EDUC 552

Middle Eastern Cultural Authenticity, Perspectives and Teaching PedagogyEDUC 553

D2L OnlineSession 8 Middle Eastern History & Literature

D2L OnlineSession 8The Middle East

D2L OnlineSession 8The Middle EastArab Borders

4Benedictine UniversityD2L OnlineSession 8Islam - Science/InventionsObjective experimentationAnimal? Vegetable? Mineral?Observed earth turning & calculated circumferenceHospitalsEmergency rooms - doctor examsStudied diseases - wrote medical booksImproved techniques for paper-making, ceramics, and silk-weavingMathematics: Algebra Geometry5Benedictine UniversityD2L OnlineSession 8Mathematics 4500 years ago

6Benedictine UniversityD2L OnlineSession 8The Batteries of Baghdad1000 years before the city of Baghdad was establishedDiscovered in 1938 by German archaeologist Wilhelm Konig A Working Model produced 0.8 to 2.0 volts

7Benedictine UniversityD2L OnlineSession 8Islamic Art/ArchitecturePersian became the language of high culture and literature(Persia is now Iran)Calligraphy, designsMinaretsMosquesLiteraturePoetic works e.g., 1001 Arabian Nights

8Benedictine UniversityD2L OnlineSession 8Arabic Words in the English LanguageMany English words that begin with Al have a good chance of being Arabic in origin here are some examples:AlchemyAlkalineAlcoholAlgebraAlgorithmAlforjaAlgolAlidadeAlmagest from Arabic Al-Majusti (which Arabs took from the Greek Megistos)AssassinAverageMagazine From Arabic makhazin (storehouse for goods, ammunition or knowledge)ZeroZenith9Benedictine UniversityD2L OnlineSession 8Islam - EconomyUrbanization; opportunities for craftsmen and artistsParticipated in tradeTrans-Sahara TradeSilk Road RouteIndian Ocean Trade: Islamic World, China, East Africa and PersiaTraded cotton, silk, elephants, gems, cinnamon, and salt, textiles, carpets, glass & Arabian horsesArabs dominated trade Not all Muslims are ArabsControlled western trading zoneTrans-Saharan trade routesCrusades Armies back and forth across the BalkansIslam spread as a result of these factors 10Benedictine UniversityD2L OnlineSession 8ReligionIslam means submissionAcceptance of people of the book (Christianity, Judaism)Allow converts (Malawi)Ulama: fundamentalist Sharia: Islamic laws, veilingSunni-Shi'i Split (two sects of Islam)

11Benedictine UniversityD2L OnlineSession 8Islam Faith and PoliticsShiite & Sunni sects1. Of what sect are the majority of Muslims?Sunni2. What is the most important similarity of Shiites & Sunnis?The 5 pillars of Islam3. What is an ayatollah?Shiite religious authorityIslamic Law1. What are caliphs?Political-Religious leaders2. How did family law reflect their views of women?Marriage and property rights3. How are Islamic court proceedings similar to US?Due Process12Benedictine UniversityD2L OnlineSession 8Islam Faith and PoliticsFaithThe Five Pillars of Islam are the foundation of Muslim life: Faith or belief in the Oneness of God and the finality of the prophet-hood of MuhammadEstablishment of the daily prayers Concern for and almsgiving to the needy Self-purification through fastingThe pilgrimage to Makkah (Mecca) for those who are ablePoliticsIslam-Theocratic Rulers- codified Islamic lawCaliphs: Muslim religious and political leadersPolitical rivalries, ethnic differences, and sectarian rifts divided the Islamic worldMuslims in IndiaIndian political fragmentation paved way for Muslim invasionsConquered people were respected, but required to pay a non-believer taxEstablished a Muslim capital in India at Delhi

13Benedictine UniversityD2L OnlineSession 8Islam - Social Class/GenderUmayyad dynasty of caliphs (the first of the four Islamic caliphates established after the death of Muhammad)Women- married at pubertyIslamic women strengthened their positions within their householdsIslam declared the spiritual equality of men and women before AllahWomen entered many occupations, including commerce and lawAbbasid dynasty of caliphs (the second of the four Islamic caliphates) Womens position declinedIncreasingly confined to the householdTotally subjected to patriarchal authorityVeiling of free femalesElite women were cut off from any occupation other than running a householdThese dynasties were followed by the Fatimid and Ottoman Dynasties until approximately the WW I years

