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Muslim Oral History Project
Study Guide
by Dr. Heather Rellihan and Dr. Suzanne J. Spoor
“I’ll tell you how friendship develops: with a cup of tea.
And you open my door and I welcome you in, and I don’t
rush you, and I ask you to please sit down, and I become a
listener.” –Lailee McNair Bakhtiar
www.aacc.edu/ctp
Muslim Oral History Project
Study Guide
Table of Contents
2
2
2
3
Discussion Questions
Relationship to Islam
Discrimination
Gender
The Relationship Between Ethnic Background, Nationality and Religion
4
Definitions and Histories
Maps
15
16
17
18
19
20
Islam in Africa
Middle East
Afghanistan
Arabian Peninsula
Morocco
Pakistan
1
Discussion Questions
Relationship to Islam:
1. Why does Tarik compare his pride in being Muslim to rooting for a basketball team?
2. How is Tarik‘s relationship to Islam similar to that of Christians who celebrate Christmas
but aren‘t religious?
3. What tensions exist for Muz as a Muslim in a non-Muslim country?
4. Tooba defines herself as a moderate Muslim. What practices would a stricter
interpretation of Islam entail?
5. Lailee connects the idea of being Muslim to images of her grandfather. How are her
ideas about Islam similar to or different from the notions most Americans have? How do
they compare to the descriptions given by Tarik or Muz?
Discrimination:
1. Why does Tarik bring up his experience working as a counselor at a summer camp? In
what ways is that experience emblematic of his pre-9/11 experience in the U.S.?
2. How did strangers start to treat Tarik differently after 9/11? Why does he say he didn‘t
feel good after those experiences?
3. Muz says that it was worse for his friend‘s sister after 9/11 because she work a hijab.
Why do you think it was worse for her? He also says that there wasn‘t much that this girl
could do about it. He says, ―If we took action that would affect us even more.‖ What do
you think he means by this?
4. Tooba mentions an Indian man who was killed in the U.S. because he was thought to be
Muslim. The irrational nature of the hate crime is exaggerated because it was a case of
mistaken identity. In what other times in U.S. history have people been discriminated
against, harmed, or even killed based on their outward appearance?
5. How are Muslims portrayed on mainstream news stations?
6. In order to protect themselves from the disdain of acquaintances and strangers, both
Lailee and her mother go into a kind of ―hiding‖ about their Iranian roots. What other
groups have had to ―pass‖ or hide their identity (ethnic, religious, or national) in the U.S.
in order to remain safe or in order to survive economically? How are the circumstances
surrounding Islamic passing today similar to and different from other groups‘ experiences
of passing in the U.S.?
Gender:
1. Khaled says that the Muslim women he taught in Philadelphia were not seen differently
for wearing a head scarf, but his wife felt like she didn‘t fit in when she first started
taking a class at AACC. Why do you think the women had different experiences of
wearing a head scarf?
2. Tooba says that in terms of clothing and style, she looked the same in Afghanistan 30
years ago as she does today. If this is true, then why do most Americans have the
impression that women in Afghanistan have to wear burquas?
3. Why do you suppose that Lailee makes a differentiation between politics and women‘s
crafts? Car art be political? Are women‘s crafts considered art? Why or why not? Why
does she feel the need to assert the importance of Persian rugs, for example?
2
Growing up Muslim:
1. What does Tarik mean when he says that there is a similar standard for raising kids
everywhere? Do you agree?
2. How does Tarik complicate ideas about what it means to be conservative or progressive?
What do these words mean to you?
3. Muz says that Islam has taught him to respect people of all ages and to value education.
Were Tooba, Lailee, Tarik and Khaled influenced by Islam is similar ways?
Climate at AACC:
1. Based on Tarik‘s comments, what can AACC do to address issues of Islamaphobia?
2. What is Tarik‘s criticism of an education that simply provides information about Muslim
countries without an analysis?
3. Muz discusses the Muslim Student Association (MSA). Why does AACC need a group
like the Muslim Student Association when it already has an International Student group?
Relationship between Ethnicity, Nationality, and Religion:
1. Khaled says that when people mistakenly assume he is Latin American, Indian, or
Pakistani, it doesn‘t affect him. When people make assumptions based on his appearance
he doesn‘t see it as a bad experience. Explore the Microaggressions Project website
(http://microaggressions.com). Do you see any comments from people who are affected
when people make assumptions based on their appearance? If so, why do you think that
some people experience these assumptions as bad experiences, while others, like Khaled,
aren‘t affected by it?
