In this thesis research has been conducted regarding the following question: is it possible to translate the long Qur’anic surah sūrat al-Raḥmān into Dutch, whereby the following three criteria are...Show moreIn this thesis research has been conducted regarding the following question: is it possible to translate the long Qur’anic surah sūrat al-Raḥmān into Dutch, whereby the following three criteria are met: 1. the meaning is preserved 2. the oral and aural aspect is conveyed 3. the translation is presented in natural and accessible Dutch. To meet the criterion of aurality and orality the translation must meet the testible criteria of rhyme, metre, parallelism, lexical echoes, conciseness, the relation between the sound of words and the atmosphere of a verse or surah, and repetition, which are the most important linguistic structures underlying orality and aurality. Recognizability for Muslims is part of the criterion of meaning. A translation method according to these criteria has been used in the testcase and the translation process has been described. The above resulted in a translation that met the criteria of the research question.Show less
In recent years, the Egyptian government has embarked on an ambitious development agenda, focusing on megaprojects to enhance economic, societal, and environmental progress. Amid economic...Show moreIn recent years, the Egyptian government has embarked on an ambitious development agenda, focusing on megaprojects to enhance economic, societal, and environmental progress. Amid economic challenges, there is a recognition of tourism's potential to boost foreign currency income. The government has shifted its tourism development focus from coastal resort towns to the culturally significant St. Catherine in South Sinai. A UNESCO heritage site and a natural protectorate, the site is believed to be where Moses received the Ten Commandments and houses the oldest continuously inhabited monastery globally. The newly initiated ‘al-Tagali al-Aatham’ project aims to transform the city into a global tourist destination, sparking economic growth for the city, the region, and the Egyptian state. However, environmental and heritage concerns have arisen. This thesis investigates the socio-economic impact of al-Tagali al-Aatham on St. Catherine, employing ethnographic fieldwork to explore perspectives from both the government and local Gabaliya Bedouin. Positioned within Sinai’s history of political contestation and nation-building efforts, the thesis positions the project as a case study of state-induced development on the ‘margins’ of an authoritarian state in an ethnically complex setting. It argues that al-Tagali al-Aatham serves as a nation-consolidation measure, promoting national identity and solidifying Sinai’s integration into the Egyptian nation-state by imposing nationalism, seeking peace, and presenting Egypt as a modern nation.Show less
This research explores the Palestinian-Israeli conflict from the perspective of Uri Davis, an anti-Zionist Palestinian Hebrew of Jewish origins. Davis is a scholar and activist who fully supports...Show moreThis research explores the Palestinian-Israeli conflict from the perspective of Uri Davis, an anti-Zionist Palestinian Hebrew of Jewish origins. Davis is a scholar and activist who fully supports the Palestinian right to self-determination, and was the first Israeli citizen to call Israel an apartheid state. This study focuses on the Israeli intra-group dynamics. The first section is a conceptual framework dedicated to explaining the origins of Zionism: the development of its cognitive repertoire, its solidification as a habitus at a societal level, and its affirmation as the hegemonic power in Israel. The section concludes with an assessment of the counter-hegemonic, anti-Zionist struggle. The following chapter illustrates the emergence of three categories of Jewish resistance to Zionism: the one of Orthodox Jews, of the Political Left, and of Intellectuals and Humanists. Finally, through Uri Davis’ autobiography and secondary literature, the final chapter analyzes language use and deconstructs ideas and events to evaluate Davis’ contribution to the anti-Zionist discourse and cause.Show less
This thesis investigates what political participation of Qatari citizens looked like during the diplomatic crisis in Qatar from 2017 until 2021. It does so by conducting a qualitative content...Show moreThis thesis investigates what political participation of Qatari citizens looked like during the diplomatic crisis in Qatar from 2017 until 2021. It does so by conducting a qualitative content analysis of articles published by BBC Monitoring throughout the period of the crisis and complements these with sources from news outlets and social media. The purpose of this work is to provide a better understanding of political participation in rentier states. This thesis concludes that four forms of unconventional political participation existed in Qatar during the diplomatic crisis, namely: digital street politics, contentious collective action, social nonmovements, and elite negotiation. These forms of participation primarily occurred on social media which is a result of the internal structure of politics in Qatar, such as the lack of available political arenas to voice opinions, and the lack of a clear political ideology with both the state and the opposition. Qatari political participation occurred largely in support of the regime because Qatari citizens felt that their national identity was threatened and because their livelihoods depend on the state. This, in combination with what other academic literature tells us, indicates that Qatari citizens have become more interested in politics. However, there are no signs that this will translate into more democratic governance.Show less
