All over reddit you can see photos of middle eastern countries from 50-60s. And by the looks of it, there was no enforcement of the fundamentalist values and rules. What happened? How much blame lies with the USSR and US?

What are the principle differences in banking between the west (i.e. the Americas and Europe) when compared to the systems that follow sharia law in Islamic countries?

1. In China, there are minority communities that are Muslim, such as the Uyghurs, and there are also the Hui people. It's my understanding that Hui people are mostly ethnically Han Chinese who happen to be Muslim. Is this actually the case and if so, what were some reasons for Chinese to convert to Islam historically?

2. Islam's spread into Southeast Asia and Indonesia was quite rapid, what were the driving factors behind the adoption of Islam in Indonesia, which is very geographically and culturally distant from Islam's birthplace?

Edit: added second question

My lay perception is that Islamic countries have fewer large independent companies than non-Islamic countries. I.e., For majority-Islamic countries I can't think of analogues for companies like Sony (Japan), Samsung (Korea), Mercedes-Benz (Germany), Nestle (Switzerland), McDonalds (USA), Barclay's (UK), and so on. Companies like Saudi Aramco are prominent but not independent of the government.

1. Is my perception accurate?
2. If so, what are the reasons for the difference?

What is the opinion on Turkey in the islamic Middle East? Has it become more favorable since its secularisation after the fall of the Ottoman empire?

Also, what is the history of the ideology/theology behind Al Qaeda? I understand radical Wahhabism and Qutbism have had an important impact, but I'm looking for additionnal details/further reading on the matter.

Thanks to all of you!

Was the spreading of Islam in the early Middleages encountering as much opposition as it does now in Europe?

How did Islam spread towards south east asian countries like Malaysia? I understand the Moors spread to countries like Sri Lanka thru trade, did that also extend to eastern countries?

Christianity features a whole host of demons and monsters, does Islam have an equivalent? Obviously as time has passed on, these beliefs change, are there any strange islamic cults based on fringe views from the past?

Would you distinguish between a "political islam" and a religious islam, the political islam seen as more of an ideology than a religion?

Or is there no such thing as a seperate political islam?

I have got two questions on different areas: the first one on Turkey, the second one on the Balkans.

(1. Turkey) How was perceived the important Christian minority of Anatolia and Armenia (or, to put it more simply, the modern territory of Turkey) in the long 19th century (up to 1914)? I have heard figures as high as 20% before World War One. How different communities interrelated? Were there important specificities in the way Christians lived there as compared to other countries were Islam was the majority religion?

(2. Balkans) I cannot help but noticing the division of the Balkans in confessional terms. Are there geographical, social, cultural factors that explained the conversion of a particular place and not of another? In Late Antiquity, we generally have trouble explaining that kind of phenomenon, so I am rather interested to see if more recent periods can offer us interesting insight on the processes in play.

(sorry for these questions on the relation between Islam and Christianity, which I hope will not be too invasive)

Can you explain the modern context of muslim denominations ( Shi'a, sunni, etc.) and how they relate to modern conflict (military or economic) present in the middle east today?

Two questions on ethnicity:

-This map indicates that Ismaili Muslims are still present in Egypt. I have done somewhat extensive academic research on modern Ismaili communities and have never come across anything referring to modern Ismaili Egyptians. Did the map maker just make this community up?

-Iraqis of Iranian/Persian ethnicity are often accused of being "immigrants" (tabaiya), despite a continuous Iranian ethnic presence in Mesopotamia from approximately 1000 years before Islam arrived on the scene. Where did this idea come from? Was there an influx of Persians into Iraq sometime in the last few hundred years (other than the post-2003 return of those expelled) that most Persian/Iranian-Iraqis are descended from, are they descendants of the Persians/Iranians from ancient times, or is it (as it usually is...) more complex than that?

Question 1:

Many of the Christians that I grew up with, myself included, (mostly Presbyterians) in the eastern US went through crisis of faith, and many that I know personally have taken varying degrees of separation from strict christian interpretations of both faith and the teachings of the bible.

I am curious if this crisis-of-faith is common for teens that grow up in a Muslim household, and how it is addressed in that religion and culture. and additionally if it is common or uncommon for Muslims to adopt less strict interpretations of the Koran when dealing with such development.

Question 2:

I am also curious if there is a significant population of Muslims who are cross-faith of any fashion.

I know a number of Christians who are also Buddhist and have adopted non-christian-traditional practices into their person belief structure. does this happen with many Muslims?