2. Why do you think it is harder for Tooba to find a Muslim/Afghani community on the
Eastern Shore than it is in Northern Virginia?
3. How does Tooba‘s attitude about being Muslim compare to Tarik‘s feelings about being
Arab and Lailee‘s mother‘s reticence to reveal her Iranian nationality?
4. Why do you suppose it has been harder for Tooba‘s children to be Muslim in the U.S.
than it has been for her?
5. Why, in the U.S., do we have the impression that Muslim nations cannot be democratic
especially since many people in the Middle East are fighting for ―freedom‖? Considering
the history of Western countries trying to control the Middle East (especially as related to
oil), is it possible that Middle Eastern people could be ―anti-West‖ yet ―pro-democracy‖?
Explain.
6. Lailee argues that a change in paradigm is crucial for peace between the West and the
Middle East. What does she name as the crucial element of this shift? Do you think her
vision for creating peace is realistic? If not, what are the possibilities and limitations
inherent in each of the elements she suggests?
7. What role does Lailee suggest that culture can play in mending nations? Do you agree
with her hopefulness about culture? (For example, could a person who owns and loves a
Persian rug still be Islamaphobic?)
8. Compare Tarik‘s response about being Arab to Tooba‘s and Lailee‘s discussions about
ethnic, religious and ancestral identities. In what kinds of situations in the U.S. might a
Muslim or Arab person be more hesitant to speak openly about that identity?
3
9. How much do you think the political history of the U.S. in relation to Egypt (for Tarik),
Afghanistan (for Tooba) and Iran (for Lailee) affect these speakers‘ feelings about
revealing their identities?
4
Definitions and Histories
9/11—―On Tuesday, September 11, 2001, four teams of terrorists, a total of nineteen men,
hijacked four U.S. airliners. They crashed two of the planes into the twin towers of the World
Trade Center in New York City and one into the Pentagon just across the Potomac River outside
Washington, D.C. In the fourth aircraft, passengers may have struggled to regain control of the
plane, which crashed in Pennsylvania, killing everyone on board. The number of casualties,
estimated at 2,795 on November 1, 2002, was significantly larger than any produced in the
approximately 10,000 incidents of terrorism that had been recorded since 1968 and exceeded
those at Pearl Harbor.‖ (―September 11.‖ Encyclopedia of American Studies. Johns Hopkins
University, 2010. Credo Reference. Web. 10 Aug 2011.)
Afghanistan—―A landlocked, mountainous republic in south central Asia, bounded to the north
by Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan and Tajikistan; to the east and south by Pakistan; to the west by
Iran; and in the extreme north-east by China and India. The nation first formed in 1747 under
Ahmad Shah Durrani. In the 19c and early 20c Britain saw Afghanistan as a bridge between
India and the Middle East, but failed to gain control during the Afghan Wars.‖ (―Afghanistan.‖
Chambers Dictionary of World History. Chambers Harrap Publishers Ltd., 2005. Credo
Reference. Web. 10 Aug 2011.) See map on p 17.
Arab—―A member of a Semitic people living in the Middle East and N Africa… Arab generally
refers to people and to political entities, as in the Arabs, an Arab, Arab countries, leaders,
nations, [neighbors], oil imports, pride. Arabian has geographical and cultural reference, as in
Arabian Desert, onyx, peninsula, and also occurs as part of Saudi Arabian.‖ (―Arab.‖ Chambers
21st Century Dictionary. Chambers Harrap Publishers Ltd., 2001. Credo Reference. Web. 10
Aug 2011.)
Arabian peninsula (Arabia)—―Peninsula SW Asia about 1200 miles (1930 kilometers) long &
1300 miles (2090 kilometers) wide including Saudi Arabia, Yemen, & Persian Gulf States.‖
(―Arabian Peninsula.‖ Merriam-Webster’s Collegiate Dictionary. Merriam-Webster, Inc., 2004.
Credo Reference. Web. 10 Aug 2011.) See map on p 18.
Arabic—―The importance of Arabic in the modern world goes back to its position as the
language of the Qur'ān, the language of a conquering religion. As national language of nearly
twenty countries, Arabic is now by far the most important of the Semitic languages, which are a
group within the Afroasiatic family.‖ (―Arabic.‖ Dictionary of Languages. Dictionary of
Languages, 2004. Credo Reference. Web. 9 Aug 2011.)
