![[Review] Black Wave (Kim Ghattas) Summarized](https://episodes.castos.com/660078c6833215-59505987/images/2370280/c1a-085k3-qd12w9vviz67-rmz2sq.jpg)
Show Notes
Black Wave (Kim Ghattas)
- Amazon USA Store: https://www.amazon.com/dp/1250789389?tag=9natree-20
- Amazon Worldwide Store: https://global.buys.trade/Black-Wave-Kim-Ghattas.html
- Apple Books: https://books.apple.com/us/audiobook/black-wave/id1646577664?itsct=books_box_link&itscg=30200&ls=1&at=1001l3bAw&ct=9natree
- eBay: https://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_nkw=Black+Wave+Kim+Ghattas+&mkcid=1&mkrid=711-53200-19255-0&siteid=0&campid=5339060787&customid=9natree&toolid=10001&mkevt=1
- Read more: https://english.9natree.com/read/1250789389/
#MiddleEasthistory #1979IranianRevolution #SaudiArabiaIranrivalry #politicalIslam #sectarianism #proxywars #geopolitics #BlackWave
These are takeaways from this book.
Firstly, 1979 as a turning point for politics and faith, A central topic of the book is the argument that 1979 marked a decisive break, setting in motion forces that still dominate the Middle East. Ghattas treats this year not as a single event but as a convergence. The Iranian Revolution offered a model of political Islam fused with state power and revolutionary legitimacy. Around the same time, the seizure of the Grand Mosque in Mecca shocked the Saudi leadership and pushed it toward a more austere public posture. The Soviet invasion of Afghanistan further energized militant networks and created channels for funding, recruitment, and ideology that would later spread far beyond the battlefield. By placing these developments side by side, the book shows how state actors and nonstate actors simultaneously learned that religious language could mobilize people, justify coercion, and redraw the boundaries of belonging. The impact was felt in laws, education, public morality campaigns, and in the day to day expectations placed on citizens. Ghattas presents 1979 as the moment when religion became a primary vehicle for geopolitical competition, making internal social change inseparable from regional power struggles.
Secondly, The Saudi Iran rivalry and the export of ideology, Another major topic is the long rivalry between Saudi Arabia and Iran and how it shaped the region through ideological export. Ghattas describes a competition that was not only military or diplomatic but also cultural and theological. Iran promoted its revolutionary message and sought influence among communities receptive to its narrative of resistance and empowerment. Saudi Arabia, backed by oil wealth and custodianship of Islam’s holiest sites, funded religious institutions, clerical networks, and media that encouraged a stricter form of Sunni religiosity. The book explains how this rivalry fueled a sectarian framing that simplified complex national and social questions into Sunni versus Shia binaries. That framing then became useful to leaders seeking to consolidate authority, delegitimize opponents, or rally support in moments of crisis. Ghattas also shows how the competition moved through soft power, from sermons and school curricula to satellite television and transnational charities, creating an ecosystem in which ideology traveled quickly. The consequence was a region where identity politics intensified, compromise became harder, and local conflicts were repeatedly pulled into larger proxy struggles.
Thirdly, Social transformation and the narrowing of cultural life, Ghattas devotes significant attention to how the black wave affected ordinary life, especially the contraction of cultural space and personal freedoms. The book highlights changes that many residents experienced not as abstract policy shifts but as new social rules enforced by institutions, community pressure, and at times the state. Public entertainment and artistic expression faced stricter boundaries, and a more uniform idea of correct behavior gained ground. Dress codes, gender segregation, and the policing of public morality became more prominent in several societies, even where older traditions had been more pluralistic. Ghattas connects these social changes to the political incentives of governments that used religious legitimacy as a shield and to the influence of transnational religious messaging that portrayed modernity as a threat. She also explores how the era shaped childhood and education, affecting what young people were taught about faith, nation, and the other. Importantly, the book treats these developments as uneven, contested, and intertwined with class, war, and migration. The broader point is that geopolitics and ideology did not stay at the top; they reconfigured the fabric of daily life.
