Course Reflection

I really enjoyed taking the Arab World class. I learned a lot about Arab culture, music, geography, politics, etc. I really like how the class was structured. Some professors will simply lecture with a PowerPoint, but in this class, we had guest speakers, concerts, a trip to Washington, DC, drumming session, movies, music, book discussion, etc. This helped me get more immersed with the culture, and learn more material quicker. It also made the class more interesting. My favorite part of the class was the field trip. That was the first time I visited an Arab Embassy and an Islamic Mosque. I had a fun time, and have some great memoires to share. After taking this class, I confirmed my decision to learn Arabic, and will be taking Arabic in the fall. I also liked how the class was smaller, so there was more opportunity to participate. I liked the last day of class (when we watched the comedians make jokes about controversial topics). I thought the class was a lot of work, but this helped me understand the Arab World faster. I would most definitely recommend this class to others, because some students have their minds made up about the Arab World, and I guarantee they will have a different perspective of the Arab World after taking this class. Overall, I had a great time in this class, I learned a lot, and this class will be helpful in future classes (especially with Arabic related courses).  

Reflection 7

I thought Andrea Shalal did a great job talking about Arab-Americans. This was the first that I was in a class that Skyped someone from Germany. I was envisioning more difficulties regarding Skype, but it went smoothly for the most part. Andrea is a journalist, and studied literature in college. She made a good point that until 2010, Arabs were categorized as white, but treated as people of color. I also remember talking in class about the importance of poetry and how children memorized the Koran, which Andrea mentioned in her lecture. I also learned that getting something published is not easy as there are only a few publishing houses that dominate the market. When we learned about Khaled Mattawa, a translator of numerous books of poetry from various Arab countries, I learned that word choice matters and it is important to keep the meaning of the poem. For some translators, English may be a second language, therefore, this makes translating poems more difficult. She also talked about Mohja Kahf, who uses social media to spread news about issues (war in Syria). She showed us a video of Omar Offendum, a rapper on YouTube who brings awareness of issues in the Arab world. Andrea talked about a number of other famous Arab-Americans who have made an impact on the world today. I liked one of the speakers doing a Ted Talk, but I can’t remember her name. She was only 20 years old, and was able to shed light on stereotypes of Arabs, and Westerner’s reactions, which I found funny. I had a great time listening to Andrea speak, and learned a lot from her lecture.

Weekly Report #6

Khalid Khannouchi, is a Muslim American marathon runner. He was born on December 22, 1971, in Meknes, Morocco. He currently resides in Ossining, N.Y. He has had an impressive career. He is the U.S. men's marathon record holder; 4-time Chicago Marathon winner; 2002 London Marathon champion. I love running, and am always amazed at how fast Khalid and others can run. Many people do not understand how truly difficult it is to run that fast. When you watch runners like Khalid on television, they make it look easy. Running 4-minute miles for 26.2 miles is insane. As a promising young runner during the early 1990s, “Khalid Khannouchi of Morocco asked the track federation of his home country for assistance with training expenses. When the federation refused assistance, Khannouchi traveled to the United States in 1992, found a job in Brooklyn washing dishes took up residence with three friends in an apartment and then began serious training.” This shows Khalid’s determination and hardworking attitude to travel to the United States, likely with little to nothing, find a job, put in some serious training, and become a famous, successful runner. In addition, professional running will not give you $15 million dollars a year for sitting on a bench like some famous football players. Therefore, this is shows his sacrifice and love for running. His story can inspire other young runners to follow through with their dreams, and know that some sacrifices in life pay off in the end. Hopefully, in following years, he will receive even more recognition, which he deserves.

http://www.usatf.org/athletes/bios/TrackAndFieldArchive/2005/Khannouchi_Khalid.asp

Weekly Report #5

I found an article from the New York Times on 30 March 2018, which talks about how Trump ordered the State Department to suspend funds for Syria recovery. “President Trump, having this week signaled a possible withdrawal of American troops from Syria, has ordered the State Department to suspend more than $200 million in funds for recovery efforts there while the administration reassesses its role in the conflict.” Part of the reason for the suspension of funds are due to the fact that two members, one American, and one British solider were killed, and five others were injured. President Trump ordered 2,000 troops out of Syria, however, “the comments surprised Defense Department officials who have maintained that some kind of American presence in parts of Syria may be necessary to avoid recreating the conditions that led to the rise of the Islamic State.” It is unclear how the death of the soldiers, and injured soldiers led to his decision. I am unsure why funds for Syria recovery were suspended after reading this article because I don’t understand what purpose that serves. In addition, I agree with the Defense Department that it is essential to have some presence in Syria to make sure ISIS does not gain territory. I don’t understand what triggered President Trumps decision because even though it is extremely sad that soldiers were injured and killed, it is not like 700 soldiers were killed, or something more significant like that. I would be curious to know how long the suspensions last and what the future holds.