―The language has two forms. Colloquial Arabic exists as the vernacular varieties of the
major Arabic-speaking nation-states, such as Egypt, Morocco, and Syria, which are not always
mutually intelligible. Classical Arabic, the language of the Qur‘an, in its modernized version
(known as Standard or Literary Arabic) provides a basis for a common written form, and a
common medium for affairs of state, religion, and education throughout the Arabic-speaking
world.‖ (―Arabic.‖ The Crystal Reference Encyclopedia. Crystal Semantics, Ltd., 2005. Credo
Reference. Web. 10 Aug 2011.)
Bakhtiari (place)—Region in SW Iran in the Zagros mountains.
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Bakhtiari (people)—―Tribal group, numbering around 850,000, living in SW Iran, in a
mountainous region (c.25,000 sq mi/64,750 sq km) in Khuzestan and Esfahan provs. They are
mostly nomadic, migrating seasonally with their livestock. The Bakhtiari are Shiite Muslims and
are famed for their courage and independence. Women enjoy a high position in the patrilineal
society. The group can be divided into two large branches, the Haftlang, with about 55 tribes,
and the Charlang, with about 25. The Bakhtiari originally migrated (10th cent.) from Syria to
Iran, and until the 15th cent. were known as the Great Lurs. In the early 20th cent., after the
discovery of oil in the region they inhabit, their chiefs were courted by the British and were paid
to protect oil pipelines. The Bakhtiari played a decisive part in the deposition of Muhammad Ali
Shah in 1908–9. Reza Shah Pahlevi forced many of them to abandon their nomadic ways and to
settle in permanent communities; after his deposition in 1941, however, many Bakhtiari returned
to nomadism. Muhammad Reza Shah was married (1951–58) to Soraya, the daughter of a
Bakhtiari chieftain.‖ (―Bakhtiari.‖ The Columbia Encyclopedia. Columbia University Press,
2008. Credo Reference. Web. 10 Aug 2011.)
Batista, Fulgencio—(1901-1973) ―Cuban right-wing dictator, dictator-president 1934-44 and
1952-59. Having led the September 1933 coup to install Ramón Grau San Martín in power, he
forced Grau's resignation in 1934 to become Cuba's effective ruler, as formal president from
1940. Exiled in the USA 1944-49, he ousted President Carlos Prío Socarrás in a military coup in
1952. His authoritarian methods enabled him to jail his opponents and amass a large personal
fortune. He was overthrown by rebel forces led by Fidel Castro in 1959. Batista fled to the
Dominican Republic and later to Portugal. He died in Spain.‖ (―Fulgencio Batista.‖ The
Hutchinson Unabridged Encyclopedia with Atlas and Weather Guide. Helicon Publishing, 2010.
Credo Reference. Web. 11 Aug 2011.)
Behistun—―Ruined town in western Iran, near which is a cliff with an inscription of Darius I,
carved in Old Persian, Elamite, and Babylonian cuneiform, describing his attainment of the
Persian throne; instrumental in the decipherment of cuneiform.‖ (―Behistun.‖ Macquarie
Dictionary. Macquarie University NSW, 2005. Credo Reference. Web. 12 Aug 2011.)
Berbers—―Aboriginal Caucasoid peoples of N Africa, called Imazighen in the Tamazight
language. They inhabit the lands lying between the Sahara and the Mediterranean Sea and
between Egypt and the Atlantic Ocean. The Berbers form a substantial part of the populations of
Libya, Algeria, and Morocco. Except for the nomadic Tuareg, the Berbers traditionally were
small farmers, living under a loose tribal organization in independent villages with local
industries (iron, copper, lead, pottery, weaving, and embroidery). The Berbers are Sunni
Muslims, and their native languages are Afroasiatic languages, but most literate Berbers also
speak Arabic, the language of their religion. Berber languages are spoken by about 12 million
people, not all of whom are considered ethnic Berbers.‖ (―Berbers.‖ The Columbia
Encyclopedia. Columbia University Press, 2008. Credo Reference. Web. 10 Aug 2011.)
Borscht—Russian soup made from beets, served hot or cold.
Borujen— A city in the heart of Masjid Sulaieman, Bakhtiari Province in the Zagros Mountains
between Iran and Iraq.
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Brezhnev, Leonid— (1906-1982) ―Soviet leader. A protégé of Joseph Stalin and Nikita
Khrushchev, he came to power (after he and Aleksei Kosygin forced Khrushchev to resign) as
general secretary of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union (CPSU) 1964-82 and was
president 1977-82. Domestically he was conservative; abroad the USSR was established as a
military and political superpower during the Brezhnev era, extending its influence in Africa and
Asia.‖ (―Leonid Brezhnev.‖ The Hutchinson Unabridged Encyclopedia with Atlas and Weather
Guide. Helicon Publishing, 2010. Credo Reference. Web. 11 Aug 2011.)
