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Zaynab El Bernoussi, Loved Egyptian night: the meaning of the Arab Spring, International Affairs, Volume 101, Issue 3, May 2025, Pages 1161–1163, https://doi.org/10.1093/ia/iiaf096
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Extract
The Arab uprisings could be described as a missed opportunity to bring meaningful dignity to the people in the region. Since 2011, many things have become worse; in the western media, Gaza was being discussed as a real-estate development plan in early 2025, while Syria was heading towards an uncertain future; meanwhile, Libya and Iraq remain mired in instability. In Loved Egyptian night, Hugh Roberts looks at three Arab countries—Egypt, Libya and Syria—to reflect on the successes and failures of their respective monumental events of 2011. The author is a veteran of the history and politics of the region who does two things beautifully: he writes without chasing the validation of his peers and he writes in the interest of truth. The preface demonstrates that Roberts is one of the biggest authorities on North African and Middle Eastern politics: he has lived in the region and he has been thinking about it for almost half a century. It is hard for any scholar or policy-maker to match his credentials.