As long as Moroccan Dutch migrants have been present in the Netherlands, discussions have been taking place about the influence of the Moroccan state in the religious sphere in the Netherlands. The...Show moreAs long as Moroccan Dutch migrants have been present in the Netherlands, discussions have been taking place about the influence of the Moroccan state in the religious sphere in the Netherlands. The official Islam of the state entails following the Malikite school of law, Asharite tradition of theology and Sufism. At the same time, some mosques with largely Moroccan Dutch attendees are known to outspokenly preach the same traditions. Both the Moroccan state and two examples of such mosques in the Netherlands produce discourses on reasons for following these specific traditions and how they relate to the national Moroccan identity. The influence of Morocco on these mosques in advocating a certain Islamic tradition is unclear. By studying both discourses, it may be concluded that the discourses on Islam of the Moroccan state and the two mosques are characterized by different national contexts, wider ongoing debates and positions of power within the wider society.Show less
This research deals with the question what the economic system based on precious metals (the natural situation) looked like in the Muslim world and if the evolution toward fiat money violated the...Show moreThis research deals with the question what the economic system based on precious metals (the natural situation) looked like in the Muslim world and if the evolution toward fiat money violated the commandments of the sharia concerning riba, particularly riba al-fadl and riba nasi’ah? These two forms of riba apply specifically to gold and silver, designated in the Quran and Sunnah as natural money. The evolution of money described by Fox and Ernst consists of five different stages, namely the natural situation where gold and silver are valued by their intrinsic value. This situation is sharia compliant but in the next stage coins were valued at face or nominal value, a violation of riba al-fadl which prescribes the exchange of weight for weight. Bank money is seen as the next stage, and this is problematic regarding riba nasi’ah as the exchange of gold and silver is deferred whereas the sources prescribe exchange being done on the spot. Paper money convertible to gold is the fourth stage. This again constitutes deferred exchange of metals, but also riba al-fadl as there is no 100% backing of the notes brought in circulation. Fiat money is totally divorced from gold and silver and is always brought into existence as a loan with interest. Islamic finance hasn’t really engaged with the topic of the permissibility of fiat money, but it appears interest in the subject is gaining traction as most Muslims feel that from an Islamic perspective there is something fundamentally wrong with the current financial system.Show less
This research aims to answer the following question about the International Divinity Program (Uluslararasi Ilahiyat Programi) of Diyanet (Presidency of Religious Affairs): What is the role of the...Show moreThis research aims to answer the following question about the International Divinity Program (Uluslararasi Ilahiyat Programi) of Diyanet (Presidency of Religious Affairs): What is the role of the International Divinity Program in forming diaspora relations between Turkey and the Netherlands? The following sub-questions will serve as support for answering the research question: - What is the history of imam education in Turkey? - What is the content of the program of the UIP? - What are the motivations according to the stakeholders to start the International Divinity Program? - What are the motivation of the students to study, to what extent are the students satisfied with the program and what are their expectations about their role after their graduation?Show less
The thesis investigates in what ways cultural institutions in the West provide a platform for the representation of Muslim identities and how this can be significant for the accommodation of Muslim...Show moreThe thesis investigates in what ways cultural institutions in the West provide a platform for the representation of Muslim identities and how this can be significant for the accommodation of Muslim communities within the Netherlands at large. It does so by re-evaluating existing political and aesthetic theories and by analysing four case studies on different art and culture instances within the Netherlands.Show less
This MA Thesis explores the small Syriac Orthodox community of Istanbul. The micro study includes portraits of three Syriac Orthodox families who moved away from Mardin. They give insight into the...Show moreThis MA Thesis explores the small Syriac Orthodox community of Istanbul. The micro study includes portraits of three Syriac Orthodox families who moved away from Mardin. They give insight into the way the community members stay connected, the study searches how the social identity of the Syriac Orthodox community in Istanbul is being experienced. It considers how members see themselves and others from within their community, and how they see ‘the outsiders.’ Qualifications are given based on religious and cultural customs and on collective memory. The differences between generations are kept in mind and reveal why the identification process is changing throughout time.Show less
