EDUC 553

1. EDUC 553 Middle Eastern Cultural Authenticity, Perspectives and Teaching Pedagogy

2. Middle Eastern History & Literature

3. The Middle East

4. The Middle East • Arab Borders Benedictine University

5. Islam - Science/Inventions • Objective experimentation • Animal? Vegetable? Mineral? • Observed earth turning & calculated circumference • Hospitals • Emergency rooms - doctor exams • Studied diseases - wrote medical books • Improved techniques for paper-making, ceramics, and silk-weaving • Mathematics: • Algebra • Geometry Benedictine University

6. Mathematics – 4500 years ago Benedictine University

7. Discovered in 1938 by German archaeologist Wilhelm Konig A Working Model produced 0.8 to 2.0 volts The Batteries of Baghdad…1000 years before the city of Baghdad was established Benedictine University

8. IslamicArt/Architecture • Persian became the language of high culture and literature • (“Persia” is now Iran) • Calligraphy, designs • Minarets • Mosques • Literature • Poetic works e.g., “1001 Arabian Nights” Benedictine University

9. Alchemy Alkaline Alcohol Algebra Algorithm Alforja Algol Alidade Almagest – from Arabic Al-Majusti (which Arabs took from the Greek Megistos) Assassin Average Magazine – From Arabic “makhazin” (storehouse for goods, ammunition or knowledge) Zero Zenith Arabic Words in the English LanguageMany English words that begin with “Al” have a good chance of being Arabic in origin – here are some examples: Benedictine University

10. Islam - Economy • Urbanization; opportunities for craftsmen and artists • Participated in trade • Trans-Sahara Trade • ”Silk Road” Route • Indian Ocean Trade: • Islamic World, China, East Africa and Persia • Traded cotton, silk, elephants, gems, cinnamon, and salt, textiles, carpets, glass & Arabian horses • Arabs dominated trade – Not all Muslims are Arabs • Controlled western trading zone • Trans-Saharan trade routes • Crusades – Armies back and forth across the Balkans • Islam spread as a result of these factors Benedictine University

11. Religion Islammeanssubmission • Acceptance of people of the book (Christianity, Judaism) • Allow converts (Malawi) • Ulama: fundamentalist • Sharia: Islamic laws, veiling • Sunni-Shi'iSplit (two sects of Islam) Benedictine University

12. Shiite & Sunni sects 1. Of what sect are the majority of Muslims? Sunni 2. What is the most important similarity of Shiites & Sunnis? The 5 pillars of Islam 3. What is an ayatollah? Shiite religious authority Islamic Law 1. What are caliphs? Political-Religious leaders 2. How did family law reflect their views of women? Marriage and property rights 3. How are Islamic court proceedings similar to US? Due Process Islam – Faith and Politics Benedictine University

13. Islam – Faith and Politics Faith The Five Pillarsof Islam are the foundation of Muslim life: • Faith or belief in the Oneness of God and the finality of the prophet-hood of Muhammad • Establishment of the daily prayers • Concern for and almsgiving to the needy • Self-purification through fasting • The pilgrimage to Makkah(Mecca) for those who are able Politics • Islam-Theocratic Rulers- codified Islamic law • Caliphs: Muslim religious and political leaders • Political rivalries, ethnic differences, and sectarian rifts divided the Islamic world • Muslims in India • Indian political fragmentation paved way for Muslim invasions • Conquered people were respected, but required to pay a non-believer tax • Established a Muslim capital in India at Delhi Benedictine University

14. Islam - Social Class/Gender • Umayyaddynasty of caliphs (the first of the four Islamic caliphates established after the death of Muhammad) • Women- married at puberty • Islamic women strengthened their positions within their households • Islam declared the spiritual equality of men and women before Allah • Women entered many occupations, including commerce and law • Abbasiddynasty of caliphs (the second of the four Islamic caliphates) • Women’s position declined • Increasingly confined to the household • Totally subjected to patriarchal authority • Veiling of free females • Elite women were cut off from any occupation other than running a household • These dynasties were followed by the Fatimid and Ottoman Dynasties until approximately the WW I years Benedictine University