For /u/keyilan: Are there now or have there been differences between the varieties of Chinese used by Muslims and non-Muslims?

for keyilan: could you talk about the Chinese government's attitude and policies toward Muslim minorities in various parts of China?

also, could you go into your research on Chinese Muslim's migration to Taiwan? What are some interesting things you've come across?

Bernard Lewis and his books "What Went Wrong?," "The Crisis of Islam," and "Islam: The Religion and the People" - good history, bad history, or in between? Things he gets very wrong (or very right)? (presuming, of course, that any of you have heard of and/or have read any of them)

He seemed to pop into the popular consciousness after 9/11 (or did into mine, anyway). It's bee a while since I read his books so have difficulty replicating the major points and/or arguments, but I remember enjoying them very much and feeling like I got a good sense of the history.

I particularly thought "What Went Wrong?" was interesting for examining the divergent paths that the Islamic world and the "Christian" world took, particularly around the 17th century.

As I understand it, the current national borders of the arabic states create situations where certain branches of Islam are the majority or minority and create tension.

How were the modern national borders of the arabic states created?

We've seen radicalization movement is both Sunnis and Shiites often in the name of restoring Islam to its original form, but I've been wondering if there has been any comparable in Sufism.

I am a Comparative Religion student, and thus extremely interested in the "Religion of God" that was put forward by Akbar the Great, Mughal Emperor. How was this movement, The Din-e Ilahi, percieved by the rest of the muslim world? Are there any remnants, either in Hindu or Islam?

Side question, I spent time studying with the Ba'hai, another syncretic religion. What are the views on their religion and also the Druze within the muslim world? How are they perceived as different from other "religions of the book?"

Thanks in advance.

E: It has always seemed to me that syncretism is a common expression of Islam. Thoughts?

Regarding religion, clergymen, and the Iranian Revolution of 1904:

From what I understand, the only cleric that really seems to be remembered for being involved with the 1904 Revolution is anti-constitutionalist Ayatollah Nuri, but just looking at a photo of the first Majlis, there must have been a large degree of clerical supporters of the revolution. Also, the Supplementary Fundamental Laws of October 7, 1907, Article 1 and 2, established Islam as the official religion of Persia/Iran, and specified that all laws of the nation must be approved by a committee of Shi'a clerics. Taking all this into consideration, what was the role of religion and religious figures in the 1904 Iranian Constitutional Revolution?

Is the divide between Sunni and Shi'ite Muslims as stark elsewhere in the world as it is in the Middle east, namely Iraq? Because you have a clear look in Iraq for the past couple decades of Sunni and Shi'ite being at violent odds. Does this violent hatred or dislike of the other group transfer into other nations in the Middle East and around the world, or do they nominally get along in other places?

I know this is pretty late for a question, but I'd love an answer. I'm visiting Turkey in June so I've been researching a little, and this is a question that has piqued my interest.

What was the backlash following the banning of headscarves by Ataturk?

I was taught in a high school Religion that Sayyid Qutb was one of the main people who helped being about organized conservative Islam in the political sphere (at least in Egypt). I was wondering what his legacy actually was. As you can imagine, our time with him was pretty short.

Too many questions inartfully asked and poorly organized:

1. What is Islamic finance? Do modern Muslim countries allow lending and interest?

2. How did the Muslim world react to the Iranian Revolution?

3. Has there been any interest in reviving the Caliphate?

4. Has Islam been politicized in areas outside the Middle East? Specifically, how has Islam interacted with politics in SE Europe, SE Asia, Central Asia, and Western Nations such as France, England, Germany, and the US?

5. When did the Mad Mullah stereotype emerge? Are there specific mullahs that it is based on?

6. I have a friend of a friend in Qom who claims that the Iranian clergy have marginalized the leadership from Karbala and Najaf, specifically Sistani. Is this true? If so, how?

7. Does Saudi Arabia view their authority to administer the Hajj as a way to shore up their legitimacy? Do they find that in some ways administering the Hajj is a burden?

8. How were Muslims treated in Imperial Russia, Soviet Russia, and Modern Russia?

9. Is there any truth to the idea that scientific thought stagnated in Muslim culture? If so, when and why?

10. Is polygamy a dying institution?

11. How have ideas of modesty changed in the last 100 years?

12. To what degree has superstition survived into the 20th and 21st centuries? Do many believe in active supernatural beings that take an active role in the world such as angels, djinn, and saints?