In a relatively short time Great Britain founded Iraq out of the three Ottoman vilayets Mosul, Baghdad and Basra. When British forces went ashore in Mesopotamia in a hurry to fight the Ottoman...Show moreIn a relatively short time Great Britain founded Iraq out of the three Ottoman vilayets Mosul, Baghdad and Basra. When British forces went ashore in Mesopotamia in a hurry to fight the Ottoman Empire because it had joined the First World War as one of the Axis, many policy issues had not been clarified yet. Too often did not only the army and the political officers on the ground, but the government officials in London as well work without a clear goal in mind. The question that begs to be asked is who was responsible for the policy in Mesopotamia. Hence, this is a study of the interaction within the British Empire during and right after World War I and its effects on policy development in Mesopotamia. When you zoom in on the British Empire, you will notice a diverse range of interests. This world encompassing Empire was not a monolith. Different regions and different political entities had conflicting ideas on the future of Mesopotamia. This thesis analyzes the British Empire itself to understand the confusion and contradictions in British policy-making following 1914 by leaving the core-periphery binary often assumed in imperialist historiography, and by paying attention to the webbed character of empires; multiple metropoles connected in a competing network.Show less
The thesis deals with the reception of Lā Sakākīn fī Maṭābikh Hādhihi al-Madīna, a novel about an aristocratic family living in Aleppo, that disintegrates more and more due to the influence of the...Show moreThe thesis deals with the reception of Lā Sakākīn fī Maṭābikh Hādhihi al-Madīna, a novel about an aristocratic family living in Aleppo, that disintegrates more and more due to the influence of the ruling party. It was composed by Syrian writer Khaled Khalifa, and published in 2013. For the research project, a combination of online sources was examined, namely official reviews published on websites of newspapers, and reader responses on social networking site Goodreads. After giving an overview of reception theory and Arabic literary criticism over time, the method used for analysing the texts is described. It was derived from an article by Wendy Griswold, in which she divided readers into different audiences and described their evaluations. The same is done in the thesis, readers are divided according to the language they communicate in (Arabic vs. English / Dutch), as well as concerning the way they publish their reactions (use of social media vs. official websites). Succeeding chapters discuss important findings, firstly with regard to literary value, secondly regarding politics, and thirdly concerning social morals. Its excellent reception in the Arabic world was called into question, as well as the assumption that ‘Western’ critics do not comment on the literary value of Arabic novels. The thesis concludes by summarising its results, of which the most outstanding may be the critical attitude towards authority of users of social media in combination with their, on the whole, conservative ideas.Show less
Although often overshadowed by the tumult in the region, and in Iraq specifically, there has been discussion in recent years of the normalization of relations between Kuwait and Iraq. The primary...Show moreAlthough often overshadowed by the tumult in the region, and in Iraq specifically, there has been discussion in recent years of the normalization of relations between Kuwait and Iraq. The primary purposes of this study are, first, to provide an analysis of Kuwaiti foreign policy toward Iraq and, second, to determine the role of regional inter-state structures in shaping this policy. Using journalistic accounts, statements from government officials, and data concerning macroeconomic activity and military expenditure, this research shows that relations have indeed gotten closer between Kuwait and Iraq, particularly since 2010. Additionally, evidence is presented demonstrating that Kuwait is engaging in a foreign policy strategy of hedging in its relations with Iraq, allowing it to prepare for multiple potential security threats while maximizing short-term economic and political benefits. It is argued that closer ties between Kuwait and Iraq have been enabled and incentivized by the changing structure (both material and social) of international relations in the Gulf region. Finally, through its analysis of Kuwaiti foreign policy toward Iraq, this thesis seeks to demonstrate the potential usefulness of the concepts of strategic hedging and structural power in the analysis of small state behavior in international relations.Show less
