New Paper Topic

My proposed topic is to conduct a comparative study of the theme of honor in two sub-sections of Muslim society: the Sunni Pashtun of Afghanistan/Pakistan and the Shia population of Lebanon. Both of these cultures have been deeply influenced by Islamic ideology and by pre-existing tribal laws, whose edicts sometimes complement each other and also contradict. In this long process of ideological fusion, certain aspects of Islam and tribalism have been highlighted or obscured. This is especially the case with rules that apply to personal and family honor, which can include anything from appropriate behavior towards one’s elders, towards cultural outsiders, and towards one’s close confidantes. My aim is to explore how Islam and tribal codes of conduct shape the social structure of these groups and how this dialectic has enhanced or impeded their respective developmental paths. These paths have not been identical, as Pashtun and Lebanese Shia culture originated in unique geographies, were introduced to often oppositional Islamic ideologies at different times, evolved next to and amongst very different cultural neighbors, and had divergent experiences in relation to foreign powers, particularly colonial ones.
I will first define the concept of honor as it pertains to Muslim social and family life, then explain the histories of the Pashtun and Lebanese Shia as it pertains to the interaction between their respective Islamic traditions and tribal traditions. In what way has Islam acted as a colonizing agent and erased or marginalized previous traditions pertaining to honorable conduct? Conversely, in what ways have tribal traditions assimilated Islamic teachings, using the faith as an additional justification of previous tribal practices? Perhaps most importantly, how have these two sub-cultures justified the continued survival of tribal-based practices that either ignore or blatantly contradict Islamic teachings, especially in terms of honor? The primary reference for what constitutes “Islamic teaching” will be the holy book of Islam, the Quran, as well as supplementary sources that shed additional light upon the variations in Islamic practice espoused by Sunnism and Shiism.
This paper advocates that the social primacy of honor is by no means a strictly Muslim phenomenon; rather, it is rooted in the tribal traditions of particular societies that have maintained their continuity for centuries. Nevertheless, it is of particular import to understand honor in Muslim societies with the intent of enhancing cross-cultural dialogue. Given that Western nations and the United States in particular are economically, politically and/or militarily enmeshed in Afghanistan, Pakistan, and Lebanon, it is no small necessity to understand the honor-based practices of these societies. Additionally, practices that Westerners and the majority of Muslims find abhorrent (honor killings, clitoridectomy, etc) cannot be confronted without knowing how and from where they originate.

Paper Topic? We'll see...

(This is just a tentative topic and may change over the course of my research)

My proposed topic is study the theme of honor in Muslim societies generally, and how it pertains to the Arab-Israeli conflict specifically. I will first define the concept of honor in Muslim social and family life, and then apply this definition to certain key events and processes in the course of the Arab-Israeli conflict. The social primacy of honor is by no means a strictly Muslim phenomenon; rather, it is rooted in the tribal traditions of particular societies that have maintained their continuity for centuries. Nevertheless, it is of particular import to understanding honor in Muslim societies, particularly in the Middle East, in the hopes of using this knowledge to stabilize the region in a just, timely, and informed manner.
The starting point of this investigation will be the establishment of the state of Israel and why the U.N.’s partition of historic Palestine into two states (Israel and Palestine) was met with resistance by the Palestinian community. From there, I will analyze each major war and points of conflict between Arab/Palestinian parties and Israel, as well as the various peace processes that occurred from 1979 onwards. In each of these cases I will attempt to illustrate how honor plays into the politics and rationale of the Arab governments who either fought or negotiated with Israel, and by extension how the necessity of playing to their constituencies influenced these leaders’ decision making. Honor is not an unbending concept and I will not treat it as such. Rather, I will to show how the necessity of defending personal, family, national or religious honor contributed to or hindered the resolution of the various conflicts/peace treaties, and how the current peace process could be greatly enhanced by taking into account the Palestinian people’s strong attitude towards honor maintenance. It is my contention that a pragmatic solution to the conflict cannot be reached otherwise.

Working Bibliography

Fleuhr-Lobban, Carolyn. Islamic Societies in Practice. Gainesville, Florida: University
Press of Florida, 2004

Gregg, Gary S. The Middle East: A Cultural Psychology. Oxford, England: Oxford
University Press, 2005

Afsaruddin, Asma, editor. Hermeneutics and Honor: Negotiating Female “Public” Space
in Islamic Societies. Cambridge, Massachusetts: Harvard University Press, 1999

Tetreault, Mary Ann, editor. Women and Revolution in Africa, Asia, and the New
World. Columbia, South Carolina: University of South Carolina Press, 1994

Webb, Gisela, editor. Windows of Faith: Muslim Women Scholar-Activists in North
America. Syracuse, New York: Syracuse University Press, 2000

Hambly, Gavin R.G., editor. Women in the Medieval Islamic World: Power, Patronage,
and Piety. New York: St. Martin’s Press, 1998

Goodwin, Jan. Price of Honor: Muslim Women Lift the Veil of Silence on the Islamic
World. Boston, Massachusetts: Little, Brown, 1994.


Musk, Bill A. “Honour and Shame”. Evangelical Review of Theology, 20: April 1996,
156-167

Ahmed, A. “A World Without Honour?”. World Today, 54(10): October 1998, 246-248

Abu-Odeh, Lama. “Crimes of Honor and the Construction of Gender in Arab Societies”.
Feminism and Islam: 1996, 141-194

Bauer, Janet. “Sexuality and the Moral “Construction” of Women in an Islamic Society”.
Anthropological Quarterly, 58(3): 1985, 120-129

Afshar, Haleh. “Women and Sexuality in Muslim Societies”. Feminism and Psychology,
13(3): 2003, 395-397

Douki, Saida. “Violence Against Women in Arab and Islamic Countries”. Archives of
Women’s Mental Health, 6(3): 2003, 165-171