Hunter, Shireen T. 1945-

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Hunter, Shireen T. 1945-

PERSONAL:

Born January 27, 1945, in Tabriz, Iran; became U.S. citizen, 1985; married Robert Hunter. Education: Tehran University, B.A., 1964; London School of Economics and Political Science, M.Sc., 1971; Graduate Institute of International Studies Geneva, Ph.D., 1983.

ADDRESSES:

Office—Center for Strategic and International Studies, 1800 K St., N.W., Washington, DC 20006. E-mail—[email protected].

CAREER:

Political scientist and author. Private secretary to the Iranian Foreign Minister, 1966-67; attaché, then third secretary, at the Iranian Embassy in London, England, 1967-71; International Organizations Department of the Iranian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, in charge of economic affairs, then assistant to the under secretary for Political and International Affairs, 1971-74, in charge of economic affairs in the International Organizations Department of the Iranian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, then assistant to the under secretary for Political and International Affairs; second (then first) secretary, 1974-78; Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS), Washington, DC, deputy director, Middle East Program, 1983-93, senior associate, 1993-97, director of the Islam Program, 1998-2005, distinguished scholar, 2005—; Georgetown University, Washington, DC, director of the Carnegie Project on Reformist Islam, 2005—, and adjunct professor, 2006-07. Research fellow, Center for International Affairs, Harvard University, 1979; guest scholar, Brookings Institution, Washington, DC, 1979-80; visiting senior fellow and director of Centre for European Policy Studies (CEPS), Mediterranean Program, Brussels, Belgium, 1993-97; associate, Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs, Harvard University, 1999-2002; consultant, RAND Corporation, 2000—; visiting fellow, Center for Muslim-Christian Understanding, 2005—; consultant, Board of International Broadcasting; also consultant for a numerous U.S. and European corporations. Director, American Iranian Council; member, Council on Foreign Relations.

AWARDS, HONORS:

Order of the Taj (fifth class); Onassis Fellow, Hellenic Foundation for European and Foreign Policy (ELIAMEP), 2000; academic fellow, Carnegie Corporation of New York, 2000-2002; fellow, Oxford Centre for Islamic Studies, Oxford, England, 2004.

WRITINGS:

OPEC and the Third World: The Politics of Aid, Indiana University Press (Bloomington, IN), 1984.

(With Robert G. Neumann and Frederick W. Axelgard) Revitalizing U.S. Leadership in the Middle East, Center for Strategic and International Studies (Washington, DC), 1988.

Iran and the World: Continuity in a Revolutionary Decade, Indiana University Press (Bloomington, IN), 1990.

Iran after Khomeini, foreword by David D. Newsom, Praeger (New York, NY), 1992.

The Transcaucasus in Transition: Nation-building and Conflict, Center for Strategic and International Studies (Washington, DC), 1994.

Central Asia since Independence, foreword by Marie Bennigsen Broxup, Praeger (Westport, CT), 1996.

The Future of Islam and the West: Clash of Civilizations or Peaceful Coexistence?, foreword by Marc Gopin, Praeger (Westport, CT), 1998.

(With Jeffrey L. Thomas and Alexander Melikishvili) Islam in Russia: The Politics of Identity and Security, foreword by James F. Collins, M.E. Sharpe (Armonk, NY), 2004.

Also author of numerous monographs, including Turkey at the Crossroads: Islamic Past or European Future?, CEPS Paper No. 63, 1995. Contributor to periodicals, including Foreign Affairs, Foreign Policy, Current History, Middle East Journal, Security Dialogue, International Spectator, Relazioni Internazionali, Third World Quarterly, Current History, Washington Quarterly, Oxford Journal of Islamic Studies, SAIS Review, Los Angeles Times, and the Christian Science Monitor. Editorial board member, International Politics, 1999—, Global Dialogue, 2000—, and Journal of Southeast European and Black Sea Studies, 2000—. Advisory editor, Encyclopaedia of Islam, Oxford University Press, 2005—.

EDITOR

The Gulf Cooperation Council: Problems and Prospects, CSIS (Washington, DC), 1984.

The PLO after Tripoli, Center for Strategic & International Studies (Washington, DC), 1984.

Internal Developments in Iran, foreword by Robert G. Neumann, Center for Strategic and International Studies (Washington, DC), 1985.

Political and Economic Trends in the Middle East: Implications for U.S. Policy, foreword by Robert G. Neumann and G. Henry M. Schuler, Westview Press (Boulder, CO), 1985.

The Politics of Islamic Revivalism: Diversity and Unity, Indiana University Press (Bloomington, IN), 1988.

Islam, Europe's Second Religion: The New Social, Cultural, and Political Landscape, foreword by Charles Buchanan, Praeger (Westport, CT), 2002.

Strategic Developments in Eurasia after 11 September, Frank Cass (Portland, OR), 2004.

