Medina mosque

Mecca mosque

Muhammad preaches to early converts

Central MosqueErin-Osun, Nigeria 2005

Mosques in Erin-Osun, Nigeria 2005

Imam’s home/mosque Mosque next to Iyaloja’s

Key terms Islam = “submission to the will of Allah

(God)”; name of religion passed down from Allah to Muhammad

Muslim = “one who submits”; one who practices the Islamic religion

Qu’ran = “recitation”; Allah’s revelations to Muhammad for 23 years 114 chapters (surahs) 6,000 verses (ayahs) Poetic, spiritual, moral teachings Pre-hijra revelations = belief in Allah’s

spirituality Post-hijra = how to organize politically,

economically, poor, disabled, crime, etc.

Muhammad ibn Abdullah Born in Mecca in Saudi Arabia (c.570 –

632) Querysh ethnicity = nomadic traders who

controlled Mecca politically & economically Khadijah = wife & 4 daughters 40 yrs.= Mt. Hira to fast & meditate,

received revelations from Allah through Jibral, 1. Only 1 God, Allah, Muhammad is last prophet2. Abraham founded the religious tradition, 1st

prophet3. Jews & Christians strayed from their faith, M’s

role was to restore faith for all people Next 23 yrs. = continued to receive

revelations

Muhammad ibn Abdullah preached in Mecca New beliefs challenged Querysh

religious beliefs & political/economic interests

Querysh persecuted M so moved to Medina

622 = “Hijra”: emigration to Medina, 1st year of Islamic calendar

ruled as supreme judge & political leader of 1st Islamic state & returned to control Mecca

632 = Mohammad died at age 72

Shia, Sunni, & Sufi Islam

Who should become caliph upon M’s death? Ali, husband of Fatima: Shia Ali Abu Bakr, M’s disciple M selected Abu Bakr: Sunni Shia today: 10-15% of Muslims Sunni today: 85-90% of Muslims

Sufism = mystical & ascetic spiritual practices, no Sharia, spiritual teachers have direct union w/Allah (shayks, pirs, walis, marabouts)

Stereotypes Orientalism = (Edward Said’s

Orientalism, 1979); Western style of dominating, imagining, misrepresenting & having authority over the East

Islam = inherently violent, called for holy wars to convert people

Post 9/11/01 = backward religion, terrorists, violent fanatics who want to suppress freedom & dissent

Reality = fastest growing of major religions:

1.3 billion pple, 1/5 world population

5 Pillars of Islam1. Shahada = profess faith in Allah &

Muhammad

2. Salat = pray 5 times/day, facing Mecca

3. Sawam = fast during Ramadan (9th month)

4. Zakat = give alms to support poor, orphans, disabled in your community

5. Hajj = make pilgrimage to Mecca (12th month)

Aspects of Islam Cosmology = heaven, earth, hell Humans = represent God on earth,

judged according to deeds Must follow God’s will, path of

righteousness Weak & easily tempted, must repent “Islam” = submit to the will of Allah Day of reckoning = righteous to

heaven, evil to hell Sharia = Islamic law: politics &

codes for criminal law, family, marriage; different schools of Islamic law (Maliki, Hanifa, Al-Shafi, Hanbali)

Gender, family, marriage Early research: focused on texts, distorted

realities, male researchers no access to women

Qu’ran: forbids female infanticide & all sexual immorality

Sharia law: Women inherit ½ parents’ estate Women are ½ legal status of men

Polygyny practiced but not universally

Arranged marriages: education, age, class, sex

Economic, political, cultural factors influence practices: no rigid norms

The Veil

Pre-Islamic origins: Mesopotamian, Persian, Jewish, Christian, Byzantine cultures

Hijab meanings Sacred divide between men & women Outward symbol of separation Modesty Morality

Purdah = enforced seclusion of women

Revival movements: women reclaim veil Protection from strangers Desexualizes work environment Anti-western colonialism & imperialism:

attacked Islamic cultural identity

Islamic Civilizations Islam spread from Arabic region (Middle

East) to: North Africa, Spain, and Asia

Early civilizations: Baghdad (Iraq), Cairo (Egypt), Cordoba (Spain), Palermo (Sicily)

Baghdad (750 – 1258) Universities Translated texts from Greek, Roman, Hindu, &

Persian cultures into Arabic; synthetic philosophy

Algebra, geometry, trigonometry, physics, astronomy, philosophy, art, architecture, medicine

Arabic = (700-1300, Middle Ages) world’s major intellectual & scientific language & influenced the West

Western colonization 1095-1291 = “Crusades,” EU

launched military expeditions to defeat Islamic dynasties & return Holy Land to Christian rule

EU wanted control of Eastern trade routes (spices, silk, cotton)

1400’s = Portuguese establish ports from Arabia to SE Asia, controlled spice trade

