Three lines of poetry plot the trajectory of Arab national consciousness. “Awake, O Arabs, and arise!” begins the famous ode of Ibrahim al-Yaziji, penned in 1868 in Lebanon. Around that time, but even today, we saw people who insisted on sovereign 'Arab states "in the Middle East. They thus seem to assume that there is one universal Arab identity, but what does this entail, and can we even speak of an Arab identity, looking at the historical perspective of the region that we call the Middle East? These are questions I will try to address in this paper although this is extra difficult since there is no universal definition of which countries are in the Middle East and which are not (some even include Cyprus). Here, I will only focus on the …show more content…
Apart from culture, another important aspect that determines an identity is religion, and many people often assume that the who region is Islamic. However, these assumptions do not do justice to the complex and often very modern realities of the region today. Even when we assume that the Middle East is indeed a Muslim dominated region, excluding Israel as a Jewish state and the significant Coptic Christian minorities, then we can still not speak of one universal identity that is Islamic. As in Christianity, Judaism and every other religion for that matter, you have different movements within Islam who all interpret their faith in a different way. Depicted in a very generalized way, you can divide these movements into the two most significant ones being Sunni’s (about 85%), and Shia(15%). For example, the Sunnis believe that Muhammad had not assigned anyone as his successor, and therefore the best qualified person should be selected or chosen, the caliph. Unlike Shiites, Sunnis believe that because of the fact that according to the Quran Muhammad was the last of the prophets, the caliph was to succeed him only as a political leader. They see the caliph as a defender of the faith, but impute no further religious status to him. Shiites , however, are convinced that the succession of Muhammad , and therefore the leadership of the Islamic community , is
Throughout Middle Eastern, beginning in the 1800’s many changes and continuities have occurred and shaped what there national identity is in present day. Religion and literature have remained a continuous factor throughout this time period; where as a very successful oil discovery and currently changing government help shape the Middle Eastern national identity
cultures and their behavior styles; in order for the culture to accept any type of assistance medical, financial, and education and assist in breaking barriers for counseling with this culture. Arab is one of the well-known culture around the world with a strong connection with Islam. They believe in one God (Allah) and Muhammad is his prophet. In addition, they also believe in Jewish and Christian tradition. Furthermore Arabs are not all Muslim, not are all Muslims Arab. Fewer 20% of Muslims worldwide are Arabs (Hasnain, Shaikh, & Shanawani 2008). There are 22 countries that Arabs are currently living in United States that share common terms of religion, language, and culture; however they vary politically, socially, and economically,
I have always assumed that the Sunni and Shia conflict is similar to the war between the Catholic and Protestant, however it is much more complex and different. These two branches of Islam share the same Holy Book and all agree that Allah is there God. Sunni and Shia both believe that the last prophet was Muhammad. However, when Muhammad died, there was a disagreement of who would be Muhammad’s successor. There were two candidates to be the successor of Muhammad, Abu Bakr and Ali bin Abi Talib. Ali bin Abi Talib was Muhammad’s cousin and son-in law. Abu Bakr was Muhammad’s friend and senior companion. The Sunni Muslims believed that the leadership should be granted to the person with most experience. On the other hand, the Shi’a believed the decision should be based purely through Muhammad’s bloodline. The majority of Muslim ended up choosing Abu Bakr to be the Caliph (successor). However, Abu Bakr’s rule was shortlived when he died in 634 CE.
It has been said that growing up is scary, adulthood is a hunger, and realizing childhood is fleeting is terrifying. In Araby by James Joyce, the inner turmoil associated with growing up as well as the loss of childhood can be seen throughout the piece in many different aspects. Through the use of symbolism, fully exploring the plot and developing the background, we are able to understand the narrator’s point of view and come to the conclusion that it is only after childhood has ended that are we able to truly understand the selfishness of humanity and ambition.
In Islam there are 2 major factions: Sunni and Shia. Most Muslims are Sunni [~85%], and Shia are [~15%]. Shia Muslims, while a global minority, are the majority in Iraq [~65% of Iraqi population] and Iran [90% of Iranian population]. Most other Muslim nations have a Sunni majority: Saudi Arabia, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Syria, Egypt, Turkey, ect.