Castro, Fidel—(b 1927) ―Cuban communist politician, prime minister 1959-76 and president
1976-2008. He led the revolution that overthrew the right-wing regime of the dictator Fulgencio
Batista in 1959. He improved education and health and raised the standard of living for most
Cubans, but dealt harshly with dissenters.‖ (―Fidel Castro.‖ The Hutchinson Unabridged
Encyclopedia with Atlas and Weather Guide. Helicon Publishing, 2010. Credo Reference. Web.
11 Aug 2011.)
Chavez, Cesar—(1927- 1993) ―U.S. organizer and leader of migrant farmworkers…[I]n 1962,
he began organizing the largely Hispanic farmworkers of Arizona and California. A charismatic
figure, he used strikes and nationwide boycotts to win union recognition and contracts from
California grape and lettuce growers. He brought his union into the AFL-CIO, and in 1971 it
became the United Farm Workers of America (UFW). He successfully battled the Teamsters
Union for the right to organize field hands in the 1970s, but in later years his leadership faltered
and the UFW declined. In recognition of his nonviolent activism and support of working people,
Chavez was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom posthumously in 1994.‖ (―Cesar
Chavez.‖ Britannica Concise Encyclopedia. Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc., 1994-2009. Credo
Reference. Web. 11 Aug 2011.)
Cuban Revolution—(1959-1962) ―It began with a rebel rising led by Fidel Castro and Che
Guevara against the Batistá regime. At first, Eisenhower reacted calmly to this Communist
seizure of power, but then he authorized planning for the Bay of Pigs operation (which Kennedy
implemented) to overthrow Castro‘s revolutionary regime. When Castro became premier in
1960, the revolution moved into a highly repressive stage and development of a cult of
personality ... There was large-scale nationalization of the economy and an across-the-board shift
to the Soviet bloc, in part driven by a U.S. embargo and diplomatic hostility.‖ (Nolan, Cathal J.
―Cuban Revolution.‖ Greenwood Encyclopedia of International Relations. ABC.CLIO, 2002.
Credo Reference. Web. 11 Aug 2011.)
Cyrus (the Great)—―D. 529 B.C., king of Persia, founder of the greatness of the Achaemenids
and of the Persian Empire.‖ (―Cyrus.‖ The Columbia Encyclopedia. Columbia University Press,
2008. Credo Reference. Web. 10 Aug 2011.)
Darius— ―(Born 550-died 486 BC) King of Persia (522-486 BC). He was the son of Hystaspes,
satrap of Parthia. Much of what is known of him is through his own inscriptions. He took the
throne by force, killing Bardiya, a son of Cyrus the Great, calling him an impostor who had
usurped power.‖ (―Darius I.‖ Britannica Concise Encyclopedia. Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc,
1994-2009. Credo Reference. Web. 10 Aug 2011.)
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Democracy in Egypt—Up until March 2011, Egypt was a liberal democracy with a limited
presidency and more than two political parties. People voted for representatives in parliament,
but a president can maintain power for as long as his party retains a majority.
Elam— ―Plains region to the east of Mesopotamia, between the Zagros mountains and the
Persian Gulf. Cultural developments in Mesopotamia were closely paralleled in Elam, where
cities, states and writing (proto-Elamite pictographs) existed by about 3500 BC.‖ (―Elam.‖
Andromeda Encyclopedic Dictionary of World History. Andromeda, 2001. Credo Reference.
Web. 10 Aug 2011.)
Ethnic— ―1. Relating to or characteristic of a human group having racial, religious, linguistic,
and certain other traits in common. 2. Relating to the classification of mankind into groups,
especially on the basis of racial characteristics. 3. Denoting or deriving from the cultural
traditions of a group of people: the ethnic dances of Slovakia. 4. Characteristic of another
culture, especially a peasant culture: the ethnic look; ethnic food.‖ (―Ethnic or Ethnical.‖
Collins English Dictionary. HarperCollins Publishers, 2000. Credo Reference. Web. 10 Aug
2011.)
Ethnicity—Ethnic character or affiliation.
