Transcript The Muslim World

Understanding
The Muslim World
University of Texas College of Liberal Arts
Aga Khan Development Network
Islam in World Cultures Project
November 18-21, 2004
Think About It!
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?
Deserts,
Turbans,
Terrorists
Religious
Fanaticism
Stereotypes
About Muslims
Arabs =
Muslims
Fundamentally
Different
Religion
Oppression
of Women
Advocates
of Violence
Hatred of
Non-Muslims
Abundance
& Wealth
Lack of Family
Values
Stereotypes
About
Westerners
Hypocritical,
Democratic
Ideals
Absence of
Morals
Exploitation of
Women
United States
7 Million Muslims
53% Indo-Pakistani
47% African-Americans
Middle East
400 Million Muslims
Arab World
270 Million
Muslims
U.S.
Middle East
130 Million
Non-Muslims
Arab
World
Where is
the Muslim
World?
Audrey Shabbas, Middle East Policy Council
Middle
East
Muslim World
1.3 Billion Muslims
India
Indonesia
Pakistan
Bangladesh
Great Britain Canada
Muslim
World
Political
Influences
Economic
Area and Geographic
Influences
Influences
Intellectual and Arts
Influences
P.E.R.S.I.A.
Religious
Influences
Social
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
Speech by President Bush, November 7, 2003
http://www.pbs.org/newshour/bb/middle_east/julydec03/democracy_11-07.html#
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 Influences
Take 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
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
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
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/globalconnectio
ns/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
Think About It!
How do these important aspects of
The Muslim World influence
current events?
What difference does this make to
me in today’s world?