Today (November 12th, 2008) the class will watch critically a documentary titled “Islam: A Bird’s Eye View”. Students will be expected to take notes as they watch the documentary that will take approximately 50 minutes.
You will be expected to read LR, pages 376-433.
What follows are some thoughts to prepare you to watch the documentary:
Akbar S. Ahmad provides (in Islam Under Siege, 2003. pp. 7-9) six reasons why Islam is important today:
a. Islam, which is the religion of peace, is now associated with “murder and mayhem”.
b. Consider Islam today – 1.3 billion Muslims living in 55 states (one with nuclear bomb!); one third of the total Muslim population live in non-Muslim states; 25 million live in the West (including 7 million in the USA and 2 million in the UK); the Muslim population is one of the fastest growing.
c. Islam is in a collision course wih the other world religions.
d. Many Muslim countries are allied to non-Muslim nations and many Muslims live in non-Muslim countries.
e. There is the ongoing clash between Western Civilization and Islam.
f. The prevailing “Islamophobia”, “a generalized hatred and contempt of Islam and its civilization”.
John L. Esposito (in What Everyone Needs To Know About Islam, Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2002. P. 1) provides four reasons why North Americans need to know about Islam:
a. Islam is the second largest religion in the world (after Christianity) and will soon be the second largest religion in America.
b. Muslims are and will increasingly be our neighbors, colleagues at work, and fellow citizens.
c. Although Islam is similar in many ways to Judaism and Christianity, most Americans and Europeans think of Muslims as strange, foreign, and frightening, inevitably linked to headline terrorist events. This state of affairs need to change - and can change with better information and deeper understanding.
d. We must put an end to the spiral of fear, hatred, and violence, spawned by ignorance, that no longer only afflicts other countries but has come home to America.
Many scholars and casual observers, both Muslims and non-Muslims have noted a rising tide of “Islamophobia” in the post 9/11 events particularly in North America and in Western Europe:
a. Many Muslims were picked/ are being picked up for interrogation.
b. Harassement in the West of Muslim women wearing hijab.
c. Shutting down of several Muslim charities.
d. Distorted media portryals of Islam – eg. The Fox television Bill O’Reilly equating the Holy Qur’an to Hitler’s Mein Kampf.
e. Christian leaders such as Rev Jerry Vines (former leader of the Southern Baptist Convention) describing the PR as “demon-possessed paedophile” – Rev Jerry Falwell describing the PR as “terrorist”, Rev Franklin Graham describing Islam as “a very wicked and evil religion”, and Pat Robertson saying the same but perhaps in a greater volume!
f. Killings of too many Muslim civilians all over the world, and destruction of Muslim property. Western chorus (?): “We must do this otherwise they will kill us!”
g. The abuse of the so called “moderates”, Musarraf and Mubarak, controlling their opponents Jamaat-I-Islami and the Muslim Brotherhood.
You will be expected to read LR, pages 376-433.
What follows are some thoughts to prepare you to watch the documentary:
Akbar S. Ahmad provides (in Islam Under Siege, 2003. pp. 7-9) six reasons why Islam is important today:
a. Islam, which is the religion of peace, is now associated with “murder and mayhem”.
b. Consider Islam today – 1.3 billion Muslims living in 55 states (one with nuclear bomb!); one third of the total Muslim population live in non-Muslim states; 25 million live in the West (including 7 million in the USA and 2 million in the UK); the Muslim population is one of the fastest growing.
c. Islam is in a collision course wih the other world religions.
d. Many Muslim countries are allied to non-Muslim nations and many Muslims live in non-Muslim countries.
e. There is the ongoing clash between Western Civilization and Islam.
f. The prevailing “Islamophobia”, “a generalized hatred and contempt of Islam and its civilization”.
John L. Esposito (in What Everyone Needs To Know About Islam, Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2002. P. 1) provides four reasons why North Americans need to know about Islam:
a. Islam is the second largest religion in the world (after Christianity) and will soon be the second largest religion in America.
b. Muslims are and will increasingly be our neighbors, colleagues at work, and fellow citizens.
c. Although Islam is similar in many ways to Judaism and Christianity, most Americans and Europeans think of Muslims as strange, foreign, and frightening, inevitably linked to headline terrorist events. This state of affairs need to change - and can change with better information and deeper understanding.
d. We must put an end to the spiral of fear, hatred, and violence, spawned by ignorance, that no longer only afflicts other countries but has come home to America.
