Near Eastern Languages and Societies Commons^™

Impartiality Reconsidered: Al Jazeera And Jessica Lynch, Ashley M. Sankari

The Purdue Historian

Al Jazeera’s coverage of the United States’ wars in the Middle East was controversial and attracted American accusations of propaganda. It is argued in this essay that Al Jazeera reporting was, in fact, more accurate and reliable than American media outlets during the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq. Using the incident of Private Jessica Lynch’s 2003 capture in Iraq, examination of the reporting of Al Jazeera ultimately demonstrated the impartial and critical nature of Al Jazeera reporting.

Arab Women Writers As Revolutionary Orators And Catalytic Agents Of Emancipation, Safaa S. Nasser

CLCWeb: Comparative Literature and Culture

In her article "Contemporary Egyptian and Palestinian Women's Writing as 'Committed Literature'" Safaa S. Nasser discusses the role of Arab women writers whose works were harbingers of the Arab Spring of 2011. Nasser's analysis demonstrate that the majority of Arab women writers acted as agents of feminist action and social change through their critique of patriarchal, phallocentric domi-nation and through their call for a secular sensibility. Their works demonstrate the symbiotic relation-ship between political, national, and feminist struggle for equality between genders. To exemplify this revolutionary perspective, Nasser analyzes texts by Nawal El Saadawi, Ahdaf Soueif, Salwa Bakr, Saki-na Fuad, …

TawḥĪDic Allah Or The Trinity In View Of Inherent Human Relatedness, Brian Scalise

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This dissertation is an inquiry into the nature of the Deity in view of human relationships. Human relationships exist and are definitive of what it means to exist as a human. In this sense, human relating is an inherent aspect of the experience of humanity, i.e., they are inescapable. Does the Christian doctrine of Trinity or Islam's doctrine of Tawhidic (monadic) Allah more adequately account for the existence of human relationships and their inescapability? This question is analyzed by comparing the Tawhidic nature of Allah with the Trinitarian nature of God in order to evaluate and clarify which doctrine is …

Developing Attitudes Toward Learning Arabic As A Foreign Language Among American University And College Students, Martin Isleem

Faculty Contributions to Books

This study investigates the developing attitudes of American university and college students toward learning Arabic as a Foreign Language. The primary goal of this examination is to shed light on the ways in which students' attitudes toward learning Arabic affect their motivation to learn the language, as well as their commitment to learning it. A secondary goal of this study is to reveal students' perceptions of the use of both Spoken and Standard Arabic in the classroom, and what effect their perceptions may have on their developing attitudes toward Arabic, and their motivation to learn the language and study its …

Latinas Converting To Islam In New York: Habitus’ Influence In Modern Identity Formation, Amalia Alonzo

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

This paper explores the topic of religious conversion in relation to Pierre Bourdieu's theory of habitus, with a focus on Catholic Latina converts to Sunni Islam. Bourdieu suggests that these types of religious choices are not choices at all, but predetermined by an individual's history, culture, and setting. That is, an individual already has dispositions that are taken for granted. While this study's participants report that Islam is a new religion for them and not a continuation of their Catholic faith (as habitus would suggest,) this study shows that these converts retain dispositions that are consistent with their previous religious …

Brothers In Motion: Religious Practice, Political Action, And The Mobilization Of The Early Muslim Brotherhood, Ian Henry Vandermeulen

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

In light of Randy Martin's proposal to use dance as an analytic tool for understanding social movements, this article seeks to reconstruct the early mobilization of the Muslim Brotherhood as "bodies in motion." Through a re-examination of both primary and secondary source material, this study highlights the ways in which founder Hasan al-Banna appropriated both Islamic and colonial choreographic logics into the Muslim Brotherhood's pious training regimen, scouting programs, political expression, and social welfare projects. I argue that the Muslim Brotherhood was mobilized through al-Banna's revival of traditional Islamic practices concerning the body, reconfigured for the goal not of otherworldly …

Integration Or Interrogation? Franco-Maghrebi Rap And Hip-Hop Culture In Marseille, Jenna Catherine Daley

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

This paper focuses on rap and hip-hop music that is produced from Franco-Maghrebi communities living in Marseille. The discussion revolves around the question of how rap music helps these communities to assimilate into French culture. The conclusion is two-fold. Marseille, as a city whose urban planning promotes physical assimilation of immigrants with French-born citizens, performs as an integrative force for these communities. Additionally, rap simultaneously assists Franco-Maghrebis in integrating into and subverting from French society. Franco-Maghrebi rappers integrate by becoming a part of mainstream French culture. Yet, they also subvert by extraordinarily placing race and discrimination at the forefront of …

