ABSTRACT
Recent political developments have made the importance of the Middle East to international affairs and many aspects of national life in numerous countries tragically clear. The Middle East increasingly plays a significant role in various arenas. In the political arena, the politics of the world order and the foreign policy of many nations are touched by developments in the Middle East. In the domain of world economy, the role of the Middle Eastern energy resources including oil and natural gas in shaping the world economy is greater than ever. In the security arena, many of the actions taken by various states in the name of security have had major implications for domestic economic policies and for civil liberties. Recent military interventions in the Middle East and their global fall-out have contributed to this environment in ways that are yet to be fully understood. In such a context, the need to study and comprehend Middle Eastern cultures and contemporary societies has become an urgent issue.