14Benedictine UniversityD2L OnlineSession 8Divisions in Islam15Disputes over authority after the death of Muhammad hindered future Muslim unityMuhammad did not leave a principle for succession within Islam; he was the final prophetSuccessors to lead the Muslim community first were elected by the Umma. (community of the faithful in Islam) Ali contested the system by advocating descent from Muhammad; this became the focal point of Shi'ism Ali's opposition caused civil war and Umayyad success led to their founding of a dynasty The Shi'i never accepted defeat; descendants of Muhammad were always present to contest rule over MuslimsA fundamental division remained between the Sunni and Shi'i divisions of Islam Benedictine UniversityD2L OnlineSession 8The Spread of IslamThe initial spread of Islam throughout the Mediterranean and the Middle East differed from the Islamic incursions into India and Southeast AsiaMost of the first expansion in the Mediterranean region and the Middle East was by Arabian tribesmenThe government under the Umayyad dynasty retained the initial concept of rule by a small Arab elite; full citizenship for Malawi was denied Then the Abbasid dynasty gave full citizenship to non-ArabsThe second stage of Islamic expansion was led by non-Arabs The presence of Sufi missionaries made for a more peaceful expansion and to less restrictive forms of Islam Converts, as in the Delhi sultanate, retained many of their previous Hindu beliefs and social systems16Benedictine UniversityD2L OnlineSession 8Iraq - The Birthplace of CivilizationTwelve-thousand years ago, irrigated farming was invented in what is now Iraq They invented the first wheel and the art of writingThey figured out how to tell timeThey founded modern mathematicsIn the Code of Hammurabi, they invented the first legal system that protects the weak, the widow and the orphanFive-thousand years ago, they had philosophers who attempted to list every known thing in the world17Benedictine UniversityD2L OnlineSession 8Iraq The Birthplace of CivilizationAbraham, the father of Israel, the Christian faith and Islam was from IraqBeginning around 800 A.D., the Iraqis founded universities that imported teachers from throughout the civilized world to teach medicine, mathematics, philosophy, theology, literature and poetryThe first school for astronomers was established by Iraqis The Arabs have a saying about the Iraqis quest for knowledge and books, Egyptians write them, Lebanese print them, and the Iraqis read them.

18Benedictine UniversityD2L OnlineSession 8Typical Abbasid Palace

19Benedictine UniversityD2L OnlineSession 8Al-Mustansariya College in Baghdad

20Benedictine UniversityD2L OnlineSession 8A Baghdad Gate ca 1914

21Benedictine UniversityD2L OnlineSession 8Samerra North Central Iraq 10th and 11th Century

22Benedictine UniversityD2L OnlineSession 8Al-Aadhamiya Mosque - Baghdad

23Benedictine UniversityD2L OnlineSession 8Focus on IraqThe Arab World Since WWIand its Relationship to the WestD2L OnlineSession 8Lively Terror Against IraqisRoots of anti-Western sentimentfor example:I am strongly in favor of using poisoned gas against uncivilized tribes. The moral effect should be good... and it would spread a lively terror.... -----Winston Churchill - commenting on the British use of poison gas against the Iraqis after World War I (ca. 1920) (The use of poison gas was condemned by the Geneva Convention in 1925)25Benedictine UniversityD2L OnlineSession 8WWI Secret AgreementsMajor sources of current problems in the Middle EastBritish colonialism was a dominant force in the Middle East before WWI (Egypt, Iraq, etc)Sykes-Picot AgreementThe SykesPicot Agreement of 1916 was a secret agreement between the governments of the UK and France,[1] with the assent of Imperial Russia, defining their respective spheres of influence and control in Western Asia after the expected downfall of the Ottoman Empire during World War IBalfour DeclarationThe Balfour Declaration of 1917 was a formal statement of policy by the British government regarding the establishment in Palestine as a national home for the Jewish peopleBritish Col. Percy CoxA British Indian Army officer and colonial administrator in the Middle East. In the late 19th century and early 20th century, he was one of the major figures in the creation of Iraq. He selected Faisal to be king of IraqThere was little regard for existing religious and ethnic divisions during the formation of Iraqage-old enemies were forced together26Benedictine UniversityD2L OnlineSession 8Iraq

