The thesis examines the historical emergence of modes of perception, interpretation and evaluation within Western European nations of what has been termed Arab Islamic culture. It is argued that the West perceives Arab Islamic East as "Other" or "Them", but that the content of this "Otherness" shifts over time according to a range of historical, political, cultural and economic factors. The two central themes that emerge within these modes of interpretation are termed "Romanticism" and "Negativity/Hostility". The manifestation of these two themes is traced from antiquity to the modern age. The thesis demonstrates the continuities, shifts and transformations of these two themes throughout the history of European engagements with the Arab Islamic East. In addition to a comprehensive survey of Western literary and cultural interpretations of the Arab Islamic East, the study provides a content analysis of the presentation of Arab Islamic acts and events on the world stage in six modern Western newspapers. The content analysis and its evaluation are both quantitative and qualitative. The findings of the content analysis confirm much of the theoretical work of the earlier chapters. The central finding of this thesis is the gradual erosion of an earlier "Romanticist" interpretation and its increasing replacement by forms of interpretations summarised by the term "Negativity/Hostility". This process is not considered to be irreversible and the thesis hopes to contribute to more adequate, comprehensive and empathetic evaluations and relations between East and West.

Thesis (B.A.)--Boston University. University Professors Program Senior theses. / PLEASE NOTE: Boston University Libraries did not receive an Authorization To Manage form for this thesis or dissertation. It is therefore not openly accessible, though it may be available by request. If you are the author or principal advisor of this work and would like to request open access for it, please contact us at open-help@bu.edu. Thank you. / 2031-01-01

No description available.

Informe de Seminario para optar al grado de Licenciado en Historia. / De este modo, creo que es de suma importancia reflexionar sobre la problemática que conlleva la construcción de imaginarios en torno al islam, pues no debemos ignorar que el islam no es una religión estática ni propia del mundo árabe en particular, sino una religión universal. Dado el impacto que ha generado la difusión del discurso imperialista estadounidense en referencia a la religión islámica, en la opinión pública se ha tendido a confundir política y religión, lo que constituye un problema bastante grave, pues este punto de vista se aleja mucho de los factores que realmente originan los conflictos.

The aim of this study is to indentify the difficulties faced by women administrators in making decisions and in communicating, and to try to find solutions for these difficulties. Women's education in Saudi .Arabia is only 26 years old' and Saudi women administrators are still taking their, first steps in a new field of work and they need practice, experience and training. This work is divided into three sections: 1.- The development of women's education in Saudi Arabia. A brief historical background of Saudi women's education. section also family structure and the status society and in Islam. 2.- Theories of effective management talks about of women in Saudi Arabia This section is intended to define authority and responsibility, and their relations to decision making. This section has brought out some definition of decision-making as the heart of administration. Theories for decision-making were considered in this section such as the Barnard theory and Simon's theory of decision-making. From the theories about decision-making indicated in Section two of the thesis, some methods could be implemented in decision- making in Saudi Arabia women's administration. 3. Research findings A questionnaire was sent to 70 Saudi women administrators in Riyadh and 27 Saud i women administrators in Riyadh were interviewed. The questionnaire and interview questions covered all aspects of experience and problems in decision-making and exchanging information. From the response of the sample, 29 tables were produced. Section three of the research finding was concluded by suggested changes, for example, women must meet men to discuss problems with them, taking into account respect for Islamic customs. It is also suggested that women replace men in the General Presidency of Girls' Education starting with the President. Nineteen further suggested points appear at the end of Section Three, which have been derived from thi s research work by both ways indirectly and directly.

The thesis explores religious attitudes and Muslim identity in Turkey from a social psychological perspective with reference to university students. Religious attitudes are explored in relation to three components: cognitive, behavioural and affective religious attitudes, whereas Muslim identity is examined through macro and micro levels, and observations. In order to investigate these issues, qualitative and quantitative methods are employed. Research hypotheses are developed on the basis of a review of secondary materials related to Islam in the Turkish context, Muslim identity and the measurement of religious attitudes. Primary data for this study are gathered through standardised questionnaires, such as the Religious Attitude Scale, in-depth interviews and observations. The techniques of psychometrics are employed for the fieldwork of this study, carried out among 1149 students in two universities in Turkey. Using sophisticated statistical analyses, test variables are operationalised and research hypotheses are tested. In doing this, a number of demographic and contextual variations, namely gender, age, family incomes, social and educational backgrounds, supplementary religious education and orientations towards both the Diyanet and cemaats, are taken into account as independent variables. Conclusions are drawn on the basis of the results of statistical analyses, as well as using qualitative inferences from in-depth interviews. The thesis also investigates the predictors of religious attitudes. Using a stepwise multiple regression analysis, between about 55% and 75% of variance in religious attitudes of Turkish university students are explained. The greatest amount of variance in religious attitudes is explained by orientation towards the Diyanet, the formal religious institution in Turkey.