Investigation of this conflict reveals two very different thought processes. In Europe and the West, people are viewed in terms of nations or states first. Then subdivided by smaller territories, by language, by religion. In Europe or America, one can speak Farsi, be Persian, but be American or French first. In the mindset of a Muslim living in the Middle East, nationality is subordinate to ones Islamic faith. Though I believe it is even more complicated than that. “Even the concepts of history and identity require redefinition for the Westerner trying to understand the
The primary scene of division between the two subgroups, was about “who was to take over the leadership of the Muslim nation” after Prophet Muhammad died (Shia). While the Sunni believed that the “new leader should be elected from among those capable of the job”, the Shia Muslims believed that the “leadership should have passed directly to his cousin” (Shia). In the end, leadership of the Islamic nation was passed down to the Prophet’s close friend and advisor, instead of a relative. However, Shia Muslims have not recognized the authority of elected Muslim leaders. Instead, they follow a line
The differences between the Sunnis and Shi'ites are founded on their disagreement over who was to be their Prophet Mohammad’s successor. On one side, there were those who believed that the next leader should come from Mohammed’s bloodline; on the other side, there were those who subscribed to their next leader being a highly qualified leader who would follow the teachings of Mohammed (Blanchard, 1). At first, the leaders of the community agreed to elect Abu Bakr to be the first successor or caliph of Mohammed. Most Muslims at that time seemed to be supportive of such decision. However, others supported another successor – Ali Ibn Abi Talib, the cousin and son-in-law of Mohammed (Blanchard, 1). Ali was not considered in the election by the Muslim leaders because he did not have seniority in the Muslim community. The Muslims who adhered to Ali’s right (and those who followed his line)
The modern conception of the Middle East was molded in the early 20th century. The French and the British both formulated their foreign policy in the Middle East to help advance their own self interests. Power hungry and desperate for new land, British and French governments struggled to shape the Middle East. Britain’s unwillingness to learn about the people living in the Middle East, coupled with their underestimation of Arab nationalism, made for an inauspicious state. People in these Middle Eastern nations were unable to advocate for themselves and were taken advantage of by corrupt government officials or imperializing western powers. The French and British erred by disregarding pertinent information about the nationalist feelings of the
Shiites reject the first three Caliphs of Islam, and consider Ali to be the first Imam. Sunni accept the four rightly guided Caliphs. An Imam in the Shiites narratives can only come from the prophet’s bloodline, and has a special ability of interpreting the Quran that normal people cannot do. This narrative further perpetuates the Shiite Ideology that only those who carry the prophet’s blood in their veins should lead the umma. Sunni think of an Imam as one who leads a prayers.
After reading this excerpt, I discovered that there was also theological debates within the Muslim community (Hillenbrand, 171). While in class, we had learned about a divide in the Muslim community; this divide is between two different groups, the Shi‘ites and the Sunnis. Although there is a divide between these two groups, the Shi‘ites and the Sunnis both agree on the fact that Allah is the one true God in the Islamic faith. Furthermore, these two groups also believe that Muhammad was the messenger of God. Unfortunately, these two groups have opposing theories on the rightful successor to the prophet Muhammad. The Shi‘ites feel that Muhammad’s successor should be someone from his bloodline; therefore, the Shi‘ites sought leadership from Muhammad's closest male relative, his cousin Ali ibn Abu Talib. Conversely, the Sunnis felt that a caliphate or religious leader should be elected by the Islamic community as his successor and sought leadership from the rightly guided caliphate, Abu
The dichotomy of historical events, personalities and concepts are central to devising a sense of both triumph and tragedy, varying in perspective for the individuals and groups directly involved. The creation of the state of Israel accommodates this dichotomy, in which the event can simply be recognised as a success for the Jewish people whose religious land was regained, and a calamity for the Arab-Palestinians who became displaced refugees as a result. Since the inception of the Israeli nation-state in 1948, religious and political difference have played a major role in bringing about the Arab-Israeli conflict. The dominance of the Jewish people, driven by religious and cultural ties to the land following their Diaspora, has seen the formation of Israel as a short-term social triumph. However, the resultant dispossession of Arab refugees in the elicited conflict, consolidated by the increase in Arab rebel terrorist activity and interference of other states has
However, the cause of the schism between the two denominations of Islam can be traced back to its origin. After the death of the Prophet Mohammad, a great deliberation ascended over the right to succession. The Islamic empire nominated for three caliphs all in some way related to the Prophet. A young caliphate called Ali was the son in law of Prophet Mohammad and was the preferred successor of the prophet by many Muslims now recognised as Shiites. However, this notion was completely rejected by the Sunni group who acknowledged that Abu Bakr (second caliphate of the prophet Mohammad) should succeed. This dispute was further escalated with the assassination of Ali, his sons Hassan and Hussein subsequently triggering the Shi’a and Sunni split. Whilst the cause of the split resulted from the argument of who would succeed the Prophet, “the split might never have happened if Mohammad had a son, as the son would’ve automatically have inherited his father’s authority” said Lesley Hazleton writer of “The First Muslim: The Story of Mohammad”. Consequently, the difference in historical experiences, beliefs, and ethnic composition between these two factions of Islam has caused the escalation of sectarian violence that continues to progress in contemporary Middle
The Middle East is far from monumental and homogenous. Its differences have been a source of both strength and inspiration. The most visible, most pervasive, and the least recognized aspects of
Middle East considers one of the most studied areas in the world due to its rich history of politics, social, economic, and its culture and civilization. Its borders are still arguable geographically, generally in the west it starts from morocco until Iran in the east, however, many scholars don’t agree on including Turkey either as a Middle Eastern or as a European country (Milton-Edwards, 2006. P: 4). The origin of the name was invented by the colonies as a necessity to describe the place geographically, which was the era of bringing “Middle East” the language of academic writings and political scientists. Changes, innovations, and new ideologies create gaps between the transformations of any perspectives to a different