Malik Mufti teaches courses on international relations as well as the politics of the Middle East. He received a Ph.D. and an M. A. from Harvard University, an M.A. from Yale University and a B.A. from Middlebury College. He is the author of Sovereign Creations: Pan-Arabism and Political Order in Syria and Iraq (1996), and Daring and Caution in Turkish Strategic Culture: Republic at Sea (2009). He has also written shorter pieces on the domestic politics, international relations, and political thought of the Near East, including his latest journal articles "The AK Party's Islamic Realist Political Vision: Theory and Practice" (Politics and Governance, October 2014); "Democratizing Potential of the 'Arab Spring': Some Early Observations" (Government and Opposition, July 2015); and "Neo-Ottomanists and Neoconservatives: A Strange Alignment in the 1990s" (Insight Turkey, Winter 2016). He is currently working on a research project on realism in Islamic political thought. He is a recipient of the Lillian and Joseph Leibner Award for Distinguished Teaching and Advising.In a written interview with our Magazine, He throws light on the recent developments in the Middle East.

Gulan: How do you characterize the situation in the Middle East? And what are the most troublesome trends and worrisome developments this region is undergoing from your perspective?

Professor Dr. Malik Mufti:The Middle East is currently undergoing one of the most chaotic and dangerous periods since the end of World War I. The political order established then is clearly under great strain today: regimes are bankrupt, borders are eroding, and even identities are in flux. Such periods of fundamental transformation are inherently dangerous, because all kinds of scenarios become possible that could have been ruled out in more normal times.

Gulan: How do you viewthe US administration’s policy with regard to the Middle East?What is your opinion about external intervention in this region, and do you believe they have always been exacerbating the situation or that the external powers can engage constructively in the internal affairs of this region’s countries?

Professor Dr. Malik Mufti:External actors can play either stabilizing or destabilizing roles. For the past decade, the transactional and short-sighted approach of the United States has exacerbated the instabilities of the current crisis. Through their negligence, moreover, both the Obama and Trump administrations have severely undermined US credibility and interests in the region. Russia is consequently moving skillfully and ruthlessly to fill the resulting vacuum.

Gulan: How do you evaluate the Iranian influences in Middle Eastern countries, and do you believe that Iran is a part of the problem? Can it be turned into a part of the solution?There is also another intractable and deep rooted issue in the Middle East, which is sectarian rivalry especially between Sunni and Shia. How can this problem be dealt with?

Professor Dr. Malik Mufti:Iran is another beneficiary of US incompetence and neglect. Its influence in the region today is unprecedented. The problem here is neither ethnic nor sectarian – Iran is part of the region and has legitimate interests, and Sunnis and Shi`is are certainly capable of living together in a spirit of tolerance and fraternity. The problem is that the Iranian regime, itself authoritarian and repressive at home, is aligning itself with similar-minded forces throughout the region.

Gulan: As you know there are many terrorist and radical groups in the region, and that they have caused unprecedented death and destruction. What are the underlying and structural causes for the emergence of these groups and what should be done for countering them? How do you see the interplay between religion and politics in the Middle East? And why is violence is so prevalent and widespread in this region?

Professor Dr. Malik Mufti:As the post-WWI political order collapses in the Middle East, a variety of alternative visions are coming forward, some of them radical and violent. This is to be expected in a time of such flux. I do not believe, however, that it is a question of religion vs. secularism. There are constructive and destructive forces on both sides, and the constructive elements who are religious or secular will need to work together for the common good.

Gulan: Sometimes it seems that the intractable and longstanding conflicts and challenges in the Middle East defy any attempt to resolve them, so why are the dilemmas of this region so insurmountable and seemingly unsolvable?Generally, how do you see the attempts for democratization in the Middle East, especially after the Arab Spring? Can we say that the prospects for pushing democracy forward are slim in this region?

Professor Dr. Malik Mufti:I do not believe that the conflicts and challenges of the Middle East are intractable or insurmountable. Other regions of the world, including Europe, have seen even greater death and destruction just in the past century, and yet they have come through it to a better place. The constructive path forward lies through democratization. It is true that since the outbreak of the Arab Spring there have been numerous and devastating setbacks, but unfortunately this too is to be expected. Democratization did not come to Europe or the United States overnight, but only after many decades of authoritarian reversals, civil wars, and interstate conflict.

Gulan: What is your expectation for the future of the Middle East in terms of worst and best case?

Professor Dr. Malik Mufti:The worst case scenario is that the incompetence, corruption, and viciousness of regional and external decision-makers will unnecessarily prolong and exacerbate the suffering generated by the current transition. The best case scenario is that wise and prudent leadership can steer the region and its people through these turbulent waters as quickly as possible.