Re: How much of Islamic culture is actually Arab?
lol just sent a post on an other discussion where I wrote: I cannot imagine that all humanity should first learn persian or arabic, to be able to understand the Writings! Would we be more or better baha'i if we take a persian name? ;-) Loïc The information contained in this e-mail and any attachments thereto (e-mail) is sent by the Johnson County Community College (JCCC) and is intended to be confidential and for the use of only the individual or entity named above. The information may be protected by federal and state privacy and disclosures acts or other legal rules. If the reader of this message is not the intended recipient, you are notified that retention, dissemination, distribution or copying of this e-mail is strictly prohibited. If you have received this e-mail in error please immediately notify JCCC by email reply and immediately and permanently delete this e-mail message and any attachments thereto. Thank you. __ You are subscribed to Baha'i Studies as: mailto:archive@mail-archive.com Unsubscribe: send a blank email to mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] Subscribe: send subscribe bahai-st in the message body to [EMAIL PROTECTED] Subscribe: http://list.jccc.edu:8080/read/all_forums/subscribe?name=bahai-st Baha'i Studies is available through the following: Mail - mailto:bahai-st@list.jccc.edu Web - http://list.jccc.edu:8080/read/?forum=bahai-st News - news://list.jccc.edu/bahai-st Public - http://www.escribe.com/religion/bahaist Old Public - http://www.mail-archive.com/bahai-st@list.jccc.net New Public - http://www.mail-archive.com/bahai-st@list.jccc.edu
Re: How much of Islamic culture is actually Arab?
Becasue the Baha'i Faith arose in Persia, our daughters have names in the Farsi form. But does that signify that we regard Persian culture as somehow more authentically Baha'i? The information contained in this e-mail and any attachments thereto (e-mail) is sent by the Johnson County Community College (JCCC) and is intended to be confidential and for the use of only the individual or entity named above. The information may be protected by federal and state privacy and disclosures acts or other legal rules. If the reader of this message is not the intended recipient, you are notified that retention, dissemination, distribution or copying of this e-mail is strictly prohibited. If you have received this e-mail in error please immediately notify JCCC by email reply and immediately and permanently delete this e-mail message and any attachments thereto. Thank you. __ You are subscribed to Baha'i Studies as: mailto:archive@mail-archive.com Unsubscribe: send a blank email to mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] Subscribe: send subscribe bahai-st in the message body to [EMAIL PROTECTED] Subscribe: http://list.jccc.edu:8080/read/all_forums/subscribe?name=bahai-st Baha'i Studies is available through the following: Mail - mailto:bahai-st@list.jccc.edu Web - http://list.jccc.edu:8080/read/?forum=bahai-st News - news://list.jccc.edu/bahai-st Public - http://www.escribe.com/religion/bahaist Old Public - http://www.mail-archive.com/bahai-st@list.jccc.net New Public - http://www.mail-archive.com/bahai-st@list.jccc.edu
Re: How much of Islamic culture is actually Arab?