The focus and aim of this study is twofold. Firstly it strives to ascertain whether the “green” scenarios veneered in the Bible are also ensconced within the Qur’an. Secondly, it is also imperative to determine what the mutual perceptions between Christians and Muslims are in order to enhance the possibility of dialogue in general between the two faiths. It was found that the respective and traditions of both faiths resonates with ecological similarities, amidst the theological and traditional differences. It was further found that mutual perceptions between Christians and Muslims have changed. In the vast expanse of the radical fundamentalist world of the Islam, the voices of moderate fundamentalists with liberal inclinations, however small in numbers, are heard more and more. The reciprocal element between Christians and moderate Muslims promise to secure a co-operative relationship, to inspire religious tolerance and hopefully to formulate a shared ideology. Furthermore, to orientate communities of both faiths at grassroots levels about nature conservation, a practical environmental agenda was proposed. / Prof. H. Viviers

This dissertation explores the relationship between gender and Muslim community identity in late colonial India. It pursues two broad themes. The first of these is the way in which gender issues were used symbolically by Muslim religious and political leaders to give substance to a community identity based largely on religious and cultural ideals in the three decades prior to independence. The second is the activities of elite Muslim women in social reform organisations and their entry into politics. Most of the recent literature on the development of a distinct Muslim identity during this period focuses entirely on politics and thus on relatively short-term factors leading to Partition. However, gender makes us look again at the longer term, especially the way in which it gave substance to the imagining of an all- India Muslim identity. I examine the various constructions and stereotypes of the Muslim woman and the ways in which she was seen as being in need of special protection in the political sphere while being in an advantageous position with regard to Muslim personal law. Of particular importance here are the discourse on purdah, which had become communalised during this period even as purdah practices were changing, and the ways in which Islamic law became considered as a 'sacred site' for Muslims in the late colonial period. I argue that the focus on gender issues by certain political and religious leaders was a 'universalising' factor: while it was difficult to portray all Indian Muslims as constituting a definitive and united group, all Indian Muslim women could be depicted as being alike, with the same interests and problems. These tendencies were strengthened by the Indian Muslim awareness of a wider Muslim community. In terms of practice, I examine women's entry into the political sphere, as well as their relationship with national women's organisations. I show that women were not passive onlookers to the debates on gender, but contributed to them, although their interest was more on improving women's rights than on formulating community identities. The dissertation examines women's conflicting identities as women and as Muslims, particularly as the initial unity among women on social reform issues was eroded due to communal antagonism in the realm of politics. The focus of the dissertation will be on the public sphere, which is where one can best examine the interactions between men and women, Hindus and Muslims, and Indian and British representatives. Given the diversity of the Indian Muslim experience, I concentrate on and give examples primarily from the United Provinces, but owing to wider connections between women I also look at other north Indian examples.

No description available.

This research project is focused on contemporary identity issues facing Muslim Mainlanders in Taiwan. Muslim Mainlanders are an ethnic subgroup of the Mainlanders who fled to Taiwan after the communist take-over of China. This project argues that multiple communal identities interact and are pragmatically used by Muslim Mainlanders depending on social context. Specifically, ethnicity, nationality and religion are identities which individuals understand according to unique social experiences. This research provides an opportunity to update the literature on the Islamic community in Taipei. The thesis argues that global processes are causing an Islamic revival. This transformation is occurring alongside the movement of Mainlanders to identify as Taiwanese. Both movements are nationalistic because they provide opportunities to move beyond a heritage which originates in China. Ce projet de recherche se concentre sur les questions d'identité auxquels est confrontée la Continentaux musulmans à Taiwan. Continentaux musulmans sont un sous-groupe ethnique des Continentaux qui ont fui à Taiwan après la prise de contrôle communiste de la Chine. Ce projet fait valoir que plusieurs identités communautaires interagissent et sont utilisés de façon pragmatique par Continentaux musulmans selon le contexte social. Plus précisément, l'origine ethnique, la nationalité et la religion sont des identités dont les individus comprennent selon les expériences sociales uniques. Cette recherche offre la possibilité de mettre à jour la documentation sur la communauté islamique à Taipei. La thèse soutient que les processus mondiaux sont à l'origine d'un renouveau islamique. Cette transformation se produit aux côtés du mouvement des Continentaux à s'identifier comme taiwanais. Les deux mouvements sont nationalistes, car ils offrent des possibilités d'aller au-delà d'un patrimoine qui est originaire de Chine.