i did say that i was going to post my critical reflection report (no 2 parter though... all in 1 piece). having been used to academic writing through the course of uni, i must admit doing an unstructured piece of writing is quite interesting.
This report charts my emotional, spiritual and mental meanderings through the course of this module on Middle Eastern Politics and Society. Throughout this module, I have been exposed to many a new way of thinking, and my perspectives have been multiplied. That which I thought to be undeniable truths have turned out to be a matter of opinion. Now, more so than ever, after having had to chart my thoughts in words do I believe that the path of our lives shape our values and beliefs. Those themes which I consider to be the most important from my journal and those that keep cropping up through out the course are included here for your perusal. Prior to studying this module, I have never looked at the Middle East region as individual countries. When I used to think of the Middle East, I used to think of it in terms of the Arabs and the Israelis. I used to believe that the Middle East consisted of a more or less pan-Arab state with a western system being imposed upon them and hence the division of nations. But that fundamentally, there was a sense of solidarity amongst the Arab nations. After studying this module, I have come to the conclusion that the Arab states are like furiously feuding family members who would like to present a face of unity to the outside world.
To me, the most alien aspect of Middle Eastern culture would have to be the place of women in society. Having been raised to believe that men and women are equal and that gender should not be a barrier in any aspect, the way that Middle Eastern women are regarded is quite puzzling. I believe the reason for the lack of women’s rights stems from the lack of evolution of Islam. My view is that there is too much of a puritanical streak in the Islamic clerics in the Middle East. Also, since the Middle East was held in high regard soon after the establishment of Islam, and has been in a state of decline since the 17th century, I guess the people long for the “good old days” when things seemed better.
Prior to this module, most of my exposure to the current affairs in the Middle East was obtained via western media. One thing I have realised is that the religion of Islam has been quite vilified in the media. The word Islam has become synonymous with terrorism and radicalism. I used to think that Arab Muslims are a hostile and violent people. As I have learnt they are actually very hospitable people and the violence that is observed in the media is perpetrated by a minority. Another thought that cropped up is about the term “militant Islam”. It makes it look like there is a sizeable Muslim population going around crying for jihad. Other religions do not seem to get the same sort of treatment. Why do terrorists have to be “Muslim terrorists”? One thing that this module has done for me is to make me question the media bias in general and especially regarding the Middle East.
Coming from Singapore, I can very much identify with the political system in the Middle East. Especially since there is very much an entrenched autocratic system in Singapore. However there is an aspect of consultation of the population and there is a token opposition. The totally authoritarian system that is prevalent in the Middle East, I think is one of the things that make Arabs appear to be that much of the “other”. I had known about the absolute monarchies in the Middle East previously, and always wondered why the population was not clamouring for self-determination. The concept of rentier economies helped to partially explain the phenomenon, I guess.
Up till this present moment, I do not know if the Islamic paradigm is so alien, or is it being interpreted to suit the purposes of the players of the political game in the Middle East, i.e. the politicians and mullahs, whom I think can also be considered politicians. Especially, since Islam is supposed to encompass all aspects of a person's life, especially the political realm, it seems like the mullahs can be the kingmakers.
My belief that for a democracy to work, there would need to be separation of church and state, has yet to be challenged. However, from what I have learnt this semester, for democracy to work in the Middle East, the conclusion I arrived at was that there would need to be some sort of hybrid of the liberal democratic model. Attempting to parachute in a western model of democracy as it is in the western European nations and in the United States would be a futile attempt. I believe this is so because the population of the region is predominantly Muslim and so the ideology would have to have mass appeal.
I used to believe that the reason for the violence between the Arabs and Israelis was simply because the Arabs were being intolerant of a non-Muslim state in their region. However, after reading about the Balfour Declaration and studying the emergence of the state of Israel, I do sympathise with the Palestinians. I do think now, that the Palestinians got a raw deal. The Jews got one foot in the door and slowly increased their presence. And now, the denunciation of the Palestinians “terror” tactics does seem rather hypocritical considering that it was through means of “terrorism” that the state of Israel was formed. I would say that my regard for the Arabs has gone up and my regard for the Israelis has gone down, during the course of this module.
The cultural differences between the Middle East and the west are many and I do think that we would be remiss in trying to judge the Arabs and their actions or inactions by Western standards. A greater understanding of the history and the culture of the people of the Middle East, I believe would decrease the treatment of the Arabs as the “other” and it would engender greater trust.
The above are some of the thoughts that have occurred to me due to the stimulation of this module, and having listed them, I realise the ways in which my beliefs have been challenged.
my next post will be a lot more interesting, i promise. it'll be a list of the highlights of the lion king musical.
* vishra scribbled on Sunday, November 07, 2004 |
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