Sentiment And Geopolitics In The Formulation And Realization Of The Balfour Declaration, Janko Scepanovic

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

The 1917 Balfour Declaration remains perhaps one of the furthest reaching British policy statements. It laid foundation for the establishment of a Jewish national home in Palestine, and was ever since perceived by some as the source of the subsequent Arab-Jewish conflict in Palestine. The Declaration was also interpreted in certain circles as a desperate wartime measure of the British government which hoped to turn the tide of the costly war against Germany by making promises to supposedly influential worldwide Jewish community. However, the Balfour Declaration was more than that. It was a continuation of parallel British geostrategic and humanitarian …

Informal Institutions And Women’S Rights In Afghanistan, Mariam Amiri

Masters Theses

In political science a lot of attention is given to institutions and their role in shaping behaviors in a polity and society. In this thesis I examine the conflict between formal and informal institutions. I believe in many societies informal institutions play a major role in shaping political behavior. In Afghanistan these informal institutions can easily undermine formal institutions. Many of the studies that are conducted about informal institutions in Afghanistan have prized them for being capable of dealing with different problems. However, it is also important to find out whether the way they deal with different problems and solve …

Al'riq: The Arab Tambourine, Nathaniel Stottlemyer

Masters Theses

The riq (plural: riqat) is a small tambourine measuring 22cm - 25cm in diameter and approximately 5cm - 7cm in depth. The instrument consists of ten pairs of brass, bronze or copper jingles inserted equidistantly around the frame in two rows, held in place by metal pins. It is traditionally fitted with a natural skin head, usually fish, however modern riqat often utilize a variety of tuning systems, making the use of synthetic skins possible. Several names for the instrument exist historically. Historical variations of the riq appear frequently in Islamic art. The riq is performed with exceptional dynamic contrast …

A Form In The Road: U.S. Foreign Policy And The Path Toward Globalization In The Middle East, 1945-2014, Joshua P. Brotka

History Theses

This thesis examines the history of U.S. foreign policy in the Middle East since 1945. From the start of the Cold War immediately following the conclusion of WWII and up to the present day (2014), U.S. policy has been subject to many revisions and simultaneously, upheld national security measures. As the world heads toward an era where globalization is most prevalent, the United States will have to make drastic decisions regarding its foreign policy in the Middle East. Its alliance with Israel, oil interests, Islamic fundamentalism, an evolving Muslim society, and supporting a national security agenda has forced the United …

Factors Affecting The Probability Of Acoustic Detection And Site Occupancy Of Bats In Central Indiana, Zachary David Epping Kaiser

All-Inclusive List of Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Documenting the presence of rare bat species can be difficult. The current summer survey protocol for the federally endangered Indiana bat (Myotis sodalis) requires passive acoustic sampling with directional microphones (e.g., Anabats), but there are still questions about best practices for choosing survey sites and appropriate detector models. Indiana bats are capable of foraging in an array of cover types, including structurally-complex, interior forests. Further, data acquisition among different commercially available bat detectors is likely highly variable, due to the use of proprietary microphones with different frequency responses, sensitivities, and directionality. We paired omnidirectional Wildlife Acoustic SM2BAT+ (SM2) and directional …

Joseph Smith As A Student Of Languages, Stephen Owen Smoot, Dr. Stephen D. Ricks

Journal of Undergraduate Research

During his prophetic career, Joseph Smith spent considerable time and effort towards the study of both modern and ancient languages. Historical evidence indicates that Joseph studied, or at least expressed interest in studying, Hebrew, Greek, Egyptian, Latin, and German. Although his study of these languages was evidently limited, and although he never became proficient in these languages, Joseph Smith nevertheless employed his understanding of these languages in his doctrinal discourses that in many instances led him to formulate creative theological innovations. Although he wasn’t a skilled linguist, and his understanding of some of these languages (particularly Hebrew and Egyptian) was …

This Wall Speaks: Graffiti And The Location Of Transnational Space Palestine, Ashley Toenjes

Theses and Dissertations

Extant literature on the Palestinian-Israeli separation wall privileges the wall's function in border-making, while ignoring other discursive and spacial functions it fulfills. My thesis reaches beyond the border-making function of the wall, resituating it as a node among different spacial networks of activism, tourism, and electronic media. My paper argues that Palestinian tactical use of graffiti on the separation wall traverses these spatial networks and provides a case for us to consider graffiti not only as a process which links these networks, but also as a discursive tool through which Palestinians appeal to transnational actors, particularly those who are complicit …

Let's Talk About It: Muslim Journeys, Booth Library

Booth Library Programs

Photo galleries and supporting exhibits can be found on the MUSLIM JOURNEYS exhibit page.