13. What is Salafism? Has this been popular in recent history?

14. What is the status of Islam in Israel? How have authorities accommodated Muslims?

15. To what degree is there a fear in Modern Europe that Muslims will change their culture? Are laws against minarets and hijab outliers, or are thse just one of many ways that some Europeans have attempted to prevent Muslims from feeling welcome in Europe?

Hey there! Thank you for the AMA everyone!

Before the last few decades, was there ever a major wave of Muslim immigrants to the Americas? I just always figured that given the Spanish/Portuguese history with the Moors, there would have been at least SOME population of Muslims since the colonial period. Was there ever a lesser-known wave of Muslim immigrants, or a wave of Muslim influence, to the Americas during say the 19th or 20th century? I'm not sure how within the scope of the time period this question is, but I figured if give it a shot

What were Britain's strategic goals in Palestine after WWII? I had an argument with my professor that Britain was never able to articulate a goal or policy (beyond maybe just "hold the territory") which is why it's strategy or lack there-of failed. What documents would point to post-war policy objectives in Palestine?

Is this lack of policy the biggest factor in Britain's failure to crush the rebellion, in contrast with earlier Palestinian revolts, or are there other more important factors?

Apologies, I realize none of you claim an expertise in the history of the Mandates.

How or why has Oman remained a relatively stable country in an unstable area?

What do you think of Michael B. Oren's book on U.S. relations in the Middle East from 1776?

for /u/johnleemk

1)Regarding Malaysia, I understand that there is a bumiputera system, and it is based on being a citizen, and being Islamic, and not based on race. And being bumiputera grants special priviledges. (Please correct me if I'm wrong)

When was this system started and what was the rationale behind it? Why was it tied into religion?

2)Overall how much does Islam affect the Malaysian government's policies at the federal level? I do know that some states like Kelantan enforce some Islamic laws like Friday being a holiday, but I'm not sure how this affects federal policy.

Sorry for the poor formatting.

How big of an effect "on the ground" did abolishing of the Caliphate have? Would John Doe (or Yahya Dou if you will) in Morocco, or Lebanon, or Qatar have cared?

I've heard a lot about Muslim encounters and relations with Christianity during the Middle Ages, but how did Islam deal with Hindus and Buddhists in the East? How did the Buddhists and Hindus react to Islam?

Many Western European monarchies struggled with the issue of church authority vs state authority. Did this come up in the Ottoman Empire, and if so, how was it resolved?

From what I understand, Islam spread to south east Asia (Indonesia, Malaysia, etc) through the Indian ocean trade route. My question is, what made Sunni islam the dominant denomination in south east Asia, as opposed to shia for example?

Also, I believe that some muslims in Indonesia practice the religion with a mix of local beliefs and traditions, what is the historical cause of this? And how was this viewed in the greater Muslim world?

Thanks!

Was intermarriage (among Turks and Greeks, Serbs, Romanians, etcetera) common in the Balkans during the Ottoman occupation?

Hello! Thank you very much for doing this AMA and hopefully correcting some misconceptions about modern Islam and the Islamic World. :)

This is perhaps less 'modern' than is strictly pertinent to this AMA, but I tend to view the Ottoman Empire as a successor, rather than a usurper, of Eastern Roman/Byzantine institutions. Without opening up that debate, though, I have some questions surrounding the Ottomans and modern Turkish culture that I'd love to see answered (and don't worry about tackling them individually, as a lot of these questions are just rephrasings of the same one):

Did any major institutional features or methods of government survive the fall of Constantinople to be inherited by the Ottoman Empire?

How does modern Turkey get to grips with its Christian, Byzantine heritage?

In what ways are the Byzantines generally characterised, in contrast to the Ottomans who defeated them?

Has their cultural lineage in any way been reconciled with Islam and Turkish nationalism? Is it something modern Turkey prefers to distance itself from or gloss over?

How does the general public perceive the empire that fell with Constantinople? Were they seen as oppressors, for example, and Mehmed the Conqueror as a liberator?

As a related but separate question, to what extent does rivalry over the territorial legacy of the Byzantine Empire (revanchism) play into modern tensions with neighbouring Greece?

Finally, as an aside and as far as you know, is there much room for historical study focused on Byzantium within Turkey? This is of particular interest to me as I'm a medieval history undergrad and the Eastern Roman Empire is my main area of fascination. I'm entertaining plans on pursuing a career in academia and would love to conduct some postgraduate research in Turkey, but I'm wondering if there's much of an intellectual market for it over there. I'd love it if you could throw me a bone of wisdom in this regard!

u/keyilan this one is for you,

I recently got to visit the Great Mosque in Xi'An China and while talking to a worshiper there he mentioned how difficult it is to be a Muslim in China but didn't expand. I wanted to know if maybe you could clue me in a bit:

How does Islam in China philosophically reconcile with Taoism/ Confucianism/ Buddhism?

