Guest Editor: Walter Armbrust (University of Oxford)

This cluster of articles was originally part of a conference in Oxford on January 12–13, 2007, organized by Walter Armbrust, Ronald Nettler, and Lucie Ryzova, and funded by the Middle East Centre (St. Antony's), The Faculty of Oriental Studies, The Khalid bin ‘Abdullah Al-Sa’ud Professorship (Professor Clive Holes), and The Centre for Political Ideologies.