Ferdowsi, Hakim Abolqasem (935-1020 CE)— Author of Shah-nama (Book of Kings), the
most important literary work dealing with the reverence of warrior culture in Persia. It is an epic
poem of 60,000 couplets, finished in 1010 CE. ―Structurally, its rhymes describe the heroic
deeds of Iranian champions from antiquity to the seventh century CE, but more importantly, they
revived the Persian language and culture after two centuries of Arab domination. Shah-nama
represents a Persian national renaissance.‖ (―Shah-nama.‖ Martial Arts of the World: An
Encyclopedia of History and Innovation. ABC-CLIO, LLC., 2010. Credo Reference. Web. 12
Aug 2011.)
Ghormeh sabzi—Persian stew or soup made from spinach and green herbs.
GW University—George Washington University in Washington, D.C.
Hafez (also Hafiz) (1326-1390)—―Born in Shiraz, he was named by his contemporaries
Chagarlab (Sugar-lip) because of the sweetness of his poetry. His ghazals (short poems) are all
on sensuous subjects – wine, flowers, beautiful damsels – but they also possess an esoteric
significance. Like nearly all the great poets of Persia, he was of the sect of Sufi philosophers, the
mystics of Islam.‖ (―Hafez.‖ Chambers Biographical Dictionary. Chambers Harrap Publishers
Ltd., 2007. Credo Reference. Web. 12 Aug 2011.)
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Head scarf— ―Many Muslims view the practice of veiling as a symbol of virtue, modesty, and
privacy for women.‖ (―Veils.‖ Encyclopedia of Women’s Health. Kluwer Academic/Plenum
Publishers, 2004. Credo Reference. Web. 9 Aug 2011.)
Hijab— ―To cover‖ in Arabic. Most hijabs are head scarves that do not cover the face.
Iran in 1969— The Shah (Mohammad Reza Pahlavi) was in power. He was a strict leader who
regularly used the SAVAK, his secret police force, to imprison political activists and silence the
people. He was opposed by Islamic fundamentalists as well as many factions who saw him as a
puppet of the U.S. and Britain.
Iran and the United States in 1979—The relationship between these two countries became
extremely tense after the (pro-Western) Shah was overthrown. The tension escalated in
November 1979 when a group of Iranian students took 90 U.S. hostages for about 14 months.
(52 were held during the entire time, the others were released earlier.)
KGB—―Abbreviation of Komitet Gosudarstvennoy Bezopasnosti (‗Committee for State
Security‘), after 1953 one of the Soviet Union‘s two secret police organizations with joint
responsibility for internal and external order and security. Its tasks included the surveillance of
key members of the Communist Party, the administration, and the military; the monitoring and
regulation of dissidents; and espionage and subversion abroad. It underwent radical reform
following glasnost and the failed 1991 coup in the USSR, and is now known as the Ministry of
State Security.‖ (―KGB.‖ Crystal Reference Encyclopedia. Crystal Semantics Limited, 2005.
Credo Reference. Web. 7 Oct 2011.)
Masjid Sulayman (also Masjid Sulaieman)—―City, W Iran, in S Zagros Mts. ab. 60 mi. (100
km.) NE of Ahvāz and near Maidan-i-Naftun; pop. (1996c) 116,883; center of important oil
field; has oil pipeline to Ahvāz.‖ (―Masjed Soleyman.‖ Merriam-Webster’s Geographical
Dictionary. Merriam-Webster, Inc., 2007. Credo Reference. Web. 10 Aug 2011.)
Mecca—―Any place of outstanding importance or significance to a particular group of people,
…19c: named after the city of Mecca in Saudi Arabia, the birthplace of Muhammad, to which all
Muslims try to make at least one pilgrimage.‖ (―Mecca.‖ Chambers 21st Century Dictionary.
Chambers Harrap Publishers Ltd., 2001. Credo Reference. Web. 11 Aug 2011.)
Middle East—―The Middle East is in Southwest Asia. Much of the area is covered by dry,
barren desert or rugged mountains. Earlier this century, large deposits of oil were discovered
around the Persian Gulf. Today, oil is the main source of income for many Middle Eastern
countries. Historically, the Middle East was the site of the world‘s first cities and the birthplace
of one of the world‘s great religions – Islam. The majority of the population today is Muslim
and the most widely spoken language is Arabic. In recent years, the region has suffered a series
of wars and conflicts between [neighboring] countries.‖ (―Middle East.‖ Geography of the
World. Dorling Kindersley Limited, 2009. Credo Reference. Web. 10 Aug 2011.) See map p
16.
9
Morocco— ―Northern Africa, bordering the North Atlantic Ocean and the Mediterranean Sea,
between Algeria and Western Sahara.‖ (―Morocco.‖ CIA World Factbook. Central Intelligence
Agency, 2009. Credo Reference. Web. 10 Aug 2011.)
