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Quests Study Questions Week 4 Quests Movement with purpose: crusade, pilgrimage, wanderjahre, gap year quaere, to seek, ask: Ulysses, Beowulf, Arthur, Frodo, Seirstad Why is the quest such an enduring tradition? Does Seirstad's book fit? Is she an advocacy or investigative journalist? Afghanistan Mountainous, landlocked, dry; size of Texas, untapped energy & minerals. Nexus for Indo-European culture, religions: Zoroastrian, Buddhism, Islam Invaded & conquered by Arabs, Mongols; divided by Sunni, Shia sects Under British influence until independence in 1919, stable till 1973 US funds Mujahideen, Soviets occupy, 1979-89; Taliban rule 1996-2001 Where, when, and how did Sierstad write her book? What was its reception? Is is considered fair or not to Afghan history & culture? Islam 2nd largest religion, between Christianity (1st) and Hinduism (3rd) Against representation; surrender to Allah, the one and only Truth from Angels, scriptures (Qu'ran), and prophets (Muhammed) Laws: 5 daily prayers, giving alms, fasting in Ramadan, take the hajj Strict patriarchy: women submit, live for family, polygamy sanctioned Given Seirstad's methods and values, (ix-xvi) what kind of report does she write? How may we read Mansur's journey? (132-61) Family In Islam, the family receives high praise for assuring love, generosity, peace, and security. Those values also apply to extended families and tribes. Yet inter-tribal and sectarian hatred plague the Muslim world. Does Seirstad's book address this paradox? How does she portray kinship roles in a single family? Does their "little flat" shape the Khan family life? (108-16) Learning In one chapter (194-203), Fazil must serve detention for failing to answer correctly in his religious education classes. You are students; what do you think of the tasks set for him? Is he a failure? A slow learner? A new day that smells and tastes of every other day: of dust. (180)