1800’s = EU colonizes Middle East: seeking raw materials & new markets

British & French colonies Suez canal: 1869,

connected Mediterranean Sea W/Gulf of Suez 101 miles long immediate and dramatic

effect on world trade combined w/ American

Transcontinental railroad, allowed entire world to be circled in record time

British & French owned increased EU penetration

& colonization of Africa

Egypt: British colony in 1882; sugar, cotton

Algeria, Tunisia, Morocco: French colonies; railroads, mining, agriculture

Iran: N. Iran was Russian colony, S. Iran was British; tobacco

SE Asia: Dutch in 1917; sugar, coffee, tobacco, indigo

Malaysia: British; tin, rubber, Chinese labor

Post-WWII colonies French: North Africa, Lebanon, Syria British: Egypt, Iraq, Palestine,

South Asia Dutch: SE Asia Colonial economies based on cash

crops: tea, coffee, sugar, tobacco, cotton, opium

Independence/nationalist movements, new nation-states in 1960’s:Algeria, Morocco, Egypt, Turkey, Iran, Indonesia, Malaysia, Kuwait, Iraq, Tunisia, Syria, Jordan

Post-colonial Islamic Reform movements

Egypt Women are equal to men in constitution Anti-sexual discrimination laws Women involved in medicine, law,

engineering, management, government, etc.

Liberal divorce laws Turkey & Tunisia: prohibit polygyny Saudi Arabia

Gender segregation: schools, jobs, transport, public entrances, etc.

Why Islamic resurgent movements in 1970’s?

1. 1967 Arab-Israeli war: Arab territories lost to Israel, turned to Islamic faith for strength

2. Oil boom: Allah’s will; revenues in Libya, Iran, Saudi supported fundamentalist movements

3. Disillusionment w/capitalism & socialism: looked to Islamic solution

4. Iran success: Islamic revolution overthrew secular, Western-influenced shah

Iran’s Islamic Revolution 1500’s: Shia Islam became state

religion; today, 90% of Iranians are Shia

Shia leaders: Mullahs = village preachers Mujtahids = religious judges Ayatollahs = religious scholars,

moral & political leaders Shahs = political rulers

Iran “modernizes” economy, military, education Educated elite: Western democratic values &

representative govt. Opposed Shah’s absolute power

Shia critique: shah gave West permission to undermine Islam

1925-1979 Pahlavi dynasty Shia leaders viewed as obstacles to

modernization Secular laws replaced Sharia law No more veil 1963 “White Revolution”

Shah was “Great Satan,” puppet of US govt. Commercial agriculture, land reform,

capitalism, landless peasants, women vote, SAVAK secret police

Ayatollah Khomeini arrested

Opposition increases1. Rural migrants: sided with Islamic clergy

2. Westernized middle class: democratic hopes

3. University students: Shia Islam like liberation theology, free them from foreign control

*Demonstrations, protests, fervor*

1979: Ayatollah Khomeini led revolution

“Islamic Republic of Iran” = theocracy ruled by Shia clergy

Political, cultural, social transformation

Islamic Republic of Iran Mosques = government offices,

places of worship, local police; all Iranians forced to register

Purge Iran of Western influences Women forced to wear head scarves Family Protection Act abolished Minimum marriage age was 13,

polygyny, divorce at will 10 year war against Iraq Struggle: moderate democrats v.

conservative fundamentalists

Afghanistan 1800’s

British supported leaders Modernization (built roads, etc.) Unify/pacify ethnic groups

1920’s-30’s Economic development & democracy failed Soviet Union supported Marxist movements

1970’s Soviet Union sponsored 2 successful coups

Resistance forms Afghanistan ethnic groups: Pashtuns (47%),

Tajiks, Uzbeks, Turkmen, Kirghiz, Hazara, Baluchis, Sunni (88%), Shia (12%)

Mujahidin = “holy warriors” launched jihad (holy war) against Soviet-sponsored govt.

1979: Soviet Union invaded AF to repress resist. West gave financial & military aid to

Mujahidin Afghans fled to Pakistan Soviets withdrew

1980’s-90’s Islamic & ethnic groups fought for power West w/drew support from Mujahidin, fearing

revolution like Iran

Taliban emerges Taliban = “religious students”

1994 Islamic faction Afghan religious students recruited

from schools in Pakistan Militia gained control over most of

Afghanistan Strict Islamic guidelines & norms

No music, dancing, singing, kite flying, cards, chess, etc

Men can’t trim beards, women wear burqas

Al Qaeda supports Taliban Headed by Osama Bin Laden = Saudi

multi-millionaire terrorist

Take-home messages1. We must interpret multiple forms

of Islam with respect to local cultural, historical, & political contexts

2. No essential “Islamic tradition”

3. Islamic fundamentalisms have emerged within the context of: Western colonialism, Western imperialism & internal factional, sectarian, and class differences