ISAS Insights

Revolutions confuse and confound even those who bring them about. They also puzzle those who watch them unfold from some distance. This is certainly the case with the rapid changes occurring in the Muslim world. The change is not only affecting the Middle East but also the Muslims in South Asia. And it is being brought about by the rise of the middle class. Economists have been studying for quite some time the role the middle class plays in shaping and reshaping economic systems and structures. It is now the right moment for other social scientists, in particular those who study politics, to catch up with them.