KRAKOWSKIE STUDIA MIĘDZYNARODOWE
KRAKOW INTERNATIONAL STUDIES
XX: 2023 nr 1 | e-ISSN 2451-0610 | ISSN 1733-2680
https://doi.org/10.48269/2451-0610-ksm-2023-1-004
Mahnaz Zahirinejad
PhD, Assistant Professor, the Institute of Mediterranean and Oriental Cultures Polish Academy of Sciences
https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9018-8956
Humiliations: Middle Eastern middle class and the war in Ukraine
Abstract
The dominant view towards the Middle East is that the region is stuck in the past and plagued by conflict. Therefore, it was anticipated that Middle Eastern states would take a side in the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Despite expressing sympathy for Ukrainians due to their own experiences of humiliation caused by several wars, the Middle Eastern people and states remained cautious and chose to avoid getting involved in the conflict. It seems that the view of the Middle Eastern middle class had an influence on state decision-making regarding involvement in the war in Ukraine. Considering the rise of an educated middle class in the region, it can be hypothesized that the middle class’s priority is political-economic instability rather than engaging in further wars. The objective of this research is to comprehensively understand the Middle Eastern middle class’s viewpoint on war.
Key words: Middle East, middle class, humiliation, war, Ukraine