SOME THOUGHTS ABOUT THE POST-CHAOTIC MENA

Abstract

The huge territory from Morocco to India, known as MENA (Middle East and North Africa) is currently facing one of the most difficult and tragic periods of its very long history. But as the Sufis say, “this too shall pass”. The question is once, indeed, this tragedy “passes”, what should replace it? This is the purpose of this paper: it assumes that the current civil wars will end, peace will come and then discusses how the states in the region should be re-designed so as to achieve sustained peace and economic development. The paper first presents the preconditions that need to be fulfilled and then focusses on the processes of capital accumulation/redistribution and finally federalism. The discussion gives utmost importance to the legitimacy of the “new” states and their Shari’ah compliance