The Turkish TV series Diriliş: Ertuğrul has received worldwide media attention for its political-ideological implementation and its international viewership. This is especially interesting since...Show moreThe Turkish TV series Diriliş: Ertuğrul has received worldwide media attention for its political-ideological implementation and its international viewership. This is especially interesting since the series responds to contemporary issues. That is why I wondered how masculinity is presented in the series. This study addresses the question to which extent Ottoman or Turkish ideas on manhood influence masculine ideals. Firstly, I will give an overview of the pre-modern Ottoman male ideal, focusing on the image of the sultan and discussing the impact of dervishes. I will continue discussing the modern ideal man in the late Ottoman Empire and the Turkish Republic. This era shows a change from Islamic masculinity to a more nationalistic interpretation; however, similarities continue to exist, mainly the dominant and militaristic masculine ideal. In the final chapter, I will discuss the presentation of masculinity in the series. The impact of masculinity is supported by the consequences of the series and the reactions of viewers. This presentation of masculinity is compared to pre-modern Ottoman and modern Ottoman/Turkish manhood, showing that Ertuğrul embodies a combination of male values both from the Ottoman-Islamic and nationalist-modern periods. The outcome shows potential for further research into modern Islamic masculinities.Show less
The exceptional stability of the Moroccan monarchy during turbulent periods such as the protests of the F20 movement and the protests of the Hirak movement is intriguing. During the Arab Spring,...Show moreThe exceptional stability of the Moroccan monarchy during turbulent periods such as the protests of the F20 movement and the protests of the Hirak movement is intriguing. During the Arab Spring, the monarchy was the only country in North Africa that has kept the same head of state. Researchers are inclined to explain the stability of Morocco by analyzing the political strategies of the state and the monarchy. But what is often overlooked in the study of the Arab Spring in Morocco is the people. The Moroccan people remained relatively calm. The protests in Morocco were not as widespread as the protests in the rest of North Africa and the Middle East. In addition, the protesters' demands were aimed at reform, not revolution. How come the people of Morocco had different demands than the rest of North Africa? When considering the exceptional stability of the country, the country's particular characteristics must also be considered. Because not only is Morocco the only monarchy in North Africa; the country also has an extra religious dimension, because it is an emirate. To what extent did the king's religious title play a role in limiting the demonstrations in Morocco? To what extent has the king's religious legitimacy been used as a strategy to maintain peace in troubled times? And to what extent has the media been used as an instrument for this religious legitimacy? This research will examine to what extent the above-mentioned issues have had an impact on the demonstrators during the Moroccan spring. A content analysis of newsarticles from the Arab Spring period will be conducted. In addition, interviews will be conducted with protesters.Show less
This exploratory research deals with identity discourses in Iran in relation to the Islamic Republic's foreign policy. The four identity discourses - Iranism, Islam, anti-hegemony and...Show moreThis exploratory research deals with identity discourses in Iran in relation to the Islamic Republic's foreign policy. The four identity discourses - Iranism, Islam, anti-hegemony and hyperindependence are examined based on contemporary studies on this topic.Show less
Ondanks IS’ uitgesproken anti-nationalistische houding zijn er verschillende nationalistische elementen te vinden in de poëtische publicaties van de groep. Dit onderzoek toont aan dat de...Show moreOndanks IS’ uitgesproken anti-nationalistische houding zijn er verschillende nationalistische elementen te vinden in de poëtische publicaties van de groep. Dit onderzoek toont aan dat de verbondenheid van IS aanhangers met het kalifaat sterk vergelijkbaar is met nationalistische sentimenten. Deze verbondenheid wordt geuit in de persoonlijke poëzie van al-Naṣr en bevorderd door de officiële nashā’id van IS met behulp van thema’s die volgens Imagined Communities en andere denkers ook door nationalisten gebruikt worden, zoals die van continuïteit en onsterfelijkheid van de gemeenschap.Show less
Five terrorist attacks in Casablanca on 16 May 2003 alarmed the Moroccan state of the presence of religious extremist ideas in Morocco. As a measure, an anti-terrorism policy was launched to reduce...Show moreFive terrorist attacks in Casablanca on 16 May 2003 alarmed the Moroccan state of the presence of religious extremist ideas in Morocco. As a measure, an anti-terrorism policy was launched to reduce the chances of future attacks. Morocco’s number of attacks is relatively low compared to other North African countries from 2003 onwards. The aim of this thesis is to investigate to what extent Morocco’s anti-terrorism policy explains this low number of attacks. This policy consists of legal, religious, and socio-economic measures. Legislative amendments have strengthened the powers of security services and the police. In addition, the state has provided an alternative to religious extremist ideas by promoting the ‘Moroccan Islam’ in mosques, schools, and media. Furthermore, the state has tried to remove the likelihood of radicalization by reducing poverty and improving housing. As a result of these measures, it is possible that the size and activity of religious extremist groups have been reduced, and less Moroccan citizens are susceptible to religious extremist ideas. Moreover, many extremist cells have been dismantled and arrested since 2003. Although these arrests are criticized from a humanitarian viewpoint, they validate the success of the state in arresting a significant number of possible extremists. Nevertheless, since quantities are problematic indicators to measure effectiveness of anti-terrorism policies, caution should be exercised when attributing Morocco’s number of attacks to its anti-terrorism policy. This thesis is a multidisciplinary historical source research, analyzing a wide range of sources by using the qualitative research method ‘document analysis’.Show less
This thesis aims to investigate the influence of Moroccan feminist movements in achieving reform concerning women´s rights both in theory and practice. In order to do so a historical overview is...Show moreThis thesis aims to investigate the influence of Moroccan feminist movements in achieving reform concerning women´s rights both in theory and practice. In order to do so a historical overview is given on the development of feminist movements in Morocco, both secular and Islamic in nature. In this overview some activist campaigns are discussed that were a significant part of the struggle towards progression of women´s rights, both in terms of convincing the political powers, as well as the public. Eventually reforms to the Family law and constitution were implemented, and articles that were reformed appear to vastly improve the position of women. However, numerous articles that were not reformed endure the lesser position of women in society, and at times even contradict newly reformed articles. In practice, reforms seem to have made some impact, providing women with better chances at education and employment, but women continuously face lesser opportunities or conditions when compared to men. This becomes even more evident when looking at women´s marital rights, and the hardships they face in pursuing a political career. Overall, Moroccan feminist movements have been an essential factor in realising policy change, but on a practical level, it has proven to be even more difficult to reach widespread change. Reforms are often not implemented locally, and feminists have not yet managed to encompass all aspects of Moroccan society. Still, the situation of contemporary Moroccan women appears to have greatly improved compared to that of Moroccan women 70 years ago.Show less
