The Foreign Service Journal, March 2016

THE FOREIGN SERVICE JOURNAL | MARCH 2016 89 What makes this book special is that so many of its contributors really are able to get inside what is going on in the Muslim Middle East, the so-called Arab “street.” the story of the protests lies in the daily lives of merchants, workers, professionals and farmers examined in this book, the editors note. The introduction also provides the needed broader context for the book’s contents, covering Middle Eastern Muslim culture, the historical context of Middle Eastern life, and Islam and politics, as well as who the Islamists are. In addition, the authors discuss Middle Eastern responses to U.S. policy, remind- ing us that two issues, Palestine and Iraq, “crystallize opposition to U.S. policy.” “The question of the future of Pal- estine and the rights of Palestinians in the West Bank, East Jerusalem and Gaza remain the single largest area of concern for Middle Easterners,” they state, point- ing to a study indicating that opposition to foreign military intervention is “the single largest cause of suicide bombings throughout the Middle East.” In sum, this book provides excellent insights into the base of society in the MuslimMiddle East. And, as the edi- tors point out, “We need to listen more, especially now, to the voices of Middle Eastern peoples in all their different social, political and economic circum- stances and orientations, to understand their aspirations and frustration.” For those serving in one of our “fortress” embassies in the Middle East, where getting to know those beyond the elite is difficult, this book should be a must-read. n After receiving a master’s degree from the Harvard Center for Middle East Studies, Stephen Buck served at eight Arab posts dur- ing 39 years in the Foreign Service. He is a longtime member of the FSJ Editorial Board.