Ruthven, Malise (2012). Islam: A Very Short Introduction (2nd ed.). New York, NY, Oxford University Press (chapter 1-6 for reading)
Hamzeh, A. (1994). Qatar: The Duality of the Legal System. Middle Eastern Studies, 30(1), 79-90.
Based on the above readings, please, answer the following questions. (Feel free to add a question or argument to encourage members in a discussion group
to engage.)
1) Ruthven states (p. 3): “The notion that Islam is inherently violent is largely the result of two factors; recent colonial history and the
exaggerating effect of the media.” Do you agree with this statement? Use examples to illustrate your point of view.
2) Will globalization of culture through the revolution in communications technology lead to a form of secularization in Muslim societies? How will this
affect the role of Muslim women
3) Are Islam and democracy compatible?
4) What is Islam? What is Islamic identity and why is it difficult to determine?
While you may want to refer to other sources to clarify, it is expected that the text and assigned readings will be your primary source of discussion.
Please remember to cite Ruthven page numbers and full citations for any other sources so others can refer to the source.
http://almashriq.hiof.no/ddc/projects/pspa/qatar.html