https://www.nytimes.com/2018/03/30/world/middleeast/syria-us-coalition-deaths.html?rref=collection%2Fsectioncollection%2Fmiddleeast&action=click&contentCollection=middleeast&region=stream&module=stream_unit&version=latest&contentPlacement=9&pgtype=sectionfront

Extra Credit- Miko Peled

I had a great time listening to the son of an Israeli General speak the other night. I found it impressive how accomplished Miko Peled is. In addition to his books, and thousands of pages read for research purposes, he is a contributor to online publications and is involved with martial arts. I learned about his father who was in the special Israeli forces, and buried his service pin as he was not happy with the war. Another interesting claim I agree with is the fact that Palestinian is so small, yet gets so much attention from the media. Our tax money, more than 10 million dollars is going to Israel every day. The “Holy Land Foundation Five” was giving money to Palestine, however, rumor had it that the money was going to fund terrorism. Unfortunately, Miko Peled, who met with these five men, met with them in federal prison. All of them received 20 and 65-year sentences, and according to Miko Peled, this are some of the finest men you will ever meet. It is extremely sad how such good men can be locked away, with a ridiculous sentence for giving money to Palestine, even though they were found not guilty. Americans like to believe there is no persecution and everything is fine, but it is not. Miko Peled used words such as; genocide, apartheid, and ethnic cleansing to describe the situation in Palestine. Palestinians are treated poorly. For instance, Israel decides who gets care, so a child with a curable cancer in Palestine, may not receive treatment. Also, he mentioned a girl who slapped an Israeli soldier after he entered their home without permission, and she went to prison before trial, and is still awaiting trial. It is very sad to hear situations like this. Overall, I was glad I went and learned more about the Israeli- Palestinian conflict, and enjoyed listening to Miko Peled speak.

Reflection #5

I really enjoyed our field trip to Washington, DC to visit the Jordanian Embassy and Egyptian Embassy. I have never been inside an Arab Embassy, so it was a cool experience. I thought it was cool to listen to the Egyptian Ambassador to the United States talk to us. I will definitely take him up on the offer to travel to Egypt for one week for free. I liked visiting the Islamic Center of Washington. I thought it was an interesting and educational experience to enter the center, and even watch a call to prayer. I thought it was interesting how they separate the men from the women during prayer. I also learned that all faiths and religions are welcome in the center, because I thought only those who practice Islam were welcome. Afterwards, when we visited the non-profit organization, “UPA,” I appreciate them serving us refreshments. I am getting better at understanding of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict through these talks. This talk, as well as the son of an Israel general, go hand in hand, and I now realize the struggles Palestinians face, more so than before. I hope there will be more opportunities in the future to visit more Arab Embassies. Also, I wouldn’t mind traveling to Egypt for one week. I have never been to Egypt before, and I think it would be a cool place to visit. So, overall, I was so happy I went, and I learned a lot from this field trip, and I look forward to more opportunities in future.

Weekly Report 5

I found an article on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict from the Jerusalem Post, “UN Human Rights Council Approves Call for Arms Embargo against Israeli.” This article explains the decisions made by the UN Human rights Council to try and stop arms sales towards Israel. “The United Nations Human Rights Council called on the international community to halt arms sales to Israel as it wrapped up its month-long 37th session in Geneva.” Nikki Haley, US Ambassador to the United Nations, “slammed the council’s anti-Israeli bias.” She compares the Human Rights Council treatment towards Israel, to North Korea. Which says a lot because Israel and North Korea are two totally different countries, and North Korea is not respected by most Nations. Nikki threatens the council by stating how the United States does not have “unlimited patience.” However, members argue there has been horrific violence towards Israel and Israeli citizens have not been treated well or accordingly. A UK representative concludes that “UK is voting in support of the self-determination and human rights resolutions.” It seems to me like this conflict will never end. There are too many differing opinions and the conflict is so involved and difficult to understand. It seems like there are always updates in the news, but the progress to resolve the conflict is never ending. It is hard to please both sides when there is so much history and tension between both parties, and third party countries could possibly exacerbate the conflict by siding with one party and not giving the other party fair treatment. 