―Under the 1992 constitution, Morocco is an Islamic state headed by an hereditary
constitutional monarch. It has a two-chamber legislature comprising a directly elected lower
house, the chamber of representatives (Majlis al-Nuwab) and an indirectly-elected upper house,
the chamber of counselors... A national list ensures that at least 10% of its members are female.
The chamber of counsellors was established following a referendum in 1996…The king appoints
a cabinet and prime minister who are responsible to the assembly and the king. The king
approves legislation and may dissolve the assembly by decree, after taking constitutional advice.
The lower house may dismiss the government through a vote of no-confidence and the upper
house can force its resignation by a two-thirds majority vote.‖ (―Morocco.‖ The Hutchinson
Unabridged Encyclopedia with Atlas and Weather Guide. Helicon Publishing, 2010. Credo
Reference. Web. 10 Aug 2011.) See map on p 19.
Mosque—―Building for worship used by members of the Islamic faith. Muhammad's house in
Medina (A.D. 622), with its surrounding courtyard and hall with columns, became the prototype
for the mosque where the faithful gathered for prayer.‖ (―Mosque.‖ The Columbia
Encyclopedia. Columbia University Press, 2008. Credo Reference. Web. 10 Aug 2011.)
Muslim—―Follower or believer in Islam. A Muslim is one who worships Allah alone and holds
Muhammad to be the only true prophet. Today, there are c.935 million Muslims worldwide.‖
(―Muslim.‖ Philip’s Encyclopedia. Philip‘s, 2008. Credo Reference. Web. 10 Aug 2011.)
Nikab (usually worn in Pakistan and Morocco)—covers everything below the bridge of the nose
and is worn with a head scarf and body cloak. Other types of veils: A chador (Iran), burka (most
often associated with the Taliban in Afghanistan) or abaya (Saudi Arabia) usually covers the
entire body.
Nomad—―One of a group of people without fixed habitation, especially pastoralists.‖
(―Nomad.‖ The Columbia Encyclopedia. Columbia University Press, 2008. Credo Reference.
Web. 10 Aug 2011.)
Nomadic—Adjective describing a nomad.
Orientalism –―A term once commonly employed by European and American scholars in
reference to the study of Asia and its people. Now, particularly in the fields of postcolonial and
Asian American studies, the term primarily refers to constructions of the East by the West during
colonialist expansion, emphasizing their influence on and participation in the imperialist project
as well as on similar later constructions.‖ (―Orientalism.‖ Encyclopedia of American Studies.
Johns Hopkins University, 2010. Credo Reference. Web. 10 Aug 2011.)
10
Osama bin Laden—―Saudi-born, Afghanistan-based, Islamic fundamentalist terrorist leader
who… masterminded a number of terrorist attacks … since the early 1990s. He promote[d] jihad
(holy war) against the USA with the aim of liberating Islam's three holiest places - Mecca,
Medina, and Jerusalem. The 11 September 2001 destruction of the World Trade Center in New
York, by suicide hijackers of two commercial airliners, and two other aircraft hijackings, claimed
around 3,000 lives. It was the worst act of terrorism on record.‖ (―Osama Bin Laden.‖ The
Hutchinson Unabridged Encyclopedia with Atlas and Weather Guide. Helicon Publishing, 2010.
Credo Reference. Web. 11 Aug 2011.) On May 1, 2011, Osama bin Laden was killed in
Abbottabad, Pakistan by U.S. Navy SEALs.
Pakistan—―Estab. 1947 by act of British parliament; military clashes with India over possession
of Kashmir ongoing since independence 1947…; became an Islamic republic 1956; concluded
boundary agreement with China 1963; military clash with India … 1965; civil war and defeat in
war with India following declaration of independence by East Pakistan … 1971.‖ (―Pakistan.‖
Merriam-Webster’s Geographical Dictionary. Merriam-Webster, Inc., 2007. Credo Reference.
Web. 11 Aug 2011.) See map on p 20.
Paradigm—―1. An example, model or pattern. 2. A conceptual framework within which
scientific theories are constructed, which is consistent within itself, but may need completely
revising as evidence challenging the factual accuracy of some aspects of it accumulates.‖
(―Paradigm.‖ Chambers 21st Century Dictionary. Chambers Harrap Publishers Ltd., 2001.
Credo Reference. Web. 11 Aug 2011.)
