This study is an effort to contribute to understanding of the ongoing process of democratization in the Gulf region. The study explores the role played by the United States and its Civil Society in the process of democratization of the Gulf Countries, namely Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates, during 2000 and 2008. Among the questions addressed in this study are (a) to what extent has the Bush Administration supported democratization in the Gulf region? (b) what role the nongovernmental American organizations have played in this regard? and (c) what is the official response of the Governments in the Gulf region to the U.S. demands for democratic change? Activities carried out by the American State and Civil Society that promote democratic values and strengthen democratic institutions have been examined. The study is an effort to examine what role the United States played to enhance democracy in the Gulf region during 2000 and 2008. Focus of the study is on areas of politics, economy, education, civil society, human rights, women empowerment, and media. Goals, objectives, approaches, strategies, and tools adopted by the U.S. State and Society have been examined in the light of the Bush Administration’s policy of democracy promotion in the Middle East. The study also takes an account of the reforms and changes that have taken place in the region during this period
The political reality of many countries in the Muslim World is untenable and reforms and change is absolutely necessary. This article argues that use of force and violence for political change is making things worse as one can witness in Syria and Iraq. The article advances a Qur’ānic perspective on the desirability of peace as a goal and peaceful means as instruments of change. The article acknowledges that the Qur’ānic sanction for use of force to defend religious freedom prcludes the advocacy of pacifism but nevertheless the article does make a strong case for privileging peace over use of force.
The study aims to contribute to the previous studies by providing evidence regarding the relationship of working capital management and corporate performance in the financially constrained and unconstrained firms. A sample of 188 manufacturing firms listed on Karachi Stock Exchange Pakistan was selected for the time period of 2006 to 2014. The return on asset was used to measure the corporate performance while the working capital management was measured using the net trading cycle. The control variables used were operating cash flow, debt, fixed asset to total asset ratio, size and growth of firm. The findings of the study show that there exists a negative significant relationship between the net trading cycle and the return on asset. This means that a low level of working capital decrease the corporate performance. The firms were further segregated on the basis of size and debt to group the firms as financially constrained and unconstrained. No significant relationship of a low level and a high level of working capital with the corporate performance is found in the financially constrained firms. Further, the findings of the study show that in the financially constrained firms, the investing policy has a positive significant relationship with the return on asset, and the firms financing policy has a negative significant relationship with the return on asset. It is suggested that the manufacturing firms in Pakistan may efficiently manage their working capital in order to enhance the firm?s value and to attract more investors.