Islam and the West

1
Islam and the West

• Major Themes and Identities

2
Muslims and Population

• 1.3 Billion Muslims in the world today
• Islam fasted growing religion
• 50 Muslim states
• Large Muslim minorities in West 30 Million and
  growing
• globalization shrinks time and space
• Interdependence and global connections through
  media, transport, communications, and economics
  make understanding between Islam and The West
  crucial

3
Four Central Global Concerns

• SECURITY
• ECONOMY AND PROSPERITY
• IDENTITY
• JUSTICE

4
Shared Values between Islam and West?

• Respect for knowledge
• Concern for justice
• Concern for less privileged
• Love or centrality of Family
• Concern for here and now

5
Fears of Muslims

• Legacy of Colonialism and Neo-Colonialism
• 1. Westerners colonized Muslims politically in
  19th century (demise of Ottoman Empire)
• 2. Westerners have colonized Muslims culturally
  and economically in 20th and 21st century
• 3. values of materialism, cover-ups,
  individualism, wastefulness, lies, sex, and
  violence
• 4. clash between Western greed and Muslim faith

6
Fears of West

• Islamic fundamentalism and terrorism
• Spread of theocratic regimes, challenging the
  secular state
• Difficulty accepting Muslims desire to balance
  matters of the world (dunya) with ideas of
  religion (din)
• Fear of Islam spreading threatening Western
  values and democracy

7
Commonly misunderstood Arabic words

• Ummah bond that transcends tribal, ethnic,
  identities
• Jihad
• Fatwa formal opinion or decision on a point of
  Islamic law does not have status of law
• Dawah call to Islam usually carried out by NGOs
  (private organizations outside of government)
• Islam is evangelical religion that seeks to
  spread the message and encourage conversion

8
Islamic titles Ulema (religious scholars)

• Mullah in charge of a local mosque and usually
  teaches children the Quran and prayers
• Sheik higher standing than a Mullah and more
  learning Sufi leaders also called sheik
• Imam senior figure often in charge of a large
  mosque tile is also given to highly respected
  spiritual figures descended from the Prophet in
  Shia Islam
• Ayatollah (sign of God) most senior category of
  alimscholarin Shia Islam Ayatollahs al-uzma
  (Grand Ayatollah, f.ex. Khomeini) known for
  knowledge and piety

9
Religious Titles continued

• Mufti specialist in Islamic law who is capable
  of delivering a legal opinion (fatwa)
• Sheik al-Azhar head of the Al-Azhar University
  in Cairopreeminent spiritual authority in Sunni
  Islam
• Sufi terms
• 1. pir master
• 2. faqir someone who embraced poverty as choice
• Caliph, Sultan, Shah King or Ruler

10
Sexual Modesty and Islam

• Hijab veil, head scarf
• Burqa full veil covering a woman
• Chador Iranian term for womens veil that covers
  hair and body, leaving only face, hands and feet
  exposed

11
Common Religious Phrases

• Bismillah al-Rahman al-Rahim In the name of God
  the Merciful, the Compassionate
• Salam Peace
• ilm KnowledgeSecond most-used word in the Quran
  after the name of God
• The Prophet said The first thing Created by god
  was the Intellect