Exhibit Dates

This exhibit was displayed at Booth Library January 29 - April 15, 2014

Arts Outreach In The Middle East, Matthias Clark

Masters Theses

After centuries of debate and discussion regarding the value and appropriateness of arts in the Middle East, specifically music, many indigenous people have recently pursued active roles in championing indigenous and international arts toward social reform, identity formation, and spiritual development. This shift in use and function of the arts has been reflected in some groundbreaking attempts of using arts in contextualized forms that have impacted spiritual communities. This study is designed to compare two specific case studies that exemplify these shifts: the "School of Worship and Music" and the "Creative Center". These organizations will be analyzed and compared in …

Isaiah’S Use Of The Second Person Feminine Pronoun And Verb Form In The Hebrew Text, Lisa Steinmetz, Dr. Donald W. Parry

Journal of Undergraduate Research

My research on Isaiah is still an ongoing project that I have been working on since January 1999. As of August 1999, I have identified all Hebrew passages in the Masoretic text of Isaiah in which the second person pronoun or verb form varies in gender from the simple English “you” that one reads in the Holy Bible. I accomplished this by systematically reviewing the Hebrew text of Isaiah and documenting any gender changes in the second person pronoun or verb form. I plan to compile my work into a simple, organized format that is easy to read so that …

Newspaper Readership And Education Level In Egypt, Colin Harlow, Dr. R. Kirk Belnap

Journal of Undergraduate Research

Egypt has produced some of the greatest literature in the world and is quite known for its magnificent language, Arabic. Arabic is a symbol itself of the Arab’s society and has always been considered more than a form of communication, that is the writing itself is a form of art and Arabs learn from the beginning to write this language in a celebrated prose form that can be seen in the Qur’an and most serious works of literature. This form of writing, called Classical Arabic, or fuSHa, is, in itself, different than the colloquial spoken Arabic that differs according to …

The Aesthetic Of Loneliness In Japanese Art & Literature, Jack Stoneman, Dr. Van C. Gessel

Journal of Undergraduate Research

Though we know Japan today for its herd mentality and uncanny ability to squash individuality, at times in its history, this homogeneous country has produced lonely aesthetes who created a world apart from what we would call mainstream culture. I have looked at three such expressions in Japanese art and literature:

1. Kamo no Ch©mei’s thirteenth-century diary H©j©ki, 2. Muromachi period (1336-1603) scholarly scroll painting, 3. Momoyama period (late sixteenth century) Raku tea ware.

Retelling Obasuteyama: The Value Of Alternative Medical Institutions In Japan, Benjamin E. Mizukawa, Dr. Leslie Williams

Journal of Undergraduate Research

My original proposal suggested alternative medical institutions appearing in response to Japan’s swelling elderly population provide a desirable option to both the elderly and their families in a society where multi-generation households are common yet strained. Rather than being a repository for useless old people, like the “Obasute” mountain in the Japanese folk tale, such institutions provide the elderly with meaningful socialization and activity while easing tension between them and the family that tends them at home. Accomplishing this simultaneously with regular supervision of health and chronic pain demonstrates an intact value towards respecting and caring for the elderly. Accordingly, …

Finance And Empire: 'Gentlemanly Capitalism' In Britain's Occupation Of Egypt, Jared Paul Iacolucci

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

Toward the beginning of the nineteenth century, Egypt was being led by Mehmed Ali, a reformer eager to build his own dynastic state separate from the Ottoman Empire. Despite his achievements, by the end of the nineteenth century Egypt had been occupied by Great Britain for nearly two decades. This paper will examine the developments in Egypt and Great Britain that drew the two together, with particular emphasis on the growth and expansion of international finance into foreign government lending. As finance became an increasingly profitable career in Britain, financiers entered the gentlemanly class and socialized with the political elite. …

Not By Accident: How Egyptian Civil Society Successfully Launched A Revolution, Helen-Margaret Nasser

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

This thesis examines the role of civil society in Egypt and argues that it was central to the success of the 2011 revolution that ended in the ouster of President Hosni Mubarak. I will discuss the development of civil society under Mubarak and demonstrate its strength. In understanding civil society in Egypt, this thesis will discuss the strengths of groups such as associations, Islamist movements, women's groups, labor activism, and youth movements. I also demonstrate that it is important to understand the precedents established that shaped the state's stance towards civil society. As such, this thesis will also discuss the …

From Backlash To Mobilization: Muslim American Prayer Spaces In Post-9/11 New York, George E. Melissinos

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

This paper argues that Muslim Americans mobilized against the threat of backlash post-9/11 through the creation of new prayer spaces and maintenance of prayer spaces already in existence before the terrorist attacks. I suggest that the successful mobilization of prayer spaces continues to provide a mechanism of support and unity against backlash for Muslim Americans in New York City since the events of September 11, 2001. I also explore how ineffective mobilization efforts, such as demonstrated by the Park51 project, fail to protect the Muslim American community against backlash.