Persia—―Historical name for a region roughly coterminous with modern Iran. The term was
used for centuries, chiefly in the West…The people of Iran have always called their country Iran,
and in 1935 the government requested that the name Iran be used instead of Persia.‖ (―Persia.‖
Britannica Concise Encyclopedia. Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc, 1994-2009. Credo Reference.
Web. 10 Aug 2011.)
Persian—―The official language of Iran, it has about 38 million speakers in Iran and another 8
million in Afghanistan.‖ (―Persian.‖ The Columbia Encyclopedia. Columbia University Press,
2008. Credo Reference. Web. 10 Aug 2011.) Also an adjective used to describe cultural
products of Iran.
Persian Gulf— ―Arm of the Arabian Sea, 90,000 sq mi (233,100 sq km), between the Arabian
peninsula and Iran... It is called the Arabian Gulf in the Arab world.‖ (―Persian Gulf.‖ The
Columbia Encyclopedia. Columbia University Press, 2008. Credo Reference. Web. 10 Aug
2011.)
Phoenicians—―A people of mixed ethnic origins who were ethnically and culturally almost
identical to the Canaanites. The Phoenicians' homeland was the area of modern Lebanon, and
they have won a deserved reputation as one of the greatest commercial people in world history. It
is not known how they referred to themselves, and it is possible that they considered themselves
to be Canaanites. ‗Phoenicia‘ was a Greek term that came into usage during the 1st millennium
BC.‖ (―Phoenicians.‖ Cassell's Peoples, Nations and Cultures. Weidenfeld & Nicolson, 2005.
Credo Reference. Web. 10 Aug 2011.)
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Progressive youth positioned as anti-West—Between 1830 and 1912, France, Germany,
Britain and Spain struggled for colonial power in Morocco. By 1912, the other European
governments had ―given‖ Morocco to France in exchange for other colonies. Due to this history
of European colonizers intent on subjugating Morocco, different factions of Moroccans, for
example the Berbers in the 1940‘s, resisted Western intrusions for decades afterward.
(summarized from ―Morocco.‖ The Hutchinson Unabridged Encyclopedia with Atlas and
Weather Guide. Helicon Publishing, 2010. Credo Reference. Web. 10 Aug 2011.)
Prophet (The)—For Muslims, Mohammad is the prophet of Allah, who is the God of Islam.
Mohammad was born in Mecca, which is why over a million Muslims make a holy pilgrimage,
called a hajj, to Mecca (in Saudi Arabia) each year.
Ramadan—―The month of Ramadan traditionally begins with the actual sighting of the new
moon, marking the start of the ninth month in the Islamic lunar calendar. Authorities in Saudi
Arabia are relied upon for this official sighting. With the exception of children, the sick, and the
very old, devout Muslims abstain from food, drink, smoking, sex, and gambling from sunrise to
sunset during this period.‖ (―Ramadan.‖ Holidays, Festivals and Celebrations of the World
Dictionary. Omnigraphics, Inc, 2010. Credo Reference. Web. 11 Aug 2011.)
Sadi (also Saadi)(1184–1291)—―The author of many qasidas (long panegyrics) in Persian and
Arabic, of mystic ghazal (love poems), and of satiric poetry.‖ ―His Bustan [fruit garden],…was
composed in mathnawi (rhyming couplets). Even more popular is his Gulistan [Garden of
Roses], written in rhyming prose.‖ (―Sadi.‖ The Columbia Encyclopedia. Columbia University
Press, 2008. Credo Reference. Web. 12 Aug 2011.)
Shapour Bakhtiar—(1935–1991) Son of two Bakhtiaris, his father a leading khan of the tribe.
Prime Minister of Iran for 17 days in 1979 after the Shah was deposed and before the Ayatollah
Khomeni took power during the Islamic Revolution. He was assassinated in Paris at age 76.
(Bakhtiar, Lailee McNair. ―The Bakhtiari Tribal Role in Blending the Cultures Between Old
Persia and Modern Iran 1900-1989.‖ Unpublished paper.)
Shi’ia—―The major sect within Islam which early on broke with the sunni majority to develop
its own forms of piety and follow its own historical path... Shi'ites proclaim only the descendants
of Ali and Fatima, or the family of Muhammad, as the rightful—that is, anointed by Allah—
successors to the Prophet and ruler of all Muslims… Over the centuries, this had great political
significance: it is possible to create great turmoil and conflict in devout Islamic societies if some
claimant to political power can, sincerely or not and legitimately or not, assert a claim to an Alid
nature and candidacy. Shi'ite communities also have displayed a repeated tendency toward
exclusivity, indeed a real elitism that is contrary to the great spiritual leveling which made
original Islam so attractive to so many, and still does.‖ (Nolan, Cathal J. ―Shi‘ia Islam‖
Greenwood Encyclopedia of International Relations. ABC.CLIO, 2002. Credo Reference.
