A History of the Modern Middle East Quotes

“The only outside power capable of persuading Israel to modify its policies and enter into negotiations was the United States. However, the United States would not exercise its influence in this matter until the PLO recognized the state of Israel, something it had steadfastly refused to do.”
― William L. Cleveland, A History of the Modern Middle East

“The bureaucracy, once noted for its efficiency and its adherence to the policy of merit-based promotion, became infused with nepotism, and the buying and selling of offices was a common practice.”
― William L. Cleveland, A History of the Modern Middle East

“At the Council of Chalcedon in 451, the main body of the church defined Christ as having two natures, divine and human.”
― William L. Cleveland, A History of the Modern Middle East

“To understand the development of Islam and Islamic civilization, we must recognize that the Middle East region into which Islam expanded was a rich repository of centuries of accumulated intellectual exchanges, religious experiences, and administrative practices.”
― William L. Cleveland, A History of the Modern Middle East

“Este dificil să nu fii de acord cu afirmația conform căreia Transiordania este un stat artificial creat special pentru a acomoda interesele unei puteri străine și a unui prinț în căutare de tron.”
― William L. Cleveland, A History of the Modern Middle East

“Islamul trebuie înțeles ca un produs al societăților în care s-a extins, dar și ca un produs al societăților de origine”
― William L. Cleveland, A History of the Modern Middle East

“The Safavid brotherhood was founded as a Sunni order, and historians are uncertain when its leaders adopted Shi‘ism or even if they did so before the reign of Isma‘il. It is known that for a few years during Isma‘il’s youth, he was sheltered by a local Shi‘a ruler and may have acquired his Shi‘a convictions from this experience. Whatever the sources for his belief, Isma‘il became a fervent Shi‘a and was determined to make all of the inhabitants in the territories under his control adopt Shi‘ism. When he proclaimed himself shah in 1501, he also proclaimed Twelver Shi‘ism to be the official and compulsory religion of the state.”
― William L. Cleveland, A History of the Modern Middle East

“The Safavids were either of Kurdish or Turkish origin. In the late thirteenth century, a member of the Safavid family founded a Sunni Sufi religious brotherhood in Azerbaijan, the Turkish-speaking region of northwestern Iran. The brotherhood attracted an ardent following among the Turkish pastoral tribes of the area, and by the late fifteenth century its influence had expanded into Anatolia and Syria. The heads of the brotherhood led the tribes in a series of expeditions against the Christians of the Caucasus, thereby acquiring temporal power as well as enhancing their reputations as servants of Islam. Their Turkish followers were known as Qizilbash, the Redheaded Ones, after the red headgear they wore to identify themselves as supporters of the Safavid brotherhood.”
― William L. Cleveland, A History of the Modern Middle East

“The persecution of Jews and of Christians outside the Greek Orthodox community caused great disaffection within the empire and explains in part why many Byzantine subjects welcomed the arrival of the more religiously tolerant Muslim rulers.”
― William L. Cleveland, A History of the Modern Middle East