"Middle Eastern studies suffered, in his view, from three faults. One was “mappism”. Behind handy diplomatic counters marked on maps “Iran”, “Iraq” or “Saudi Arabia” he saw poorly understood societies that were complex and shifting. He had no patience, secondly, with efforts, particularly in the United States, to illuminate the region from the armchair with mathematical models and theorising (“all this meta-stuff”). He thought, thirdly, that the cold war had led everyone, Middle Easterners included, to exaggerate the influence of outsiders. The region’s problems, he insisted, lay in the region more than in Moscow, Washington or the colonial past."
The Economist on Middle East expert Fred Halliday who died two weeks ago at age 64. Read the full eulogy here.
The Economist on Middle East expert Fred Halliday who died two weeks ago at age 64. Read the full eulogy here.