15. Divisions in Islam • Disputes over authority after the death of Muhammad hindered future Muslim unity • Muhammad did not leave a principle for succession within Islam; he was the final prophet • Successors to lead the Muslim community first were elected by the Umma. (community of the faithful in Islam) • Ali contested the system by advocating descent from Muhammad; this became the focal point of Shi'ism • Ali's opposition caused civil war and Umayyad success led to their founding of a dynasty • The Shi'i never accepted defeat; descendants of Muhammad were always present to contest rule over Muslims • A fundamental division remained between the Sunni and Shi'i divisions of Islam Benedictine University

16. The Spread of Islam • The initial spread of Islam throughout the Mediterranean and the Middle East differed from the Islamic incursions into India and Southeast Asia • Most of the first expansion in the Mediterranean region and the Middle East was by Arabian tribesmen • The government under the Umayyad dynasty retained the initial concept of rule by a small Arab elite; full citizenship for Malawi was denied • Then the Abbasid dynasty gave full citizenship to non-Arabs • The second stage of Islamic expansion was led by non­-Arabs • The presence of Sufi missionaries made for a more peaceful expansion and to less restrictive forms of Islam • Converts, as in the Delhi sultanate, retained many of their previous Hindu beliefs and social systems Benedictine University

17. Iraq - The Birthplace of Civilization • Twelve-thousand years ago, irrigated farming was invented in what is now Iraq • They invented the first wheel and the art of writing • They figured out how to tell time • They founded modern mathematics • In the Code of Hammurabi, they invented the first legal system that protects the weak, the widow and the orphan • Five-thousand years ago, they had philosophers who attempted to list every known thing in the world Benedictine University

18. Iraq – The Birthplace of Civilization • Abraham, the father of Israel, the Christian faith and Islam was from Iraq • Beginning around 800 A.D., the Iraqis founded universities that imported teachers from throughout the civilized world to teach medicine, mathematics, philosophy, theology, literature and poetry • The first school for astronomers was established by Iraqis • The Arabs have a saying about the Iraqis’ quest for knowledge and books, “Egyptians write them, Lebanese print them, and the Iraqis read them.” Benedictine University

19. Typical Abbasid Palace Benedictine University

20. Al-Mustansariya College in Baghdad Benedictine University

21. A Baghdad Gate ca 1914 Benedictine University

22. Samerra – North Central Iraq 10th and 11th Century Benedictine University

23. Al-Aadhamiya Mosque - Baghdad Benedictine University

24. The Arab World Since WWIand its Relationship to the West Focus on Iraq

25. Lively Terror Against Iraqis Roots of ‘anti-Western’ sentiment…for example: • “I am strongly in favor of using poisoned gas against uncivilized tribes. The moral effect should be good... and it would spread a lively terror.... “ ----- Winston Churchill - commenting on the British use of poison gas against the Iraqis after World War I (ca. 1920) (The use of poison gas was condemned by the Geneva Convention in 1925) Benedictine University

26. WWI Secret AgreementsMajor sources of current problems in the Middle East British colonialism was a dominant force in the Middle East before WWI (Egypt, Iraq, etc) • Sykes-Picot Agreement • The Sykes–Picot Agreement of 1916 was a secret agreement between the governments of the UK and France,[1] with the assent of Imperial Russia, defining their respective spheres of influence and control in Western Asia after the expected downfall of the Ottoman Empire during World War I • Balfour Declaration • The Balfour Declaration of 1917 was a formal statement of policy by the British government regarding the establishment in Palestine as a national home for the Jewish people • British Col. Percy Cox • A BritishIndian Army officer and colonial administrator in the Middle East. In the late 19th century and early 20th century, he was one of the major figures in the creation of Iraq. He selected Faisal to be king of Iraq • There was little regard for existing religious and ethnic divisions during the formation of Iraq…age-old enemies were forced together Benedictine University

