Many people wonder why there are so many crises in the Middle East and how they can be resolved. It is about the future of almost half a billion people whose situation is influenced by so many external circumstances.

The book by Iyad El-Baghdadi and Ahmed Gatnash deals with the history of the modern Middle East. Special attention is given to problems that affect the countries of the Middle East, such as oppression, the presence of terrorist organizations or the destructive effects of foreign intervention. Suffice it to mention the intervention of the United States in Iraq, the rise of the Islamic State or the fall of the dictatorial Arab regimes in 2011. They show the damage these repressive systems cause in the societies of the region.

The authors attempt to forecast the future of the entire region on the basis of demographic, economic and social trends. Theirs is no ordinary opinion either: The future of the Middle East is both troubling and hopeful. As for the latter, they present thorough and thoughtful ideas that do not involve violent military interventions and negotiations with dictators.

The work of Iyad El-Baghdadi and Ahmed Gatnash shows both the failures of history and the developments that give cause for hope. The aim of The Middle East Crisis Factory is to offer solutions to problems and to propagate the importance of peace and democracy in the Middle East.

Meszár Tárik is a senior researcher at the Eurasia Center