Reorienting Education and Training Systems to Improve the ...
Hands on Resources for “Reorienting” the Middle East on Resources for “Reorienting” the...
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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
In general, what is our goal
as 21st 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
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
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
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.
Many Arab cultural influences in Islam
Qur’an – written in Arabic
Muhammad – an Arab
Prayer – facing Ka’aba (Arabia)
Call to prayer – Adhan (Arabic) eh-than
Holy Sites – Mecca & Medina (Arabia)
Jerusalem
minaret
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
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
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
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.
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
Pew Research also shows that at a personal level, many
Muslims enjoy Western popular culture and fashion, and
adopt it as their own
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.
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
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_SYvYBxt_Dg
Majede Najar: “Why I wear a hijab”
“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.”
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.
“Orientalism”
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.
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
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
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
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.
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
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
5) Pilgrimage: Hajj
To Mecca (the Ka’aba)
During the pilgrimage
month (12th month of
the lunar calendar)
Once in a lifetime, if
possible (physically and
financially able to
perform it)
Crash Course in History: Islam
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TpcbfxtdoI8
First Amendment Center
“Teacher’s Guide to Teaching About Religion…” www.freedomforum.org
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
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
How to stay in touch with us:
Check us out online! http://ncmideast.org/
Like us on Facebook! https://www.facebook.com/DukeUNCConsortiumMidEastStudies
Join our listserv! NCTeachMidEast
Emma Harver
Program/Outreach Coordinator
919-962-6732