The Islamic Utopia by Andrew Hammond - 9780745332697

The Islamic UtopiaThe Illusion of Reform in Saudi Arabia\nAuthor(s): Andrew Hammond\nFormat: Paperback\nPublisher: Pluto Press, United Kingdom\nImprint: Pluto Press\nISBN-13: 9780745332697, 978-0745332697\nSynopsis\nWill Saudi Arabia join the democratic wave in the Middle East? The uprisings and revolutions of the twenty-first century have not yet affected the stability of the House of Saud, which remains secretive, highly repressive and propped up by the West.\n\nThe Islamic Utopia uses a range of sources including first-hand reporting and recently released WikiLeaks documents to examine Saudi Arabia in the decade after the 9/11 attacks, when King Abdullahs 'reform' agenda took centre stage in public debate. It considers Saudi claims of 'exemption' from the democratic demands of the Arab Spring.\n\nAndrew Hammond argues that for too long Western media and governments have accepted Saudi leaders' claims to be a buttress against jihadist Islam and that a new policy is needed towards .