Identity, culture and democratization: the case of Egypt

This article seeks to present an alternative approach to understanding the failure of democratization in the Arab world by locating the problem of democracy-building within the logic of the process of reproducing national identity and culture. The conceptual framework draws on the writings of Antonio Gramsci and postcolonial theorists such as Edward Said. Taking Egypt as a case study, I examine a series of events surrounding a human rights report about police brutality in Egypt to illustrate how the struggle to reproduce Egyptian national identity impacts upon the practice of democracy. In the course of searching for an “authentic” Egyptian identity, uncorrupted by Western influences, a critical mass of Egyptian civil society participates in producing a political consensus in which civil and political freedoms may be legitimately sacrificed in the name of national unity and security. This is despite attempts by some Egyptian activists to challenge dominant conceptions of national identity and culture in order to open up democratic spaces

The Rise of the Imams of Sanaa

The writer of this history tells us very little about himself. He was clearly a devoted adherent of the Imam and in a position to get first hand information. On one occasion he acted as secretary and it is a fair guess that that was his usual office. In the early days of the rising he was one of some six men who accompanied the Imam on his visit to the chief of Sanhan to decide on united action. As an educated Arab he was of course a poet but he only quotes one line of his own: -To him who tells of what befell in Muda and Thula I say, This was not the deed of man.There is a difference between the earlier and latter parts of the story. In the first dates are rare and no authorities are quoted. The man is obviously writing from memory; the Arabs were hunted from place to place and there were no records. As success came, records were preserved, the generals sent in reports from all quarters and dates and docu¬ ments abound. Doubts are readily recorded. If the historian is uncertain he says so, and many incidents are closed with the words: God Knows best; evidently more than a pious formula. Such phrases as - One whom I trust: A trustworthy source, abound. It Is carefully stated that one who was present at a battle or consultation told the story which is retailed. On the whole the writer is a healthy sceptic, and is not ashamed of human weakness; a battle should have been reported earlier, but he forgot.A strong theological odour pervades the whole book. The followers of the Imam are the soldiers of the truth, the Turks the armies of evil. Some of the Arabs are half hearted in their allegiance or altogether hostile because they love this world and its passing delights. The discovery of a bag of powder and the sinking of a ship load of Turkish soldiers are divine blessings on the people of god. Indeed the standpoint is that of the Book of Kings. Yet the outlook is that of an educated man. He is keenly interested in events in Egypt and Persia; the arrival of an English ship in Aden, letters from chiefs in Oman and el Hassa and especially the strife between the Turks and the Sherif in Mecca. His book was a long time in writing. Several times he uses such phrases as "at the time of writing these lines". These occur in the years 1028 and 1030 yet the whole was revised later and the after history of individuals was filled in.He is first a historian of war. He gives curious side lights on the life of the people but as a rule the years of peace are blank. He is an arsal1st rather than a historian and it is not always easy to trace the ebb and flow of the Arab rise to power. He is often conventional, particularly in hi3 summaries of character, yet there is generally some striking phrase or original trait to redeem the commonplaces

ABDUL SAMAD AL-FALIMBANI'S ROLE AND CONTRIBUTION IN THE DISCOURSE OF ISLAMIC KNOWLEDGE IN MALAY WORLD

Shaykh Abdussamad al-Falimbani was an important figure in the intellectual tradition of Islam in the Malay world in the 18th century. This article shows that al-Falimbani played an important role in conveying and developing Islamic sciences, not only in the Malay World even in Arab lands, including in Makkah and in Zabid, Yemen. Al-Falimbani was also one of the superior scholars who not only received recognition from fellow scholars and students from among the Malays, even from his colleagues and students who were Arab. Al-Falimbani's important contribution to the intellectual tradition of Islam in Malay World was: the first, the spread of al-Falimbani's various religious works to various regions of the Islamic world, both in Southeast Asia and the Middle East. Second, the development of intellectual networks of teachers and students in the region of Malay and Middle East in the 18th century. Third, the maintenance of the continuity of Islamic scientific treasures from the classical Islamic scholars to the Muslims in the 18th century even to the modern era today. Fourth, harmonize tasawuf teachings with Islamic law, so that the traditions and rituals of Sufism remain practiced in the corridors of the valid Shari'a. &nbsp

Flavorings in Context: Spices and Herbs in Medieval Near East

Throughout history, the approach towards imported spices varied from culture to culture. In medieval and early post-medieval Europe, where spices became an exotic object of temporary desire, they were often used unskillfully and in a haphazard manner. In the Ottoman Constantinople, unlike in Europe, it was the moderate use of spices, and not overdosing them, that became a manifestation of status. As deliberate paragons of refinement, the Ottomans depreciated what they considered uncivilized ways of their Arab provincial population, heavily seasoned diet included. Indeed, to a foreign observer, the Arabic-Islamic cookery might have appeared irrationally overseasoned. But the way the medieval Arab urbanites used spices was not a result of their surrender to changeable vogue, or the need to show off

