Michael Dumper – författare

Examining contestation and conflict management within holy cities, this book provides both an overview and a range of options available to those concerned with this increasingly urgent phenomenon.

In cities in India, the Balkans and the Mediterranean, we can see examples where religion plays a dominant role in urban development and thus provides a platform for conflict. Powerful religious hierarchies, the generation of often unregulated revenues from donations and endowments, the presence of holy sites and the enactment of ritualistic activities in public spaces combine to create forms of conflicts which are, arguably, more intense and more intractable than other forms of conflicts in cities. The book develops a working definition of the urban dimension of religious conflicts so that the kinds of conflicts exhibited can be contextualised and studied in a more targeted manner. It draws together a series of case studies focusing on specific cities, the kinds of religious conflicts occurring in them and the international structures and mechanisms that have emerged to address such conflicts.

Combining expertise from both academics and practitioners in the policy and military world, this interdisciplinary collection will be of particular relevance to scholars and students researching politics and religion, regional studies, geography and urban studies. It should also prove useful to policymakers in the military and other international organisations.

Examining contestation and conflict management within holy cities, this book provides both an overview and a range of options available to those concerned with this increasingly urgent phenomenon.

In cities in India, the Balkans and the Mediterranean, we can see examples where religion plays a dominant role in urban development and thus provides a platform for conflict. Powerful religious hierarchies, the generation of often unregulated revenues from donations and endowments, the presence of holy sites and the enactment of ritualistic activities in public spaces combine to create forms of conflicts which are, arguably, more intense and more intractable than other forms of conflicts in cities. The book develops a working definition of the urban dimension of religious conflicts so that the kinds of conflicts exhibited can be contextualised and studied in a more targeted manner. It draws together a series of case studies focusing on specific cities, the kinds of religious conflicts occurring in them and the international structures and mechanisms that have emerged to address such conflicts.

Combining expertise from both academics and practitioners in the policy and military world, this interdisciplinary collection will be of particular relevance to scholars and students researching politics and religion, regional studies, geography and urban studies. It should also prove useful to policymakers in the military and other international organisations.

This Handbook provides a broad overview of Palestinian history, society, politics, and culture across different contexts and periods, revealing the rich and varied dimensions of Palestine.

To capture the diversity of Palestinian scholarship and to introduce readers to a mix of approaches and perspectives, both internationally established and emerging Palestinian scholars have contributed. The Handbook attempts to avoid narrowly framing Palestine around the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, incorporating postcolonial approaches attentive to a broader range of (hitherto overlooked) actors. While a significant proportion of the Handbook examines the contemporary period, it is divided up into four sections that together provide a detailed overview of the main developments in the region:

Providing a deep analysis of the Palestinian perspective, the Handbook will prove valuable reading for anyone interested in the history, politics and society of Palestine and the Middle East.

This Handbook provides a broad overview of Palestinian history, society, politics, and culture across different contexts and periods, revealing the rich and varied dimensions of Palestine.

To capture the diversity of Palestinian scholarship and to introduce readers to a mix of approaches and perspectives, both internationally established and emerging Palestinian scholars have contributed. The Handbook attempts to avoid narrowly framing Palestine around the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, incorporating postcolonial approaches attentive to a broader range of (hitherto overlooked) actors. While a significant proportion of the Handbook examines the contemporary period, it is divided up into four sections that together provide a detailed overview of the main developments in the region:

Providing a deep analysis of the Palestinian perspective, the Handbook will prove valuable reading for anyone interested in the history, politics and society of Palestine and the Middle East.

The repatriation of Palestinians is a highly topical issue, and a critical component of any future peace process for Israel/Palestine. Until now, the mechanics of repatriation have not been dealt with in detail. This book explores the notion that the Palestinian refugee case is exceptional through the comparative study of refugee repatriation, and asks:

The expert contributors examine the contextual and methodological field, reviewing the trends in forced migration and refugee studies as well as studying the historical and political background of UNHCR and the negotiations around the Palestinian refugee issue. Taking a comparative approach, the book incorporates case studies of specific refugee situations from around the world, revealing key issues in the formulation of repatriation programmes and highlighting lessons to be learnt.

The repatriation of Palestinians is a highly topical issue, and a critical component of any future peace process for Israel/Palestine. Until now, the mechanics of repatriation have not been dealt with in detail. This book explores the notion that the Palestinian refugee case is exceptional through the comparative study of refugee repatriation, and asks:

The expert contributors examine the contextual and methodological field, reviewing the trends in forced migration and refugee studies as well as studying the historical and political background of UNHCR and the negotiations around the Palestinian refugee issue. Taking a comparative approach, the book incorporates case studies of specific refugee situations from around the world, revealing key issues in the formulation of repatriation programmes and highlighting lessons to be learnt.

The Israeli-Palestinian conflict has long been intertwined with, and has had a profound influence on, the principles of modern international law. Placing a rights-based approach to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict at the centre of discussions over its peaceful resolution, this book provides detailed consideration of international law and its application to political issues.

Through the lens of international law and justice, the book debunks the myth that law is not useful to its resolution, illustrating through both theory and practice how international law points the way to a just and durable solution to the conflict in the Middle East. Contributions from leading scholars in their respective fields give an in-depth analysis of key issues that have been marginalized in most mainstream discussions of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict:

Written in a style highly accessible to the non-specialist, this book is an important addition to the existing literature on the subject. The findings of this book will not only be of interest to students and scholars of Middle Eastern politics, International Law, International Relations and conflict resolution, but will be an invaluable resource for human rights researchers, NGO employees, and embassy personnel, policy staffers and negotiators.

The Israeli-Palestinian conflict has long been intertwined with, and has had a profound influence on, the principles of modern international law. Placing a rights-based approach to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict at the centre of discussions over its peaceful resolution, this book provides detailed consideration of international law and its application to political issues.

Through the lens of international law and justice, the book debunks the myth that law is not useful to its resolution, illustrating through both theory and practice how international law points the way to a just and durable solution to the conflict in the Middle East. Contributions from leading scholars in their respective fields give an in-depth analysis of key issues that have been marginalized in most mainstream discussions of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict:

Written in a style highly accessible to the non-specialist, this book is an important addition to the existing literature on the subject. The findings of this book will not only be of interest to students and scholars of Middle Eastern politics, International Law, International Relations and conflict resolution, but will be an invaluable resource for human rights researchers, NGO employees, and embassy personnel, policy staffers and negotiators.

The Struggle for Jerusalem’s Holy Places investigates the role of architecture and urban identity in relation to the political economy of the city and its wider state context seen through the lens of the holy places.

Reflecting the broad disciplinary backgrounds of the authors, this book provides perspectives from architecture, urbanism, and politics, and provides in-depth investigations of historical, ethnographic and policy-related case studies. The research is substantiated by fieldwork carried out in Jerusalem over the past ten years as part of the ESRC Large Grants project ‘Conflict in Cities’. By analysing new dynamics of radicalisation through land seizure, the politicisation of parklands and tourism, the strategic manipulation of archaeological and historical narratives and material culture, and through examination of general appropriation of Jerusalem’s varied rituals, memories and symbolism for factional uses, the book reveals how possibilities of co- existence are seriously threatened in Jerusalem.

Shedding new light on the key role played by everyday urban life and its spatial settings for any future political agreements about the city and its religious sites, this book is a useful reference work for students and scholars of Middle East Studies, Architecture, Religion and Urban Studies.