Alliance politics and securitisation theory have been studied and theorised. However, research on a possible link between these fields remains absent. Yet, when we look at prevalent alliance theory...Show moreAlliance politics and securitisation theory have been studied and theorised. However, research on a possible link between these fields remains absent. Yet, when we look at prevalent alliance theory by Walt, we see that security and threat perceptions play a great role in the formation and persistence of state alliances. We would then expect that the discursive construction of these threats would too. This research takes the “special relationship” between the United States and Israel and their most recent rift over a nuclear Iran as its case study. Other than most analyses of the construction of threat within foreign policy discourse, this research aims to trace interaction between two converging or diverging formal state discourses. A Post Structuralist discourse analysis of formal speeches given by Netanyahu and Obama on policy towards Iran will show that over the eight years of their simultaneous leadership, interaction between their respective discourses increased and took an a more direct form. Results thereby illustrate that securitisation discourse should perhaps more often be studied as not simply emanating from and interacting with the domestic realm. It is not simply a dialogue between leadership and a respective domestic audience. Obama and Netanyahu are also required to legitimate their foreign policy options towards one another and both of their domestic audiences.Show less
The study takes as point of departure recent political statements of the Israeli prime minister B. Netanyahu about the status of the Occupied Syrian Golan, which are aimed at changing the legal...Show moreThe study takes as point of departure recent political statements of the Israeli prime minister B. Netanyahu about the status of the Occupied Syrian Golan, which are aimed at changing the legal status of this area, as these are uttered in the context of the war in Syria. The thesis examines the weight of these statements through a legal, political and an historical analysis, and how the international community reacted to it. The thesis critically explores the possibilities of international law to respond to this situation.Show less
Abstract: This study is a case study of the dairy sector in the West Bank. It is based on qualitative field research and an extensive literature review. By asking how dairy farmers and dairy...Show moreAbstract: This study is a case study of the dairy sector in the West Bank. It is based on qualitative field research and an extensive literature review. By asking how dairy farmers and dairy factory owners in the Hebron governorate perceive opportunities for and constraints to the expansion of their holdings, it analyses them in light of occupation policies and their implications for economic autonomy in the occupied Palestinian territories. On an empirical level, it concludes that intensive dairy cattle farms are better suited to land and water constraints than other forms of agriculture. On a theoretical level, it finds that Israeli neglect of bilateral agreements and ‘casual constraints’ preclude Palestinian economic autonomy, indicating the latter’s interdependence with the achievement of national sovereignty.Show less
The role of women in the current scholarly debate in Iran is analyzed within the framework of sexuality giving more acknowledgment to the topics of womanhood,female sexuality, and homoerotics. A...Show moreThe role of women in the current scholarly debate in Iran is analyzed within the framework of sexuality giving more acknowledgment to the topics of womanhood,female sexuality, and homoerotics. A comparison within medieval writings such as Al-Ghazali's Revivification of Religious Sciences and current translated books will determine women's role within society at the turn of the twentieth century in Iran. Furthermore, the introduction of the hetero-normalization within society will challenge the existing order within society and give a new definition to womanhood.Show less
This thesis investigates a representation of Iraqi identity through artistic practice, by focusing on the works of Iraqi visual artist Sadik Kwais Alfraji. Through an extensive analysis of thirteen...Show moreThis thesis investigates a representation of Iraqi identity through artistic practice, by focusing on the works of Iraqi visual artist Sadik Kwais Alfraji. Through an extensive analysis of thirteen artworks produced between 1982 and 2014, the thesis explores how the artist conceives his Iraqi-ness and fashions it within his creations. By combining a narrativist approach to the study of identity, relying on the writings of Stuart Hall and Margaret Somers, with multiple interviews conducted with Alfraji, this work demonstrates how the artist’s Iraqi identity results from an interplay of “inside and outside” of Iraq, both in literal and metaphorical terms. Moreover, by examining how crucial themes, such as war an freedom, are portrayed within Alfraji’s artworks, this thesis shows how the artist’s self-understanding and sense of belonging are deeply influenced by the history of his homeland.Show less
The present research project analyses Lebanese political cartoons taken from five different online newspapers in order to understand what kind of image is attributed to the "West" from the part of...Show moreThe present research project analyses Lebanese political cartoons taken from five different online newspapers in order to understand what kind of image is attributed to the "West" from the part of Lebanese cartoonists. Using Faucult and Said as guideline for the analysis of the political cartooons and utilising "framing" theories taken from media and communication studies as method of analysis, aim of the research is not only to understand what image of the "West"is being produced by the Lebanese media, but also what historical, social and cultural factors have played a role in formulating that image.Show less