How moderate are the Muslims in Urban/Eastern China generally speaking? Our whole group was in shirtsleeves and shorts walking around the Mosque (everywhere except the worship hall itself) and nobody gave us a second look.

Hope I'm not too late to the party to get some answers. Thank you so much for sharing your knowledge!

If this question falls outside the scope of the AMA, feel free to disregard.

In the Balkans, can someone explain to me why the Muslim world seems to be split on an independent Kosovo?

This link shows which countries support an independent Kosovo. Some dominantly Muslim countries, such as Saudi Arabia, Turkey, and Egypt recognize Kosovo's sovereignty. However others, such as Algeria, Tunisia, and Iran do not.

Would it be accurate to say that the "discovery" of the New World by the Western European powers contributed (in some part at least) to the decline of the Middle East in modern times? Without all of the trade wealth flowing through the region from the silk road, would that cause a backlash in the funding of science, medicine, military technology etc.? Or was there another, more significant event that led to the Middle East falling behind?

I'm not sure if this belongs here, but it's something I've always been curious about.

When contructing various buildings and other structures one needs to consider the foundation and material on which the object will be built. What type of architectural practices have been observed by Middle Eastern builders to prevent buildings from succumbing to various obstacles such as sand, flooding, and earthquakes?

Sorry if this is outside of the scope of this AMA. Feel free to ignore or delete.

I travel often in Africa...well, as often as I can..., usually but not always alone--a Jewish American female, I stand out wherever I go, and it seems like I am welcomed wherever I go.

Recently, I exchanged emails with a colleague in Nigeria, and I wondered about the possibility of doing some traveling there. When I told him about my planned route, he replied, quite curtly, that if I could not be bothered to learn where the Sufis ended and the Salafis began, perhaps I should not be wandering about the continent on my own.

Can someone please explain to me a little bit about his comments? It has always been my experience that Muslims in Africa have been as kind to me as non-Muslims. Are things changing in Africa, particularly in Nigeria? How about southern Africa? And why are those changes occurring?

For /u/howstrangeisinnocence since the description mentions modern banking along sharia principles.

How as the development of "Sharia Banking" paralleled the development of banks in the Christian world since both religions have verses or rules against usury. Also is there a fundamental difference in understand between European Christian understanding of usury and the concept of Riba in Islamic Law?

How did the Muslim league contribute towards the Indian Independence Struggle or Was its demands limited to the creation of Pakistan??

1. What is the current state of pan-Arabist sentiment?

2. In your informed opinion, do you think there is any likelihood of a return to an Ottoman era type of unity between some of the more theocratic regimes in the region?

3. Is it a fair analysis to set Riyadh, Tehran, and Cairo as the ideological poles in the region?

I've heard that Muslims in Bosnia traditionally don't abstain from alcohol, is this true and how did that come about?

The Fatimid empire is viewed as by some Shia Muslims as a diverse and progressive empire important to the golden age of Islam. How accurate is this interpretation? I'm mainly asking because I was raised in this tradition and I want to know how biased it exactly is.

I've heard a theory regarding Halal and the fact that muslims is not supposed to drink alcohol. I'll briefly explain the theories below.

Halal: For example not eating pork is because Trichinella and possibly other parasites/viruses was common and and thus dirty so the theory suggests that it is reason it shall not be consumed. Maybe the same goes for camels, or possibly because camels was used for transportation, and eating your car is not a good thing.

Alcohol: Alcoholism was pretty wide spread and a big problem on the Arabian Peninsula and therefore it became one of the things not allowed in islam.

Is there any truth to this theory? Is there any other example where the lifestyle in Middle East has influenced the religion?

I hope my question is comprehensible. Thanks in advance.

Hi! I have a question regarding apostasy in Islam. How common (or uncommon) would it have been for the death penalty to have actually been carried out for apostasy? And is there any data on the numbers of people tried and executed for apostasy over, say, the last century?

Why does there seem to be such animosity between Shia and Sunni Islam throughout history (including present day)?

Is there any evidence of contact between the British (or other Western powers) and the Saudi family or Wahabbi movement prior to Ibn Saud?

Directed to /u/jdryan08 primarily:

How much did religious thought influence the liberation movements during the late Ottoman Empire? What I mean by that is were any of the resistance and liberation movements, especially those who fought in the First World War, fighting for explicitly religious reasons or was it mostly politically motivated?

