understanding the muslim world university of texas college of liberal arts aga khan development...
TRANSCRIPT
Understanding The Muslim World
University of Texas College of Liberal Arts
Aga Khan Development Network
Islam in World Cultures Project
November 18-21, 2004
By recognizing the stereotypes we hold about others – and others hold about us – we can begin to understand each other better.
Think About It!
What stereotypes of the Muslim World do Westerners have?
What stereotypes of Westerners do people in the Muslim World have?
Think About It!
Stereotypes About Muslims
Religious Fanaticism
Oppression of WomenDeserts,
Turbans, Terrorists
Hatred of Non-MuslimsFundamentally
Different Religion
Arabs = Muslims
Advocates of Violence
Stereotypes About
Westerners
Abundance & Wealth
Lack of Family Values
Hypocritical, Democratic
IdealsExploitation of
Women
Absence of Morals
Where is the Muslim
World?
Arab World
Middle East
Muslim World
U.S.Middle East130 MillionNon-Muslims
Arab World270 Million Muslims
Middle East400 Million Muslims
United States7 Million Muslims53% Indo-Pakistani 47% African-Americans
Muslim World1.3 Billion MuslimsIndia IndonesiaPakistan BangladeshGreat Britain Canada
Audrey Shabbas, Middle East Policy Council
P.E.R.S.I.A.
Political
Influences
Economic
Influences
Religious
Influences
Social
Influences
Area and Geographic
Influences
Intellectual and
Arts Influences
Political Influences
Political Influences• European Imperialism All the
great powers of Europe – Britain, France, Germany, and Russia – sought to control natural resources, create markets for their industries, and establish colonies around the globe.– Egypt and North Africa– South Africa– India and South Asian Subcontinent
Political Influences
• Ethnic Minorities– Kurds – Turkey, Iran,
Iraq, Syria– Berbers – North Africa– Albanians and
Armenians – Eastern Europe
Political Influences
• Political Structures Today– Royal families – Jordan,
Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Oman, Morocco
– Strong leaders – Syria, formerly in Iraq
– Democratic governments – Turkey, Iran
Political Influences• Should The West attempt to “democratize” the
Middle East and other Islamic areas?• Is democracy compatible with Islam?• What role does religion play in politics in the
Muslim world?• What are the pressures for and against
democracy in the Muslim world?• Does the United States have the right to remove
a government and impose democracy?
Political Influences“Islam is a complete way of life; it covers the entire
spectrum of human activities. Islam means total commitment and subordination of all aspects of life – individual, social, economic, political, international – to God. Hence, Islam is both religion and politics, church and state, joined in a single goal of serving God and implementing His commandments.”
Dr. Mumtaz Ahmad
http://www.pbs.org/newshour/bb/middle_east/july-dec03/democracy_11-07.html#
Speech by President Bush, November 7, 2003
Political Influences• YES, the United States SHOULD impose
democracy.– Human rights records among the worst in the
world– Connections to terrorism– Model democracy might lead other Arab
governments to follow– Could remove our troops– Oil prices might dramatically drop
Political Influences• NO, the United States SHOULD NOT
impose democracy.– Anti-Western sentiment could grow in the
region – environment of distrust– Islam is not fundamentally compatible with
democracy– Clash of modernity vs. traditionalism
Political InfluencesTake a stand! Where do you fall on the
spectrum? Do you agree or disagree with the following statement…..
The United States should impose democracy on undemocratic regimes in the Middle East and the Muslim world.
Economic Influences
Economic Influences
• Water is important for its scarcity rather than its abundance
• Disputes over water rights threaten political relationships in the area
• Egypt, Iran, and Turkey are the only countries in the region with abundant fresh water sources
Economic Influences
• Turkey plans to build a series of 24 hydroelectric dams on the Euphrates River for its growing population and industries that would drastically reduce water to Syria and Iraq
• Syria dammed part of the Euphrates River choking off the supply of water to Iraq
Economic Influences• Oil has created
opportunities and problems for the Middle East
• Nations have learned to manipulate their production of oil as an international strategy
• Uneven distribution of oil deposits has created a large gap between rich and poor
Economic Influences
• By 2050 Central Asia will provide more than 80% of oil distributed to the US making Afghanistan and Turkey of strategic importance
Religious Influences
Religious Influences
• Five Pillars of Islam• Sunni and Shi’a• Spread of Islam• Crusades
Religious Influences
• Five Pillars of Islam– Profession of faith– Prayer five times per day– Almsgiving – charity– Fasting from sunrise to
sundown during Ramadan– Hajj – pilgrimage to Mecca
once in a lifetime
Religious Influences
Sunnis-
Believe Muslim leadership passes to caliphs elected from
Muslim families
Support rule of Abu Bakr, Umar, and Uthman
Believe every individual has a direct relationship with Allah
Shi’as:
Believe that leadership is limited to descendants of
Muhammad
Reject rule of first three caliphs
Feel that imam provides a spiritual link to Allah
Accept Muhammad as God’s final
prophet
Believe that the Qur’an contains the
word of Allah
Use the 5 Pillars of Faith as a guide for
proper behavior
Religious Influences• Spread of Islam
– Fatimids and Mamluks in Northern Africa - Cairo (656-661)
– Umayyads - Damascus (680 to 750)
– Abbasids - Baghdad (750 to 1258)
– Muslim Spain - Cordova (711 to1492)
– Seljuq Turks and Sultans of Rum - Constantinople(1055 to 1243)
Religious Influences• Crusades
– Seljuq Turks took control of Jerusalem in 1070
– By 1095, the Muslim World included the land where Jesus Christ had lived
– Christians believed that Christians, not Muslims, should control the holy lands of the Middle East.
