I chose 3 classmates' projects because they chose topics that I wasn't familiar with and wanted to learn more about.
First, I thought Cassi's podcast about the morality police was very interesting. They were mentioned briefly in Home Fire, and I didn't have much previous knowledge to begin with. I was very intrigued to hear Cassi talk about how people "had strayed so far from Mohammad's vision" regarding social practices for Muslim women. In my excursion, I explored the diversion of radical Islamic visions from traditional Islamic visions, so I found this talking point relatable. I had no idea that the majority of repressive policies towards women were introduced as recently as the 1970s. I expected that Islam's social policies had been created a long time ago when women's role in society was more repressive all across the world. I also did not know that the morality police actively tracked citizens of the country, punishing any social infractions.
Next, I chose to read John's research essay on the British Consulate, an organization I didn't know much about. I was interested to learn about two terrorist attacks that took place outside the British Consulate in late 2003. After these attacks and thinking back to what occurred on 9/11, Britons feared that Britain was the next destination for a terrorist attack. I was fascinated to read about the different responses of global leaders to the terrorist attack. The jarring response from the Turkish president was that the attackers "‘will be damned until eternity.’" I liked the comparison of this response to a hypothetical US Presidential response to the attack.
Finally, I was excited to read Hilary's research essay on sexual expectations and norms. It was interesting for me to see how Isma's view on sex and physical intimacy differ from Aneeka's views. It was also fascinating to see how different the rules are for men and women in society, particularly sex outside of marriage. It is acceptable for men to be with someone else other than their spouse while women are scrutinized for it.
Hey James! I didn't do my research excursion on any of these topics either; I haven't yet looked at other peoples' research excursions but these three sound really good and I'll definitely read them now. Your comments were super thoughtful and I can tell you read each one and tried to learn new things through it. I also liked how you compared some aspects of Cassi's to your own!
ReplyDeleteHi James! I'm glad you found my research excursion interesting, it definitely surprised me to learn that they were introduced as recently as the 1970s as well! I also read Hilary's project and totally had the same experience comparing Isma and Aneeka. It was a super interesting topic, so I'm glad to see that someone else enjoyed it as much as I did!
ReplyDeleteHi James, glad to hear that you enjoyed my research excursion! I think it surprised me too learning how different norms are for men and women in terms of sex! I haven't listened to Cassi's project yet, but I had no idea that the morality police had that much control in Islamic countries. That is interesting that they actively track people; I did not think they had that much power!
ReplyDeleteHey James, I didn't get to read Hilary's essay on sexual expectations and norms, but from reading what you found fascinating I do have to agree with you. I do wonder however, how men can be with other women besides their spouses if women can only have sex in marriages? Does that mean that they are essentially making some women go against the rules. I wonder if these men do it completely against their will?
ReplyDeleteHey James! I liked hearing your thoughts on Cassi's research excursion in particular! That was one project I did not get to, so I appreciate your concise way of relaying her message and highlighting key points. I think it's cool that you were able to connect your research with some of what she did as well.
ReplyDeleteIt is extremely weird to think about how recently some of the repressive laws towards women were created! I'd be curious to see what these societies looked like before these laws- were they still repressive, but less, or were they more equal. These double-standards, including sexual ones, are sad to see when a lot of Islam preaches equality. People who support Karamat Lone and people like him probably point to examples like this to justify their hate.
ReplyDeleteThese are great questions, Jalen, and even open up new avenues for research to learn more about this history. We tend to assume history is both linear and progressive, but more often it is actually cyclical.
Delete