Digital Commons Network^™

The Construction Of Belief : Reflections On The Thought Of Mohammed Arkoun, Abdou Filali-Ansari, Aziz Esmail

Independent Volumes

Mohammed Arkoun was one of the most prominent and influential Arab intellectuals of his day. During a career spanning more than thirty years, he was revered as an outstanding research scholar, a bold critic of the theoretical tensions embedded within Islamic studies and an outspoken public figure, upholding political, social and cultural modernism.

This festschrift honours Mohammed Arkoun’s scholarship, bringing together the contributions of eleven distinguished scholars of history, religious studies and philosophy. It offers a comprehensive selection of critical engagements with Arkoun’s work, reflecting on his considerable influence on contemporary thinking about Islam and its ideological, philosophical and theological …

Hiv/Aids In The Muslim-Majority Countries: Formula For Low Prevalence, Kaoru Yamaguchi

Political Science Theses and Capstones

The Muslim-majority countries long had been considered to be free of HIV/AIDS epidemic because of their strict religious and moral codes. However, the HIV prevalence rates are increasing in some Islamic states, and even more or so rapidly in a several cases that it is no longer valid to assume the Islamic religion protects its followers from the risks of contracting HIV. Contrary to the popular belief concerning the prevention of the HIV/AIDs epidemic, data collected from well-recognized international organizations such as the WHO and Freedom House indicate that democratization, strong government leadership, and wider and equal human rights for …

Meeting At Middle Ground: American Quaker Women’S Two Palestinian Encounters, Enaya Othman

Arabic Languages and Literatures

In the late nineteenth century the Palestinian town of Ramallah began receiving American missionary women who embodied their middle-class ideology of womanhood and ventured to discourse on Arab women and culture. Their conviction of the American woman as the model for other “unfortunate” women prevented these missionaries from integrating in the Palestinian cultural context. Consequently, this americentric belief led them to construct overwhelmingly negative views of Palestinian women as oppressed, living in ignorance and degraded conditions, and of Arab culture as backward and inept. However, American women missionaries after World War I grew in their cultural and linguistic understanding of …

The Female Experience: Study Abroad Students In Egypt, Heather Raquael Walsh

Theses and Dissertations

This qualitative study explores the experiences of female students on study abroad programs, with the aim of answering the following questions: do they face unique challenges as female students (including harassment or assault), how do they avoid or cope with any negative experiences, and can we as language departments better prepare our students to have the best experiences possible? The participants for the study were primarily 12 of 50 students involved in the Brigham Young University Study Abroad to Cairo, Egypt during Spring and Summer terms 2010. Data include participant observation, student journals, and ethnographic interviews conducted during the last …

Is Islam The Solution?: The Muslim Brotherhood And The Search For An Islamic Democracy In Egypt, Erica Devine

History & Classics Undergraduate Theses

Since the removal of President Mubarak in 2011, the role of the Muslim Brotherhood as a political force within Egypt has grown exponentially. These events have called into question the role the Muslim Brotherhood will play in the creation of a new government in Egypt. During the 1970s and 1980s, the Brotherhood underwent a gradual transformation of its ideology in the direction of democracy and political participation.The influence of such ideologues as Hasan al-Banna, Hasan Isma‘il al-Hudaybi, Umar al-Tilmisani, and Yusef al-Qaradawi provided the foundation for this transition and spurred the movement towards the blending of civil and religious agendas. …

Dearabizing Arabia: Tracing Western Scholarship On The History Of The Arabs And Arabic Language And Script, Saad D. Abulhab

Publications and Research

This book is a reference book on the history of the Arabic Language and script, which goes beyond the sole discussion of technical matters. It studies objectively the evidence presented by modern-day western archeological discoveries together with the evidence presented by the indispensable scholarly work and research of past Islamic Arab civilization era. The book scrutinizes modern western theories regarding the history of the Arabs and Arabic language and script in connection with the roles played by Western Near East scholarship, religion and colonial history in the formation of current belief system, which is an essential step to study this …

Nawal Al Saadawi And Hanan Al Shaykh's Authorship: Between Arab And Western Reception, Diana M. Obeid

Institute for the Humanities Theses

When Lebanese author Layla Baalbaki wrote her novel A Space Ship of Tenderness to the Moon in 1964 about a woman's defiance to her husband's wishes and his way of maintaining societal customs and traditions, an avalanche of criticism was directed against her. She was accused of obscenity and was put on trial before a Lebanese Prosecutor. Baalbaki's experiences are symbolic of the paradoxical and contradictory reception many Arab female authors have received in the East and the West. In this thesis, I discuss this discrepancy of reception in the works of Nawal Al Saadawi and Hanan Al Shaykh, two …

Current Perspectives On Tunisian Sociolinguistics, Lotfi Sayahi

Languages, Literatures and Cultures Faculty Scholarship

Despite its small size (63,170 sq miles) and a rather small population with a stable growth rate,2 Tunisia represents a rich sociolinguistic laboratory with a long history of bilingualism and language contact. The delicate position of Berber, the diglossic situation of Arabic and the increasing efforts for Arabization, the regional and social variation in Tunisian Arabic, the presence of French, and the gradual spread of English, among other closely-related topics, constitute the core themes of research within Tunisian sociolinguistics. Since the publication of R. M. Payne’s Language in Tunisia in 1983, no attempt has been made to reassess the situation …

