Year of the Golden Pig Reading 3: "Jihad: The Trail of Political Islam"

As I have mentioned earlier, I am a slow reader. This third book of the Year of the Golden Pig, is one I started a long time ago... in a country far, far away. It wasn't the most interesting book that I have ever read, but there was a lot in it to hold my interest. It was written before 9/11, but has been updated somewhat to reflect that event. Mostly the book is about the origin of the Jihadist forces that have emerged in the last fifty or so years throughout the Islamic world.

Unfortunately, I don't think many people will support the author's, Gilles Kepel, thesis that Jihadist forces have lost and they are no longer a threat to the world. Of course, he was writing this in the 1990's when Jihadist groups were facing opposition in Algeria, Turkey, and Israel/Palestine. But then 9/11 happened and the optimism of the 1990's disappeared (perhaps Bubba Clinton should have taken off his rose colored glasses; but then again who really was going to make him in the Gay 1990's).

The other day in Philosophy class I had an interesting discussion that touched on the very same issues that Kepel was raising. What defines terrorism was the point of discussion. It wasn't planned, just happened, a teachable moment that might have gotten me fired in the USA (and perhaps even at my current school). The discussion revolved around how terrorism has to have a political component, and has to terrorise illegitimite targets. The recent shooting at Virginia Tech were discussed and I said this wasn't a terrorist attack, since it wasn't political in nature.

One of my more Islamic students, Ibrahim, raised the point that in Israel everyone belongs to the military at some point in their lives (unless they have a religious waiver). Therefore he wondered if civilians there were legitimate targets. I actually couldn't say that they weren't, since teachers and other government civilian employees are often designated as legitimate targets since they (we) are agents of the state. It was an interesting issue in the ontological categorization of terrorism.

In the end I said that history (not just the subject, but time itself) would have to be the ultimate factor in who will be declared a terrorist. This is particulary so if you look at such questions as who is ultimately responsible for more death: Osama bin Laden or American foreign policy; why can America political recognize groups that have taken part in terrorist activity, like many Israeli politicians and the Fatah party, while refusing to recognize others like Hamas and Hezbollah; and how someone like George Washington can go from being a villian in the eyes of the British Empire to a great leader who even has a statue in London?

So, all in all, not the most exciting book in the world, but one that has allowed me to have some amazing discussions while living in the Middle East in this most amazing of times.

Year of the Golden Pig Reading 2: "The Crusades through Arab Eyes"

I read a lot. I just don't finish a lot. Therefore my second entry in my Year of the Golden Pig reading is quite shocking. It is a book that I just started reading a couple of weeks ago when I was in Beirut.

You may have never heard of Amin Maalouf, but you really should. He is a Lebanese novelist, who has also written a couple of books on non-fiction. His book, "The Crusades through Arab Eyes," is one that I have seen around for a few years, but I never really wanted to read too much more on the Crusades, since I am not a huge fan of Medieval history, particulary that of Europe, and also since I had taken a college course on the Crusades at university. But after I started reading his novels in Kuwait, I started looking for this book. Then I found it in Beirut.

I learned quite a lot from this book. For instance, many of the European Crusaders were cannibals during the early part of the Crusades. That was quite a shocking find. It was well documented by Medieval European historians (who actually seem more shocked that Crusaders also ate dogs), but then slipped from the public record during the Imperial period, when Europe was once again trying to colonize the lands of Islam. What was more shocking about the cannabalism was the fact that it wasn't because people were starving; it was because they were trying to shock their enemy (though in its defense, the 11th century Shock and Awe policy killed fewer people than the one we have in the 21st century).

What I primarilly learned from the reading though was how Christians and Muslims mostly got along after the initial conquest. It was the incursion of new invaders who caused most of the problems. I also discovered how much influence the Seljuk Turks had in the Arabian world of the 11th and 12th centuries. I really didn't know they had such control. I thought it came much later. Throughout the book, the leadership of the Arabian world is divided to such an extent, that Europe is able to occupy these lands, even though their forces are vastly outnumbered (and their technology isn't that superior to what is in the Levant). Only when Arabs united under Salah ad-Din (a Kurd) were they able to finally reconquer Jerusalem.