27Benedictine UniversityD2L OnlineSession 8Middle East After WWI

28Benedictine UniversityD2L OnlineSession 8Al-Kut and Kuwait

29Benedictine UniversityD2L OnlineSession 8Iraq after Col. Percy Cox

30Benedictine UniversityD2L OnlineSession 8King Faisal II of Iraq London 1953

31Benedictine UniversityD2L OnlineSession 8Faisal Ibn Shereef of Mecca

32Benedictine UniversityD2L OnlineSession 8Faisal I Iraq 1926

33Benedictine UniversityD2L OnlineSession 8Kings of Iraq Ghazi & Faisal II

34Benedictine UniversityD2L OnlineSession 8Al-Zuhur Palace Baghdad 1958

35Benedictine UniversityD2L OnlineSession 8Nuri Said Pasha and Gen. Qasim

36Benedictine UniversityD2L OnlineSession 8Fallouja 1940s

37Benedictine UniversityD2L OnlineSession 8Baghdad on Tigris19581930s

38Benedictine UniversityD2L OnlineSession 8March 2003 Nineveh (Mosul), Iraq

39Benedictine UniversityD2L OnlineSession 8Morrisons Definition for the Middle EastThe Middle East is a strange name to use for an area It was invented by Europeans, to mean somewhere between Europe and the countries of eastern Asia known as the Far East (China, Japan, etc) Although the people who live in the Middle East did not give it that name themselves, they have found it convenient to use it in the same way that people use the Midwest in America In Arabic it is called Sharq al Awsat or East-the Middle, because there is such variety to the region that it is difficult to find any other single term to describe all the differences there are (p. 5)Norton Chapter 740Benedictine UniversityD2L OnlineSession 8The Worldwide Impact of IslamMuslims are an influential force around the globeIt is awesome to contemplate that Muslims all over the world whether in Delhi or Timbuktu or London turn to Mecca five times daily to pray. This powerful image symbolizes both the diversity and oneness of the Islamic world (Khorana, 1997, p.2)As we read the literature, we cannot forget the strong influence of Muslim beliefs in both Arabic and non-Arabic countriesThere are more than 160 million Arabic speakers, of whom well over 90 percent are Muslim (Denny, 1987, p. 13)

Norton Chapter 741Benedictine UniversityD2L OnlineSession 8Muslim Influence is GrowingDenny estimates that the world population of Muslims ranges from 555 million to one billionMuslims are not a monolithic group: if there are 1 billion Muslims in the world, only 16% are Arabic speakers, leaving 840 million who are notA very significant factor in current and future Muslim populations is the annual rate of growth Among the twenty-five fastest growing nations in the world, eleven have majority Muslim populations Pakistan, Bangladesh, Saudi Arabia, Syria, Egypt, Iran, Morocco, and Iraq For the first time, Islam is becoming a significant minority religion in Western nationsFrance, Britain, West Germany, Canada, and the United States (Denny, 1987, pp. 14-15)Norton Chapter 742Benedictine UniversityD2L OnlineSession 8Historical PerspectivesThe lack of literature about the Middle East is of concern to many students of childrens literatureThe major portion of the Middle East collections in most libraries are informational books about the geography and the people In addition to a lack of books in a variety of genres, there is also the problem of stereotypes that may be found in many of the booksRelatively few books depicting Arabs in non-stereotypical fashion have appeared on the literary scene (Iskander, 1997, p. 11)

Norton Chapter 743Benedictine UniversityD2L OnlineSession 8Stereotypes of ArabsIn a survey of Arab juvenile and young adult literature, Sylvia Iskander (1997) concluded the following: Childrens writers do not suggest that the nomadic existence has any value as a way of lifeHostile Arab characters seem to proliferate in the literature published after 1976The emphasis on Arab hatred for the Jewish people occurs, especially in books set during the 1967 WarThere is an image of Arabs as brutal terrorists Very critical of the stereotypes found, she states, Both in the media and in the classroom American children have been presented with an image of Arabs and Palestinians as stupid and lazy at best, or terrorists and rapists at worst (Kissen, 1991, p. 112)Norton Chapter 744Benedictine UniversityD2L OnlineSession 8Stereotypes of ArabsWhen analyzing picture books, Iskander found the following stereotypes and cultural inaccuracies:Behaviors that suggest characters are ignorant or cruelIllustrations that depict similar appearances in all charactersInaccuracies in clothing and cultural depictionsNames that reveal lack of knowledge of Arabic (Iskander, 1997) Note the dates of the quotes on this and the prior slide: Has anything changed?

Norton Chapter 745Benedictine UniversityD2L OnlineSession 8Stereotypes of Arabs CounterpointIn a contrasting view of some of the literature and the stereotypes, Little analyzed recent changes in books that she identified as hostage dramasAlthough the characters may be involved in such dramas, she concluded that the authors in more recent books develop fewer negative stereotypes and included in-depth character development rather than stock representations (Little, 1997)Norton Chapter 746Benedictine UniversityD2L OnlineSession 8