B: Reviews: review article

ARCHAEOLOGY, ARABIC SOURCES AND CHRISTIAN DOCUMENTS: A REVIEW OF THOMAS F. GLICK, From Muslim Fortress to Christian Castle: Social and Cultural Change in Medieval Spain. Manchester: Manchester University Press, 1995. 201pp.     

Some Soviet works in Arabic

Nahnu wa‐'1‐'Arab 1988, We and the Arabs, 1988 (Moscow: Progress Press, 1988; 220 pp.).

Z. Gafurov, is entitled, ‘Problems of War and Peace and Contemporary Revolutionary Democracy’ (pp.21–40);

Vladimir Mikhaylov's Irhabiyyu al‐Mosad, The Terrorists of the Mossad (Moscow: Progress Press, 1987; 174 pp. Also published in Russian).

G.I. Mirskiy's al‐Jaysh wa’ 1‐mujtama'wa‐’ 1‐siyasa fi al‐buldan al‐namiya, Army, Society and Politics in the Developing Countries (Moscow: Progress Press, 1987; 228 pp.).

al‐'Alaqat al‐Sofyetiyya al‐Libiyya, Soviet‐Libyan Relations (Moscow: Progress Press, 1986; 213 pp.)

A. Shvyedov and V. Rumyantsiyev, also published in Russian in the same year. Its eight chapters are arranged chronologically, ending with a list of events, 1917–86 (pp.203–12),

Buhuth Sofyetiyya jadida fi al‐adab al‐'Arabi, New Soviet Studies in Arabic Literature (Moscow: Progress Press, 1986; 215 pp.)

Institute of Ethnography in the Soviet Academy of Sciences, entitled ’Alam al‐Badw, The World of the Bedouins (or: Nomads) (Moscow: Social Sciences Press, 1986; 213 pp. Soviet Ethnographic Studies, 2).

Idiyulujiyat al‐dimuqratiyya al‐thawriyya al‐Ifriqiyya, The Ideology of African Revolutionary Democracy (Moscow: Social Sciences Press, 1983; 140 pp.).

al‐lttihad al‐Sofyeti wa‐Ifriqiyya, The Soviet Union and Africa (Moscow: Social Sciences Press, 1983; 160 pp.).

Shamal Ifriqiyya: al‐tatawwur al‐mu'asir, North Arfrica: Contemporary Development (Moscow: Social Sciences Press, 1987; 192 pp.)

Al‐Qadiyya al‐Filastiniyya: al‐'udwan wa‐'l‐muqawama wa‐subul al‐ taswiya, The Palestinian Problem: Aggression, Resistance and Ways of Settlement (Moscow: Social Sciences Press, 1983; 230 pp. = Soviet Orientalism, 3)

Vladimir Belyakov, a newspaperman and radio commentator. Writing on ‘The Soviet Union and the Palestinian Revolution’ (pp.215–28),

Buldan al‐Sharq: al‐siyasa wa‐'1‐idiyulujiya, Countries of the East: Politics and Ideology (Moscow: Social Sciences Press, 1985; 220 pp. = Soviet Orientalism, 4)

Abhath jadida li‐'l‐musta'ribin al‐Sofyet, New Studies by Soviet Arabists have been published so far in three volumes.⁸ The first (Moscow: Social Sciences Press, 1986; 261 pp.= Soviet Orientalism, 5)

Aleksiy Vasil'yev's Misr wa‐'l‐Misriyyin, Egypt and the Egyptians (Moscow: Progress Press, 1989; 387 pp.).     

Crossroads of High Asia: A review article—books on Ladakh

Eva K. Dargyay and Ulrich Grüber, Ladakh, Innenansicht eines Landes. Düsseldorf/Cologne: Diederichs, 1980. 300 pp, colour photographs, bibliography, glossary, chronological table, index.

Heinrich Harrer, Ladakh, Götter und Menschen hinterm Himalaya. Innsbruck: Pinguin, 1983. 172 pp, photographs, end paper maps, bibliography.

Andrew Harvey, A Journey in Ladakh. Boston: Houghton Mifflin, 1983. 236 pp., end paper maps, $13.95.

E. Joldan, Harvest Festival of Buddhist Dards of Ladakh and Other Essays. Srinagar: Kapoor Brothers, 1985. 104 pp., photographs, Rs. 30.

Detlef Kantowsky and Reinhard Sander, (editors), Recent Research on Ladakh: History, Culture, Sociology, Ecology. Munich, Cologne and London: Weltforum, 1983. 282 pp., photographs, diagrams, bibliography, DM 59.

Anneliese Keilhauer and Peter Keilhauer, Ladakh und Zanskar, Lamaistische Klosterkultur im Land zwischen Indien und Tibet. Cologne: DuMour, 1982. 414 pp., maps, diagrams, chronological chart, photographs, index, DM 36.

Sanyukta Koshal, Ladakhi Grammar. Delhi: Mortilal Banarsidass, 1979. 338 pp., index, Rs. 103.

Michel Peissel, Zanskar, the Hidden Kingdom. London: Collins, 1979. 205 pp., maps, photographs, index.

Janet Rizvi, Ladakh, Crossroads of High Asia. Delhi: Oxford University Press, 1983. 224 pp., photographs, glossary, bibliography, end‐paper maps, Rs 140.

Margaret Schettler and Rolf Schettler, Kashmir, Ladakh and Zanskar: A Travel Survival Kit. South Yarra, Victoria, Australia/Berkeley, CA, USA, 1984.203 pp., maps, diagrams, photographs, index, $7.95.     

It's Only a Flaming Game: A Case Study of Arabic Computer-Mediated Communication

This article explores the online Arabic communication between partisan Algerians, Egyptians and Arabs of other nations during the recent soccer qualification matches for the 2010 World Cup. It assesses the role of computer-mediated communication (CMC) in the online furore that developed in connection with those matches. It focuses mainly on the way YouTube (vlogging) and blogging are used, and explores the premise that most interpretations of ‘flaming’ (aggressive interactions online) do not take into sufficient account cultural factors that may influence the perspective of the sender, the recipient and the third party. This article also looks at the effects of ‘soccer nationalism’ and some of the political issues stirred up by the online debate.     

The Image of America as Reflected in Contemporary Arabic Novels

This study analyses how America and the American people are reflected in Arabic novels written in different parts of the Arab world. In a number of novels the depiction of America and Americans is incidental, while in others it constitutes a fundamental element of the composition. The study inquires into the way Americans are described as individuals and as representative types in works of literature. We find that the image of Americans in the novels which constituted the corpus of the study is overwhelmingly negative. The reason for this appears to lie in America's pro-Israel policy and its opposition to numerous people's aspirations for freedom and progress.