IAFS/JWST 3650 Religious Narratives

Jewish History Job Candidates Amos Bitzan, “Reading the Talmud like Rousseau's 'Julie': How Female Pleasure Readers and their Critics Transformed Modern Judaism, ” (Tues, 22 Jan, 5pm, HLMS 211) Liora Halperin, “Babel in Zion: Hebrew and the Politics of Language Diversity in Mandate Palestine” (Mon, 28 Jan, 5pm, HLMS 141) Jessica Marglin, title TBA (Tues, 5 Feb, 5pm, HLMS 201) Saskia Coenen Snyder, title TBA (Tues, 12 Feb, 5pm, HLMS 201)

Outline Reading maps: vulnerability Intro to religions Quiz

Part I: Reading Maps of Israel and Palestine (cont.)

Reading Maps of Israel and Palestine Themes: –Sacred claims to territory –Erasure –Palestinian homeland(s) –Weapons –Vulnerability

Mapai Poster (early 1950s) “Growth under Siege” Depicts Israel under attack from all sides Perceived threats from land, sea, & air Vulnerability (Israeli) Christine Leuenberger and Izhak Schnell,“The politics of maps: Constructing national territories in Israel” Social Studies of Science 40:6 (Dec 2010)

Likud Election Poster (1981) “Likud will prevent this! 2.5 million Israelis are within firing range if an ‘Arafat state’ is founded.” Depicts serious threat due to Israel’s lack of strategic depth Vulnerability (Israeli) Christine Leuenberger and Izhak Schnell,“The politics of maps: Constructing national territories in Israel” Social Studies of Science 40:6 (Dec 2010)

Original source unknown Original source unknown (2000s, revised 2010) “Loss of Land” over time Vulnerability (Palestinian)

Original source unknownOriginal source unknown (2007) “Map of occupation” coupled with iconic images Roughly same dates as previous poster Vulnerability (Palestinian)

Original source unknown Original source unknown (2009) “Stealing of Pal. Land by the Zionist State” Emphatic coloring Vulnerability (Palestinian)

Israel Ministry of Foreign Affairs Website Website (2013) Size comparisons to European and South American countries, and the US and US states (plus Turkey and India) Vulnerability (Israeli)

Israel Ministry of Foreign Affairs Website Website (2013) Size comparisons emphasize Israel’s smallness Vulnerability (Israeli)

Zionist PR Firm PosterPoster (~2004) “Israel is tiny!.... Imagine living in New Jersey while most people living in the other 49 states want to see you destroyed.” Vulnerability (Israeli)

Conclusions Maps used by range of Israeli and Palestinian groups to convey their arguments Images of the same (or roughly the same) territory or iconography can be used to support opposing arguments Groups on both sides address both internal and external audiences

Conclusions Hobsbawm: –many national symbols are “invented traditions” –Invented traditions use history as legitmator

Conclusions Nations claim to be natural and ancient, but are constructed and new Maps help construct the nation

Part II: Introduction to Religions

Religious Narratives Narratives can be constructed to serve specific goals –via invention of tradition (Hobsbawm) –via remembering and forgetting (Renan) Role of religion in narratives re conflict

Arguments Can’t generalize re Jewish, Muslim, or Christian views Religion plays a role in how (some) people think about this conflict

Religion in the Middle East Terminology –Middle East vs West Asia –BC/AD vs BCE/CE

Religion in the Middle East West Asia Terminology –Middle East vs West Asia –BC/AD vs BCE/CE

Intro: Judaism 3500 years old Est. by Abraham and Moses Jews as God’s chosen people

Intro: Judaism Monotheistic Focus on Jerusalem

Intro: Judaism Rabbis interpret God’s instructions Torah = “teachings” –“Promised land” given to Jews

Intro: Judaism 1 st c CE: Roman dispersion of Jews Jewish diaspora: W Asia, N Africa, Europe Oral tradition (Mishnah) and commentary (Gemara) form Talmud (intstruction)

Intro: Christianity 2000 years old Monotheistic, based on scripture

Intro: Christianity Based on teachings of Jesus Christ Christ both divine and human Christ’s death and resurrection provided salvation and eternal life

Intro: Christianity 1 st three centuries: spread into W Asia, N Africa, and Europe Bible = Old and New Testament

Intro: Christianity Holy Land and esp. Jerusalem sacred Birth in Bethlehem Miracles at Galilee Death and resurrection at site of Church of Holy Sepulchre

Countries with Largest Muslim Populations?

Country 2009 Muslim Population Percentage of Muslims Indonesia202,867, % Pakistan174,082, % India160,945, % Bangladesh145,312, % Egypt78,513, % Nigeria78,056, % Iran73,777, % Turkey73,619,000~98% Algeria34,199, % Morocco31,993,000~99%

Intro: Islam God’s multiple revelations Moses, Abraham, Jesus revered as prophets

Intro: Islam ~1300 years old Monotheistic Koran revealed to Prophet Muhammad in 7th c. CE

Intro: Islam Spread from 7th c. on through W Asia, N Africa, parts of Europe Five central requirements: –Faith –Prayer –Zakat [alms] –Fasting –Hajj [pilgrimage]

Islam = “struggle, striving” Jihad = جهاد‎

British Perceptions of Islam British concerns about Muslim violence Fears of fanaticism and jihad But Islam not monolithic

Islam الله‎ = = “the God” Allah