C L O S E R

An anthropology of Muslims in Europe - A modest attempt by Martijn

C L O S E R Blog

Live: Islamophobia Production and Re-Defining Global 'Security' conference 0

Multiculti Issues

Live: Islamophobia Production and Re-Defining Global 'Security' conference

The Center for Race and Gender at the University of California, Berkeley, Organization of Islamic Conference, Council on American-Islamic Relations, and GTU’s Center for Islamic Studies will host a two-day conference focusing on the growing Islamophobia phenomena in the United States and its impacts on American Muslims and relations with the Muslim world. At present the airwaves, news, T.V. shows and centers of culture production are filled with Islamophobic content thus making racism directed at Muslims and Islam a fully sanctioned discourses affecting American Muslims as well as shaping foreign policy discourses. The conference has a very interesting program and also uses a livestream that can be watched here.

Masculinity Box – The Smell of Burning Ants 0

Gender, Kinship & Marriage Issues

Masculinity Box – The Smell of Burning Ants

How men are socialized into being ‘men’ or ‘boys being boys’ has a lot of consequences for both men and women. In this post two videos that shed some light on this issue. The Smell of Burning Ants is a haunting documentary on the pains of growing up male. It explores the inner and outer cruelties that boys perpetrate and endure. The film provokes the viewer to reflect on how our society can deprive boys of wholeness. And in the TED video Tony Porter gives a brief introduction to what it means how we define masculinity.

The Ritual of Provocation II – Creating Spectacle and Presence 0

Public Islam

The Ritual of Provocation II – Creating Spectacle and Presence

The recent Quran burning has caused a lot of upheaval in Afghanistan. According to some a senseless act, according to others prove that Islam is a violent religion. It both isn’t. The same can be said for Wilders’ movie Fitna and its sequal Fitna II, that (as he announced last week) will be released next year and will focus on ‘the barbaous life of the sick spirit of Mohammed’ in order to stimulate a public debate on the prophet Muhammad that will leave Muslims with enough reasons to leave Islam. In a series of three posts I will try to think out loud about the use and meaning of such public performances by political entrepeneurs. This is part II, on creating spectacle and presence.

Zanga Zanga in Libya 1

Blogosphere / Joy Category / Society & Politics in the Middle East

Zanga Zanga in Libya

A few weeks ago Libyan leader Kadaffi gave an already famous speech in which he vowed to fight and die as a martyr. The rest of the speech was ominous but also incomprehensible. His speech appears to have become a youtube’s meme like for example Hitler’s speeches taken from the great film Der Untergang that has produced many hilarious new takes on Youtube. I will give you four here.

The Ritual of Provocation I – Burn, burn the Quran 5

Public Islam

The Ritual of Provocation I – Burn, burn the Quran

The recent Quran burning has caused a lot of upheaval in Afghanistan. According to some a senseless act, according to others prove that Islam is a violent religion. It both isn’t. The same can be said for Wilders’ movie Fitna and its sequal Fitna II, that (as he announced last week) will be released next year and will focus on ‘the barbaous life of the sick spirit of Mohammed’ in order to stimulate a public debate on the prophet Muhammad that will leave Muslims with enough reasons to leave Islam. In a series of three posts I will try to think out loud about the use and meaning of such public performances by political entrepeneurs.

Oman – State, Tribes and Revolution 2

Guest authors / Headline / Society & Politics in the Middle East

Oman – State, Tribes and Revolution

Simplistic views about tribal structures in the Middle East doom large in the media and blur our understanding of the current uprisings when the revolutions and concomitant transformations are discussed that take place in the Middle East. However if one looks at these societies from an anthropological perspective a different image of this social phenomenon, not typical for Middle Eastern societies alone, may arise. Based upon her research in Oman, Corien Hoek shows that in this country, state and nation building over a long period of time has thoroughly transformed the tribal organization even though tribes still constitute the back-bone of society at grass-roots level. These social formations have an important integrative function, whereby seeking consensus, and negotiating with representatives from all groups concerned are well-proofed methods and conditions for the success of authority and stability within and between the tribes. Moreover equality of the families, their leaders and the members is a guiding principle, in which the Islam has its role too.

Analyse van de Libische revolutie is vooral geen zaak voor prutsers 1

Society & Politics in the Middle East

Analyse van de Libische revolutie is vooral geen zaak voor prutsers

Ik ga heus niet op die pseudo-deskundigen over de opstanden in het Midden-Oosten, maar soms verschijnen er commentaren die zo stupide zijn, zo waanzinnig flauwekul, tsja dat ik er eigenlijk juist niet op zo moeten reageren. Maar ik doe het dan toch maar over het stuk van Rob van Kan in HP/De Tijd: De Libische opstand is vooral een fundi-zaak. Het is stuk is feitelijk onjuist, hangt aan elkaar van verdachtmakingen en onlogische redeneringen.