Fourthly, Proxy wars, militancy, and the regionalization of conflict, A further topic is how the competition for regional dominance contributed to the spread of proxy wars and to the conditions in which militancy thrived. Ghattas maps how conflicts in places such as Lebanon, Iraq, Syria, Yemen, and Afghanistan became arenas where outside powers backed local actors, turning national struggles into regional chessboards. This dynamic intensified polarization because compromises were no longer purely domestic bargains; they threatened external patrons and the ideological narratives those patrons promoted. The book also examines how militancy benefited from the same channels that states used for influence, including funding pipelines, recruitment narratives, and media amplification. Over time, violence and insecurity reinforced the appeal of hardened identities, which in turn justified further intervention and repression. Ghattas stresses that not all violence stemmed from religion, yet religious framing became a powerful tool to sanctify political aims and to mobilize fighters. By tracing the feedback loop between proxy conflict and ideological competition, she clarifies why wars became so difficult to resolve and why humanitarian crises escalated. The topic ultimately explains how a regional rivalry produced long term instability that reshaped borders, institutions, and generations.
Lastly, Global powers, oil, and the shaping of the post 1979 order, The book also explores the role of external actors and structural forces, emphasizing that the black wave unfolded within an international system shaped by oil, alliances, and great power priorities. Ghattas describes how the United States, European states, and the Soviet Union approached the region through security and energy interests, often making short term choices that had long shadows. Oil revenue gave certain governments resources to project influence far beyond their borders, whether through military procurement, patronage, or religious outreach. At the same time, revolutionary Iran became a focal point for containment strategies that affected everything from sanctions to regional alignments. Ghattas shows how global events, including the Cold War and later the war on terror, interacted with local dynamics in ways that sometimes empowered the most rigid or militarized actors. The topic underscores a key theme of the book: the region’s trajectory cannot be explained solely by internal religious debate or ancient sectarianism. It is also the outcome of strategic bargains, economic leverage, and international interventions that rewarded stability narratives even when they suppressed pluralism. Understanding these external dimensions helps explain why the consequences of 1979 proved so enduring.
- Amazon USA Store: https://www.amazon.com/dp/1250789389?tag=9natree-20
- Amazon Worldwide Store: https://global.buys.trade/Black-Wave-Kim-Ghattas.html
- Apple Books: https://books.apple.com/us/audiobook/black-wave/id1646577664?itsct=books_box_link&itscg=30200&ls=1&at=1001l3bAw&ct=9natree
- eBay: https://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_nkw=Black+Wave+Kim+Ghattas+&mkcid=1&mkrid=711-53200-19255-0&siteid=0&campid=5339060787&customid=9natree&toolid=10001&mkevt=1
- Read more: https://english.9natree.com/read/1250789389/
#MiddleEasthistory #1979IranianRevolution #SaudiArabiaIranrivalry #politicalIslam #sectarianism #proxywars #geopolitics #BlackWave
These are takeaways from this book.
Firstly, 1979 as a turning point for politics and faith, A central topic of the book is the argument that 1979 marked a decisive break, setting in motion forces that still dominate the Middle East. Ghattas treats this year not as a single event but as a convergence. The Iranian Revolution offered a model of political Islam fused with state power and revolutionary legitimacy. Around the same time, the seizure of the Grand Mosque in Mecca shocked the Saudi leadership and pushed it toward a more austere public posture. The Soviet invasion of Afghanistan further energized militant networks and created channels for funding, recruitment, and ideology that would later spread far beyond the battlefield. By placing these developments side by side, the book shows how state actors and nonstate actors simultaneously learned that religious language could mobilize people, justify coercion, and redraw the boundaries of belonging. The impact was felt in laws, education, public morality campaigns, and in the day to day expectations placed on citizens. Ghattas presents 1979 as the moment when religion became a primary vehicle for geopolitical competition, making internal social change inseparable from regional power struggles.
