Localities, countries, and regions develop through complex interactions with others. This striking volume highlights global interconnectedness seen through the prism of the Middle East, both “global-in” and “global-out.” It delves into the region’s scientific, artistic, economic, political, religious, and intellectual formations and traces how they have taken shape through a dynamic set of encounters and exchanges.
 
Written in short and accessible essays by prominent experts on the region, Global Middle East covers topics including God, Rumi, food, film, fashion, music, sports, science, and the flow of people, goods, and ideas. The text explores social and political movements from human rights, Salafism, and cosmopolitanism to radicalism and revolutions. Using the insights of global studies, students will glean new perspectives about the region. "This volume challenges the prevalent idea in Western media and policy circles that people, societies, and politics in the Middle East can merely be explained by reference to religion and static interpretations of culture."—Nadje Al-Ali, Professor of Anthropology and Middle East Studies, Brown University

"This excellent book examines where the Middle East stands today in relation to its past and in relation to other regions of the world. The contributors are among the most renowned scholars of the Middle East, and they have all stepped up to the challenge of making stellar contributions."—Mehran Kamrava, Georgetown University Qatar