- +1
Amr Hamzawy, Andrew Leber, Eric Lob, …
{
"authors": [
"Marwan Muasher"
],
"type": "legacyinthemedia",
"centerAffiliationAll": "dc",
"centers": [
"Carnegie Endowment for International Peace"
],
"collections": [
"Arab Awakening"
],
"englishNewsletterAll": "menaTransitions",
"nonEnglishNewsletterAll": "",
"primaryCenter": "Carnegie Endowment for International Peace",
"programAffiliation": "MEP",
"programs": [
"Middle East"
],
"projects": [],
"regions": [
"Middle East",
"North Africa"
],
"topics": [
"Political Reform"
]
}Source: Getty
In the Arab World, Delivery Trumps Ideology
The Arab world is undergoing a phase in which delivery and performance is starting to trump ideology. Without socioeconomic programs that deal with the people’s issues, forces vying for power will pay the price.
Source: Wisconsin Public Radio’s Kathleen Dunn Show
“We’re witnessing a phase in the Arab world where delivery—performance if you will—is starting to trump ideology,” said Carnegie’s Marwan Muasher on the Kathleen Dunn Show. “In other words, whether secular forces or religious forces adopt a purely ideological stance without an accompanying socioeconomic program to deal with people’s problems, these [forces] will pay the price.”
Education, Muasher argued, is one of the key areas for any country undergoing transition. If the Arab world aims to establish diverse and democratic societies that tolerates other points of views, then the educational system must be revisited, he said. Reform is a home-grown process that needs to evolve over time, Muasher contended. And while the international community can help on the margins to help the process, in the end, it will need to grow from the inside.
This interview was originally aired on the Kathleen Dunn Show.
About the Author
Vice President for Studies
Marwan Muasher is vice president for studies at Carnegie, where he oversees research in Washington and Beirut on the Middle East. Muasher served as foreign minister (2002–2004) and deputy prime minister (2004–2005) of Jordan, and his career has spanned the areas of diplomacy, development, civil society, and communications.
- The Myriad Problems With the Iran CeasefireQ&A
- The Iran War Is Uncovering the Weakness in U.S.-Gulf TiesCommentary
Marwan Muasher
Recent Work
Carnegie India does not take institutional positions on public policy issues; the views represented herein are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of Carnegie, its staff, or its trustees.
More Work from Carnegie India
- Risk and Retaliation: Israel, Iran, and the Evolving Situation in West AsiaArticle
An Israeli response to Iran’s October 1 attack is imminent. The key question is of its intensity and potential fallout, both within Iran, in terms of nuclear security policy changes, and across the broader region. The coming days are likely to reshape West Asia irreversibly.
Gaddam Dharmendra
- India’s Sustained Economic Recovery Will Require Changes to Its Bankruptcy LawPaper
As India’s economy recovers from the coronavirus pandemic, Indian businesses need efficient financial structures to regain their ground. Key reforms to India’s Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code could fill these gaps.
Anirudh Burman
- Cross-Border Data Access for Law Enforcement: What Are India’s Strategic Options?Paper
Access to cross-border data is an integral piece of the law enforcement puzzle. India is well placed to lead the discussions on international data agreements subject to undertaking necessary surveillance reforms.
Smriti Parsheera, Prateek Jha
- The BRI in Post-Coronavirus South AsiaArticle
After the coronavirus pandemic wanes, how will China’s reorientation of the Belt and Road Initiative to address global health concerns influence its relationships with South Asian countries?
Deep Pal, Rahul Bhatia
- India’s Unheeded Coronavirus WarningCommentary
Early in the outbreak, government researchers forecast several high-risk scenarios that were downplayed or ignored in public messaging.
Gautam I. Menon