http://www.jpost.com/Arab-Israeli-Conflict/UN-Human-Rights-Council-approves-call-for-arms-embargo-against-Israel-546953

Reflection 4

I found Dr. Boukhars’s lecture to be interesting. I have him for Terrorism and Counterterrorism, and some of the points he mentioned in his lecture were similar to the points he makes in the other class.  I agree with some of the claims he makes. For example, I don’t believe Trump is uniting the United States whatsoever. Rather, he is dividing out country and damaging Islam’s reputation and hurting innocent Muslims. Most Muslims are peaceful – it is just those few who ruin it for the rest. Nevertheless, this is true of other religions. In addition, Trump tends to like strong leaders such as Putin and Sisi, which is different from previous presidents, which I can see.  I also found his point regarding the scenario where there is a terrorist, who is surrounded by children and mothers, and the difficult decision that needs to be made to kill the terrorist, along with everyone else, or not. It becomes extremely difficult to decide. But, I thought it was interesting how Dr. Boukhars thought that Trump maybe does not give it as much thought before making a decision and maybe does not care as much of the consequences. I also learned about the genocide in Myanmar and agree that some important developments such as this does not make headlines and not many people know about it, which is truly sad. I also learned about the major players in the International Community such as the US, Russia, Saudi Arabia, and Israel. Overall, I enjoyed his lecture and gained some knowledge.  

Reflection 3

I found the concert to be interesting. I was happy to know that funds go towards music education for refugee children in the Middle East. I have never attended a concert by an Arab band, and was really impressed with what I heard. In particular, I thought the guest vocalist did a fantastic job. I don’t speak Arabic, so I did not understand what she was saying, but she had a nice voice. I find the Arab language to be beautiful and is something I would be interested in learning at McDaniel. I found it interesting that Ramzi spoke with such a calm voice, and spoke from the heart when talking about their mission. I believe this is true of individuals in the Arab world. I liked how Ramzi introduced the ensemble and explained the different types of instruments because some were unfamiliar to me. I recognized a couple instruments that were played from class that day. After attempting to play the instruments in class, I was impressed at how well they played. In addition, I noticed that the vocals were not part of the entire concert, and even when the vocalist was singing, I noticed that she paused throughout the song for the band to play their instruments. And, most of the concert was the band playing, rather than mostly singing. I would definitely attend another Arab concert because I thought it was a nice taste of Arab culture and it was something new to me.

Nawal Al Zoghbi- Weekly Report #3

Nawal AlZoghbi, a Lebanese pop vocalist, has been performing Arab music for over 25 years. She was born on June 29, 1972 in Byblos, Lebanon. “Starting with the year 1994 and until 2002, Nawal released an album almost every year reigning as the number one female pop star of the Arab world for 8 consecutive years. She also participated in several commercials to include Pepsi, LG, Classy Lenses, and Bonja Bags. “Nawal Al Zoghbi was the first Middle Eastern artist to ever be in an advertising campaign. “In 2000 Al Zoghbi signed a 5-year contract with international company Pepsi, she made various television ads for the drink using her songs which led to her success, becoming the best-selling artist in the Middle East,” She has been awarded countless awards for her success. Some of these awards include; best Arabic Singer, best Arabian Artist, best Lebanese Female singer of the year, etc. Some facts about her include she has sold over 50 million albums, she was one of the first Arabic singers to appear in music videos, and Al Zoghbi is the oldest born among three brothers and one sister. She had three children with her former spouse. “Al Zoghbi began singing at an early age, despite familial opposition to the lifestyle of a musician.” In 1996, Nawal released one of her most successful albums, named "Habeit Ya Leil." Thanks to Nawal, she inspires other Arab musicians to pursue their dreams because if she can do it, so can anyone.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nawal_Al_Zoghbi

http://www.jango.com/music/Nawal+al+Zoghbi/_full_bio

Reflection 2- Islamic Spain

I enjoyed Dr. Deveny's lecture today on Islamic Spain. I found his lecture to be interesting and insightful. However, I found that 90 minutes was not enough time to cover the material, and for me to grasp a solid understanding. A lot of the information was new to me, so it was a lot to take in. I think it would be beneficial to have another lecture on Islamic Spain because I enjoy the topic. I enjoyed the song Dr. Deveny played for us. I find the music to be beautiful, and I know the upcoming concert will play similar music, so I look forward to that as well. I find it interesting how similar the Arabic and Spanish language are to each other. I am also studying Spanish, and I did not know how related Arabic and Spanish words are. I was also surprised to hear that Spanish originated from Latin because I thought this was mostly true for the English language. At the end of his lecture, I really enjoyed looking at the architecture in Spain. I find it amazing how people can create such amazing pieces of art, and I hope one day, maybe when I study abroad, I can look at the architecture in person.  I thought the term sheet he handed out was helpful because there are a lot of terms that I am unfamiliar with, and they are good to know especially when learning about the Arab World. Overall, I had a positive experience and wouldn’t mind learning more about Islamic Spain.

