Anthropology Questions - Assignment Example

Anthropology Questions Part 1. What is Islamophobia and where do its claims overlap with the dis of radical Islamists? Islamophobia is an aversion or irrational fear and disgust that is levelled against the teachings and people associated with the Islamic religion. It can be defined as a type of war waged against a transnational “evil axis” focusing almost exclusively on nations with Muslim majorities or individuals and groups who hail from Muslim societies. Islamophobia is gradually growing everywhere as it can be seen by particular traits and features in the society determined by cultural settings, traditions and prejudices of a particular society or country (Mamdani, 2004). The manifestations associated with islamophobia include radicalism, political Islam or jihadism. This is mostly in the west and especially after the 9/11 tragedy in the US. Islamophobes believe that the Islam religion is the foundation of radicalism among the youth. As such, they claim that Islam is intrinsically a terrorist ideology or religion. The media has especially played a part in the propagation of Islamophobia as many of the media houses in their reporting associate terrorism with Muslim radicals. 2. What are the major issues in the debate over the Islamic city? European scholarship on the Islamic city in the twentieth century was established on two approaches. One approach attributed the Islamic city’s structure to social and religious factors while the other described their structure through an approach which was dependent on an analysis of the urban structure and physical features. The first approach stemmed from German orientalist studies in which the Islamic city was a representation of the theoretical rather than the actual horizon guided by archaeological, historical and social interests. It was an urban system as shown by the different structure from the western one as it was based on a different social organization. The second approach was from French Orientalist studies. Here, the knowledge of an Islamic city was more tangible and immediate as it was born from actual conquest of extended territories around the Mediterranean (Abu-loghod, 1987). William Marcais introduced several themes that can be associated with the Islamic city. He mentioned several characteristics of the physical Islamic city such as a congregational Friday mosque, a market and a chief bazaar, a public bath which is of a functional significance to the believers attending the mosque for Friday prayers. Marcais noted that new cities were founded by dynasties associated with Islam therefore reinforcing the point that Islamic civilization was not just a set of religious beliefs but rather a functioning Islamic society organizing the lives of Muslims to doers and not just believers (Abu-loghod, 1987). He had also observed that Islam was an urban religion with Muhammad himself being an Urbanite who was suspicious of nomads and that the early Muslim authorities were members of urban bourgeois with the Friday prayers organized at a congregational mosque required a Muslim to live an urban life. 3. Does Islam interdict music as it is said? There is no authorization in the holy book of Quran to interdict music, however, the question of music and Islam is quite complex with people holding different opinions. No koranic prescription exclusively targets music, it does not contain peremptory argument either for or against the music (Ahmed, 1987). When the interdiction is voiced, it is the conviction of a group of Muslims supported by the hadith. To the group that believes that music is wrong, Malahi which is purely for entertainment sake is abhorred and prohibited. Music from the duff and drums are permitted. Drums area allowed for festivals including weddings and other joyous occasions. Not all musical instruments are prohibited by the Islam religion; this brings controversy because they were often used in the time of the prophet in the context of Malahi. Majority of Scholars say that if the music is meant to glorify and please Allah, then it is permissible. If the music is for passing time and entertainment, then it is not allowed. The religion also allows music that is soothing and serene to the mind which helps one remember Allah and as long as it does not hinder a person from obeying the teachings of Allah. Music which contains sexual connotations and in appropriate language is not allowed in Islam (Stokes, 1992). 4. How does Bobby Sayyid conceptualize kemalism? How might his analysis be criticized? Kemalism is a frame work of realistic principles and ideas about the state, ideologies, and the society’s main institution assuring the Turkish people independence, peace and welfare for now and the future with the state depending on the solidarity of the nation and the culture set over modernization guided by science and reason. Bobby sayyid posits that Islam is in a place of privilege since it is the only available hegemonic discourse to counter kemalism. Other discourses against kemalism are unable to gain traction as they are based on the political theory of the west which in essence is what kemalism is founded upon. Sayyid in his argument buries any chance of a discourse successfully tackling a challenge against an existing hegemonic discourse so long as both are founded upon the same precepts (Seufert, 1999) Sayyid’s conceptualization can be criticized due to how he arrives at problematising some key concepts. Such is Islamism which he mentions as part of the dissenting elements; if this were the case, then Islamism would inescapably be