Muslimworld

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


• Ethnic Minorities– Kurds – Turkey, Iran,

Iraq, Syria– Berbers – North Africa– Albanians and

Armenians – Eastern Europe


• 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


• Five Pillars of Islam• Sunni and Shi’a• Spread of Islam• Crusades


• 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


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


• Religious Art and Architecture

• Secular Art and Architecture


• Religious Art and Architecture –– The Mosque is at

the heart of Islamic art


• Religious Art and Architecture –– Arabesque


• Secular Art and Architecture– Princely cycle


• 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!

Education

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