How the West Stole Democracy from the Arabs - by Elizabeth F Thompson (Paperback)

How the West Stole Democracy from the Arabs is a groundbreaking account of an extraordinary, brief moment of unity and hope-and of its destruction.

This expertly researched book brings to life a meaningful but underexplored chapter in world history, revealing how the interests of great powers override the voices of small nations and how democracy was defeated at birth.

With previously untapped primary sources, including contemporary newspaper accounts, reports of the Syrian-Arab Congress, and letters and diaries from participants, Thompson expertly argues that after World War I, the fate of Ottoman Arab lands was not merely contested but that radically different outcomes for independence, constitutional government, and liberal arrangements were very live possibilities.

This book should be required reading for policymakers and pundits who promote the lie that Arabs require western invasions to impose democracy, as it proves that the West, far from promoting democracy in the Middle East, strangled it at birth.

With meticulous research and careful analysis, Thompson expertly argues that after World War I, the fate of Ottoman Arab lands was not merely contested but that radically different outcomes for independence, constitutional government, and liberal arrangements were very live possibilities.

This book is a must-read for anyone interested in understanding the region's ongoing struggle for democracy and self-determination.