a part of the western or modern hegemonic discourse of Kemalism. Islamism is an inherent part of kemalism. Sayyid’s description therefore fails to show how Islamism falls outside the circle of the west and how it challenges the west as it is an alternative. Part 2 Question What distinguishes the Anthropology of Islam from other approaches to the study of Islam? The approach to the academic study of Islam has major short comings one being the tendency of scholars to conflate delimited sections of Islam and how Islam is understood by the agents of morality, human beings. Those who study the religion tend to confuse what they get from the academics from what has been historic or historical Islam. It is therefore necessary to distinguish between the Islamic region as a way of life when in the original form and what is understood in relation to these traditions. In some approaches, the human element is completely ignored. The social cultural, history and psychological surroundings that are foundations to a person’s understanding to religion are left out. The Orientalist and Historical approach which seems to in part and erroneously separate practice from belief has not been successful to individual’s understanding of the Islamic religion (Marsden, 2012). Scholars argue that it is incorrect to declare true Islam or ideal religion. This is in itself a contradiction since without true religion, there cannot be false religion. With respect to the Islamic religion, both belief and practice are mutually guided by each other. Going by the above, true religion exists and is much deeper than its outside manifestations for an Islamic believer, and especially one reading the Quran with objectivity and an open heart. Islam studied through anthropology is exciting even with some scholars referring to it as potentially useless. Issues pertaining to the Islamic religion, if left to the of wrong people it can be muddled. Anthropology allows us to study the origins and beliefs of the Islam faith, the impact of modernisation or westernisation on the Muslims, handling the transmission of the message as also the key definitions that are crucial to the understanding of the Islamic religion (Altenmüller & Gaiyūsī 2008). We come up short when studying the Islam religion using other approaches and especially those inclined to Orientalism as they lack vital concepts that aid in the understanding of Islam. Many approaches tend to treat Islam as a monolithic or showcase the extremist narrative as normative Islam. By using these other approaches, what people study is not actually Islam but orthodox conservative Islam in which the moderates are those that have rejected certain aspects pertaining to the religion. In anthropology, Islam is primarily studied using observation and recording of practice and placing the outcome of the observations in a theoretical frame work. It is important to the understanding of the religion as it gives a voice to the adherents of faith, and the believers are given a voice which would have otherwise been ignored in other populist approaches (Marsden, 2012). In orientalism approach, an idealistic picture of their subject is drawn just as indicated in the written sources. Their primary focus on the normative character of Islam directs them in to believing that the norms constitute reality. Whatever falls outside the reams of this reality does not belong, and as such associated with external sources. The anthropologists’ inclination on the other hand is to see the existence of many Islam as their findings depict important differences in the practices of different Muslim communities or societies. Anthropologists acknowledge the importance contributions by individuals or groups of Islamic believers by a way of emphasising Islam as it is practiced. The individuals or groups of Muslim believers are seen by anthropologists as putting text in to reality. Anthropologists talk about work ethic in relation to Senegalese Muridiya Sufi order which they deem a unique phenomenon. They depict the idea of work and how it can be used as a way of attaining salvation which departs from Islamic orthodoxy. This is evidence that there are aspects of Sufism that are left out or ignored by the Orientals. Anthropologists devote their time and efforts to tracing relations which bring the religion in to practice and rendering of religious practices, dispositions and ideas as inseparable from the social life. Anthropology can therefore be seen to focus more on the people and their contribution to the Islamic religion as compared to other populist approaches. Reference list: Marsden, M. (2012). Articulating Islam: anthropological approaches to Muslim worlds. Dordrecht [u.a.], Springer. Ahmed, A. S. (1987). Religion and politics in Muslim society: order and conflict in Pakistan. Karachi, Royal Book Co. Mamdani, M. (2004). Good Muslim, bad Muslim: America, the Cold War, and the roots of terror. New York, Pantheon Books. AltenmüLler, H., & ǦAiyūSī, S. K. A. (2008). Handbook of oriental studies Sect. 1 Vol. 94 Vol. 2 Sect. 1 Vol. 94 Vol. 2. Leiden [u.a.], Brill. Abu-Loghod, J. (1987). The Islamic city: Historic Myth, the Islamic essence and contemporary Relevance, in international Journal of Middle East studies, 19, 2. Stokes. M. (1992). Arabesk and Sema, in the Arabesk Debate: Music and musicians in modern turkey. Oxford, Oxford University press. Seufert, G. (1999). Turkish Islam and Europe: Europe and christianity as reflected in Turkish Muslim discourse & Turkish Muslim life in the Diaspora; papers of the Istanbul Workshop, October 1996. Stuttgart, Steiner. Read More