Christian-Muslim Relations in the Aftermath of the Arab SpringBeyond the Polemics over 'The Innocence of Muslims'
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About this book
Uses 'The Innocence of Muslims' controversy as a starting point for exploring Christian–Muslim relations in Egypt, Lebanon and Jordan
- Highlights the diversity of Middle Eastern Christian experiences and attitudes towards Islam, including understudied groups (Jordanian Christians, Coptic Catholics, lay Christian activists and politicians)
- Explores the diverse Muslim attitudes towards Christians, of both Islamist/Salafi figures and official Islam, and their use of Christians as political and ideological tools in the aftermath of the Arab Spring
- Offers theoretic reflections on violence, agency and the ‘inclusion–moderation hypothesis’ of Islamist actors through a comparative approach
In September 2012, a video titled 'The Innocence of Muslims' provoked widespread condemnation and protests in the Middle East. It depicted an attack on Copts by a presumably Muslim group, connecting it with the prophet of Islam, Muhammad, portrayed as a ruthless killer and child-molester. Although the video could have had dramatic consequences for Christians in the region, since Coptic individuals living in the US had produced it, the controversy turned instead into a moment of Christian–Muslim unity.
This book uses this controversy as an entry point into the study of relations between Christians and Muslims in Egypt, Lebanon and Jordan. Instead of dismissing the condemnations and joint reactions as shallow and ritualised displays of solidarity, Anna Hager argues that they offer insights into the mechanisms of Christian–Muslim relations. Christians and Muslims, including Islamist figures, channelled the potential violence – turning it into an occasion to strengthen inter-communal relations and, crucially, their own positions.
Extra reading on the EUP blog:
5 things you might not expect of Christian-Muslim relations in the Middle East
Reviews
Christian-Muslim Relations in the Aftermath of the Arab Spring offers timely reflection on the character of relations between Christians and Muslims in the Middle East. Based upon a wide range of sources skilfully deployed, Hager seeks to describe how society assuages violence, reframing Muslim-Christian relations at moments of tension around Christian agency and the constraints on radical Muslim actors, thus allowing for a dynamic and complex web of political factors to strengthen their relations and respective religious statuses. Hager offers much to ponder in considering the Christian-Muslim encounter today.
Anna Hager's book Christian-Muslim Relations in the Aftermath of the Arab Spring. Beyond the Polemics over 'The Innocence of Muslims' is a significant contribution to the field of Oriental Studies, offering a methodical solution to a complex question: how do we understand the nuanced dynamics between Christian and Muslim communities in the wake of transformative political events? By focusing on the reactions to the controversial 'Innocence of Muslims' video, Hager brings new insights that challenge conventional wisdom and provide a richer understanding of agency, rhetoric, and power in the Middle East.
An insightful and refreshingly unconventional take on the politics of Muslim-Christian relations in the Middle East. It explains and contextualises public rituals of proximity and reciprocity and shows how Christian and Muslim actors engage in them for their own political interest. The logic of their actions, Hager shows, needs to be uncovered by a careful historical and contextual reading.
Its interdisciplinary orientation and readable prose make it accessible to graduate students as well as specialists. Hager’s monograph is a substantive, well-documented contribution that reorients discussion of Christian–Muslim relations in the post-Arab Spring period. Through comparative microanalysis, rigorous primary research, and nuanced theorizing about rhetoric, ritual, and agency, it advances our understanding of how minority and majority actors negotiate status, security, and coexistence under shifting political conditions.
Anna Hager’s book is a valuable resource for any reader seeking to understand the diverse patterns of Christian-Muslim relations across three closely related Middle Eastern states: Egypt, Lebanon, and Jordan. The book’s conclusion – bearing a very important relevance for contemporary political development – is that “an occasion for violence turned into an occasion for cooperation”.
Table of contents
Introduction: Revisiting Christian-Muslim Relations through a Minor Controversy
1. Beyond the Controversy: Islamist Movements and the Constraints of the Political Game Introduction Egypt: Claiming the Islamic Leadership The Risks of Antagonising Copts Lebanon: Contesting Hezbollah’s Islamic and Lebanese leadership Jordan: Dissatisfaction with the Regime Conclusion
2. Another Understanding of Violence: From Coptic-Muslim Violence to a Far Greater Danger Introduction The Starting Point: Sectarian Violence in Egypt The Issue of Christian Fear The Hierarchisation of Targets and Victims The Greater Danger: Potential Violence Conclusion
3. The Stakes of Being Christian or Muslim: The Other Key Actors of Christian-Muslim Relations Introduction The Legal and Political Foundations of being Christian or Muslim in Egypt, Jordan and Lebanon Another Key Player: Official Islam The Forgotten Christian Laity The Churches Upset Speaking as and for Christians Conclusion
4. Searching for Proximity to the Other: Redefining Fitna and Dhimma Introduction Classical Islamic and Christian Attitudes: Polemics The Moderation of Islamist Attitudes towards Christians The Fear of Fitna A Christian Expansion of the Term dhimma Searching for Proximity to Muslims The Limited Institutionalisation of Proximity Conclusion
5. The Core of Peaceful Relations: Rituals of Solidarity and Avoidance Introduction Ritualised and Avoiding Language: Rituals of Solidarity Behaviour and the Expectation of Reciprocity Excurse: The Issue of Christmas A Powerful Ritual: The United Egyptian Nation Conclusion
6. Renegotiating the Promises of the Arab Spring Introduction Old and New Fears What Level of Differentiation? The Egyptian, Lebanese and Jordanian Nations The Religious Foundations of Unity The Political Sources of Unity Conclusion
Conclusion: The Requirements for the Ideal Islamic Society
Bibliography