Also, after the liberation of said states just how much and how so did Islamic thought differ across the borders?

I am not a history expert by any means so apologies if this question is hopelessly broad and vague. Anyway, given the increase of radicalism and fundamentalism within Islam, what kind of repercussions has this had on practitioners of the faith of a more moderate persuasion or of a more mystical persuasion, like the Sufis? How safe is it to practice something like Sufism in countries that have a strong fundamentalist orientation among the population? Are they just generally distrusted or are the implications for practising it much more severe?

What do you see as the important factors that can explain the difference in death toll of Armenians in the provinces of Turkey during the Armenian genocide?

I will probably getting a tremendous amount of down-votes, and its probably a stupid question. Here it goes anyway:

From what I understand, it seems there is no scriptural basis for the continued existence of the Al-Aqsa mosque. That is neither Allah, nor Muhammad ever commanded the building of a mosque on the grounds of the Temple Mount---Judaism's Most Holy site. It was a later creation by a Sahaba.

• That being said, then why don't the Muslims return the ground of the Temple Mount to the Jews, since its their Holiest site?

What is the most effective strategy for reversing radicalization? What started previous eras of secular philosophy in the Muslim world?

i'd like to preface my question with a statement; historians seem to always claim that the conversion of christians, jews...etc. in islamic lands are due to the financial, social, and political benefits of converting, in essence, these statements seem to discount any spiritual or personal benefits to converting to islam, and comes off as a back-hand against both the religion and the converts themselves, i would even daresay that it hints of Orientalism.

now, to move on to the questions; given the enlightened nature of islam's golden age, and the backwardness of the christian world at the time, could it not be that the strength of islamic ideals along with the obvious and visible superiority of the quality-of-life under islamic rule have been a primary motivator in regards to conversion? and is there any real evidence that most converts were motivated by material needs as opposed to being sincere converts?

Did the decline of Arab nationalism play a major role in the Islamic revival of the 1970s? Was the Islamic revival some form of new identity-politics recalibration?

Especially apparent in Iraq and Syria, certain different sects of Islam seem to be at ideological odds and consequently each sect has taken to violence in some cases.

Have Shia and Sunni Muslims, as well as other sects/subsects always been so negative toward one another? Do some Middle Eastern countries or areas have significant minority sect Muslims where there is little/no violence between sects despite differences?

I am particularly interested in Turkey as I wrote my undergraduate thesis about Turkey - specifically accession to the EU. So I have two questions:

1. Will Turkey ever be an EU member? - Personally it seemed to me that this will never come to fruition. Germany and France are very much against their joining, and they are in violation of far too many chapters of the acquis. However they are obviously still a power player, a big economy, and a tie to the Muslim world. What do you see happening in this area?

2. Is PM Erdoğan undermining Turkish democracy? It seems like he is stacking the courts and parts of government to ensure his party's supremacy. In Turkish history many times the military has protected the democratic nature of Turkey. Are we seeing the destruction of these protections?

Thank you.

Thanks for doing this. I know you don't want this to turn into a '9/11 extravaganza', but I just returned from a middle east trip, and am genuinely curious about this, though perhaps not courageous to ask anyone in real life.

There seems to be some interpretation of Islamic religion that lends itself to extremists causing lots of violence. I know that extremists of all religions do crazy things (such as the Jewish Hebron shooter)... But it seems disproportionately so for Islam. Was it always like this? Is this truly just a media bias or a new fad? If not, what's the cause?

Thanks, really appreciate it.

How much of the dress for women (hajib, burqa, etc.) and treatment of women in general comes from the Koran and how much is historic and/ or "tribal" customs which were blended with Islam to see the form we see today.

People often use the Islamic concept of Jihad to justify racism. Being barely better informed than they are, I don't feel comfortable disproving statements like "Jihad is a central part of Islam." I suspect the truth depends on who you ask.

Based on your understanding of Islamic religious texts and of their evolving interpretations over time, to what extent is Jihad a core factor of Islam. Are extremist groups encouraging Jihad a new phenomenon (as in, last 100 years or so) or have you read accounts of their existence earlier than that? How would you respond to a Muslim who claims the Jihadist interpretation of Islam is correct?

Do you have a simple and clean response to poorly-informed Westerners who believe Jihad is a major part of Islam?

Apologies if this question has already been asked. I did not have time to look through all the comments at the bottom.

What are the most surprising things you've learned in your field, and can you recommend a book where one could read up on it.

