Reviving pluralism in the Middle East

'Holy Lands: Reviving Pluralism in the Middle East' by Nicolas Pelham (Columbia Global Reports, 183 pages, $14)

In his State of the Union address in January, U.S. President Barack Obama said the current upheaval in the Middle East is rooted in "conflicts that date back millennia." Amid a widening of the Sunni-Shia divide, the idea of "ancient hatreds" and timeless sectarian strife going back to the first generation of Islam has certainly risen in popularity. 

But the idea is a canard. For much of Islamic history, and for many centuries in the Middle East, sectarian conflict was an aberration. Recent events are an exception to the historical rule. For some, the current politicization of identity "proves" the inherent intolerance of the region in general and Islam in particular. But territories that are today seen as the least tolerant and stable places on the planet were once global exemplars of pluralism and religious harmony. The Islamic system that held sway in most places had a centuries-old record of pluralism that was unmatched by Christendom. There are complex reasons behind today's hardening of ethnic and religious identity, but it is a modern phenomenon with modern-day causes. 

"Holy Lands: Reviving Pluralism in the Middle East" by The Economist correspondent and author Nicolas Pelham combines on-the-ground reportage with historical rumination. Over six essays, Pelham explores the political effects of demographic shifts over the past century. Informed by past and present realities, he also muses on possible paths out of the current meltdown. His reportage is illuminating, but his history lessons are shaky and the solutions he suggests are delusional.

Pelham looks back to the age of Ottoman pluralism, describing how...