On 11/17/06, Tim Nolan [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: I have been thinking about this question for a few weeks. To what extent is modern global Islamic culture based on Arab culture? Here is an article called Islam and the Cultural Imperative which I think has a pretty healthy approach to that issue/question. http://www.nawawi.org/downloads/article3.pdf But personally, I would tend to think that there is a big difference between religion and culture and sometimes the relationship between them can be complex. I would also suggest that since as a Bahai you believe that the Quran is the word of God and that Muhammad (saaws) was a Manifestation of global significance I would expect a Bahai to accept some components of global Islamic culture as part of a divine covenant with a divine origin and not simply a matter of Arabs imposing their culture in a human sense. So if you are looking at any particular example of culture or practice it could come from a number of places. 1) From sources which the Bahai faith considers divine 2) From pre-revelation Arab culture 3) From a Muslim country's culture pre-contact with Islam (African, Persian, Indo-Pak, Malay, Turkish, etc.) or 4) a product of historical events in a given location after the people have already become Muslim (and in this category, a big sub-component is going to be the influence of colonialism). I notice also that when Americans convert to Islam, they take names that sound Arab. In the case of African-Americans it's understandable that they want to discard the slave name, but there are lots of African names that don't sound Arab. So why do converts almost always take Arab names? It's not about taking Arab names. It is more about taking a name which reflects a name of Allah, or the name of a prophet, or a good quality, or the name of a figure from early Islamic history. The information contained in this e-mail and any attachments thereto (e-mail) is sent by the Johnson County Community College (JCCC) and is intended to be confidential and for the use of only the individual or entity named above. The information may be protected by federal and state privacy and disclosures acts or other legal rules. If the reader of this message is not the intended recipient, you are notified that retention, dissemination, distribution or copying of this e-mail is strictly prohibited. If you have received this e-mail in error please immediately notify JCCC by email reply and immediately and permanently delete this e-mail message and any attachments thereto. Thank you. __ You are subscribed to Baha'i Studies as: mailto:archive@mail-archive.com Unsubscribe: send a blank email to mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] Subscribe: send subscribe bahai-st in the message body to [EMAIL PROTECTED] Subscribe: http://list.jccc.edu:8080/read/all_forums/subscribe?name=bahai-st Baha'i Studies is available through the following: Mail - mailto:bahai-st@list.jccc.edu Web - http://list.jccc.edu:8080/read/?forum=bahai-st News - news://list.jccc.edu/bahai-st Public - http://www.escribe.com/religion/bahaist Old Public - http://www.mail-archive.com/bahai-st@list.jccc.net New Public - http://www.mail-archive.com/bahai-st@list.jccc.edu
Re: How much of Islamic culture is actually Arab?
IDo you think that converts to Islam take Arab names because Arab culture is perceived as somehow more authentically Muslim? Yes, I do. After all, the religion arose amonst Arabs, the Qur'an is revealed in good Arabic, Muhammad was an Arab, the religion was carried far and wide by the Arab Muslims rather than by the Persian Muslims. Becasue the Baha'i Faith arose in Persia, our daughters have names in the Farsi form. Richard. The information contained in this e-mail and any attachments thereto (e-mail) is sent by the Johnson County Community College (JCCC) and is intended to be confidential and for the use of only the individual or entity named above. The information may be protected by federal and state privacy and disclosures acts or other legal rules. If the reader of this message is not the intended recipient, you are notified that retention, dissemination, distribution or copying of this e-mail is strictly prohibited. If you have received this e-mail in error please immediately notify JCCC by email reply and immediately and permanently delete this e-mail message and any attachments thereto. Thank you. __ You are subscribed to Baha'i Studies as: mailto:archive@mail-archive.com Unsubscribe: send a blank email to mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] Subscribe: send subscribe bahai-st in the message body to [EMAIL PROTECTED] Subscribe: http://list.jccc.edu:8080/read/all_forums/subscribe?name=bahai-st Baha'i Studies is available through the following: Mail - mailto:bahai-st@list.jccc.edu Web - http://list.jccc.edu:8080/read/?forum=bahai-st News - news://list.jccc.edu/bahai-st Public - http://www.escribe.com/religion/bahaist Old Public - http://www.mail-archive.com/bahai-st@list.jccc.net New Public - http://www.mail-archive.com/bahai-st@list.jccc.edu
How much of Islamic culture is actually Arab?
