ABSTRACT
It has been argued in this book that historical circumstances inherited from the Western control of the region in the first half of the twentieth century greatly hindered the social and economic development of the Arab world (Chapter 2). The passing of the colonial era by no means brought Western influence to an end as is shown in other chapters of the book. Many of the changes subsequently brought about by contact with the West, however, were not desired by the majority of Arabs, nor could they be described as representing progress or development (Figure 8.1).