I saw on the news an interview with an Egyptian man who was upset about the Christians in his country. He was upset about how "their religion isn't even monotheistic - they worship three gods!". How common is that sentiment in the muslim world, and has the Christian belief in the trinity always been something muslims look down upon? (I don't mean all muslims in general of course, but I was wondering if that has been a common opinion throughout history?)

Is there a notable presence of Zoroastrianism in modern day Iran, and if so how do the people who hold office in this Islamic Republic feel about it?

I ask because my mother is Persian, and her mother (my Grandma, a Muslim) gave all of her grandchildren Farvahar pendants. Have the stories of Zarathustra been shunned in anyway by Muslims (namely Muslims with power)?

I understand Zarathustra is more a symbol of national pride than a religious group, but is it blasphemous to wear the pendant (as a Muslim) and can/do people openly practice this ancient religion without ridicule?

I'd really be interested if any of the panelists have something to say about the interplay between race and Islam. So much of international and intranational rivalries in the Islamic world seem to be based on ethnolinguistic groups, and I have read that the place of Arabs relative to conquered peoples was a problem in early Islam as well. Has racial tension led to doctrinal changes (I'm thinking of the association of Persians with Shi'a Islam) and to what extent have ethnicity and sect begun to overlap (for example with the Alawites in Syria)?

Thanks!

1. ) Was the animosity between Saudi Arabia and Iran a part of public discourse in Islamic countries prior to the 2000 ? What were the reactions.

2. ) How did the stifling of ijtihad (independent reasoning) in the 12th century unfold. Were there any counter 'movement'. Its cited as one of the factors in the decline of the Islamic golden age.

3. ) Did the Ottoman Empire have influence on the path and status of various Islamic denominations ( Shia / Sunni/ Sufism ). What was the overall situation during those periods of Ottoman rule.

What do you know about Alevis in Turkey?

Are modern day trends in conservative thinking that are found in Islam rooted within the period of bab al-Ijtihad?

How much of an effect did the 6 day war, YKW and Arab oil embargo have on the rise of Islamism? I've heard that there was a similar rise in Islam after the First World War, how does this Islamic revival compare?

There was an exhibit at the National Archives that discussed the relationship between Jews and Muslims in Iraq and seemed to heavily imply that WWII and international expansion of the Nazis was one of the key situations that led to a lot of modern "disagreement" (using the term loosely, as I've forgotten the exhibit conclusion) between both religious parties.

How much in fact, did WWII contribute to dissent between Jews & Muslims outside of the Israel/Palestine conflict? Secondly, were there other conflicts similar in nature to this outside of the one mentioned? I'm interested in looking for literature related to this but don't know where to begin.

Dear panelists

There has been an ongoing radicalization of Islam happening everywhere in the world, for the past maybe 4 or 5 (or more?) decades. My question: What is the root cause of this radicalization? And can you pinpoint an exact time and place where it started?

Edit: added a "maybe".

Hi! This is a question for the economists on the panel. Are modern Sharia compliant banks different from banks in pre-modern Islamic countries? Are they essentially the same?

I have heard some journalists and historians describe or opine that the Islamic Revolution in Iran was more so a counter-revolution, or a repurposed revolution of sorts. How based in Islam were the initial revolutionaries against the Shah, and to what degree could the brand of political Shi'itism that took hold there be described as popular?

How has Islam affected the modern balance of power in the Middle East, specifically as it pertains to American allies? How much, if any, of this can be attributed to destabilization in the region created by outside influences (i.e. the US, USSR, etc.)?

Were/are there any Muslims (not from the West) that advocated/wrote about a more modern/liberal Islam? Something like a liberal/progressive Christianity equivalent, or like Nasr Abu Zayd.

If such people existed, were they or their movement influential?

If such people existed, were their ideas always framed with a Western context (i.e. The Islamic world should be liberal, like the West)?

So, I've been taking humanities and global awareness courses based on Comparative Government and, in this semester, Islam in the Modern World. Currently, reading through Post-Islamism, The Changing Faces of Political Islam, by Asef Bayat. One thing, that, particularly, caught my eye while reading was a comparison made that a secularized (albeit not necessarily "secular") Islamic Republic in Iran could function like Britain's monarchical democracy.