The growing dominance of the West and the decline of the Ottoman Empire triggered a new way of thinking that tried to reconcile Islam and modernity. The main goal of this research was to give voice...Show moreThe growing dominance of the West and the decline of the Ottoman Empire triggered a new way of thinking that tried to reconcile Islam and modernity. The main goal of this research was to give voice to the marginalized traditionalists through the figure of Muhammad Zahid al-Kawtharī in response to the growing influence of this Islamic reformist thinking. This was done through a discourse analysis of al-Kawtharī's article, titled "Al-la-madhhabiyya qanṭarat al-lā-dīniyya (Anti-Madhhabism is a steppingstone to irreligion)". Additionally, the strategies of "reading against the grain" and "reading with the grain" are carried out to highlight the interplay between dominant and alternative discourses. This provides a deeper understanding of the conflicting meanings, ideas, and arguments between Islamic modernists and traditionalists. Despite being excluded from the academic field, this research showed that al-Kawtharī was a very prolific scholar who played a significant role in shaping Islamic thought in Egypt. Furthermore, this research showed that Muslim scholars agreed and disagreed on certain issues despite endorsing different discourses, which underlines the importance of avoiding labels. Lastly, this research is an academic invitation to delve into the voices of other Muslim scholars who have been silenced under the growing influence of Islamic reformist discourse.Show less
The question of the Palestinian and Israeli conflict and the political situation at hand strongly indicates that the existing popular culture is influenced by power and politics. Film as a form of...Show moreThe question of the Palestinian and Israeli conflict and the political situation at hand strongly indicates that the existing popular culture is influenced by power and politics. Film as a form of popular culture is also influenced by the wider discourse of world politics and beholds the features of broadcasting certain messages to the audience. Therefore, film is worth studying as a potential medium to convey the struggle of the Palestinian people. This research provides a better understanding of the importance of culture as a political medium in the Palestinian struggle, especially in the global context, given regard to the correlation between politics and culture. More specifically, the research aimed to analyze how contemporary art house films about the Palestinian struggle relate to the new form of the intifada also referred to as the global intifada. The research focused on three art house films from 2013 onwards: Mars At Sunrise, Condom Lead and In Vitro. The analysis was based on how these films relate to the characteristics of the global intifada, such as the cultural, intersectional, decolonial-global and inter/national features through interconnected-joint initiatives. To gain a better understanding of the social relationship between these film productions and the global intifada, the theory of Pierre Bourdieu of the cultural field was applied. The findings suggest that these films, as a cultural medium, visualize the global intifada mainly through cultural practice. Non-traditional film techniques and genres, such as visual effects and fantasy/science fiction, are hereby key factors. Moreover, the statements of the film producers indicate an inter/national, and most importantly global, approach to highlighting the Palestinian struggle in their artworks. Finally, the works relate to the transformational and decolonial character of this intifada, as they challenge the wider public to change their narrative of the Palestinian individual and the Palestinian struggle.Show less
In recent years, several Israeli newspapers reported changes in the state’s filmmaking industry. Governmental intervention in the domestic film industry is a common phenomenon. However, the current...Show moreIn recent years, several Israeli newspapers reported changes in the state’s filmmaking industry. Governmental intervention in the domestic film industry is a common phenomenon. However, the current situation in Israel suggests a high level of political interference with the state’s filmmaking industry that problematizes the work of Israeli and Israeli-Palestinian filmmakers. This thesis seeks to explore this phenomenon by asking the following umbrella question: how does the Israeli political climate influence the filmmaking industry? Through a multidisciplinary approach, this research first demonstrates that the struggles of Israeli and Israeli-Palestinian filmmakers stem from the far-right conceptualization of “state loyalty”, equated with the ability of filmmakers to adhere to the state’s narrative. In Israel “state loyalty” is not just an abstract notion. On the contrary, by zooming in on the political conditions and legal actions of the last decade, this thesis shows that the government enacted specific legislations to reinforce the narrative that Israel is a Jewish and democratic state. In doing so, filmmakers’ criticism of and/or opposition to the state narrative is cast as “state disloyalty”. Using four documentaries as a case study contributes to better elucidating the situation. Indeed, the juxtaposition of Folman’s Waltz with Bashir and Bakri’s Jenin Jenin as well as the analysis of Two Kids a Day and H2: The Occupation Lab, show that Israel’s political and legislative superstructures are actively repressing artistic expression of dissenting narratives. Furthermore, the case study demonstrates that political and legal consequences particularly arise when filmmakers bring attention to the Palestinian narrative.Show less
