Made available in DSpace on 2014-06-11T19:23:36Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 0 Previous issue date: 2011-08-12Bitstream added on 2014-06-13T20:30:30Z : No. of bitstreams: 1 chaves_lh_me_mar.pdf: 1085670 bytes, checksum: 2297eefc0eaac2d8b7a1f3f4e6dc00fe (MD5) / Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP) / A condenação de morte ao autor indo-britânico Salman Rushdie sob a acusação de blasfêmia, proclamada pelo aiatolá Khomeini em 1989, fez-se, desde então, um caso emblemático quando se trata dos desdobramentos da relação entre Direitos Humanos e Islamismo. A repercussão internacional da fatwa evidenciou não só a peculiaridade política do governo iraniano pós-revolução islâmica, como também a forma de representação do oriente – especificamente do mundo muçulmano – consolidada no imaginário ocidental, dada a maneira com que tal conflito foi instrumentalizado para a manutenção dos poderes envolvidos: o Irã e potências ocidentais; o Irã amparado por uma interpretação do Alcorão e potências ocidentais amparadas no discurso de defesa dos Direitos Humanos. Tendo em vista, pois, a forma em que se deu o caso Rushdie, faz-se necessário considerar as questões que evolvem a construção de uma ofensa ao Islã por um lado, e a conseguinte reconstrução da ofensa ao direito de liberdade, por outro. A ação do governo iraniano de condenar o autor de “Os Versos Satânicos” se justifica nos valores e na concepção de vida própria da religião islâmica, enquanto a reação das potências ocidentais em defesa de Rushdie faz referências à liberdade de expressão garantida pelos Direitos Humanos. Tem-se, dessa forma, um conflito entre os fundamentos ético-morais islâmicos – sobre os quais se constrói a ofensa de Rushdie – e os fundamentos ético-morais dos Direitos Humanos – a partir dos quais tal ofensa é reconstruída por uma forma de compreensão própria da sociedade moderna ocidental. Todavia, o choque que perpassa as relações entre religião e modernidade, assim como a relação entre cultura ocidental e cultura muçulmana exigem ainda ponderações de ordem política. A compreensão... / The death sentence against the Indo-British author, Salman Rushdie, on charges of blasphemy, issued by the Ayatollah Khomeini in 1989, is an emblematic case when related to the developments of the relationship between Islam and Human Rights. The international repercussion of the fatwa showed not only the political peculiarity of the Iranian government post-Islamic revolution, but also the representation form of the East – specifically the Muslim world – consolidated in the Western imaginary, considering how this conflict was manipulated to maintain the involved powers: Iran and Western powers; Iran supported by an interpretation of the Koran and the Western powers supported on the defense speech of Human Rights. Considering, therefore, the way that the Rushdie case took place, it is necessary to take into account the issues that evolve building an offense to Islam on the one hand, and the subsequent reconstruction of this offense to the freedom right on the other. The Iranian government action to condemn the author of 'The Satanic Verses' is justified in the values and life conception proper to the Islamic religion, while the response of Western powers in Rushdie defense makes references to the freedom of expression, guaranteed by the Human Rights. There is, this way, a conflict between the Islamic ethical and moral foundations – based on which the Rushdie offense is built – and the ethical and moral foundations of Human Rights – from which the offense is rebuilt by an understanding form proper to the modern Western society. However, the shock that pervades the relations between religion and modernity, as well as the relations between Western culture and Muslim culture still require political weights. The conflict comprehension initiated by the Rushdie affair goes beyond the values... (Complete abstract click electronic access below)

Master of Science / School of Family Studies and Human Services / Elaine M. Johannes / Permanently moving from one country to another affects the family. This can include the ways in which parents interact with their children. That interaction can be especially challenging when Muslim families move to primarily non-Muslim Western societies such as the United States. This report reviews challenges, opportunities, and strategies for Muslim parents residing in the United States to embed Islamic values and religious practices with their adolescent children. This report also identifies effective ways for Muslim parents to help their adolescent children understand, accept, and practice the Muslim faith. After a review of scholarly literature and existing Islamic religious practice materials, recommendations are provided to help parents effectively model and support appropriate Islamic religious practice to their adolescent children based on the parents’ traditional Muslim beliefs.