Social Influences
Social Influences• The sacred book of Islam is the
Qur’an• A compilation of practices,
traditions and sayings of Muhammad is the Hadith
• Pork and pork products are forbidden and considered unhealthy
• Ablution before prayer – washing hands, face and feet
Social Influences• Muslims must abstain
from alcohol or drugs• Muslims seek
forgiveness from Allah and no one else – asked for through daily prayer
• Women’s dress - The outline of a woman’s body should not be revealed
Social Influences
• Some women choose to wear the hijab (scarf or veil) to cover their hair
• Muslims should always respect their parents, even if they disagree
Women and The Veil
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/globalconnections/mideast/questions/women/
Social Influences• Conflict in Context – Palestinians and
Israelis– Partition after World War II in 1947– One of the most enduring, explosive
conflicts in world history– Root in the historic claim to the land which
lies between the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea and the Jordan River
Social Influences• Conflict in Context – Palestinians and
Israelis– Jews want to return to the land of their
forefathers after persecution around the world
– For Palestinians, the last 100 years has brought a long search for a homeland after colonization, expulsion, and occupation.
• Jews declared the state of Israel in 1948
• Between 1949 and 1967, Israel controlled western Jerusalem and Jordan controlled eastern Jerusalem including the old walled city containing important Jewish, Muslim and Christian religious sites
• Israel captured all of Jerusalem in 1967
• Israel is determined that Jerusalem be undivided and controlled by Israel
• Palestinians are seeking to establish their capital in East Jerusalem
• Israel is able to monitor and control travel in much of the West Bank
Social Influences
• Conflict in Context – India and Pakistan– Partition after World War II in 1947– An estimated ½ million people died in
violence– Territories of Jammu and Kashmir remain
in dispute – majority Muslim– Both India and Pakistan have weapons of
mass destruction
Intellectual and Arts Influences
Intellectual and Arts Influences
• Religious Art and Architecture
• Secular Art and Architecture
Intellectual and Arts Influences
• Religious Art and Architecture –– The Mosque is at
the heart of Islamic art
Intellectual and Arts Influences
• Religious Art and Architecture –– Arabesque
Intellectual and Arts Influences
• Secular Art and Architecture– Princely cycle
Intellectual and Arts Influences
• Secular Art and Architecture– Ceramics
Area and Geographic Influences
Area/Geographic Influences
• Adapting to Land and Climate
• Vast Geographic Differences
Area/Geographic Influences• Adapting to Land and Climate
– The rich fertile soil of the Middle East led early civilizations to settle, domesticate plants and animals, and thrive
– The hills of Lebanon were forested in ancient times for their fragrant and structurally reliable wood
Area/Geographic Influences
• Adapting to Land and Climate– Mountains have provided refuge
for oppressed minorities, such as the Ismaili’s in Afghanistan and the Kurds in Turkey, Syria, Iraq and Iran.
– The Indian Ocean has served as a commercial link for thousands of years providing spices, silks, coffee, and tea to countries in The West.
Area/Geographic Influences• Vast Geographic
Differences– Desert Climate is Extreme– Fertile Oases Provide
Vegetation– Agriculture in Coastal
Plains– Mountains Make Survival
Difficult– Oceanic Cultures Provide
Trade and Commerce
Area/Geographic Influences• Geographic Features
Bring Political Power – – Irrigation– Oil– New, high-yield
varieties of products– Nutrition and public
health are improving
How do these important aspects of The Muslim World influence current events?
What difference does this make to me in today’s world?
Think About It!