Robin Wright

Arab Spring, The Middle East & The World

Social, Political, and Communication Change
in the Middle East
The Middle East
Middle East and North Africa
World Distribution of Muslim Population

Only countries with more than 1 million Muslims are shown
World Distribution of Muslim Population

Oil Reserves by Country/Region
Largest Oil Consuming Countries in the World
Top Oil Consumption/Gas Price
Oil, Pipelines, and US Military
Middle East & US Military
Israel, Palestine, Syria,
Jordan, Egypt, Lebanon
Denominations and Schools within Islam (Global
Distribution) Sunni ~75% | ~Shia 20% | ~Suffi 5%
Robin Wright
Background
B.A. from University of Michigan
American foreign affairs analyst, journalist and author.
Big Picture Perspective:
Worked in The Middle East, Europe, Africa, and as a roving foreign correspondent in Latin America and
Asia.
Reported from 140 Countries
U.S. foreign policy for The Washington Post
Written for The Los Angeles Times, The Sunday Times of London, CBS News and The Christian Science
Monitor.
Blog Spot: http://robinwrightblog.blogspot.com/

7 Books:
Rock the Casbah: Rage and Rebellion Across the Islamic World (July 19, 2011)
The Iran Primer: Power, Politics, and U.S. Policy United States Institute of Peace Press (December 1,
2010) Link
Dreams and Shadows: The Future of the Middle East (2008) a New York Times Notable Book in 2008 and
one of The Washington Posts Best Books of 2008
The Last Great Revolution: Turmoil and Transformation in Iran (2000)
Flashpoints: Promise and Peril in a New World, (December 22, 1992), with Doyle McManus.
In the Name of God: The Khomeini Decade (October 1989)
Sacred Rage: The Wrath of Militant Islam (October 1985).

Awards: Fellow at Yale, Duke, Stanford, Brookings, the Carnegie Endowment for International
Peace, the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars and the U.S. Institute of Peace.
Among many awards, she won the U.N. Correspondents Gold Medal, the National Magazine
Award, and the Overseas Press Club Award for "best reporting in any medium requiring
exceptional courage and initiative." The American Academy of Diplomacy selected her as the
journalist of the year in 2004

Wrights Bigger Picture Arguments
The Middle East is at the CENTER of GLOBAL COMMUNICATION
The U.S. leadership (Pentagon, Congress, Presidential Admin from both
parties) does not have a clue about what is really going on in middle
eastern and largely Muslim societies. They are operating on the advice of
middle eastern exiles/expats who havent been in their home countries for
years.
The majority of Muslims (young and old) are shying away from extremism
and extremist/violent groups (i.e. Hamas, Al Quaeda).
Authoritarian and Extremist groups STILL HOLD major power positions
and wont go down easily.
Youth populations are rapidly embracing technology and global
information networks over violence as tools for social change.
Muslims are finding that terrorism doesnt win wars, but intimidates
peoples into extreme acts.
The jihadis have failed to provide anything constructive for positive social
change.
Many Muslims have integrated seamlessly into American society, taking
positions in Congress, womens professional basketball, and surgical
teams.
LINK PBS Video
Iran's Supreme leader since 1989, Ali Khameni has
charted a hard-line course. Chosen by the Assembly
of Clerics/Experts
Hassan Rouhani is seen as a religious moderate
Wrights Arguments about new media
technologies in the Middle East (Scent of Jasmine)
Information Control/Censorship: Older media and power
structures can no longer completely censor or keep a lid on the
range of social and political problems throughout any one country
(Egypt, Tunisia, Syria, etc.).
Response Time: Older media and power structures are slow to
respond to pressing present-day social & economic problems.
Pop culture (music, fashion, entertainment are important
vehicles of dissent and transmission)
Mobile media (cell phones, laptops, iPads) have
transformed information access and transmission for populations
who were once isolated informationally.
POWER of Social Media Netorks for POLITICAL
PURPOSEYouTube, Facebook, Twitter, Texting
Speed of organization via mobile/social media
Cross-political and cross national Communities of communication
Gender! The rights and views of women
Igniting resistance
Getting outside actors involved (other Muslim groups and nations)
Tunisian rap musician El Gnral is best known for his songRais Lebled, released in
2010, has been described as the anthem of the Jasmine Revolution
Syria
The Assad Family rule.
President Hafez al-Assad ruled
from 1970 to 2000.
Authoritarian Rule
Strong Connections to:
Russia
Lebanon
Iraq
Iran
Emergency Law in place since
1963
Opposition Link
Who are the Syrian opposition?