In the 21st century Muslims can be found as minorities in what can be described as secular, democratic western countries. The research presented in this study will trace the process by which this community arrived in Western Europe and in particular Britain. Furthermore, it will explain how the community developed its faith identity within this context by detailing three particular stances they have adopted, namely; assimilation, isolation, integration. The thesis argues that rather than the assumption which exists that applying Traditional Islam causes Muslims to isolate from the indigenous population and form a 'state within a state' it actually gives the religious confidence and identity to integrate within the wider society. The study also focuses on Islamic Law as interpreted by the 'anaf' Law school and highlights in detail the multi-pronged and robust nature of its legal theory and subsequent application. There is an opportunity whilst determining the context to challenge the so-called 'classical' Islam's view of the world, especially the view that all non-Muslim lands are d'r al-'arb. The research details a novel understanding of the classical view and discusses how the state's attitude towards Islam and Muslims determines its territorial ruling. In conclusion, the study has shown that the traditional interpretive model inherently possesses the flexibility, relevance and applicability to take into consideration minority-status of Muslims in Britain adhering to the 'anaf' Law School. This is manifest by the ability this model has to deal with contemporary issues in wide ranging subjects like Medicine, Politics and Finance As a result it facilitates their integration within this secular society whilst remaining true to their faith.

Blandäktenskap inom islam definieras som att gifta sig utanför tron och skiljer mellan män samt kvinnor. Män är tillåtna att gifta sig med en kvinna från de Abrahamitiska religionerna (Judisk/Kristen). Kvinnor däremot får enbart ingå äktenskap med en muslimsk man.Denna kandidatuppsats i sociologi hade som syfte att via en kvalitativ ansats undersöka hur troende muslimska män i Sverige ser på muslimska kvinnors rätt att ingå äktenskap utanför islam.Undersökningen inriktar sig på vilka synsätt och attityder männen har angående blandäktenskap. Eftersom kvinnans position i val av äktenskap var ett återkommande tema under studien, valde vi att även att behandla frågan, hur påverkas muslimska kvinnor av dessa synsätt och attityder. Studiens primärdata samlades in genom sex semistrukturerade intervjuer med sex troende muslimska män i Sverige, utan någon relation till varandra. Behandling av empiriskt insamlade data utfördes genom tematisering som slutligen ledde till fyra teman.Syftet med studien är att använda R.W. Connells maskulinitetsteori (hegemonisk maskulinitet) och begreppet homosocialitet för att analysera muslimska mäns attityder samt synsätt ifråga om muslimska kvinnors rätt att ingå blandäktenskap.Resultaten visade att samtliga sex intervjuade muslimska män hade en negativ inställning till muslimska kvinnors rätt att gifta sig utanför islam. Männen var även negativa till förändringar i förhållande till kvinnor och ökade rättigheter ifråga om blandäktenskap. Somliga män fokuserade mer på tolkningar samt antaganden om religiösa texter, medan andra la emfas på kultur och tradition. Ett tydligt mönster bland de muslimska männen var åsikten att äktenskap är en kollektiv angelägenhet snarare än en individuell rättighet. Vi har dragit slutsatsen att det finns en skillnad mellan män och kvinnor ifråga om att ingå äktenskap inom islam. Detta i sin tur leder till att kvinnors beteenden, frihet och valmöjligheter påverkas av mäns åsikter och antaganden kring tolkningar av religiösa texter. / Mixed marriages within Islam are defined by marriage outside of the religion, and differs between men and women. Men are allowed to marry women from the Abrahamic religions (Jewish/Christian). Women on the other hand are only allowed to espouse a Muslim man. This Bachelor’s Thesis of Sociology had the purpose through qualitative measures, investigate how believing Muslim men in Sweden view Muslim women’s rights to engage in marriages outside of the Islamic faith. The study focuses on the views and attitudes of Muslim men. As women’s position in the choice of marriages was a recurring theme in the study, these were also accounted for in terms of how their views and attitudes affects Muslims. The study’s primary data has been collected through six semistructured interviews with six faithful Muslim men in Sweden, with no relationship to each other. Through the collection of empirical data, which, through thematizing, resulted in four distinct themes. The purpose of this study was to answer the analysis from a perspective that adheres to Connells theory of masculinity (hegemonic masculinity) and the term “homosocial”. The result from the study showed that all six interviewed Muslim men, generally, had a negative attitude towards Muslim women’s rights to marry outside the religion. The (Muslim) men were also negative to changes regarding (Muslim) women and the liberation of their rights around mixed marriages. Some men exhibited an increased focus on the interpretation of religious texts, as well as assumptions, whilst others emphasized culture and tradition. An articulate pattern amongst the Muslim men manifested through opinions that a marriage is a collective matter rather than an individual affair. The analysis concludes that there is a difference between men and women and their rights within the engagement of marriage. This leads to women’s behavior, freedom and choices are dictated by men’s opinions, assumptions and interpretations of religious texts. Although demonstrating a clear division between women and men’s rights within Islam’s approach to mixed marriages. The (Muslim) men considered the established religious interpretations to be legitimate and logically developed to protect the woman from precarious marriages. The interviewees considered the approach to be a conserving measure to protect Islam.