I have been thinking about this question for a few weeks. To what extent is modern global Islamic culture based on Arab culture? For example this busines of women dressing so they are covered from head to toe? I think the U.S. could certainly benefit from more modesty, but the burkha seems extreme. Is the burkha common in, say, Pakistan or Indonesia? I notice also that when Americans convert to Islam, they take names that sound Arab. In the case of African-Americans it's understandable that they want to discard the slave name, but there are lots of African names that don't sound Arab. So why do converts almost always take Arab names? Baha'is do something similar; I know lots of Anglo-American or African-American Baha'is named Nabil, or Karim, or Tahirih. Many years ago I even knew a Baha'i child named Shoghi! Do you think that converts to Islam take Arab names because Arab culture is perceived as somehow more authentically Muslim? I await your insights, Tim - Sponsored Link Degrees online in as fast as 1 Yr - MBA, Bachelor's, Master's, Associate - Click now to apply The information contained in this e-mail and any attachments thereto (e-mail) is sent by the Johnson County Community College (JCCC) and is intended to be confidential and for the use of only the individual or entity named above. The information may be protected by federal and state privacy and disclosures acts or other legal rules. If the reader of this message is not the intended recipient, you are notified that retention, dissemination, distribution or copying of this e-mail is strictly prohibited. If you have received this e-mail in error please immediately notify JCCC by email reply and immediately and permanently delete this e-mail message and any attachments thereto. Thank you. __ You are subscribed to Baha'i Studies as: mailto:archive@mail-archive.com Unsubscribe: send a blank email to mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] Subscribe: send subscribe bahai-st in the message body to [EMAIL PROTECTED] Subscribe: http://list.jccc.edu:8080/read/all_forums/subscribe?name=bahai-st Baha'i Studies is available through the following: Mail - mailto:bahai-st@list.jccc.edu Web - http://list.jccc.edu:8080/read/?forum=bahai-st News - news://list.jccc.edu/bahai-st Public - http://www.escribe.com/religion/bahaist Old Public - http://www.mail-archive.com/bahai-st@list.jccc.net New Public - http://www.mail-archive.com/bahai-st@list.jccc.edu
Re: How much of Islamic culture is actually Arab?
I have been thinking about this question for a few weeks. To what extent is modern global Islamic culture based on Arab culture? Dear Tim, I think it is probably true that Islam has carried more of the 'baggage' of the culture in which it was born than any of the other World Religions. (I'm thinking mostly of Christianity and Buddhism.) I think this is largely because of the importance placed on following the example of the Prophet who was, after all, an Arab. For example this busines of women dressing so they are covered from head to toe? That was really Arab in origin. Veiling was the custom among elite class women in both the Sassanian and Byzantine Empires. It goes back at least as far as ancient Athens and perhaps ancient Mesopotamia. Ironically, it was the egalitarian nature of Islam which caused the practice to extend among nearly all the urban classes. Is the burkha common in, say, Pakistan or Indonesia? Not that common. In Pakistan the usual Islamic dress for women is the sevar va chamis, pants and a tunic along with some kind of head scarf. Women in Indonesia only started wearing head scarfs in large numbers in the last generation. It is important to keep in mind that some of these women (with head scarves, not burkas) are adopting Islamic dress *because* they are entering the work force for the first time. It makes them feel much less vulnerable. And such clothes are certainly more comfortable than high heels and a short skirt. So why do converts almost always take Arab names? Baha'is do something similar; I know lots of Anglo-American or African-American Baha'is named Nabil, or Karim, or Tahirih. Many years ago I even knew a Baha'i child named Shoghi! Do you think that converts to Islam take Arab names because Arab culture is perceived as somehow more authentically Muslim? Do we take Arab names because we see it as more authentically Baha'i? No, usually we take them because they represent some figure in our history which we admire. But normally we give these names to children, we don't change our own names when we convert. The idea of changing your name upon conversion goes back to Christianity where they didn't want baptized Christians to continue to bare names related to pagan dieities. warmest, Susan The information contained in this e-mail and any attachments thereto (e-mail) is sent by the Johnson County Community College (JCCC) and is intended to be confidential and for the use of only the individual or entity named above. The information may be protected by federal and state privacy and disclosures acts or other legal rules. If the reader of this message is not the intended recipient, you are notified that retention, dissemination, distribution or copying of this e-mail is strictly prohibited. If you have received this e-mail in error please immediately notify JCCC by email reply and immediately and permanently delete this e-mail message and any attachments thereto. Thank you. __ You are subscribed to Baha'i Studies as: mailto:archive@mail-archive.com Unsubscribe: send a blank email to mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] Subscribe: send subscribe bahai-st in the message body to [EMAIL PROTECTED] Subscribe: http://list.jccc.edu:8080/read/all_forums/subscribe?name=bahai-st Baha'i Studies is available through the following: Mail - mailto:bahai-st@list.jccc.edu Web - http://list.jccc.edu:8080/read/?forum=bahai-st News - news://list.jccc.edu/bahai-st Public - http://www.escribe.com/religion/bahaist Old Public - http://www.mail-archive.com/bahai-st@list.jccc.net New Public - http://www.mail-archive.com/bahai-st@list.jccc.edu