This, to me, sounds like the ideal Post-Islamist government; there would be a split between the "Efficient Function" of parliament, backed by parliamentary supremacy, and the "Dignified Function" carrying the traditional authority and majesty. It seems perfect for those in the Middle East looking to progress without losing their tradition due to globalization. And, yet, it seems difficult to implement. Britain came across these changes in an absolutely glacial process, enacting slow and gradual reforms over centuries. Meanwhile, it seems that the only changes in state in the Middle East come in democratic waves, with sudden and massive changes in either direction. Such a state seems difficult, if not outright impossible, to implement in such a quick fashion, so I'm not sure if it's likely to happen anytime soon.

Is there any state where this is more or less likely to happen? At my current understanding, it seems like two countries to watch for these kinds of reforms are Iran and Saudi Arabia. Even after the brutal suppression of post-Islamist movements and dissent in general under Ahmadinejad, the Green Movement and the recent elections still make it seem like Iran is the most likely country to have these kind of reforms. Saudi Arabia, on the other hand, seems to have a similar yearning for democracy (something like 70% of Saudi respondants labelling democracy as the best form of government in recent years), but simply has way too much of an important role in Islam to fully secularize. What are your thoughts, and what do you suggest for looking at news in the present to see these kind of changes?

I got 3 questions for /u/howstrangeinnocence:

• How were foreign relations between the USSR and Iran and how strong was communist implantation in Iran between the world wars, if any?

• Was there any attempt to oust the Pahlavis and restore the Qajars?

• What opinion and relations did religious leaders and islamists have with the Qajar Dynasty?

I'm probably too late, but I'll ask away just in case. My question is this: where does the "modern" concept of jihad come from? I visited Morocco, an Islamic country, and had it explained to me that, traditionally, jihad was a form of struggle that a person undertook within themselves in order to become a better Muslim. How true is this description? And, if it is true, where did the popular concept of jihad as a violent, external struggle against the West (or non-Islamic) values come from? Thanks!

Could you explain why Osama bin Laden, from a Muslim point of view would be angry about operation cyclone? I've heard a few theories that he was angered that non-Muslim US government was robbing Muslims of the right to defend the sacred land of Islam from Soviet "infidel" invaders. Never seen a source on it, and if love to hear your viewpoints on it.

Do both the Shia and Sunni sects of Islam seek in some sense to establish a world-wide caliphate? What is the history of this sentiment? (sorry if this sounds like fear-mongering; I am just asking this in the sense that some Christian fundamentalists would conversely like to see everyone in the world baptized and turn Christian)

Two questions ,

1. what are the mistake that made by Mursi and their supporter the Muslim Brotherhood in Egypt, that they were overthrown, by the military?.

2. AFAIK, AKP and Muslim Brotherhood have the same roots, why AKP gain trust for leadership? but the brothers not?

Within the context of Modern Islam, in the last 100 years what was a geopolitial,religious, or social conflict/shift that is not widely discussed in the western world? Currently in western countries there is a lot of discussion on many facets of Islamic countries. What do we tend to overlook when discussing the more modern history?

One More: Can someobody go into detail about the competing strands of political Islam in the Islamic Republic of Iran?

What is your opinion on the influence of Bogumils or Bosnian krstjani on the islamization in Ottoman Bosnia?

This is for /u/urbispreturbis - To what extent is the narrative that "Tito kept all of the ethnic/religious tensions at bay with an iron fist" true? Was it really Tito that ensured Yugoslav unity and avoid religious/ethnic conflicts?

What is the origin of the Arabic language? What about the poems of Jahiliyya (7 Mu'allaqat)? Did Arabic spread in Iraq and Sham before the conquests? Did the words used during the Prophet (S)'s time and a bit before become not used (those in the poems) after the conquests and thus communication with other people such as persians romans etc.?

Can you tell me about the state suppression and subversion of Islam in many Central Asian states? How is that different from traditionally more conservative states in the subcontinent or the Mid East? What role has religion been left to delegate in these nations?

Sorry if I'm late to this, but I'd like to know more about Islam under the Iron Curtain, the violence they faced after its fall and the resulting diasporas. What were some major destinstions for, say, Muslim Bosniaks in mass exodus and what sort of challenges did they face there? Are there any analogues to Jews escaping eastern Europe to New York in the late nineteenth/early twentieth centuries?

I realize this question might stretch out into some rather broad areas outside of the jurisdiction of this AMA, but I recently read a fascinating book on Israeli urban planning/policing which pointed out that the rise of the Islamic revolution in Iran along with the religious right in the U.S. and organizations like Gush Emunim in modern Israel all are in some ways all related and constitute almost a backlash against (very broadly speaking) enlightenment values. Obviously implying a direct correlation between these situations is inaccurate, but is there a sense that it is part of a broader global trend towards the return of religiosity as a major factor of political/cultural life?

