Hands on Resources for Reorienting the Middle East

Transcription

1 Hands on Resources for Reorienting the Middle East Carolina Center for the Study of the Middle East and Muslim Civilizations Duke-UNC Consortium for Middle East Studies

2 In general, what is our goal as 21 st century educators? Provide students with opportunities to develop knowledge and skills that will enable them to make sense of the world in which they live Students will grow up with the ability to influence public policy and private behavior on behalf of international understanding, tolerance and empathy Foster cooperation and understanding between students of different backgrounds Give students the tools to become fully functioning citizens

3 Is this the Middle East?

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12 Muslims preparing to pray at the Ka aba in Mecca, Saudia Arabia

13 Israelis sledding in Jerusalem, Israel (2013)

14 Traffic in the United Arab Emirates

15 Christian girls worshipping in traditional head coverings at a Russian Orthodox Church

16 Oil well in Qaidam Basin, Qinghai Province, China

17 Priest prepares for New Year s services at Vank Cathedral, New Julfa, Isfahan

18 Royal Oman Symphony Orchestra performing with the Bavarian Radio Choir

19 The Crystal Mosque in Kuala Terengganu, Malaysia.

20 Where in the world is the Middle East?

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26 CCSMEMC Core Areas of the Middle East Algeria, Azerbaijan, Bahrain, Cyprus (northern), Egypt, Iran, Iraq, Israel, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Libya, Morocco, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Somalia, Sudan, Syria, Tunisia, Turkey, United Arab Emirates, West Bank and Gaza (Palestine) and Yemen

27 CCSMEMC Core and Extended Regions of the Middle East Afghanistan, Albania, Bangladesh, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Brunei, Burkina Faso, Chad, Djibouti, Eritrea, Gambia, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, India, Indonesia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Malaysia, Mali, Mauritania, Niger, Nigeria, Pakistan, Sahara, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan

28 What are a few common misconceptions about the Middle East?

29 The words Arab and Muslim are not synonymous. Arabs are people who speak Arabic as their native language and identify themselves as Arabs Muslims are those who practice the religion of Islam Roughly 18% of Muslims are Arabs Many Arabs follow different faiths and live all over the world. There are Christian Arabs and Jewish Arabs living in the Middle East.

30 Many Arab cultural influences in Islam Qur an written in Arabic Muhammad an Arab Prayer facing Ka aba (Arabia) minaret Call to prayer Adhan (Arabic) eh-than Holy Sites Mecca & Medina (Arabia) Jerusalem

31 The Arab World

32 The Muslim World 10 Countries with the Largest Populations of Muslims Estimated 2010 Muslim Population Indonesia 209,120,200 India 176,190,000 Pakistan 167,410,000 Bangladesh 133,540,000 Nigeria 77,300,000 Egypt 76,990,000 Iran 73,570,000 Turkey 71,330,000 Algeria 34,730,000 Morocco 31,940,000 **Pew Research Center s Forum on Religion & Public Life Global Religious Landscape, December 2012

33 Not everyone in the Middle East is Muslim. In addition to the large Jewish population in Israel, there are also significant Christian and small Jewish communities throughout the region. Egyptian Christians most likely account for about 10% of the population though some sources give between 3-20% of the population Israel as a majority Jewish state Iran as an example: There are about 200,000 Iranian Christians of different backgrounds, and Iran also has about 25,000 Jews and 20,000 Zoroastrians

34 There is more than just desert in the Middle East. Rafting down the Jordan River The Cedar Forests of Lebanon Taurus mountains in Antalya, Turkey

35 Many people in the Middle East appreciate America. It is true that some people are critical of the United States foreign policy, but many others look to the United States as model for political freedom and economic development.

36 Most Muslims around the world express support for democracy, and most say it is a good thing when others are very free to practice their religion. -Pew Research conclusion

37 Pew Research also shows that at a personal level, many Muslims enjoy Western popular culture and fashion, and adopt it as their own

38 Many women in the Middle East are valued and respected. Many are well-educated, participating in important roles in society, and voting in elections. Muslim women play an important role in family life. Women in Turkey got the right to vote in 1934, ten years before women in France. Women are 60% of university students in Iran.

