Behind the Veil of Vice

The Middle East has long been something of a mystery to Westerners, and in particular, the sexual mores of the region continue to fascinate. Arabs are often described as being in a state of Islam-induced sexual anxiety and young Muslims’ frustrations are said to be exacerbated by increasing exposure to the licentiousness of the West. Here, Middle East expert John R. Bradley sets out to uncover the truth about sex in countries like Egypt, Syria, Morocco and Yemen.

Among many startling revelations, Bradley reports on how "temporary" Islamic marriages allow for illicit sex in the theocracies of Iran and Saudi Arabia; "child brides" that are sold off to older Arab men according to ancient tribal traditions; the hypocrisy that undermines publicized crackdowns on the thriving sex industry in the Persian Gulf; and how, despite widespread denial, homosexuality is still deeply ingrained in the region's social fabric.

Richly detailed and nuanced, Behind the Veil of Vice sheds light on a taboo subject and unravels widely held myths about the region. In the process, Bradley also delivers an important message about our own society’s contradictions.

Book Author

John-r-bradley John R. Bradley was born in England in 1970. He was educated at University College London, Dartmouth College in the United States, and Exeter College, Oxford. Fluent in Arabic, he is the author of four books on the region that draw heavily on his personal experience: Saudi Arabia Exposed (Palgrave Macmillan, 2005), a Foreign Affairs bestseller; the critically acclaimed Inside Egypt (Palgrave Macmillan, 2008; updated 2012), which uniquely and accurately predicted the Jan. 25 Cairo uprising; Behind the Veil of Vice (Palgrave Macmillan, 2010); and After the Arab Spring (Palgrave Macmillan, 20...
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Book Reviews

  • Publishers Weekly
    "Drawing on extensive research as well as the author's own substantial firsthand knowledge of the region, the book offers an essential corrective to the fantasies and misinformation about Middle Eastern cultures."
  • The Scotsman
    "revelatory and thought-provoking...."
  • Salon.com
    "This fascinating and comprehensive book guides readers through the seedy underbelly of the Middle East."
  • The Independent
    "  Bradley’s book… seeks to avoid the usual cultural myopia and self-righteousness. He travels to Saudi Arabia, Iran, Syria, Morocco and Yemen, to examine the sex-trade in urban centres, from the Shia practice of temporary marriages in Iran, to child brides and casual (though covert) homosexuality across the region."