Transcript Islam and the West

Islam and the West
Major Themes and Identities
Muslims and Population
 1.3 Billion Muslims in the world today
 Islam fasted growing religion
 50 Muslim states
Large Muslim minorities in West: 30 Million and
growing
 globalization shrinks time and space
Interdependence and global connections through
media, transport, communications, and
economics make understanding between Islam
and The West crucial
Four Central Global Concerns
• SECURITY
• ECONOMY AND PROSPERITY
• IDENTITY
• JUSTICE
Shared Values between Islam and
West?
• Respect for knowledge
• Concern for justice
• Concern for less privileged
• Love or centrality of Family
• Concern for here and now
Fears of Muslims
• Legacy of Colonialism and Neo-Colonialism
1. Westerners colonized Muslims politically in
19th century (+demise of Ottoman Empire)
2. Westerners have colonized Muslims culturally
and economically in 20th and 21st century
3. values of materialism, cover-ups,
individualism, wastefulness, lies, sex, and
violence
4. clash between Western greed and Muslim
faith
Fears of West
• Islamic fundamentalism and terrorism
• Spread of theocratic regimes, challenging the
secular state
• Difficulty accepting Muslim’s desire to balance
matters of the world (dunya) with ideas of
religion (din)
• Fear of Islam spreading threatening Western
values and democracy
Commonly misunderstood Arabic
words
• Ummah: bond that transcends tribal, ethnic,
identities
• Jihad
• Fatwa: formal opinion or decision on a point of
Islamic law; does not have status of law
• Dawah: call to Islam; usually carried out by NGOs
(private organizations outside of government)
Islam is evangelical religion that seeks
to spread the message and encourage conversion
Islamic titles: Ulema (religious
scholars)
• Mullah: in charge of a local mosque and usually
teaches children the Quran and prayers
• Sheik: higher standing than a Mullah and more
learning; Sufi leaders also called sheik
• Imam: senior figure often in charge of a large mosque;
tile is also given to highly respected spiritual figures
descended from the Prophet in Shia Islam
• Ayatollah (sign of God): most senior category of alim—
scholar—in Shia Islam; Ayatollahs al-uzma (Grand
Ayatollah, f.ex. Khomeini); known for knowledge and
piety
Religious Titles continued
• Mufti: specialist in Islamic law who is capable of
delivering a legal opinion (fatwa)
• Sheik al-Azhar: head of the Al-Azhar University in
Cairo—preeminent spiritual authority in Sunni
Islam
• Sufi terms:
1. pir: master
2. faqir: someone who embraced poverty as
choice
• Caliph, Sultan, Shah: King or Ruler
Sexual Modesty and Islam
• Hijab: veil, head scarf
• Burqa: full veil covering a woman
• Chador: Iranian term for women’s veil that
covers hair and body, leaving only face, hands
and feet exposed
Common Religious Phrases
• Bismillah al-Rahman al-Rahim: In the name of
God the Merciful, the Compassionate
• Salam: Peace
• ilm: Knowledge—Second most-used word in
the Quran after the name of God
• The Prophet said: The first thing Created by
god was the Intellect;