Book Review: Arab Dawn: Arab Youth and the Demographic Dividend They Will Bring by Bessma Momani
In Arab Dawn, Bessma Momani offers a nuanced picture of the everyday lives of young people throughout the Arab Middle East. She argues that there are important fundamental differences between today’s Arab youth and those of prior generations, and that young people will be driving change in the region. Targeted to a Western audience, including those unfamiliar with the Middle East, Arab Dawn counters a media narrative that too often portrays the Arab world as inherently conservative, violent, authoritarian, and misogynistic. Indeed, amid a political environment characterized by the reemergence of a “clash of civilizations” discourse and a media environment rife with negative Muslim and Arab stereotypes, Momani’s Arab Dawn offers a sliver of hope.