books on the Arab mindset

[Rex Brynen]

Looking at the bookshelf, a few more suggestions that might help understand the different perspective:

Excellent choices, MontainRunner.

I'm not sure Ayubi is really obsolete... his main contribution isn't so much on Arab nationalism, but on "articulated" social formations, the evolution of "fierce" state, and the particular role of corporatist (patron-client) -based political consolidation in the absence of (Gramscian) regime-class hegemony. He is, however, an enormously difficult read at the best of times.

On the issue of consiracy theories, Wilf is right that they are common in the Middle East. I would note, however:

1) The region has been subject to more than its fair share of conspiracies (Sykes-Picot Agreement, the 1953 overthrow of Iranian PM Mossadegh, the 1956 Suez war, etc).

2) I think we underestimate the deep-rootedness of conspiracy theories in our own societies. After all:

• 80% of Americans believe UFOs have visited earth, and 37% believe the US government has been in secret contact with aliens (CNN)
  
• 68% of Americans believe the US government covered up the plot that killed President Kennedy (ABC)
  
• one year after the moon landing, 30% of Americans were suspicious as to whether it had actually occurred (Knight newspapers via wiki)
  
• 43% of Britons believe that Princess Diana's death was not an accident (BBC).
  
• 36% of Americans believe that the USG either conspired to bring town the World Trade Center, or deliberately allowed the attack to go forward, so that it could launch a war in the Middle East (Scripps Howard/University of Ohio). In New York, almost half (49.3%) believe the USG "consciously failed to act" to prevent 9/11 (MSNBC/Zogby)
• 41% of Americans still believe that Saddam Hussein was involved in 9/11 (Newsweek via wiki).

Most ominously of all, 1930s European/Western perceptions of Jewish conspiracies—coupled with widespread anti-Semitism—generated the Holocaust.

My broader point is to point out the dangers of cultural awareness training that over-emphasizes the differences without recognizing the similarities—and assumes that there is a fixed "mind set" which determines the behaviour of all of the locals, regardless of class, gender, education, occupation, interests, etc.

[MountainRunner]

I'm not sure Ayubi is really obsolete... his main contribution isn't so much on Arab nationalism, but on "articulated" social formations, the evolution of "fierce" state, and the particular role of corporatist (patron-client) -based political consolidation in the absence of (Gramscian) regime-class hegemony. He is, however, an enormously difficult read at the best of times.
...
1) The region has been subject to more than its fair share of conspiracies (Sykes-Picot Agreement, the 1953 overthrow of Iranian PM Mossadegh, the 1956 Suez war, etc).

Good point on the depth of Ayubi and even better on #1: history matters in this region, unlike in the U.S. They have long memories and learning the narratives they have learned would certainly help.

[Tom Odom]

As a generalist approach accepting Arab as a linguistic group versus a distinct culture, read Margaret Nydell's Understanding Arabs. It is up to date--as opposed to Patai's work based on 1930 Bedouin.

Tom

[William F. Owen]

My broader point is to point out the dangers of cultural awareness training that over-emphasizes the differences without recognizing the similarities—and assumes that there is a fixed "mind set" which determines the behaviour of all of the locals, regardless of class, gender, education, occupation, interests, etc.

There is a point to be made in reference to training. As concerns differences, I think it is worth noting that the Western conspiracy theories, only rarely support violent acts. Those that do support violent acts, tend to mirror ideas commonly found in the Middle East.

Despite growing up as soldier, I used to believe in the power of rational argument, discussion and logic. Time in Middle East, just made me realise that a large number of people are unreasonable, though rational, and want to find an excuse to justify the violent actions they think give them credibility.

...and on a more humorous note, a friend and I were discussing, if in military thought terms, were we, the "Classical Clausewitz and Foch guys," the militants, or where the "OODA-loopy Effects Boydain Manoeuvrists" the un-washed infidels of the deviated teaching.

[Jedburgh]

This paper (I believe I linked it on a thread somewhere on here about two years ago) addresses conflict resolution as influenced by Islam at the local level: Islamic Mediation Techniques for Middle East Conflicts

Again, this is a general view. There are significant variations in conflict resolution/mediation rituals and traditions between ethnic groups (i.e. Arabs vs Pathans) as well as regionally (i.e. the Middle East vs Central Asia), that go along with the clearer rural-urban divide.

Another one worth a read, keeping the same context in mind:

Beyond Western-Oriented Communications Theories: A Normative Arab-Islamic Perspective