(With Huma Malik) Modernization, Democracy, and Islam, foreword by Ahmedou Ould-Abdallah, Praeger (Westport, CT), 2005.

(With Huma Malik) Islam and Human Rights: Advancing a U.S.-Muslim Dialogue, Center for Strategic and International Studies (Washington, DC), 2005.

SIDELIGHTS:

Born in Iran, Shireen T. Hunter is fluent in English, French, Persian, and Azeri Turkish, and also has a working knowledge of Arabic. Before coming to the United States in 1978, Hunter held numerous positions within the Iranian government, including private secretary to the Iranian foreign minister, attaché and then third secretary at the Iranian Embassy in London, and positions at the International Organizations Department of the Iranian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the International Organizations Department of the Iranian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, among other posts. Hunter became a U.S. citizen in 1985 and is the author of numerous books focusing on the Middle East, Islam, and Muslims, including OPEC and the Third World: The Politics of Aid, Iran and the World: Continuity in a Revolutionary Decade, and Iran after Khomeini.

Hunter's 1994 book, The Transcaucasus in Transition: Nation-Building and Conflict, focuses on what is also referred to as the South Caucasus, the southern portion of the Caucasus region between Europe and Asia. Among the countries in this region are Armenia, most of Georgia, and Azerbaijan. In addition to providing a historical overview of the region, the author includes chapters focusing on the history of Armenia, Georgia, and Azerbaijan. She discusses the policies of the international and regional leaders who have a vested interest in the area. "As the title of the book clearly indicates, the author concentrates on what she perceives to be nation building in the Transcaucasus," wrote Gareth M. Winrow in Europe-Asia Studies. Winrow went on to call The Transcaucasus in Transition "a well written, concise and compact book," adding: "It is an important addition to the expanding literature on the post-Soviet Transcaucasus." Journal of Contemporary Asia contributor Louis Haddad also praised The Transcaucasus in Transition. He referred to it as "an ambitious, thought-provoking and engaging book … [that] covers a number of disciplines and discusses numerous ideas, assumptions and policy issues."

In her The Future of Islam and the West: Clash of Civilizations or Peaceful Coexistence? Hunter presents her case that there is no simple explanation or essential component that drives Islam and Muslims to have fixed ideas about the organizations of states and how these states should conduct relations with other countries. Several reviewers noted that the book is a direct response to Samuel Huntington's thesis of the "clash of civilizations," which Huntington outlined both in the Foreign Affairs journal and a book. In the most basic terms, Huntington presented his thesis that countries and areas of the world will be in conflict more as the result of differences between civilizations rather than ideological difference. Huntington especially pointed to the Islamic civilization as an area of alarming concern. Hunter counters in The Future of Islam and the West that the West should view Islam and Muslims as having a complex history that contains as many ambiguities as other dominant civilizations and religions throughout the world.

To make her point, the author explores what she sees as the West's misguided notion that Islamic civilization is totally monolithic, pointing out the numerous conflicts and wars that occur among Muslims and Muslim nations. She goes on to note that the relations that some Muslim countries have with non-Muslim countries is actually better than their relations with fel- low Muslim countries. Another area that the author writes about is the root causes for the rise of Islamic fundamentalism, noting that some of these causes have nothing to do with religion. In the context of her discussion, Hunter explores the histories and traditions of both Sunni and Shiite Muslims and examines Saudi Arabia and Iran and how they have acted on foreign policy issues. "Hunter presents an eminently reasonable critique of the clash of civilization," according to As'ad AbuKhalil in the American Political Science Review. "She makes her case dispassionately and calmly, refusing to enter into the heated polemics that have characterized this issue." L. Carl Brown, writing in Foreign Affairs, commented that the author "deftly boils down centuries of Muslim historical experience into five succinct chapters."

Hunter has also served as editor or coeditor of numerous books. As editor of Islam, Europe's Second Religion: The New Social, Cultural, and Political Landscape, Hunter presents various scholars writing about "the demographics, structure, organization, and mobilization of Muslims in Europe," reported Tara A. Leweling in the Joint Force Quarterly. Leweling went on to note that the essays address "commonalities and differences of the Islamic experience among Western European nations." The book is divided into two parts, with the first part focusing on Islamic issues within state boundaries and the second part discussing transnational issues associated with European Muslims. In addition, some of the book's contributors explore how Islamic communities can integrate with the European community while maintaining a hold on their own religious and cultural identities. According to Journal of Church and State contributor Robert O. Smith, Islam, Europe's Second Religion "discusses an array of timely issues and features … notable authors." Leweling added: "For those specifically seeking to understand some of the social factors related to the London bombings and Paris riots, Hunter and her colleagues provide a critical context through data-driven analysis, enabling U.S. military personnel to check personal conjecture against empirically based findings."