So if you would like to learn about the root of many of our current problems, and see many modern parallels, pick up this work from Amin Maalouf.

Summer update

Well it is official.

I have finally figured out my summer.

I know that you are sitting there with baited breath going "Just tell us already." I have decided to go to Yemen for the summer. Taking an Arabic course at the Sanaa Institute for Arabic Language(see the picture on the left from their website http://www.sialyemen.com). I decided for a few reasons. First I am really enjoying my time in the Middle East and would like to stay here for a while. So learning Arabic (at least a bit of it) will come in handy. Secondly, I really don't want to travel all summer and sweat like a pig in Southeast Asia or Kuwait. I will be in Sanaa which is at about 7000 feet above sea level, so summer should be cool. I leave here in about six weeks so I am pretty excited.

Last but not least, I have purchased a digital camera. I have started posting pictures on another site: http://www.flickr.com/photos/jefflindstrom/

Now the site contains mostly pictures of my trip to Lebanon and from the school talent show. I will add more Kuwait photos soon. And then there will be some from Yemen as well.

Well hope all is going groovy.

Tick Tock Summer's coming

Today I went to get passport photos. I need to get a new one. Mine expires in September but a lot of countries won't let you visit if you have less than three months. So I must prepare. I still don't know what I am doing this summer. Heard that might be some training in Greece for Philosophy, but I am still waiting to hear if it is for certain. I have two tickets reserved: one to Thailand and one to Yemen. Couldn't be more different plans for the summer. I have been thinking about a course in Arabic or just travelling from Bangkok to Bali and beyond overland. That could be fun. I have enough time that is for sure. I will definitely try to send pictures from wherever I end up; especially now that I have the digital camera.

It's hard to believe it has almost been ten years since I lost my last passport in Taiwan. By the way, don't lose your passport in Taiwan. Big mistake. Takes a lot of money and energy to get a new one. Fortunately I had Sam and Jackie to help me out, or I would have been in a lot of hurt. Of course I might just ended up staying in Taiwan and never returning to that horrible job I had in Korea. But I shan't complain since that job helped me get where I am today. Or maybe I should complain.

Well tick tock...

randumb thinks

Been trying an experiment approach in class. Trying to create thinkers. So far, very unsuccessful.

This is the geekweekend. The academic games are in town. It is strange to be surround by so many smart kids. Actually they aren't so bright. But it is nice to let them think such things.

Still have no idea what summer holds. It will be hot in Kuwait that is for sure. Spend too much of it here and I will disappear. Not such a bad idea. But I am not sure my shoes could take the heat.

Now I need to do something.

Dateline Beirut

It is weird to be updating this in Beirut. I have a few comments on a dying city. It seems to be desperately trying to hold on. Everywhere there are flags and tanks. Men with guns actually are more intimidating than you would think. Today I almost had my new camera confiscated for taking a picture of Gamal Nasser, and he has been dead since 1970. Fortunately I was able to show him the picture on my new camera. I will be adding the photos later.
Beirut is not Paris. Unless you mean the crappy Paris of the 1960's. The architecture here reminds me of the worst of European junk that came out in that decade. Of course there is a lot of history as well. But I haven't really seen too much of it yet. The weather has been on and off. Today started off terribly. But now it seems to be brightening up a bit. When I got back to my hotel earlier the lights had been cut off on my floor. There seems to be no one else staying there. I was wondering why it was such a good deal.
Tomorrow I am hoping to get out of town. I want to go up to Baalbek or maybe to Byblos or Tyre. It seems to be hard to find a tourist agent who is open. I will have to keep looking. Taxis here are always trying to rip you off. Some of the worst crooks I have ever seen. Been walking a lot instead. It is a fairly compact town so that is not too bad.
Well I am off.