Secondly, The Saudi Iran rivalry and the export of ideology, Another major topic is the long rivalry between Saudi Arabia and Iran and how it shaped the region through ideological export. Ghattas describes a competition that was not only military or diplomatic but also cultural and theological. Iran promoted its revolutionary message and sought influence among communities receptive to its narrative of resistance and empowerment. Saudi Arabia, backed by oil wealth and custodianship of Islam’s holiest sites, funded religious institutions, clerical networks, and media that encouraged a stricter form of Sunni religiosity. The book explains how this rivalry fueled a sectarian framing that simplified complex national and social questions into Sunni versus Shia binaries. That framing then became useful to leaders seeking to consolidate authority, delegitimize opponents, or rally support in moments of crisis. Ghattas also shows how the competition moved through soft power, from sermons and school curricula to satellite television and transnational charities, creating an ecosystem in which ideology traveled quickly. The consequence was a region where identity politics intensified, compromise became harder, and local conflicts were repeatedly pulled into larger proxy struggles.
Thirdly, Social transformation and the narrowing of cultural life, Ghattas devotes significant attention to how the black wave affected ordinary life, especially the contraction of cultural space and personal freedoms. The book highlights changes that many residents experienced not as abstract policy shifts but as new social rules enforced by institutions, community pressure, and at times the state. Public entertainment and artistic expression faced stricter boundaries, and a more uniform idea of correct behavior gained ground. Dress codes, gender segregation, and the policing of public morality became more prominent in several societies, even where older traditions had been more pluralistic. Ghattas connects these social changes to the political incentives of governments that used religious legitimacy as a shield and to the influence of transnational religious messaging that portrayed modernity as a threat. She also explores how the era shaped childhood and education, affecting what young people were taught about faith, nation, and the other. Importantly, the book treats these developments as uneven, contested, and intertwined with class, war, and migration. The broader point is that geopolitics and ideology did not stay at the top; they reconfigured the fabric of daily life.
Fourthly, Proxy wars, militancy, and the regionalization of conflict, A further topic is how the competition for regional dominance contributed to the spread of proxy wars and to the conditions in which militancy thrived. Ghattas maps how conflicts in places such as Lebanon, Iraq, Syria, Yemen, and Afghanistan became arenas where outside powers backed local actors, turning national struggles into regional chessboards. This dynamic intensified polarization because compromises were no longer purely domestic bargains; they threatened external patrons and the ideological narratives those patrons promoted. The book also examines how militancy benefited from the same channels that states used for influence, including funding pipelines, recruitment narratives, and media amplification. Over time, violence and insecurity reinforced the appeal of hardened identities, which in turn justified further intervention and repression. Ghattas stresses that not all violence stemmed from religion, yet religious framing became a powerful tool to sanctify political aims and to mobilize fighters. By tracing the feedback loop between proxy conflict and ideological competition, she clarifies why wars became so difficult to resolve and why humanitarian crises escalated. The topic ultimately explains how a regional rivalry produced long term instability that reshaped borders, institutions, and generations.
Lastly, Global powers, oil, and the shaping of the post 1979 order, The book also explores the role of external actors and structural forces, emphasizing that the black wave unfolded within an international system shaped by oil, alliances, and great power priorities. Ghattas describes how the United States, European states, and the Soviet Union approached the region through security and energy interests, often making short term choices that had long shadows. Oil revenue gave certain governments resources to project influence far beyond their borders, whether through military procurement, patronage, or religious outreach. At the same time, revolutionary Iran became a focal point for containment strategies that affected everything from sanctions to regional alignments. Ghattas shows how global events, including the Cold War and later the war on terror, interacted with local dynamics in ways that sometimes empowered the most rigid or militarized actors. The topic underscores a key theme of the book: the region’s trajectory cannot be explained solely by internal religious debate or ancient sectarianism. It is also the outcome of strategic bargains, economic leverage, and international interventions that rewarded stability narratives even when they suppressed pluralism. Understanding these external dimensions helps explain why the consequences of 1979 proved so enduring.