Hambatan Penerjemahan Teks Bahasa Arab Ke Dalam Bahasa Indonesia: Pengalaman Mahasiswa Sastra Arab Universitas Negeri Malang, Irhamni Irhamni

Bahasa dan Seni: Jurnal Bahasa, Sastra, Seni, dan Pengajarannya

This paper is intended to describe the results of a study focusing on students’ translation problems in translating Arabic texts into Indonesian. The problems result from students’ understanding and retelling (re-expressing) the results of that understanding during the translation process. In this study, the researcher applies a descriptive qualitative method. The results show that students’ problems in translation are closely related to (1) their understanding of linguistic and non-linguistic structures, and (2) their difficulties in retelling (re-expressing) the results of their reading regarding linguistic and non-linguistic issues.

Two Stories By Luay Hamza Abbas, Yasmeen S. Hanoosh

World Languages and Literatures Faculty Publications and Presentations

Closing His Eyes (Ighmadh al-‘Aynayn) is a collection of seventeen short stories written between 2003-2007. It is the fourth and latest collection of short stories by Iraqi novelist, literary critic and short story writer Luay Hamza Abbas (published by Azmina, Amman, 2008). Through this collection, Luay Hamza Abbas’ talent as a storyteller has been acknowledged with national and international awards. The most recent of these is the Iraqi Ministry of Culture Award for Creative Short Story (2010) for his story bearing the title of the collection. “Closing His Eyes” has also won the Kikah Best Short Story Award in London …

Character Education Seeking The Best Of Both Worlds: A Study Of Cultural Identity And Leadership In Egypt., Rania M Rafik Khalil, Nevien Mattar

English Language and Literature

No abstract provided.

Rise Of The Veil: Islamic Modernity And The Hui Woman, Zainab Khalid

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

The Hui are a familiar sight in most cities in China; famed for their qingzhen restaurants and their business acumen. Known usually as the “Chinese speaking Muslims,” they are separated from the nine other Muslim xiaoshu minzu by a reputation for assimilation and adaptability that is a matter of pride for Hui in urban areas.

A conversation with Hui women at Nancheng Mosque in Kunming revealed that they believed Hui to be at an advantage compared to other xiaoshu minzu because of their abilities to adapt and assimilate, “we are intelligent; we know what to do in order to survive …

Female Genital Mutilation: Policies To Encourage Abandonment, Melissa Arneson

Political Science Theses and Capstones

Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) also known as Female Genital Cutting (FGC) captured my interest the first time I heard about the practice. I assumed, wrongly, that it was only practiced in remote areas of Africa where educational opportunities were few and outside influences were nil. After researching the topic it is clear that is not the case. FGM is practiced in many countries in Africa, the Middle East, and around the world. It is a barbaric practice that has no religious significance and is incredibly harmful to women and their health, both mentally and physically. I focused my research on …

International Student Exchange Among Muslim Nations; Soft Power And Voting Alliances At The United Nations, Nambee Ragavan

Political Science Theses and Capstones

The main goal of this research is to analyze the impact of student exchange as a component of soft power in American foreign policy. Since September 11, 2001 there has been a significant increase in the number of Muslim international students enrolled in American institutions. In addition, there has been an increase in study abroad programs to predominantly Muslim countries by American students. I analyze the potential benefit to America’s foreign policy of accepting these international students and sending American students abroad. The measurement is whether or not the United States gets more support for measures it endorses in the …

Lanthorn, Vol. 45, No. 36, January 24, 2011, Grand Valley State University

Volume 45, July 8, 2010 - June 9, 2011

Lanthorn is Grand Valley State's student newspaper, published from 1968 to the present.

The Roots And Methodologies Of Contemporary Islamic Legal Reform, Eric Robert Trager

Theses and Dissertations

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Asia Pacific Perspectives Vol. 10 No. 1, May 2011, University Of San Francisco, University Of San Francisco

Asia Pacific Perspectives

Contents:

Editor's Introduction by John K. Nelson

The Contemporary Global Political and Economic Context for Interreligious Dialogue Including China and India by Eric Hanson

The recent political and economic advances of China and India, and their changing relationships to each other and to the rest of the world, constitute the most crucial long term national adjustments necessary in the current international system. The differences among religions of the book, religions of meditative experience, and religions of public life make it extremely difficult to use any understanding of religion in itself as the focal piece for such dialogue. Religion and Politics …

Modern Migration In Two Arabic Novels, Ikram Masmoudi

CLCWeb: Comparative Literature and Culture

In her article "Modern Migration in Two Arabic Novels" Ikram Masmoudi proposes that twentieth-century Arab fiction is marked by the theme of the journey in literal and figurative ways. This motif features the theme of departure and arrival through characters crossings borders from East to West and from the periphery to the center (i.e., the metropolis) in order to acquire knowledge, understanding, and empowerment and to get a sense of Western modernity. The departure and arrival of the main characters becomes the central aesthetic preoccupying with a focus on their arrival back home and their rediscovery of their own idea …