Many scholars and casual observers, both Muslims and non-Muslims have noted a rising tide of “Islamophobia” in the post 9/11 events particularly in North America and in Western Europe:
a. Many Muslims were picked/ are being picked up for interrogation.
b. Harassement in the West of Muslim women wearing hijab.
c. Shutting down of several Muslim charities.
d. Distorted media portryals of Islam – eg. The Fox television Bill O’Reilly equating the Holy Qur’an to Hitler’s Mein Kampf.
e. Christian leaders such as Rev Jerry Vines (former leader of the Southern Baptist Convention) describing the PR as “demon-possessed paedophile” – Rev Jerry Falwell describing the PR as “terrorist”, Rev Franklin Graham describing Islam as “a very wicked and evil religion”, and Pat Robertson saying the same but perhaps in a greater volume!
f. Killings of too many Muslim civilians all over the world, and destruction of Muslim property. Western chorus (?): “We must do this otherwise they will kill us!”
g. The abuse of the so called “moderates”, Musarraf and Mubarak, controlling their opponents Jamaat-I-Islami and the Muslim Brotherhood.
In the Documentary:
Islam is one of the great monotheistic faiths and second largest religion in the world. Islam as a historical phenomenon is traced to Prophet Muhammad’s encounter with the “divine”. In the 9th to the 12th centuries, Islam rose to great prominence with a profound influence on art, history, science and politics. Today Islam is spread throughout the world. Islam continues to be very vital and growing.
Time Line:
570 CE - Muhammad is born in Mecca, Arabia
610 CE - Beginning of Muhammad’s prophet hood
622 CE - Muhammad’s emigration to Medina and the beginning of the Islamic calendar
630 CE - Muslims take control of Ka’bah in Mecca
632 CE - Death of Muhammad
800-1100 CE - The age of cultural brilliance in the Muslim world and the beginnings of the Islamic mystical movement called Sufism
1400-1600 CE - Persia, Turkey and India emerge as militarily powerful, culturally rich and economically strong Muslim nations.
1700-1940 CE - Islamic countries are colonized by Western civilizations. Islamic countries go into decline.
1948 CE - Muslim nations adapt Western culture and gain prominence using oil.
Please look for the following terms carefully:
610 CE - Beginning of Muhammad’s prophet hood
622 CE - Muhammad’s emigration to Medina and the beginning of the Islamic calendar
630 CE - Muslims take control of Ka’bah in Mecca
632 CE - Death of Muhammad
800-1100 CE - The age of cultural brilliance in the Muslim world and the beginnings of the Islamic mystical movement called Sufism
1400-1600 CE - Persia, Turkey and India emerge as militarily powerful, culturally rich and economically strong Muslim nations.
1700-1940 CE - Islamic countries are colonized by Western civilizations. Islamic countries go into decline.
1948 CE - Muslim nations adapt Western culture and gain prominence using oil.
Please look for the following terms carefully:
a. Arabia – The Arabian Peninsula, located east of modern Egypt and south of Israel, is mainly Saudi Arabia today. The homeland of Muhammad and the birthplace of Islam.
b. Allah – Arabic word for God.
c. Islam – Peace, submission, and surrender to the will of God.
d. Muslim – Followers of Islam.
e. Mecca – Birthplace of the Prophet of God and the founder of Islam.
f. Medina – Second most important city, literally means “the city”.
g. Gabriel – The chief of the angels who brought the Qur’an down to Muhammad.
h. Ka’bah – Sacred shrine in Mecca.
i. Abu Bakr – Successor to Muhammad
j. Ali – Muhammad’s cousin and the leader of the Shiah faction.
k. Khalifahs – Successors of Muhammad that lead the early Muslim community. Every human, according to the Qur’an, is a “Khalifah” entrusted with the responsibility of the “care for the creation”
l. Qur’an – The sacred book of the Muslims.
m. Shariah – The moral code and rules the Muslims adhere in their daily life.
n. Pillars of Islam – The five tenets of Islam: Profession of faith, prayer, alms giving, fasting and pilgrimage.
o. Muezzin – The person who calls Muslims to prayer.
p. Minaret – The Islamic prayer tower used to call the Muslims to prayer.
q. Ramadan – The 9th month of the Islamic calendar. Fasting month.
r. Masjid – Mosque. The place of worship.
s. Hajj – Pilgrimage to Mecca.
t. Halal – That which is permitted.
u. Sufism – Islamic Mysticism.
v. Sunni – One of the major sects (?) of Islam.
w. Shiah – Those Muslims who followed the leadership of Ali.
x. Salat – The five times prayer.
y. Ottoman Empire – The reigning Muslim dynasty of the 17th century CE in what is present-day Turkey.
z. Zakat – Alms giving.
A question to probe: Judaism, Christianity and Islam share similar principles of love, respect for human life, peace, and high moral principles. What then might explain the animosity and violence between the groups throughout history? (The Crusades, the creation of Israel, Bosnia, the Muslim-Christian conflict in the Balkans and other places, the European colonization of the Middle East, South Asia, South East Asia, etc. and the rise of the Islamic militancy.)
Questions to Explore:
1. Does Islam foster violent fundamentalism? Explain your answer.
2. Do the Muslim women enjoy a sense of equality with men? Clarify your answer with examples.
3. Can Islam be democratic? Discuss your answer in detail.
