Islamic World and Near East History Commons^™

The Problem With Nuclear Diplomacy: Jimmy Carter And Pakistan's Nuclear Program, Brittany Raymer

Masters Theses

A detailed history of Pakistan's attempt to build the atomic bomb in the 1970s and Jimmy Carter's reaction to the tense diplomatic situation.

Dendroclimatic Reconstruction From Bald Cypress In Southwestern Indiana, Robin Lyn Van De Veer

All-Inclusive List of Electronic Theses and Dissertations

In the United States, bald cypress (Taxodium distichum) is generally recognized as an important component of the forested wetlands found in the Southwestern Coastal Plain and the Mississippi River Valley (which extends to the southern Midwest). The lifespan of this deciduous species is important not only commercially, but also in an ecological capacity. This study focuses mainly upon the role the tree plays in its environment and how it can be used as an indicator of climate through drought/flood signals in the rings. Bald cypress is a long-lived tree that can be over 1000 years old and is sensitive to …

"All The Crises Reached A Concerted Crescendo" - The Arab Oil Embargo And Why The United States Was Unprepared For It, Jonathan D. Chilcote

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

During the 2008 spike in oil prices, oil companies and government officials were brought under close scrutiny as many Americans began to question why prices were able to rise so quickly. Americans had become accustomed to living in an economy where cheap oil was the norm, and demanded answers when that situation changed. What most of them did not know is that they were repeating history and mimicking the response to the 1973 oil embargo. Just as in 2008, the United States faced a crisis in 1973 with which it was unprepared to effectively cope. This thesis analyzes the reasons …

Brothers At Odds: Rival Islamic Movements In Late Nineteenth Century New York City, Brent D. Singleton

Library Faculty Publications & Presentations

In late 1893, the nascent Indian-backed American Islamic Propaganda movement, led by Mohammed Alexander Russell Webb, fell into discord. Emin L. Nabakoff and John A. Lant left the movement and formed their own Muslim group, the First Society for the Study of Islam in America. For the next two years the leaders of the bitter rival organizations continued to conduct business. However, they also fought a very public war of words in the newspapers, leveling charges and countercharges against each other’s character, integrity, and Islamic legitimacy. The quarrel spread abroad to India and Britain where each side tried to gain …

What Are America’S Obligations To Iraq After An Unjust War?, Brian Stiltner

Philosophy, Theology and Religious Studies Faculty Publications

Since the goal of a just war is to restore a political condition of peace and justice, and since allowing a just war is always a mournful concession to the reality of injustice, a country that wins a war has post-bellum obligations to advance the common good within the losing nation and among the community of nations. It has the moral duty to make up for the damage it has caused, even if it was justified in causing that damage. (Note that the idea of a "just" war is not that war is a good in itself, but that it …

The Moslem World: A History Of America’S Earliest Islamic Newspaper And Its Successors, Brent D. Singleton

Library Faculty Publications & Presentations

In the spring of 1893, The Moslem World debuted as America's first Islamic publication. The paper was to be the centerpiece in Mohammed Alexander Russell Webb's Indian backed American Islamic Propaganda mission to the United States. Despite near unanimous praise from critics with regard to the printing quality of the paper, there was a mixed reaction to the paper's contents and Webb's scheme in general. The paper was only published for seven issues before financial shortfalls from India doomed the ambitious publication. As well, internal strife within Webb's movement hampered efforts to regain the necessary funding to carry on publication …

Minarets In Dixie: Two 1893 Proposals To Introduce Islam In The American South, Brent D. Singleton

Library Faculty Publications & Presentations

In May 1893, Mohammed Alexander Russell Webb, an American convert to Islam, communicated with landowners in Florida, Georgia, and Alabama to purchase property in order to establish colonies of Muslim Indian immigrants. A month earlier, Julius Chambers, a New York newspaper editor, put forth a call to convert the masses of African Americans in the South to Islam. This essay describes the two Islamization schemes, their interrelation, and their ultimate demise. Drawing mainly from Southern newspapers, the resultant press reaction both in support of and in opposition to Webb’s immigration plan is also presented. The essay is a starting point …