27. Iraq Benedictine University

28. Middle East After WWI Benedictine University

29. Al-Kut and Kuwait Benedictine University

30. Iraq after Col. Percy Cox Benedictine University

31. King Faisal II of Iraq – London 1953 Benedictine University

32. Faisal – IbnShereef of Mecca Benedictine University

33. Faisal I – Iraq 1926 Benedictine University

34. Kings of Iraq – Ghazi & Faisal II Benedictine University

35. Al-Zuhur Palace – Baghdad 1958 Benedictine University

36. Nuri Said Pasha and Gen. Qasim Benedictine University

37. Fallouja – 1940s Benedictine University

38. Baghdad on Tigris1958 1930s Benedictine University

39. March 2003 Nineveh (Mosul), Iraq Benedictine University

40. Morrison’s Definition for the Middle East • The “Middle East” is a strange name to use for an area • It was invented by Europeans, to mean somewhere between Europe and the countries of eastern Asia known as the “Far East” (China, Japan, etc) • Although the people who live in the Middle East did not give it that name themselves, they have found it convenient to use it in the same way that people use the Midwest in America • In Arabic it is called Sharq al Awsator East-the Middle, because there is such variety to the region that it is difficult to find any other single term to describe all the differences there are (p. 5) Benedictine University Norton Chapter 7

41. The Worldwide Impact of Islam • Muslims are an influential force around the globe • “It is awesome to contemplate that Muslims all over the world – whether in Delhi or Timbuktu or London – turn to Mecca five times daily to pray. This powerful image symbolizes both the diversity and oneness of the Islamic world” (Khorana, 1997, p.2) • As we read the literature, we cannot forget the strong influence of Muslim beliefs in both Arabic and non-Arabic countries • “There are more than 160 million Arabic speakers, of whom well over 90 percent are Muslim” (Denny, 1987, p. 13) Benedictine University Norton Chapter 7

42. Muslim Influence is Growing • Denny estimates that the world population of Muslims ranges from 555 million to one billion • Muslims are not a monolithic group: if there are 1 billion Muslims in the world, only 16% are Arabic speakers, leaving 840 million who are not • “A very significant factor in current and future Muslim populations is the annual rate of growth” • Among the twenty-five fastest growing nations in the world, eleven have majority Muslim populations • Pakistan, Bangladesh, Saudi Arabia, Syria, Egypt, Iran, Morocco, and Iraq • For the first time, Islam is becoming a significant minority religion in Western nations • France, Britain, West Germany, Canada, and the United States” (Denny, 1987, pp. 14-15) Benedictine University Norton Chapter 7

43. Historical Perspectives • The lack of literature about the Middle East is of concern to many students of children’s literature • The major portion of the Middle East collections in most libraries are informational books about the geography and the people • In addition to a lack of books in a variety of genres, there is also the problem of stereotypes that may be found in many of the books • Relatively few books depicting Arabs in non-stereotypical fashion have appeared on the literary scene (Iskander, 1997, p. 11) Benedictine University Norton Chapter 7

44. Stereotypes of Arabs • In a survey of Arab juvenile and young adult literature, Sylvia Iskander(1997) concluded the following: • Children’s writers do not suggest that the nomadic existence has any value as a way of life • Hostile Arab characters seem to proliferate in the literature published after 1976 • The emphasis on Arab hatred for the Jewish people occurs, especially in books set during the 1967 War • There is an image of Arabs as brutal terrorists • Very critical of the stereotypes found, she states, “Both in the media and in the classroom American children have been presented with an image of Arabs and Palestinians as stupid and lazy at best, or terrorists and rapists at worst”(Kissen, 1991, p. 112) Benedictine University Norton Chapter 7

45. Stereotypes of Arabs • When analyzing picture books, Iskander found the following stereotypes and cultural inaccuracies: • Behaviors that suggest characters are ignorant or cruel • Illustrations that depict similar appearances in all characters • Inaccuracies in clothing and cultural depictions • Names that reveal lack of knowledge of Arabic (Iskander, 1997) • Note the dates of the quotes on this and the prior slide: Has anything changed? Benedictine University Norton Chapter 7

46. Stereotypes of Arabs – Counterpoint • In a contrasting view of some of the literature and the stereotypes, Little analyzed recent changes in books that she identified as “hostage dramas” • Although the characters may be involved in such dramas, she concluded that the authors in more recent books develop fewer negative stereotypes and included in-depth character development rather than stock representations(Little, 1997) Benedictine University Norton Chapter 7