BY Will Plowright
In Tariq Ali’s novel The Book of Saladin, Saladin describes his political advisor al-Qadi al-Fadil as “a word-juggler; a magician who is the master of disguise.”1 Though a fictionalized account, this description accurately portrays the role al-Fadil played in constructing the image of Saladin. The historiography of Saladin within the Islamic world is often manipulated or deconstructed and recreated in order to suit political goals. This occurred as political actors reconstructed and recreated a “modern Saladin,” one that had little resemblance to the actual Saladin. Although the writings of al-Fadil portray Saladin in a variety of ways, the contemporary image of Saladin in the Islamic world–a wager of holy war solely in defense of Islam–stemmed from political motivations. In reality, Saladin was a man of mixed motivations and goals, including territorial and familial ambitions, religion, and political pragmatism.

By Lydia Khalil, Boston College ’02
For decades the world has bemoaned the lack of political progress and opportunity in the Middle East. The same questions are repeatedly asked: When will Arab governments become more representative? What will force them to change? When will the conflict end and the region flourish? The annual Arab Human Development Report (AHDR) has grappled with these questions since the first report was released in 2002. Sadly the AHDR first launched seven years ago is eerily similar to the 2009 version. Indeed the most recent report states, “Its starting point is that seven years after the publication of the first Arab Human Development Report, the region’s fault lines as traced in that analysis may have deepened.” The AHDR finds the region failing or vulnerable on numerous fronts. The region is facing environmental stresses. Sustainable health and security are still lacking, as is economic development. Most significantly, governments are not only underperforming, but have become “threats” to the human security of their citizens. Arab governments have had little positive connection to their citizenry–governments are to be feared, avoided and disparaged. As a result, they are becoming increasingly insignificant and less able and willing to move their region forward.