Book Review on Khaled Abou El Fadl's The Great Theft: Wrestling Islam From The Extremists

This book represents a chronological account of opposing ideologies between the Moderates and Puritans of the Islamic faith. The author posited a claim that Puritans dominates Moderates in a politico-power dynamics game. He is also distraught with the illogical misconceptions of some non-Muslims, albeit to misunderstanding the Islamic theology.

It is divided into two parts: the first is explaining the origin, rise and contemporary puritanical ideologies, while the second is an exuberant and elaborative explanation between the significant differences of Moderates and Puritans on specific issues like laws, democracy, human rights, women's role, Jihad, terrorism and et cetera.

He ended his writings through advocating a collective effort of all Muslim Moderates around the world to militantly fight the creed of the Puritans and unite to show to the West the true message of Islam in a moderate sense. This envelopes an internal dichotomy of the Islamic faith with different interpretations but having a singular religion. “The Great Theft” is recommendable to all Muslims and non-Muslims to deeply understand the conflict and help eliminate the dilemma that keeps the burden illuminating in the image of Islam throughout the humankind.

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United States of America’s Foreign Policy in the Security of Asia-Pacific Region

This paper will examine the determining factors through the questions posited in the course outline regarding a gradual change of focus of U.S. foreign policy from terrorism to citing fomenting predictions and future tenses that China would be a ‘threat’ in the Asia-Pacific region as well to the world. Utilizing ‘Hedging,’ one of foreign policy’s options, as the tool or instrument to achieve its purpose, carry-out goals, and implement policies.

In 2000, Pres. George W. Bush labeled China as the United States’ leading strategic and military competitor. (Twining 2007) In his rhetoric, what changes in U.S. strategic and defense relationships in the Asia-Pacific region, if any, are needed to respond to major developments in the region, particularly China’s emergence as a major power, the continuing potential for inter-state conflict, and the struggle against militant Islamists? (Vaughn 2007)

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The Foreign Policy of the Islamic Republic of Iran towards the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC)

The same peculiarity as the first paper was entailed subject to delimitations provided by the syllabus, this study will entirely focus on oil security, its political and economic adversaries concomitant with the foreign policy of Iran towards OPEC. It will explain the dynamics and mechanisms on how policies in Iran are extensively constructed especially in dealings with interstate relations juxtapose to non-state actor like OPEC.

The proponent will concentrate on four aspects:

1.Units of Analysis – intuitively investigate the actors (political elites and eminent religious personalities involved in the making of the foreign policy), the international environment, and varied situations occurred in events that are intertwined or connected in planning and organizing the policies to be implemented.

2.Determinants and Processes – in this aspect, the researcher will expound two classifications, the foreign determinants and the domestic determinants that immensely affect the doings of a foreign policy maker, discussing what are the processes or systems afflicted in each determinant and how do they differ or paralleled.

3.The Acts – will look on the decisions made; observe mobilization of resources and the application of instruments and techniques in advancing Iranian interest on oil security.
4.Policies and Consequences – if it is patterned in insulation, engagement or expansion policies as oriented by options in foreign policy discussed in the class and if these factors are congruent to any model appropriate for its attached consequences, if there are patterns in consistency with Iranians foreign policy?

Likewise, this will be surveyed through gathered secondary resources and may apply methodology and theoretical framework in the field of international politics or international political economy. The purpose of this investigation is that oil security is a pressing issue and delicate yet complex geopolitical theme especially in the world today, the proponent is hoping that this paper may be added in the realm of Middle Eastern literature in consonance to conflict management scheme.

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