Spices and condiments: safer option for treatment of hyperlipidemia

Hyperlipidemia is a lipoprotein metabolic disorder characterized by high serum Low density Lipoprotein and blood cholesterol. It is a major risk factors in the development and progression of atherosclerosis that eventually lead to cardiovascular diseases. This poses a major problem to majority of society because of the close correlation between cardiovascular diseases and lipid abnormalities. There are various features which are associated directly or indirectly as etiological factors viz. heredity, age, obesity, sex, diet, physical inactivity, hypertension, lifestyle disorders and various stress factors. For alleviation and treatment there are many ways such as allopathic medications, alternative systems like Ayurvedic, Diet control, lifestyle discipline etc. Recently Spice therapies are seen useful and effective. In India, Ayurveda and other Indian literature mentions the use of various plants and spices. Spices in diet are useful as they play effective role in the functioning of various body systems such as gastrointestinal, cardiovascular and nervous system. Along with proper food habits, diet which contains variety of spices which have been proved as hypolipidemic, can be effective in controlling hyperlipidemia. Spices used in day-to-day life as food, can also be used in the treatment of various human ailments. Along with the taste, flavor, colour and preservative property, spices also possess hypolipidemic effects. This review is focused mainly on the beneficial hypolipidemic effect of five spices (Dill, Garlic, Fenugreek, Ginger, Coriander) in the management of hyperlipidemia. This article is based on the traditional knowledge, mechanism of action for hypolipidemic activity and some experimental scientific studies done to support the use of these spices in the management of hyperlipidemia

AL-GHITANI’S ZAYNI BARAKAT: HISTORY AS NARRATIVE

The study tackles the historiographic metafictional elements of alGhitani’s Zayni Barakat. Even though historiographic metafiction, like Postmodernism at large, is a Western concept and even though al-Ghitani’s novel is Arabic-Islamic in many of its aspects, it, nonetheless, employ several compelling historiographic metafictional styles and techniques. A great deal of emphasis is placed in Zayni Barakat on reporting or narrating history, the idea being that history is ultimately as multifaceted, problematic, subjective, and fictitious as literary narrative. In both, truth is relative and elusive. The main issue in the novel, then, is whether history can be told objectively, clearly, and precisely or not. The answer, mainly indirect (through the various narrators, through the ambiguity about characters and situations) is that positivist history is not possible at all. There can never be an overall, clear picture about either persons or things, that history is subjective: it is either total fiction, or is immensely fictionalized. Zayni Barakat is, ultimately, about the impossibility of writing or reporting history objectively. The relationship between history, historians, and the “truth” which historians are after is exactly like the relationship between narrative, narrators, and the “truth” which narrators aim to convey

AL-GHITANI’S ZAYNI BARAKAT: HISTORY AS NARRATIVE

The study tackles the historiographic metafictional elements of alGhitani’s Zayni Barakat. Even though historiographic metafiction, like Postmodernism at large, is a Western concept and even though al-Ghitani’s novel is Arabic-Islamic in many of its aspects, it, nonetheless, employ several compelling historiographic metafictional styles and techniques. A great deal of emphasis is placed in Zayni Barakat on reporting or narrating history, the idea being that history is ultimately as multifaceted, problematic, subjective, and fictitious as literary narrative. In both, truth is relative and elusive. The main issue in the novel, then, is whether history can be told objectively, clearly, and precisely or not. The answer, mainly indirect (through the various narrators, through the ambiguity about characters and situations) is that positivist history is not possible at all. There can never be an overall, clear picture about either persons or things, that history is subjective: it is either total fiction, or is immensely fictionalized. Zayni Barakat is, ultimately, about the impossibility of writing or reporting history objectively. The relationship between history, historians, and the “truth” which historians are after is exactly like the relationship between narrative, narrators, and the “truth” which narrators aim to convey

The sources of knowledge of two medieval Jewish commentators in nature issues: The case of gathering the musk (Song of Songs 5:1)

Musk, which is produced from the glands of several species of deer, was a well-known perfume throughout the Mediterranean Basin in the Middle Ages. The current article examines the meaning of the gathering operation of myrrh mentioned in Song of Songs 5:1, according to R. Joseph Ibn Aknin and Naḥmanides. The two commentators argue that the phrase ariiti mori can be interpreted as the unique manner of gathering the perfume of the musk deer in its lands of origin in the Far East. They contend that harvesting the perfume refers to gathering the perfume that the deer spreads on the rocks naturally, which is a higher quality product. The two medieval rabbis were exposed to contemporary scholars or oral traditions on the way of gathering the musk. Ibn Aknin took the information from Arabic writings, such as of al-Sirāfī and al-Masʿūdī and Ibn JulJuly With regard to Naḥmanides, his source of information on gathering musk is not clear. Contribution: This article contributes to the understanding of the issue of the sources of knowledge of scholars in medieval times and how the achieved information influenced their commentaries on the Biblical Text. The current study expounds the commentators’ interpretations from a multidisplinary perspective, such as the medieval zoology and perfume industry

The Degree of Teachers' Commitment to the National Teacher Professional Standards in the Provinces in Jarash and Ajloun, from the Perspective of Schools Principals

The study aimed at identifying the degree of teachers' of Islamic Education and Sciences commitment to the National Teacher Professional Standards, from the perspective of male and female schools' principals in the provinces of Jarash and Ajloun for the academic year 2013/ 2014. The study sample consisted of (253) male and female principles, using the Descriptive Analytical Approach. The paragraph containing:" shows, through his/her behavior, the ethics of teaching inside and outside the school" achieved the highest average of (4.89) for the favor of female teachers, as female principals think. There were no differences in the level of significance at (µ£ 0.05) for every field of the tool that could happen due to gender or specialization or the tool as a whole. There was also no effect of the interaction between the variable of gender and the difference in field