Islam in Practice: Turkey, Iran & Egypt

Various film clips, including Muslims (Frontline)

1. Explain the following: Sharia, Fatwa, Caliph, Umma and Millet system
2. What did the Frontline film "Muslims" mean when it stated that, in Nigeria, the Muslim north adopted Sharia after the failure of Western law?
3. Contrast the role of Islam in politics in Turkey, Egypt and Iran.
4. Based on the "Islam and Corporate Culture" and Education Yaprak clip, discuss the generational and regional differences inmodern Turkey (on issues such as women in the workplance, the veil.... in "midwestern" Kayseri, rural Van province and cosmopolitan Istanbul).
5. Based on the film "Educating Yaprak," discuss the 3 barriers to education (cultural, economic, geographic).  What is so controversial about Turkey's goal of educating all young women?   Would you adopt that approach? 
6. What is the headscarf debate in Turkey?  Contrast freedom of religion in Turkey to the United States.
7. Discuss the role of the Turkish military in maintaining a secular state.  Can a country where the military has veto power over policies be considered a democracy?
8. In what way is Turkey a part of the Middle East? Of Europe?

End of Quiz 2 questions

US Foreign Policy In the Middle East -- R/C Chapter 17

1. Watch this Daily Show clip on US/Saudi relatioons (from about 1 minute to 4 minutes).  What was Jon Stewart’s point regarding relationship between the US and Saudi Arabia in the last 100 years?
2. Discuss the Lebanese power-sharing agreement between Muslims and Maronite Christians.  How did our siding with the Christians affect Muslim attitudes towards us and what happened in 1983?
3. According to the R/C text, when did US Foreign Policy tilt in favor of Israel?
4. What do Mearsheimer and Walt argue about the "Israel Lobby?"  How does this and the 60 Minutes (Zion's Christian Soldiers clip) illustrate the role of interest groups in US Foreign Policy-making?
5. According to this Colber clip, what does Michael Scheuer argue is the motivation for Arab anger?

Iraq:

Daily Show Clip Assiv Mandvi  &   Another clip on Mosque Bombing & Iraqi Solutions

1. Discuss the impact of the sanctions on Iraq. Contrast how they affected the Iraqi people and Saddam Hussein. 
2. Which group was favored by the British under their occupation?  Which group dominated Iraq up until the 2003 invasion?
3. What were the goals of the Baath party?  How do those goals differ from those of Osama bin Laden?
4. Briefly discuss the history behind the First Gulf War.  Did the US give Saddam Hussein a 'green light' for aggression?
5. Read this quote from President G.H.W. Bush.  Do you agree with his decision to not to invade and occupy Iraq in 1990? (http://hnn.us/articles/631.html#bush1998)

6. The authors argue that "it did not seem possible to deal with Saddam in any humane, rational way" because Saddam tried to thwart inspectors.  However, Roesler argues that Saddam was "rational" when he let the inspectors back in in 2002 (note that the text is wrong in saying that Saddam did not let the inspectors in -- he did, but Bush ordered them out in March 2003 in order for the invasion to begin -- see http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2003/01/18/iraq/main537096.shtml).  Make a case for whether Saddam was or was not rational in thwarting the inspectors in the 1990s.

7. What were the two biggest problems of the management of the invasion (based on the "Imperial Life in the Emerald City" clip)?
8. What do Iraqis want (regarding US troops)?  
9. Discuss Obama's plan on troops in Iraq? Do you agree with it? 
10. Based on p.141 discussion, why did Turkey reject the US financial offer in exchange for help invading Iraq?
11. Watch this DS clip about private contractors in Iraq & afghanistan.  What is Stanger's point? 
12. How does Obama's Plan in Afghanistan compare with Bush's 2007 "surge"?

The Kurds

1. Discuss the results of the Sevres and Lausanne treaties on Kurdish independence. 
2. Discuss how the Kurds manipulated the Iraq-Iran war to their advantage and how Iraq and Iran manipulated the Kurds to theirs.
3. What is the primary goal of the Kurds?  Is that compatible with the goal of the Sunnis and Shiites?

US Policy After Iraq: Read Roesler's article starting on page 1 of this edition of the Global Pages

1. Libya -- read the handout from the Global Pages and these articles on protests in the Middle East & Libya in particular
2. According to Reosler's article in the Global Pages, what role has the US played in promoting democracy in the region?
3. Compare the US response to Libyan rebels to our response to other protest movements, such as Egypt, Saudi Arabia & Bahrain.  Watch this John Oliver clip from the Daily Show. Explain the premise of Stewart & Oliver (be sure to give examples of inconsistent policies).  Do you agree with their explanation for the inconsistency?
4. What are the benefits & drawbacks of prosecuting former dictators like Mubarak?

Iran

1. Explain the “people-power” in the Tobacco Rebellion.  Give another example of Iranian “people-power.”
2. Why were the Western powers so interested in Iran?  How does “Operation Ajax” illustrate western interests and tactics?
3. What were the two most important incidents in US-Iranian relations since WWII?  
4. Explain Khomeini’s political theory as well as the concept of a theocracy.
5. Discuss Crane Brinton’s Theory of Revolution.  How did it fit with the Iranian revolution of 1979?
6. By the end of the 1990s, US Iranian relations had improved.  Give an example of that improved relationship.  According to Roesler, how did Bush’s labeling Iran as part of “the axis of evil” and the US invasion of Iraq affect the election of Mahmoud Ahmadi Nejad in 2005?
7. What does Roesler argue about the controversial 2009 election?
8. Discuss the shifting "lines in the sand" the US has taken.  What does Roesler believe about the threat from Iran's nuclear program?  ShouldIran be allowed to develop a nuclear weapon?  How far should we go to try to stop it?  
   1. interesting Austrailian Broadcasting Corporation article on Jews in Iran -- NOT on the exam 

Below are questions NOT on the exam -- ignore them until further notice

Jordan (based on Will Griffin Lecture):

1. Read these article: Libya's tribes & alliances: Who's Who  ;  Qaddafi's power: 4 key questions (How-absolute-is-his-power)? ; &  Why-Qaddafi-is-losing-parts-of-Libya?
2. Explain how Jordan is OR is NOT the following:  Dry, Diverse, Democratic, and a Tourist Destination.
3. What does the Jordanian Foreign Minister think of the relationship between Israel and the US? 
4. Be familiar with: Petra, Hashemites, King Abdullah & Queens Noor & Rania.