Plaque In Christ Chapel, Amanda C. Caligiuri

Hidden in Plain Sight Projects

We see them every day and pass them as we rush to class. Painting, monuments, and even old photographs that remind us of Gettysburg’s past. They have become so commonplace that we hardly spare a second glance for them so that they start to fade into the general scenery, eventually losing their meaning and with that, the rich history that they denote. What if one could turn back the clock and return to the beginning of freshman year when every sign and monument was new, worth our attention and more importantly, our curiosity? Although Gettysburg College is well steeped in …

Rethinking The Iraq War, Brian Stiltner

Philosophy, Theology and Religious Studies Faculty Publications

The reasonable possibility of the situation getting worse [in Iraq] rather than better should have given humanitarian advocates for war, like myself, greater pause. For me at that time, this humanitarian motive bolstered what was weak in the weapons argument, and vice versa. But now I realize that a partial case for war because of the weapons risk and a partial case for war under humanitarian reasons don't add up to an air-tight case for just war. Each of the causes proffered has to be reasonable with little doubt-something like 90 to 95 percent certain-and they can't be undermined by …

The Justice Of War On Iraq, Brian Stiltner

Philosophy, Theology and Religious Studies Faculty Publications

The author argues that the U.S. and its partners have rightly arrived at war on Iraq as a just and necessary last resort. The potential problems with the just-war case are notable, particularly concerning the after-effects of the war, but they do not incurably undermine the case for going to war. Instead, both supporters and critics of the war around the world should strive to keep their governments committed to post-war reconstruction and a transition to a free and stable government in Iraq. Several just war criteria, particularly as these are articulated in the Catholic tradition, are used to assess …

The Ummah Slowly Bled: A Select Bibliography Of Enslaved African Muslims In The Americas And The Caribbean, Brent D. Singleton

Library Faculty Publications & Presentations

No abstract provided.

The Eisenhower Administration And Allied Relations During The Suez Canal Crisis Of 1956, Gregory D. Colburn

History Theses & Dissertations

The Suez Canal Crisis of 1956 illustrated a potentially harmful dichotomy in Dwight D. Eisenhower's foreign policy goals. Eisenhower relied on the support of America's major allies, the British and the French to resist Communist influence throughout the world. In addition, Eisenhower felt it necessary to "win over" the developing nations of the world by supporting their anti-colonialist struggles and trying to bring the rising tide of nationalism into line with American policy. These two goals came into conflict during the Suez Crisis. By using various governmental sources as well as the memoirs of key figures in the governments of …

The Failure Of United States Foreign Policy In Egypt 1953-1956, Patrick Bruce Lowrey

History Theses & Dissertations

In 1953 the incoming Eisenhower administration deemed the Middle East region to be of strategic value. Egypt was viewed as an integral part of the administration's containment policy in the region directed at the Soviet Union. A major effort was made by Eisenhower and Dulles to court. the newly emerging leadership of Egypt with economic inducements and military equipment. By the fall of 1956 this policy had failed in its primary objective of keeping Soviet influence out of the region. Eisenhower and Dulles feared Egypt was in danger of becoming a client state of the Soviet Union; and, their policy …

The Truman Administration, Israel, And Containment In The Middle East 1945-1952, Leslie Tarbutton

History Theses & Dissertations

This thesis examines United States policy towards Israel from 1948 to 1952 to determine the extent to which the support given to Israel during the Truman administration reflected the major United States policy goal in the Middle East, the containment of the Soviet Union.

Sources used in this thesis include: archival material; printed collections of documents; memoirs; and secondary sources.

