Keynote Address:
Recolonizing the Arab World
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The new frontiers of the Arab East and the Arab West were the result of European imperialism before and after the First World War. In the Arab East these frontiers have been weakened by the continuous assault of the American Empire from 1956 onwards. Numerous countries lie in ruins: Iraq, Libya, Yemen and Syria. The indigenous forces harnessed by the West are likely to lead to a further break-up of this world. The defeat of the Arab Spring has resulted in a brutal dictatorship in Egypt. The Sunni-Shia divide has been greatly exacerbated by the occupation of Iraq and has effectively killed the very idea of Arab unity. The project of an independent and sovereign Palestine lies in ruins. Will the region react, and what are chances of a democratic revival?
The Unfinished Project of the Arab Spring . University of Alberta . 25 - 27 September 2015