespective of religious status, gender, place, or time. It shows how the loss of this tradition has resulted in a human rights dependency on the West and a lagging record of religious freedom and democracy in

This book presents a study of the cult of saints among Muslims and Jews in medieval Syria and the Near East. Through case studies of saints and their devotees, discussion of the architecture of monuments, examination of devotional objects, and analysis of ideas of ‘holiness’, the book depicts the practices of living religion and explores the common heritage of all three monotheistic faiths.

The Persian Gulf region has become home to some of the world’s fastest growing, most impressive cities, many of them with global aspirations. Gateways to the World presents an in-depth, systematic, and multi-disciplinary approach to the study of these cities. It begins with a broader look at how the emergence and significance of cities along the Persian Gulf waterway should be contextualized.

This chapter provides a critical examination of the phases, spatialities, and temporalities of neoliberalism by studying the port cities in the Persian Gulf. It begins by situating the concept of smart cities within a theoretical discussion that delineates the relationship between neoliberalization and urban spaces and identifies major fault lines. The focus is on Gulf cities in general which have been taking broad initiatives to decrease their oil/gas dependency by building a more diversified knowledge-based economy.