LECTURES 1 and 2; Commentaries
Comment on the first two lectures on The Middle East. Some of the enduring questions are:
- What perspectives might be useful in studying the Middle East?
- What issues must we highlight in our analyses?
- What is your perception of the forces and issues?
- How is the Middle East a major locus of origin of our complex world systems of conflict?
posted by Dr. AZLY RAHMAN at
12:28 PM
2 Comments:
These are insightful comments on our approach to the study of this region. You raised very interesting points on the role of religion in the process of social transformation. Indeed, religion/culture, technologies, and a materialist conception of politics continue to shape the Middle East.
The region, like others, continues to be transformed. But I am interested in us exploring the national-psychological dimension/process of this transfromation, i.e. the transcultural flow of ideas into the minds of the inhabitants of the Middle East.
We often study "countries" and "states" and "governments" as entities and constructs, but a good departure and perspective for our dialogue would be a transdisciplinary-dialogical approach that takes into consideration the issues of power/knowledge, ideology, culture-industry, and complex systems of command and control.
One question, as you raise, is the question of "secularization". What does this mean? In what way is this process enabling or disabling to the advancement of human progress in the Middle East? What connotation does "secularization" carry?
In short, we can look at how ideas are inscribed onto the material and mental landscape of the region, through the institutionalization of ideologies that have evolved throughout history.
What do others in this forum think?
I liked your questions, Haddad. You raise very important issues concerning the nature of Islam itself -- is it spiritual, political, theocratical, etc.
There seems to be many conflicting interpretations as to how its believers ought to do with the setting up of "an Islamic state".
What kind of Islamic state does Islam demand? -- what do all of you think?
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