The Truman administration pursued containment in the Middle East by cooperating with Great Britain to improve the economic and military well-being of the Arab states so they could resist any Soviet attempts to dominate the region. However, domestic political pressure …

American Indian Movement And The United Methodist Church: Presented To United Methodist General Conference, American Indian Movement

Iran and the Hostage Crisis

This nine-page typed document was written by members of the American Indian Movement addressing the United Methodist Church at a general conference held on April 22, 1980. It criticizes the way the church handles interactions with Native American groups, primarily because it does not give them administrative control over the funding for their programs. It also accuses the Church of effectively sabotaging the Hostage Mail Exchange Service due to the recall of John Adams from Tehran at a crucial moment.

The document contains a resolution in support of the Native American Study Committee and calls on the Church to establish …

Draft Call To Repentance And Prayer For Iran And The United States, United Methodist Church

Iran and the Hostage Crisis

This three page typed draft document is a call to prayer and repentance for Christians in the United States on Ash Wednesday, 1980. The first page argues that the American Church must seek repentance for its complacency and acceptance of United States support for Mohammed Reza Shah Pahlavi, who oppressed the people of Iran for many years. The following pages contain a prayer that asks for forgiveness and compassion towards the people of Iran.

Letter From William A. Means To President Abolhassan Banisadr, William A. Means

Iran and the Hostage Crisis

This is a typed one-page letter sent circa February 16, 1980 by William A. Means, member of the International Indian Treaty Council, to Abolhassan Banisadr, President of the Islamic Republic of Iran. The letter claims that the Hostage Mail Exchange Service has exposed efforts of the White House and State Department to prolong the hostage crisis for political purposes. Means seeks continued support for the Exchange Service, noting that it is useful for exposing the lies of the United States government.

Letter From John Thomas And John P. Adams To Members Of The Revolutionary Council Of Iran, John Thomas, John P. Adams

Iran and the Hostage Crisis

This is a five-page typed letter sent circa February 16, 1980 from John Thomas and John P. Adams to the President and Foreign Minister of Iran. The letter gives thanks to the Muslim students for allowing contact between the hostages and their families through the Mail Exchange Service sponsored by the International Indian Treaty Council. It requests that the hostages be released to the care of the Treaty Council and explains plans of the United Methodist Church to engage with the crisis.

Letter From James K. Mathews To John P. Adams, James K. Mathews

Iran and the Hostage Crisis

This is a one-page typed letter, circa February 11, 1980, by Bishop James K. Mathews to John P. Adams to convey a message to Imam Khomeini. Mathews sends his regards to the Iranian people on the first anniversary of their revolution. He notes that on Ash Wednesday, February 20th, many Americans will be praying for the people of Iran who have suffered due to the oppressive regime. The letter also calls for the release of American hostages under the premise of mercy, while acknowledging the injustices brought upon Iran by United States policies.

Letter From Rafeeuddin Ahmed To John P. Adams, February 7, 1980, Rafeeuddin Ahmed

Iran and the Hostage Crisis

This is a one-page typed letter from Under-Secretary-General of the United Nations Rafeeuddin Ahmed to John P. Adams, sent on February 7, 1980. Ahmed sends his thanks to Adams on behalf of Secretary-General Kurt Waldheim for the work being done with the Hostage Mail Exchange Service, sponsored by the International Indian Treaty Council.

A Troubled Background: Some Notes On U.S. – Iranian Relations, 1953-1979, United Methodist Church

Iran and the Hostage Crisis

This two-page typed background document was created by the Center for Theology and Public Policy of the United Methodist Church in 1980 to provide context for the Iran Hostage Crisis. It contains a brief history of United States-Iranian relations, with the purpose of explaining the anti-U.S. sentiment of the nationalist revolution. Among other things, this document briefly discusses the U.S. backed coup in Iran, the Shah's close relationship with the U.S., and the rampant corruption and oppression of the Shah's regime.