Writing As Resistance: Assia Djebar’S Vaste Est La Prison, Joyce Lazarus

Journal of International Women's Studies

This essay examines contemporary Algerian women’s condition, as it is articulated in Djebar’s autobiographical novel, Vaste est la prison (1995). After giving an overview of modern Algerian history, I offer a reading of Djebar’s novel that takes account of its potential to produce social change. This essay demonstrates that Djebar blurs the boundaries between autobiography, fiction and history in order to fully utilize the subversive potential of writing. Using the perspective of new historicism, I show how Djebar responds to her country’s unilateralism in language and its exclusion of women by her unique rhetorical strategies, in order to restore women’s …

Pembelajaran Bahasa Arab Melalui Aktiviti Lakonan Di Kalangan Pelajar Sekolah Menengah., Azani Ismail

Student Works (2010-2019)

This dissertation aims at investigating the role of role play in assisting Malay student to learn Arabic Language. The respondents of this study comprise the form four student of SMKA KL. This study focuses on the role play activity during the teaching and learning session of Arabic Language as well as the student communication skill. The objective of this study is to identify the student perception toward role play activity in learning Arabic in order to enhance the Arabic proficiency among them in four aspects namely, vocabulary, phonetics, sentence structure and communication strategies. Morever, this study also examines the level …

Abu Hayyan : Peranan Dan Kesannya Terhadap Nahu Arab., Abdul Hamid Sulaiman

Student Works (2010-2019)

This research is aimed to analyse the role of Abu Hayyan, a well-known scholar and expert of Arabic Grammar. He was a neutral mujtahid, capable of solving the intricacies of Arabic Grammar through the processes of tarjih, dissection, summarisation, rearrangement, composition, tafsir and ijtihad. Although he lived in an era of thousands of scholars and experts, his teachings was accepted by the community. Andalusia, the cradle of knowledge of the Islamic civilization at the time contributed immensely to Abu Hayyan’s development. His journeys throughout Northern Africa reinforced his knowledge gained in Andalusia, his wisdom attracted scholars and students alike at …

Persecution Of Coptic Christians In Modern Egypt, Alla Rubinstein

Human Rights & Human Welfare

The Christian community of Egypt dates back to the seventeenth century and comprises 12 per cent of the population today. As one of the oldest churches of the world, the Coptic Christian Church, first formed in Alexandria, has stood resilient and faithful to its traditions against intolerance, siege and persecutions. Having been present in most institutions of the state among the overwhelmingly Sunni-Muslim population, Copts are not new to the slow process of Islamization that Egypt has been undergoing for the last twenty years. What has been unique to the recent Coptic experience is the forced integration of Shari’a law …

Perbezaan Baris I'Rab Dan Kesannya Dalam Qira'at : Satu Kajian Dalam Surah Al-Baqarah., Al-Muslim Mustapa

Student Works (2010-2019)

This study aims at showing the relationship between i‘rab – one aspect of the Arabic linguistic sciences – and qira’at, which deals with the various i‘rab that exist in a particular qira’at. The i‘rab being studied is the formation of words inflection in the al- Quran according to the qira’at mutawatir. The study focuses on the effect these inflections have on the meaning the Quranic verses based on the various qira’at. This study outlines 3 objectives. First, the general relationship between Arabic language and qira’at. Second, the importance of i‘rab and its relationship with qira’at and its effects on meanings. …

Modern Mosques Of Malaysia, Wael A. Yousef

Archived Theses and Dissertations

No abstract provided.

“People Like Us” In Pursuit Of God And Rights: Islamic Feminist Discourse And Sisters In Islam In Malaysia, Yasmin Moll

Journal of International Women's Studies

This paper attempts to critically situate the discourse of Islamic feminism and its activist incarnations such as the Malaysian group Sisters in Islam within an analytical framework that seeks to look beyond the all-too-common trope of “multiple modernities.” The paper examines the conditions of possibility enabling such groups and discourses, looking in particular at the modern nation-state, and the imbrications of social discourses of rights and religious discourses of individual belief within this state. I argue that the repertoires of reasoning called forth by Sisters in Islam partake in the objectifying rationalities of the Malaysian state when it comes to …

Introduction: Gender And Islam In Asia, Huma Ahmed-Ghosh

Journal of International Women's Studies

No abstract provided.

Political Science Fall 2009, Dan Sabia

Political Science Newsletter Fall 2009

No abstract provided.

Lanthorn, Vol. 44, No. 08, September 21, 2009, Grand Valley State University

Volume 44, July 8, 2009 - June 10, 2010

Lanthorn is Grand Valley State's student newspaper, published from 1968 to the present.

Grand Valley Forum, Volume 034, Number 03, September 14, 2009, Grand Valley State University

2009-2010, Volume 34

Grand Valley Forum is Grand Valley State's faculty and staff newsletter, published from 1976 to the present.

Grand Valley Forum, Volume 034, Number 01, September 1, 2009, Grand Valley State University

2009-2010, Volume 34

Grand Valley Forum is Grand Valley State's faculty and staff newsletter, published from 1976 to the present.