Is Your Source Reliable Essay

2. Summarize at least four key points made by the authors. In the case of

1. What is the author’s view of his subject matter? What evidence supports this conclusion?

2b) The authors provided the reader a lot of information on the topic. Each topic was very well explored. A lot of different information on different but similar studies. The authors seemed very knowledgeable on the topic. This article lacked a few things. A clear research question and a hypothesis. The paragraphs were not clear and consist, I felt that I had to dig to get certain information. The paper was very wordy, which made me have a hard time understanding the substance.

|A2 Researcher’s conclusion |The researchers gave a strong conclusion outlining the main findings of the research |

Choose four important words used in the article, and indicate whether each word is neutral or emotionally charged. (Respond in point form.)

vii. Does the article fit into an existing theoretical framework? In other words, what theory (ies) does the article address that was discussed

I) Conclusion: Write the conclusions regarding your observations and results obtained from each part 2A, 2B, 2C,

2. What stuck out to you the most from the article (either because you strongly agree or strongly disagree)? Explain why.

Who is the lead author? b) What university/research group/etc is the author affiliated with? c) Is this article building on previous research by this author (i.e., does the author cite her/himself)?

In “The Phony Islam of ISIS,” religious studies professor Caner Dagli addresses an argument made by Graeme Wood about the real intentions of the Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham (ISIS). Dagli explains how Wood’s essay “implies that such a rejection of ISIS by other Muslims can only be hypocritical or naïve, and that ISIS members and supporters follow the texts of Islam as faithfully and seriously as anyone.” Dagli opposes this argument by claiming that ISIS does not take the texts seriously, and further examining the Quran and its contents to support this point. He explains the complex nature of the book and how it consists of the ḥadīth which is an extensive collection that has been compiled over time. Dagli describes how ISIS “members search for text snippets that support their argument, claim that these fragments are reliable even if they are not, and disregard all contrary evidence.” This fallacy does not equate to ISIS following the texts faithfully or seriously, but rather “cherry-picking what they like and ignoring what they do not” (Dagli). In order to further expose the “phony Islam” that ISIS members follow, Dagli identifies the narrow and rigid interpretation of the Quran that the group uses, stating, “this is not literalism. It is exclusivism.” Using Wood’s argument that ISIS speeches are “laced with theological and legal discussion,” Dagli explains that there is a difference between being able to “lace” a conversion and actually comprehending the traditions and meaning of a religion. To

What are the main concepts presented in the article? What information is the author using, and what is its relationship to the main issue? Does the information used appear relevant, significant, valid, and sufficient for the conclusions being drawn? Do you have enough information to determine whether the information is relevant, significant, and valid?

The Qur’an is one of the most interpreted religious books in existence. The two articles, “The Tasks and Traditions of Interpretation” and “Western Scholarship and The Qur’an”, interpret the Qur’an from two distinct points of view. The first article, “The Tasks and Traditions of Interpretation” by Jane McAuliffe introduces a famous commentator named Ali Ibn-al-Jawzī and explains his analysis on the different Surās within the Qur’an. McAuliffe also introduces other famous commentators and compares them to Ibn al-Jawzī’s view. In the article “Western Scholarship and the Qur’an” by Andrew Rippin, the author presents interpretations of the Qur’an by Europeans from the 20th century. This interpretation is presented form a secular perspective,

3- What is the research approach that was applied to study this case? Why? P. 174.

What else could the authors have done? What should they do next? What are the strengths and weaknesses of this paper? Why does this research matter? (Synthesis)

The article, “Islam Is a Religion of Violence”, is organized in a manner that makes it easy to follow the argument. The author presents a question and then attempts to answer it, but it is evident the conclusion is already decided from the title. This bias dictates the critical tone on the analysis of the Islamic texts. It also leads to a strategic use of words and exclusion of critical information to appeal to the particular audience of Muslims and non-Muslims who have some knowledge of Islam. It is interesting that the author makes an important distinction “between Islam as a set of ideas and Muslims as adherents” as the statement creates a logical fallacy against her thesis. It can be inferred that the religious texts are only writings on paper; the people who follow the ideas interpret it to be peaceful or violent. From the beginning of the article, the author’s argument creates a contradiction. Furthermore, it is acknowledged with the separation of Muslims into three groups that the problem is Islam’s followers and