This Blog is intended for use by students in the Islamic Middle East course at Northfield Mount Hermon School and guest students and teachers from other participating schools.
Hello. Some of you might know me. I am Jooyeon Hahm and I graduated from NMH on May 25, 2008 - a long time ago, right? I am now attending University of Pennsylvania and possibly going to major in Middle Eastern Studies. My account is still alive and I just cannot help but write something.
Ted is wonderful. This course [...]
Sheik Ali al-Nida, head of the Albu Nasir tribe, was assassinated by a car bomb. The Albu Nasir tribe enjoyed favor while its member Saddam Hussein ruled Iraq; It occupied the Baath party and important government posts. Sheik Ali al-Nida was a moderate Sunni even though he did not refused alliances with the new government. He [...]
(Read the NYtimes article.)
The Palestinian factions Fatah and Hamas met in Senegal to restore mutual respect. In June 2006 Hamas, ending the monopolistic rule of Fatah, won the parliamentary election and took over Gaza. Mahmoud Abbas, the president from Fatah, declared the Hamas government illegitimate. Since then, hostility between the two groups has been increasing. Hamas has criticized [...]
The violence between the government and the Hizbullah-led opposition is growing outrageously in Lebanon. “The sectarian violence is the worst since the end of the civil war fifteen years ago.” Bush, pointing that Iran is behind Hizbullah and generating instablity in the Middle East, would help strengthen Lebanon’s army to fight Hizbullah.
(See the article.)
Has Israel succeeded as a state?
Please, pay attention to bold headings. You will see Al-Jazeera’s biases against Israel.
Al-Jazeera acknowledges Israel for its success as a state, but questions its moral integrity as the occupier. Also, it states that “Zionism has failed” since the founding mission of Zionism, which was to build a safe haven for [...]
(See the article.)
Turkish educators try to spread moderate Islam in Pakistan by teaching young students religious tolerance and various “Western” subjects such as science, math, and English. In Pakistan, the country which refuges Al-Qaeda, Taliban, and other terrorist groups, poverty and ill-education have been the main cause of converting youngsters into Islamic Fundamentalism. Students who cannot [...]
(Read the full article.)
American forces began to establish a wall separating Sadr City from Baghdad. The Iraqi government hoped to see this wall build security by blocking the Mahdi Army.
Sadr City was originally called Saddam City during Saddam Hussein’s reign. In 2003, It was unofficially named after the Shiite cleric, Mohammed Mohammed Sadiq al-Sadr. This [...]
Read the article.
Sharla Musabih, an American-born Emirati, is fighting a lonely battle to raise human rights of women in the United Arab Emirites. She takes care of women who are seeking refuges away from violent husbands and foreign prostitutes who are eager to go back to their home countries. Her radical approaches, such as interviews with foreign [...]
Summary
Hamas and Israelis trade attacks; the vice cycle of reciprocal actions never seems to end. Amidst of Gaza crisis, Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice is to visit the Middle East next week. On Thursday in Tokyo, she met with Mr. Olmert who was coincidentally visiting
Japan. He promised to continue peace talks with Mr. Abbas. Mr. [...]
RIYADH (AFP) — A businesswoman was detained and strip-searched by Saudi Arabia’s religious police for sitting in a Starbucks coffee shop with an unrelated man, taboo in the country, a newspaper reported on Tuesday. (Read the whole article.)
I understand that Saudi Arabia is super-ultra-conservative but I do not see a clear reason behind the sexual segregation. In [...]
BBC Middle East