Performing Modernity In Turkey: Conflicts Of Masculinity, Sexuality, And The Köçek Dancer, Brittany Giselle Haynes

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

This thesis reexamines the history of the köçek dancer in Turkey and thereby opens modern heteronormative constructs of masculinity and sexuality to contestation, particularly as they have been symbolically embodied by the rural population of Anatolia. It traces the evolution of the köçek dancer from the early modern Ottoman Empire when the dancer embodied notions of divine love and the ideal of beauty as a young male object of adult men's desires. In the nineteenth century, perceptions of the köçek began to change, primarily among Ottoman elites, whose modernization efforts were influenced by the European gaze and travelers' Orientalist interpretations …

An Examination Of Western Representation Of The Muslim Brotherhood Through Various Media Outlets, Popular Literature And How Has Recent History And Outside Influences Affected The Viewpoint Presented To The Public?, Lynn Andrew Perkins

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

In depth study of Western media's coverage of the rise to power of the Muslim Brotherhood in Egypt after the fall of former president Hosni Mubarak in February 2011. Not only using key events between the West/ United States and the Middle East over the last 40 years to show how current events are reported but also investigating where and how the media receives their information to report. The outside and internal influences put upon western media are also under investigation in this paper and how those influences insure that their own interests supersede that of complete and accurate reporting …

Syrian Arabic Synonyms, Jeremy Leland Palmer, Dr. Dil Parkinson

Journal of Undergraduate Research

In Arabic there is a fundamental schism between the formal standard language and the scores of dialects spoken throughout Middle Eastern countries. Nearly all newspapers, magazines and television programs throughout the Middle East exclusively utilize the formal standard language. In contrast, the spoken dialects are rarely recorded in a written or audio format, even though they are what the people of the Middle East actually use in daily communication. Unfortunately, most grammar books and dictionaries are only available in the formal variant. The dearth of colloquial language-learning materials causes extreme difficulty for students who want to become more familiar with …

The Quintessence Of Tian In Classical Chinese Literature, Richard Torgerson, Dr. David Honey

Journal of Undergraduate Research

Tian, commonly translated as Heaven, was the core of religious and political ideology during the beginning of the Zhou dynasty.ⁱ The Zhou dynasty (1027- 221 BC) was a period started and shaped by a belief in Tian, Tianming (the right to rule bestowed by Heaven), and the Tianzi (the emperor – or son of Heaven). But just what, or who, was Tian to the Chinese during the Zhou dynasty? During this study I examined five modern and five ancient scholars’ views concerning Tian. I utilized Classical Chinese texts and numerous translations, with a special focus on the Book of …

The Journals Of Reba Booth, First Lds Sister Missionary To The Middle East, Laura R. Ostler, Dr. James A. Toronto

Journal of Undergraduate Research

Even before September 11, 2001 exploded the region onto global consciousness, the Middle East had a special fascination for members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Church doctrine ties modern Saints with ancient Israel. The “gathering of Israel” is a topic commonly discussed in formal and informal LDS gatherings. In fact, this interest has existed since the Church began; a Latter-day Saint dedicated the Holy Land only a few years after the Church was officially organized.

Poetic Parallelism Of The Isaiah Scroll And The Book Of Mormon: Contributions To The King James Version, Mindy J. Anderson, Dr. Donald W. Parry

Journal of Undergraduate Research

The aim of this research is to show where the Book of Mormon Isaiah texts and the Isaiah Scroll complete parallelisms in the King James translation of Isaiah. The following represents a summary of my findings.

The Effects Of Modern Standard Arabic Immersion Programs Versus Traditional Preschool Attendance On The Reading And Composition Scores Of Arab Children, Jennifer Eschler, Dr. R. Kirk Belnap

Journal of Undergraduate Research

While Modern Standard Arabic (MSA) is used for schooling and for writing in the Arab world, it is not the oral means of communication. Several dialects of Arabic exist. Each of these is related to Modern Standard Arabic, but vocabulary and some basic grammar rules differ according to geographic location. Although primary schools are conducted in MSA, most preschool instruction is in the local dialect or there is a combination of dialect and MSA with the amount of MSA varying according to school and instructor.