Web. 11 Aug 2011.)
12
Soraya Isfandiyar—(d. 2004) (Princess Soraya Esfandiari Bakhtiari, ex-Queen of Persia)
Daughter of a Bakhtiar khan and a German mother. Second wife of Mohammed Reza Shah from
1951-1958 (divorced because she could not have children). ―The marriage created a bond
between the Pahlavi Dynasty and the ancient Persian Bakhtiari clans.‖ (Bakhtiar, Lailee McNair.
―The Bakhtiari Tribal Role in Blending the Cultures Between Old Persia and Modern Iran 19001989.‖ Unpublished paper.)
Sufi—―In the Islamic world a person who engaged in almost any form of mysticism came to be
known as a Sufi. The name is derived from the Arabic Sufi ‗wool', the wearing of which was a
custom of some of the early ascetics who were precursors of later Sufism. …[A] strain of
mysticism in Muhammad himself…may perhaps be surmised from some verses in the Qur‘an,
but here the problem of interpretation raises difficulties. Later Sufism, however, was deeply
indebted to meditations on the Qur'ān and the Hadith (the anecdotes about the sayings and doings
of Muhammad, formerly called ‗traditions').‖ (Carr, Brian and Indira Mahalingam ―Sufi
mysticism.‖ Companion Encyclopedia of Asian Philosophy. Routledge, 1997. Credo
Reference. Web. 11 Aug 2011.)
Sunni—―From Arabic sunnah, custom. Sunni Muslims are the orthodox believers, who hold that
infallible guidance ended with the death of the Prophet, so that the Koran and the sunnah (the
deeds and sayings of the Prophet) represent the final authority in matters of faith and good
conduct. The Prophet‘s successors owe their entitlement to their election by the community of
the faithful, and have no additional authority that enables them to add to those sources of the
law.‖ (Scruton, Roger. ―Sunni.‖ Palgrave Macmillan Dictionary of Political Thought. Palgrave
Macmillan, 2007. Credo Reference. Web. 11 Aug 2011.)
Theistic—Adjective describing someone who believes in a god or gods.
Xerxes — ―(born c. 519 BC-died 465 BC, Persepolis) Persian king (486-465 BC) of the
Achaemenian dynasty. The son of Darius I, he had been governor of Babylon before his
succession. He ferociously suppressed rebellions in Egypt (484) and Babylonia (482).‖
(―Xerxes.‖ Britannica Concise Encyclopedia. Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc, 1994-2009. Credo
Reference. Web. 10 Aug 2011.)
Zagros mountains—―A mountain system in W Iran, extending 1600 km (994 mi) NW-SE
between the Turkish border and the Strait of Hormuz. It consists of many parallel ranges and
rises to 4811 m (15 784 ft) in the N at Sabalan.‖ (―Zagros Mountains.‖ The Macmillan
Encyclopedia. Market House Books Ltd., 2003. Credo Reference. Web. 10 Aug 2011.)
Zoroastrian—―The Iranian religion variously known as Mazdaism, Magism, Parsism, ‗the
Persian religion‘ and Zoroastrianism is the oldest of the credal (as opposed to ethnic) faiths.
…The collection of Zoroastrian holy texts,… composed orally over generations, are in an
otherwise unknown eastern Iranian language, called therefore simply Avestan. These include the
all-important Gāthās, seventeen hymns attributed to the prophet himself. They were strictly
memorized by his followers and, arranged according to metre, were transmitted as manthras,
inspired utterances, recited to form a protective frame round the rites of the yasna. This is the
main Zoroastrian act of worship, whose liturgy was later extended around them.‖ (Carr, Brian
13
and Indira Mahalingam. ―The Origins of Zoroastrian Philosophy.‖ Companion Encyclopedia of
Asian Philosophy. Routledge, 2002. Credo Reference. Web. 10 Aug 2011.)
14
Maps
All maps were produced by the Central Intelligence agency and found in the Perry-Castenada
Map Collection. University of Texas Libraries, University of Texas at Austin. 8 Sept. 2011.
Web. 9 Sept. 2011
15
Middle East
16
Afghanistan
17
Arabian peninsula
18
Morocco
19
Pakistan
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