I denna studie kombineras språkvetenskap och religionsvetenskap i syfte att undersöka studenters undermedvetna språkattityder till tre religiösa personbenämningar: muslim(er), hindu(er) och kristen(-na). Deltagarna består av studenter över hela Sverige och majoriteten har könsidentitet kvinna samt är i åldern 15-25 år. Deltagarnas språkattityder undersöks genom en enkätundersökning med ett matched guise-test och semantisk differential. Resultaten tyder på att personbenämningen kristen(-na) ger upphov till fler negativa konnotationer än framförallt muslim(er) men även hindu(er). Muslimer rankas exempelvis som mer hänsynsfulla och intelligenta än kristna. Hinduer rankas exempelvis som mjuka medan kristna exempelvis rankas som mer dumma än hinduer och muslimer samtidigt som de rankas som hänsynsfulla och sympatiska. Attityderna till dessa tre personbenämningar verkar med andra ord följa ett trestegsmönster där personbenämningen muslim(er) skapar flest positiva konnotationer, tätt följd av hindu(er) och sist personbenämningen kristen(-na) som skapar positiva och negativa konnotationer.

Doctor Legum - LLD / South African Muslims constitute a religious minority group that is subject to dual legal systems. In the public sphere they are bound by South African law whereas in the private sphere are duty bound in terms of their religion to follow Islamic law. Muslims are required, in terms of their religion, to ensure that their estates devolve in terms of the Islamic law of succession. A son inherits double the share of a daughter in terms of the Islamic law of intestate succession. This unequal distribution of shares has led to a premise that the Islamic law of intestate succession discriminates against females. The South African Constitution strongly promotes the right to equality and non-discrimination. There is therefore a serious need to investigate the fairness of the Islamic law of intestate succession within the context of South African law. This is in the interest of a religious minority group who have been in South Africa since 1654.

With growing hostilities towards the Ummah (Muslim global community and Diaspora) in Western countries and the fear of Sharia laws, the socialization of international human rights norms within religious institutions, makes for a timely case study. Specifically, this dissertation project aims to capture the process of norm transformation at the grassroots level by investigating the religious, cultural, and social encounter between Islam and the West by interviewing Shia women at a local mosque in Florida. Critical constructivism, post-colonial feminism, and qualitative interpretive methods, are used to address the following: how practicing Shia women are navigating between competing liberal gender equality and traditional Islamic gender complementarity norms in regards to women’s rights and status in society? How are they self-identifying themselves and consciously picking and choosing what gender norms to follow and practice and teach the next generation? Finally, as “norm entrepreneurs,” how are these Shia women creating an alternative path which is neither purely liberal nor Islamic? It is argued that Islam is not a homogeneous religion and that Shia women are actively researching, self-reflecting, questioning, and proposing a new approach to Islamic gender norms. This dissertation seeks to show that these empowered Shia women are willfully paving a new path for more progressive Islamic gender norms centered on gender justice rather than gender equality which is still closely in line with the spirit of CEDAW, the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms Discrimination against women. To improve the power dynamics of the global system which is bias in favor Western liberal norms, more focus should be put on why countries and people may oppose or challenge such norms. As such, progressive Muslims need to have their voices heard within international human rights discourses.

This thesis presents an argument for the use of dialogic halaqah to develop the personal autonomy of young Muslims in twenty-first century Britain. It begins by developing a theoretical grounding for Islamic conceptualisations of personal autonomy and dialogic pedagogy. In doing so, it aims to generate dialogue between Islamic and ‘western’ educational traditions, and to clarify the theoretical foundation of halaqah, a traditional Islamic oral pedagogy, that has been adapted to meet the educational needs of Muslim children in contemporary Britain. Dialogic halaqah is daily practice in two independent British Muslim faith-schools, providing a safe space for young Muslims to cumulatively explore challenging issues, in order to facilitate the development of selfhood, hybrid identity and personal autonomy, theorised as shakhsiyah Islamiyah. This thesis examines the relationship between thought, language, and the development of personal autonomy in neo-Ghazalian, Vygotskian and Bakhtinian traditions, and suggests the possibility of understanding shakhsiyah Islamiyah as a dialogical Muslim-self. This theoretical work underpins an empirical study of data generated through dialogic halaqah held with groups of schoolchildren and young people. Using established analytic schemes, data from these sessions are subjected to both thematic and dialogue analyses. Emergent themes relating to autonomy and choice, independent and critical thinking, navigating authority, peer pressure, and choosing to be Muslim are explored. Themes related to halaqah as dialogic pedagogy, whether and how it supports the development of agency, resilience and independent thinking, and teacher and learner roles in halaqah, are examined. Moreover, findings from dialogue analysis, which evaluates the quality of educational dialogue generated within halaqah, that is, participants’ capacity to engage in dialogue with each other, as well as with an imagined secular other, are presented. The quality of the dialogic interactions is evaluated, as is evidence of individual participant’s autonomy in their communicative actions.

