Transcript “Who Speaks for Islam”

“What is the Muslim World?”
An Introduction to Middle Eastern
Studies
Introduction
• Due to the current historical circumstances,
modern Americans are more familiar with the
“Muslim world” than they are other regions
• However, in many cases, this “knowledge” is
actually a collection of stereotypes and
misinformation
• The goal of today’s lecture is to begin to
break down some of those stereotypes and
build a strong foundation for approaching this
civilization
Issue #1:
“The Middle East and the Islamic
World are the same thing”
“The Muslim Countries”
“The Muslim Countries?”
Middle East = A Place
• Southwest Asia
– Persia (Iran); Mesopotamia (Iraq); Syria (Syria);
Arabia (Saudi Arabia, et al); Palestine (Israel,
Jordan, Lebanon)
– Anatolia (Turkey)*
• North Africa
– Egypt (Egypt)
– Maghrib (Morocco, Algeria)
• What about Pakistan?
– No: Is part of South Asia (Indian Subcontinent)
• What about Afghanistan?
– No: Is part of Central Asia (with the other “stans”)
Issue #2:
“The words “Muslim”, “Arab”, and
“Middle Eastern” can be used
interchangeably”
Venn Diagram: Arab, Muslim,
Middle Eastern
Arab
Muslim
Mid East
Middle Eastern Terminology
• Arab
– Descendants of the the peoples from the Arabian
peninsula
– Typically speak Arabic
– Self-identify as “Arab”
• Middle Eastern
– People who live in the countries identified as the
“Middle East”
• Muslim
– Individuals who practice the Islamic faith
10 Things to Know about Islam
• Read:
http://www.teachmideast.org/essays/35religion/58-ten-things-to-know-about-islam
• Discussion Questions:
– What is the “POV” of the author who wrote this
essay? (agenda?)
– What aspects of this essay might you take issue
with?
– What aspects of this essay are helpful information
to remember?
Coach Lerch’s Final Thoughts
• The “Muslim World” is not the “Middle East”
and the “Middle East” is not the “Muslim
World”
• The terms “Muslim”, “Arab” and “Middle
Eastern” must be used properly
• Islam is practiced in a diverse number of
ways based on the social, economic, and
political circumstances in a given area