Anwar Sadat was assassinated by Islamic militants in 1981. Egypt hasn't enjoyed a prominent place in Middle Eastern and world politics since.

The always incredible Arts & Letters Daily pointed me in the direction of the excellent article “The Arab Tomorrow” on the Wilson Quarterly.

The title of the piece, written by David B. Ottaway, is almost a misnomer, since it deals with recent and current Arab history as much as the future of Arab states. But it’s an uncommonly cogent, lively examination of that region of the world. An excerpt:

“That world now stares at two sharply contrasting models of its future: the highly materialistic emirate state obsessed with visions of Western-style modernity, and the strict Islamic one fixed on resurrecting the Qur’an’s dictates espoused by fundamentalists and Al Qaeda.

The struggle between these two models for the hearts and minds of Arabs is intense, particularly among a questioning, restless youth. The lure of the new, shiny emirate cities remains powerful, but there is a soulless quality about these places that raises questions about their lasting appeal. On the other hand, Muslim terrorism unleashed against other Muslims has done nothing to enhance the call for an Islamic state.”