Utopianism in the Middle East and North Africa

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Utopianism in the Middle East and North Africa

Edited by: Simon Wolfgang Fuchs and Thomas Pierret

Language: English

Published/Copyright: 2025

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The first comprehensive overview of utopianism in the modern Middle East and North Africa

Studies utopian projects inspired by liberalism, nationalism, socialism, modernism, secularism, Islamic revivalism, urbanism, atomic energy, and artificial intelligence
Discusses cases from Egypt, Turkey, Iran, Syria, Tunisia, and Saudi Arabia
Highlights both the transformative potential of utopias, and their role in the consolidation of authoritarian regimes
Brings together researchers from the fields of history, politics, anthropology, literature, art history, and urban studies

This is the first systematic exploration of the diversity of utopian thought and practice in the modern Middle East and North Africa. Beyond intellectual debates, utopianism has infused the many ideologies that have shaped contentious politics and governance in the region, from state formation to revolutionary transformations, conflicts, and the recent authoritarian resurgence. Drawing on case studies from Egypt, Turkey, Iran, Syria, Tunisia and Saudi Arabia, contributors address a broad array of utopian visions pertaining to political ideologies such as liberalism, secularism, Islamic revivalism, and socialism, but also to fields of expertise and technologies such as urbanism, the atom, and artificial intelligence. Likewise, they acknowledge the diversity of players that partake in the production of utopias, including writers, ideologues, activists, statesmen, experts, artists, and social media users. Moreover, authors consider both imaginaries promoted by challengers to the incumbents, and visions that serve the consolidation of authoritarianism.

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Frontmatter Publicly Available Download PDF	i
CONTENTS Publicly Available Download PDF	v
List of Figures and Tables Publicly Available Download PDF	vii
Acknowledgements Publicly Available Download PDF	viii
Notes on Contributors Publicly Available Download PDF	ix
Introduction: The Three Ages of Utopianism in the Modern Middle East and North Africa Thomas Pierret and Simon Wolfgang Fuch Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed	1
Part I ASPIRATIONS OF THE LIBERAL AGE
1 THE PERSIAN DREAMS: THE CONSTITUTIONAL REVOLUTION AND FANTASISING OVER LOST AND ENVISAGED UTOPIAS Behzad Zerehdaran Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed	33
2 EGYPT 3105 ce: SALAMA MUSA’S VIEWS ON UTOPIA Ruben Schenzle Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed	55
Part II VISIONS OF HIGH MODERNITY
3 THE IDEA OF SECULARISM IN TRANSCENDENT TURKISH UTOPIAS Rahime Çokay Nebioğlu Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed	85
4 THE CITY IS AN EDUCATOR: UTOPIANISM, URBANISM AND THE CREATION OF REPUBLICAN ANKARA Isaac Hand Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed	107
5 ATOMIC UTOPIAS IN EGYPT: DECOLONISATION, TECHNONATIONALISM, AND POPULAR SCIENCE, 1945–50 Hebatalla Taha and Pelle Valentin Olsen Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed	129
Part III THE CITY OF GOD: ISLAMIC PERSPECTIVES
6 PARADISE ON EARTH: HOW THE MUSLIM BROTHERHOOD BUILT A ‘VIRTUOUS CITY’ (MADINA FADILA) IN ‘ABD AL-NASIR’S PRISONS Mathias Ghyoot Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed	151
7 THE UTOPIAN CALIPHATE: WHAT DOES THE CALIPHATE MEAN FOR THE PEOPLE? Mujtaba Ali Isani Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed	171
Part IV REVOLUTIONARY HORIZONS AND AUTHORITARIAN DREAMS AFTER THE RADICAL AGE
8 PRACTISING UTOPIA – GOVERNING EFFECTS OF DEMOCRATIC CONFEDERALIST DISCOURSE IN NORTH AND EAST SYRIA Julia Wartmann Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed	197
9 DEMOCRACY IMAGINED FROM BELOW: AN ANALYSIS OF THE REVOLUTIONARY IMAGINARIES OF THE TUNISIAN UPRISINGS AFTER 2011 Nabila Abbas Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed	220
10 BORROWING FACES, RE-ENACTING MODERNITY: ON A PHOTONOVEL BY FEHRAS PUBLISHING PRACTICES Yazan Alloujami Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed	244
11 SAUDI’S NEOM: A NEW ‘UTOPIAN CITY’ GLUING THE JEWEL TO THE CROWN Hend Aly Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed	270
CONCLUSION: FROM UTOPIAN DREAMS TO PRAGMATIC ALTER-CITIZENSHIP AND LOW-KEY UTOPIAS? Stéphanie Latte Abdallah and Simone Spera Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed	293
SELECTED BIBLIOGRAPHY Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed	301
INDEX Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed	320

Publishing information

Pages and Images/Illustrations in book

eBook published on:

March 7, 2025

eBook ISBN:

9781399537759

Pages and Images/Illustrations in book

Main content:

344

https://doi.org/10.1515/9781399537759

eBook ISBN: 9781399537759

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Utopianism in the Middle East and North Africa

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About this book

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