Islam and Human Rights: Advancing a U.S.-Muslim Dialogue, which Hunter edited with Huma Malik, includes seven papers by both Western and Muslim scholars that address the history of human rights issues with a specific focus on the Muslim world. Among the topics addressed are the causes of human rights violations and whether or not there is a specific Islamic view of human rights. The essays also explore the issue of human rights in the Muslim world as it pertains to U.S. foreign policy.

BIOGRAPHICAL AND CRITICAL SOURCES:

PERIODICALS

American Political Science Review, March, 1987, review of OPEC and the Third World: The Politics of Aid, p. 316; December, 1991, Bahman Baktiari, review of Iran and the World: Continuity in a Revolutionary Decade, p. 1482; March, 1999, As'ad AbuKhalil, review of The Future of Islam and the West: Clash of Civilizations or Peaceful Coexistence?, p. 224.

Annals of the American Academy of Political and Social Science, September, 1991, Bahman Baktiari, review of Iran and the World, p. 221.

Choice: Current Reviews for Academic Libraries, October, 1992, L.J. Cantori, review of Iran after Khomeini, p. 374; February, 1993, review of Iran and the World, p. 923; September, 1995, K. Tololyan, review of The Transcaucasus in Transition: Nation-Building and Conflict, p. 210; December, 1996, review of Central Asia since Independence, p. 683; December, 1998, review of The Future of Islam and the West, p. 757; June, 2002, V.T. Le Vine, review of The Future of Islam and the West; March, 2003, C.E. Farah, review of Islam, Europe's Second Religion: The New Social, Cultural, and Political Landscape, p. 1252; September, 2003, review of Islam, Europe's Second Religion, p. 88; January, 2005, Y. Polsky, review of Islam in Russia: The Politics of Identity and Security, p. 931; September, 2006, Z.F.K. Arat, review of Islam and Human Rights: Advancing a U.S.-Muslim Dialogue, p. 191.

Europe-Asia Studies, June, 1996, Gareth M. Winrow, review of The Transcaucasus in Transition, p. 679.

First Things: A Monthly Journal of Religion and Public Life, February, 1999, Habib C. Malik, review of The Future of Islam and the West, p. 59.

Foreign Affairs, May, 1985, review of OPEC and the Third World, p. 1130; summer, 1985, John C. Campbell, review of OPEC and the Third World, p. 1130; July, 1996, review of Turkey at the Crossroads: Islamic Past or European Future?, p. 157; July-August, 1998, L. Carl Brown, review of The Future of Islam and the West, p. 135.

International Affairs, April, 1992, Stephen Vickers, review of Iran and the World, p. 379.

International Journal of Middle East Studies, May, 1994, Mohsen M. Milani, review of Iran after Khomeini, p. 318; February, 2000, Nikki R. Keddie, review of The Future of Islam and the West, p. 180.

Joint Force Quarterly, July, 2006, Tara A. Leweling, review of Islam, Europe's Second Religion, p. 95.

Journal of Church and State, summer, 2004, Robert O. Smith, review of Islam, Europe's Second Religion, p. 679.

Journal of Contemporary Asia, March, 1999, Louis Haddad, review of The Transcaucasus in Transition, p. 130.

Journal of Law and Religion, January 1, 2000, Ali Ahmad, review of The Future of Islam and the West, p. 605.

Journal of Peace Research, November, 1995, review of The Transcaucasus in Transition, p. 495; November, 1995, "Turkey at the Crossroads," p. 495; May, 1997, Pavel Baev, review of Central Asia since Independence, p. 243.

Journal of Third World Studies, spring, 2000, Rolin Mainuddin, review of The Future of Islam and the West, p. 277.

Middle East Journal, summer, 1991, John C. Campbell, review of Iran and the World, p. 504; winter, 1993, review of Iran after Khomeini; spring, 2003, Sam Brannen, review of Islam, Europe's Second Religion, p. 364; winter, 1989, Juan R.I. Cole, review of The Politics of Islamic Revivalism: Diversity and Unity, p. 123.

Middle East Policy, summer, 1992, Joseph A. Kechichian, review of Iran after Khomeini, p. 178 Political Science Quarterly, summer, 1991, Mohsen M. Milani, review of Iran and the World, p. 345.

Reference & Research Book News, November, 1996, review of Central Asia since Independence, p. 13; August, 1998, review of The Future of Islam and the West, p. 29; February, 2003, review of Islam, Europe's Second Religion, p. 30; August, 2004, review of Islam in Russia, p. 17; May, 2005, Shireen T. Hunter, review of Modernization, Democracy, and Islam, p. 187; November, 2005, review of Islam and Human Rights.

Slavic Review, fall, 1998, William Fierman, review of Central Asia since Independence, p. 65; winter, 2005, Mehrdad Haghayeghi, review of Islam in Russia, p. 921.