Weekly Report 2- Naguib Mahfouz

Naguib Mahfouz, Egyptian novelist, playwright and screenwriter, was a recipient of the Nobel Peace Prize, becoming the First Arabic writer to win literature’s highest award. He was born in Cairo in 1911. Mahfouz began writing at the age of 17. He is the author of 40 novels and collections of short stories, several plays and more than 30 screenplays. Mahfouz supported President Anwar el-Sadat's peace treaty with Israel, and despite his popularity, his books were banned in many Arab countries because of his support for the peace treaty. Mahfouz has an interesting view of life and deeply cares for issues in society and write to express his feelings to inspire or uplift others. However, his writing can be gloomy, but emphasizes change. Mahfouz has always been a socially committed writer with a deep concern for the problem of social injustice is an incontestable fact. Clearly, Mahfouz’s work is controversial as countries have banned his book, but I get the impression that he has a lot of support from community members and the public in general. I imagine his support comes from his character, because he has shown a concern for others, and his writing can inspire others. Mahfouz passed away recently, but I believe he left an important mark on history, and has proven that Arabic writers can be just as successful, and can help change the world. One thing I found to be amazing is that there was a total of 150 writers who were nominated for the award, so this shows how high the competition was, which shows how hard one must work to receive the award, especially an Arabic Writer.

Sources:

http://www.nytimes.com/1988/10/14/books/88nobel.html

https://middleeast.library.cornell.edu/content/naguib-mahfouz-biography

Syria

I read an article from Al Jazeera on 3 February 2018 titled, “North Korea arming Syria, Myanmar. UN Report”. I found this article to be insightful and interesting. I did not know the relationship status between North Korea, and was surprised to see that North Korea had been selling weapons to the government of Syria and Myanmar, and had been exporting banned materials such as coal, iron, and steel. In addition, according to the report, “Pyongyang has been assisting Syrian President Bashar al- Assad’s government in developing its nuclear weapons programme, and has provided Myanmar’s army with ballistic missiles.” The United States has pushed for tough sanctions against North Korea, therefore, this causes a greater conflict because when governments work together, more can be accomplished, and greater damage can take place. I’d be curious to know how long the North Korean government and Syrian government have been working together, and what affects it could have on other governments. Part of the article talks about crimes against humanity committed by North Korea and Syria, including reports of chlorine gas being used against civilians in Syria. Because Syria and North Korea do not treat their people, or other countries well, this shows us that nuclear attacks are not out of the question. The article is shorter in length, but I believe it raises an important concern. I would be interested in reading more about what this could mean for the United States and what steps can be taken to intervene.

Source: http://www.aljazeera.com/news/2018/02/north-korea-arming-syria-myanmar-report-180203064444145.html

The Arab World Blog Entry #1

I decided to take this class because I want to become more familiar with Arab culture. I want to pursue a career in the Intelligence field, and I believe this class will be beneficial in my aspirations. Currently, I have little knowledge of the Arab world. I want to learn about the different Arab countries, what makes these countries unique, and better understand why some people think of Arabs as terrorists. In addition, I hope to learn some Arabic. I have never traveled to an Arab country; however, I would be interested in traveling to an Arab country one day. I was born in 1998, so I was very little when the 9/11 attacks took place. I am accepting of everyone, and I have nothing against Muslims or Arabs. I enjoy meeting individuals of diverse backgrounds, and I like learning about other cultures and beliefs.  When I heard that we were going on a field trip to visit several Arab Embassies, the Palestine and Islamic centers, I was excited. I have never visited an Arab Embassy, so it will be new to me. I believe having guest speakers will be helpful in giving further insight of the Arab world. I am also interested in attending concerts. I feel as though the better I can immerse myself with the culture, I will acquire a better understand of the Arab world. I hope I learn a lot by taking this class, and I hope I understand the Arab world well by the end of the semester. I am excited for the semester to get started.

Image Source: https://cdn.static-economist.com/sites/default/files/images/2011/11/blogs/graphic-detail/20110219_WOP586.jpg