A Call To Repentance And Prayer For Iran And The United States, Ralph T. Alton, James K. Matthews

Iran and the Hostage Crisis

This four-page typed copied document is the final version of "A Call to Repentance and Prayer for Iran and the United States," which urged United Methodist Church Bishops to ask their churches to observe Ash Wednesday 1980 as "a day of repentance and intercession for the U.S. and Iran." The American Church is called to confess its complicity in supporting the U.S. government's backing of Shah Pahlavi. A brief history of United States-Iranian relations is also presented, along with a prayer asking for forgiveness and compassion towards the people of Iran.

Message From John Thomas To Students At The Embassy, John Thomas

Iran and the Hostage Crisis

This four-page photocopied handwritten document is a letter from John Thomas to the Muslim students occupying the American Embassy in Iran. The letter, sent circa February 1980, provides updates from Thomas on the Hostage Mail Exchange Service. He recounts difficulties with the press, describes his progress and safety, and shares next steps.

A Working Agreement For The Release Of The Hostages Held At The Embassy Of The United States In Teheran, Iran, International Indian Treaty Council

Iran and the Hostage Crisis

This six-page document is a copy of a draft agreement proposed by the International Indian Treaty Council for the release of American hostages held in the United States Embassy in Tehran, Iran. The document, created circa February 1980, proposes that, under the leadership of Russell Means, the hostages be released into the temporary custody of the International Indian Treaty Council in the United States. It also requests amnesty for the students who took the hostages and proposes discussions be held between Iran and the United States in the spirit of future cooperation between the two countries.

Memorandum On The Hostage Mail Exchange Service, United Methodist Church

Iran and the Hostage Crisis

This is a three-page typed memorandum issued by the Board of Church and Society of the United Methodist Church, circa January 26, 1980. The memo provides background on the establishment of the Hostage Mail Exchange Service as well as its objectives and funding source. It provides locations of drop points for mail as well as the immediate schedule of deliveries made by John Thomas, noting that all mail is non-political, hand delivered and read by the Muslim students holding the U.S. Embassy before delivery.

International Indian Treaty Council Press Release, January 22, 1980, Michael S. Haney, William Thomas

Iran and the Hostage Crisis

This is a typed two-page press release issued by the International Indian Treaty Council on January 22, 1980. The document addresses controversy surrounding the Hostage Mail Exchange Service, noting that the hostages asked John Thomas to carry out the delivery of mail to families in the United States. It states that the Treaty Council was entrusted with this humanitarian mission because of its standing in the international community.

International Indian Treaty Council Press Release, January 18, 1980, International Indian Treaty Council

Iran and the Hostage Crisis

This is a typed one-page press release issued by the International Indian Treaty Council on January 18, 1980. The document provides a list of the states where mail from hostages held in the American Embassy in Tehran was delivered by John Thomas.

Letter From Karl H. Hertz To West European Members Of The Central Committee, January 7, 1980, Karl H. Hertz

Iran and the Hostage Crisis

This is a one-page typed letter from Karl Hertz, Director of the Ecumenical Institute of the World Council of Churches in Geneva, to West European members of the Central Committee. The letter, sent January 7, 1980, informs the recipients of an opportunity for John P. Adams of the United Methodist Church to consult with European member churches on the subject of conflict resolution.

Letter From Karl H. Hertz To John P. Adams, January 4, 1980, Karl H. Hertz

Iran and the Hostage Crisis

This is a one-page typed letter from Karl H. Hertz, Director of the Ecumenical Institute of the World Council of Churches in Geneva, to John P. Adams, Director of Community Relations of the United Methodist Church. The letter, sent on January 4, 1980, refers to a communication sent to all members of the Central Committee and notes the restraint of President Carter during the hostage crisis.

Imam Khomeini’S Message To The Christians Of The World, Rouhollah Moussavi Khomeini

Iran and the Hostage Crisis

This typed document is a message from the Imam Khomeini on December 23, 1979, distributed by the Islamic Republic Party. The message addresses several different groups such as Christians, oppressed people, and the United States. The document criticizes President Carter for his actions related to Iran, makes a plea for all oppressed people to rise up, and asks for the deposed Shah to be given to Iran. One side of this document has the message in English while the other side is written in Arabic.