ABSTRACT
Since its introduction in the latter part of the nineteenth century, soccer has been an important part of the Middle East. Its birth and its continued life and development into the twenty-first century have intersected with important cultural and historical processes such as colonialism, the rise of nationalism, women’s liberation, urbanism, industrialization, state building, globalization, and political revolt. The game has been influenced by these developments and has helped shape them as well. This Introduction presents the scholarly studies, essays, and literature from a variety of cultures and time periods included in this anthology. It also addresses debates on what constitutes the Middle East and on Orientalism and western biases in studying the region, and surveys the history of the game and its historiography. The literature on Middle Eastern soccer is rewarding in its own right but is also a gateway for learning about the societies where it has developed, and where it is passionately played and loved.