This thesis examines how women negotiate their identification within and as a group when engaging in interreligious dialogue. It is an in-depth case study of the women’s interfaith book groups, the Daughters of Abraham, located in the Greater Boston Area. This focus facilitates an in-depth understanding of the dynamics of relationships within one group, between different groups, and as situated in the American sociocultural context. I explore the tensions arising from religious diversity, and the consequences of participating in an interreligious dialogue group for understandings of religious self and others. Categories such as boundary, power, sameness, difference, self and other serve to explore the complexities and fluidity of identity constructions. I answer the following questions: How do members of the Daughters of Abraham engage with the group’s religious diversity? How does their participation in the Daughters of Abraham affect their self-understanding and understanding of the “other?” What can we learn about power dynamics and boundary drawing from the women’s accounts of their participation in the Daughters of Abraham and from their group interactions? Two interrelated arguments guide this thesis. One, I show that Daughters members arrive at complex and fluid understandings of what it means to identify as an American Jewish, Christian, and Muslim woman by negotiating various power dynamics arising from ideas of sameness and difference of religion, gender, and sociopolitical values. Two, I contend that the collective emphasis on commonalities in the Daughters of Abraham is a double-edged sword. Explicitly, this stress intends to encourage engagement with the group’s religious diversity by excluding those deemed too different. However, whilst this emphasis can generate nuanced understandings of religious identity categories, at times it highlights differences detrimental to facilitating such understanding. Moreover, this stress on commonalities illuminates the power dynamics and tensions characterizing this women’s interfaith book group. Scholarship has by and large overlooked women’s interreligious engagements with explicit ethnographic studies of such being virtually non-existent. This thesis addresses this gap by using ethnographic methods to advance knowledge about women’s interreligious dialogue. Furthermore, it pushes disciplinary discourses by speaking to the following interlinked areas: Jewish-Christian-Muslim relations, formalized interreligious dialogue, interreligious encounters on the grassroots level, women’s interreligious dialogue, a book group approach to engaging with religious diversity, and interreligious encounters in the American context post-September 11th 2001.

Every human being applies their acquired knowledge during the interpretation and application of information, but all the humanly acquired knowledge are shaped by the social information processing model as determined by the traditions and values embedded in their culture. Therefore, the transition from information seeking to the application within a person is not completely dependent on cognition but in the current socio-cultural interpretation of that information. The cultural background of every individual often determines the interpretation and the understanding derivable from any information. Human socio-cultural values are the intervening variables during information seeking, and they can be grouped into three, namely psychological, physiological and environmental, but none acts alone during information seeking and application. Hence, culture as a factor must be considered both psychologically and environmentally to understand its impact on IB because culture comprises of both the tangible and the intangible aspects of human life. The aim of this study is to investigate the main reason for the contrasting results of the polio campaign across the north and south of Nigeria. The study adopted a mixed method approach comprising of a semi-structured interview and focus groups for the collection of data that adequately describe cultural variables to determine the aspects of culture directly impacting on IB, such as language, customs, traditions, and religious values which cannot be quantified or counted. The research approach considered IB in its totality and viewed information not only as tools designed by human to enhance communication and conceptualization of realities but also as the means which enabled the achievement of the desired goal for both the providers and the users of information. Therefore, IB was not only viewed from the context or content of the information but from the way people search, receive and utilise information to meet their respective needs. The study considered the how ; the what ; the where and the whom people consult when in need of information or for the explanation about the information received but not understood, to determine the chosen culture group s IB By considering culture from a multi-disciplinary perspective and IB evolutionarily, the study investigates the impact of cultural orientation on IB through the way the people of Nigeria relates with the polio eradication campaign. The study links all the factors of culture, such as language, tradition, and religion to the ways people relate to information, and the findings revealed that culture plays a significant role in the IB of individuals right from the point of the perceived knowledge gap to the point of information application. The language associated with the people s religious belief was also found to be of significant influence on language preference during communication of information, as well as in the process of encoding and decoding of information. Thus, culture did not only impact on IB during information seeking and application but also the language for the communication of information. Cultural orientation significantly impacted on the way people relates to the polio campaign as a consequence of their IB, and this informed their interpretations of the polio campaign and the eventual outcome of the campaign within the north and south of Nigeria.