39 Women s rights and equality continues to be a global issue, not just in the Middle East. Nobel Peace Prize goes to women s rights activists in 2011

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41 Majede Najar: Why I wear a hijab

42 I want to show with this picture that Muslim women are not held back. My sister studied abroad for 6 years to earn her medical degree. My family trusted her to live on her own in a foreign country. I am a photographer and feel free to address issues like the empowerment of women. Do not let our vails misguide you, we are modest AND modern.

43 The Middle East is a diverse region with many different cultural influences Iranian wedding traditions reflect ancient Zoroastrian traditions. Traditional folk dances of Israel are choreographed for recreational purposes and festivals. They include the Hora and dances incorporating the Yemenite step. Turkish coffee houses continue their role in society as a meeting place. This tradition stems from the Ottoman Empire. Because of it s location on the Persian Gulf, U.A.E. has one of the largest fishing sectors in the Arab world.

44 A way of seeing that imagines, emphasizes, exaggerates and distorts differences of Arab peoples and cultures as compared to that of Europe and the U.S. It often involves seeing Arab culture as exotic, backward, uncivilized, and at times dangerous. Orientalism

45 Common Misconceptions about the United States

46 Of the total Muslim population, 10-13% are Shia Muslims and 87-90% are Sunni Muslims Most Shias (between 68% and 80%) live in just four countries: Iran, Pakistan, India and Iraq

47 1) The Testimony of Faith: Shahada There is no true god (deity) but God (Allah),1 and Muhammad is the Messenger (Prophet) of God. The word Allah is God in Arabic Islam recognizes a series of prophets including Abraham, Moses, Jesus, and Muhammad Scared Texts: Qur an, Sunna

48 2) Prayer: Salat 5 times a day Facing Mecca Mosque (masjid): place for worship and community prayer Community service: Fridays at noon Nasir al-mulk Mosque in Shriaz, Iran

49 Jamaat Ibad Ar-Rahman in Durham

50 Grande Mosquée in Paris

51 Masjid Sultan Suriansyah in Banjarmasin, Indonesia

52 Vocabulary about Prayer muezzin: a man who calls Muslims to prayer adhan (azan): the Muslim call to ritual prayer minaret: a tall slender tower, typically part of a mosque, with a balcony from which a muezzin calls Muslims to prayer prayer rug: a small carpet used by Muslims for kneeling on when praying, placed on the ground for cleanliness during the various positions of Islamic prayer misbahah or subha: prayer beads used by Muslims to help count recitations and concentrate during personal prayers.

53 3) Almsgiving: Zakat reminds Muslims that whatever wealth they may possess is due to the blessings of God acts as a social security for all is an act of worship and acknowledgment of gratitude

54 4) Fasting: Sawm Every year in the month of Ramadan (Islamic Calendar), all Muslims fast from dawn until sundown Regarded principally as a method of spiritual self-purification Fasting encourages self-discipline, becoming spiritually stronger, sharing sufferings of the poor and developing sympathy for them

55 5) Pilgrimage: Hajj To Mecca (the Ka aba) During the pilgrimage month (12 th month of the lunar calendar) Once in a lifetime, if possible (physically and financially able to perform it)

56 Crash Course in History: Islam

57 First Amendment Center Teacher s Guide to Teaching About Religion How should religion be taught within the context of the classroom? In a way that focuses on: academics, not devotion awareness, not acceptance study, not practice exposure to, not imposition on education, not promotion information, not conformation

58 Duke-UNC Consortium for Middle East Studies We are a collaboration between Duke and UNC. We support our faculty, students, and community (K-12 and community college teachers as well as the general public) in deepening understanding of the Middle East. Teaching Resources Professional Development Opportunities Books & Film Lending Library Presentations

59 How to stay in touch with us: Check us out online! Like us on Facebook! Join our listserv! NCTeachMidEast Emma Harver Program/Outreach Coordinator