Author Description

For a region which usually occupies media headlines and academic enquiry with concerns over global security and the supply of petroleum oil, the Middle East would appear averse to any talk of progressive social policy. But below the hard-hitting headlines, what do local Middle Eastern populations think of social welfare, equality and solidarity? The original analysis in this book presents a new and comprehensive narrative of social welfare in the Middle East through an examination of the role of religious welfare. Religion is, arguably, the longest and most dynamic surviving force of social and political action in the region. Based on an in-depth study of the major Muslim and Christian religious welfare organisations in Lebanon (including Hezbollah), and drawing upon supplementary research conducted in Iran, Egypt and Turkey, the book argues that religion - whether through the state apparatus, civil society organisations or populist religious movements - is providing sophisticated solutions to the major social and economic problems of the Middle East. As religion continues to regain its centrality in both academic and policy circles around the world, this book presents a new framework which examines the complex social and political dynamics shaping social welfare in the Middle East. It also opens up broader debate on the role of faith-based welfare in the changing social policy landscape. "Social Welfare and Religion in the Middle East" will be of use to students and academics of social policy, sociology, politics and Middle Eastern studies. It will also provide a useful introduction to the reality of development and social policy in the region to practitioners and policy-makers who are active in the Middle East, or are seeking to engage with faith-based organisations.