Some people and groups talk about an "Iranian project" for the region — almost entirely from people and groups that consider themselves opposed to this "project." But what exactly do they consider this project to be? Do they think Iran wants to annex parts of the region? Do they think Iran wants to convert them to Shi'ism? Are they implying Iran has interests in the region like any other nation-state but just seeing to cast it in a bad light by labeling it a "project"?

1. During the decline of the Ottoman Empire, were there influential movements who claimed that the decline was due to the lack of religiosity of the rulers? Did these movements influence the emerging nationalists in the Middle East?

2. Before the 20th century, what was the view of Islamic scholars on offshoot religions like the Druze? I know they were persecuted during certain periods, but the fact that they still exist also shows partial acceptance. Was the treatment of the Druze different from similar religions?

Thank you for answering these questions.

Modern Islam seems hindered by its division between the Sunnis and Shiites. This appears to be a major cause of wars and violence throughout the world. While I understand their ideological differences, what is preventing them from reaching an agreement and settling their differences?

Is there a historical context for the ban on pork consumption? From a functionalist point of view, is/was there an advantage?

For anyone to answer: What is your honest opinion on the late Edward Said, his books, and his political advocacy?

When did Islam start to become more liberal and how has that constituency grown relative to traditional, conservative Islam? What have been the historical impediments for liberal Muslims?

I feel that in this modern age, Islamic Arts and culture are not as celebrated as much than they were before. What is the cause of this? Why is this not highlighted more? Islam varies from country to country and i feel that arts and culture should be celebrated not vilified.

I've read a few books by new testament scholars like Bart D Erhman on who wrote the New Testament and the historical Jesus.

Is there any similar bokks/resources you could recommend on the historical writing of the Koran, or the life of Muhammed? How does the Historical Muhammed compare to the Muslim view?

How is the "age of Aisha" argument handled when presented to a modern muslim? I suppose in a round about way I'm asking for an eli5 on the Aisha controversy. Sorry if it's an inappropriate question but I'm really quite interested.

Are there any movements for Islam consolidating? As I understand every Islam branch has no clear leader or consul, which is partly responsible for radical Islam branches which give all of Islam a bad reputation.

(possibly violating the 20-year rule... which may be in abeyance for this AMA?)

I once heard an imam describe the word 'jihad' as translating to "the struggle", and he defined it as meaning (paraphrasing) 'the struggle to lead a life along Islamic principles, against all outside forces' (i.e. a spiritual as much as a material struggle). Yet in the western world, we often understand 'jihad' to mean "holy war" - Or, in a bastardized form, the struggle of Islam against the other - which seems only a single facet of the other defenition. Can the panel clarify and/or discuss the meaning(s) of 'jihad' historically, vs. our (western biased?) understanding of it today? Has this term been incorrectly translated, or is it now misappropriated, and has come to mean almost entirely a martial struggle?

Thank you.

Could any of you suggest a book that gives a good, clear, correct and concise introduction/overview of the different strands of Islam? The past few years I've learned about the Mutazili, Alevitism, Alawitism, Ismailism, Sufism, Salafism...etcetra but I find I'm having trouble understanding what their respective creeds are, how they are interconnected/intertwined with each other, how they came about and what their respective status is (like what is the difference between Hanafi Sunni islam and Wahabism). I'm starting to see there's much more diversity in Islam then is portrayed in western media, or even history books, but now I'd like to understand this diversity (which is something I can say I do for Christianity). Thanks!

How does the role of Islam in Middle Eastern Governments compare to the role of Christianity in America?

I think most Muslims believe that the Quran is the direct word of God that has been unchanged or touched by humans.

How accurate is this historically speaking?

Also are there artifacts or concrete evidence of the 5 pillars of Islam being practiced during and right after Muhammed (s)'s passing?

How different is it in islamic countries now compared to the golden age of islam

What is Islam's current stance on evolution and macro evolution in particular?

/u/keyilan, I'm wondering if you speak Chinese? and if not, how does that affect you being able to find prime sources while studying there?

Hi panelists. Sorry if this question is a little too basic or if it's inflammatory in anyway, I definitely don't intend for that to be the case but when asking about palestine-israel things may be misinterpreted.

1. I've heard a lot of claims that pre-Israel, Jews and Muslims used to peacefully co-exist in Palestine. How true is this? If so why didn't the local population refuse the land being relabeled as a location for mass European Jewish migration effectively changing the dynamic they were happy with?

2. Every so often on the news I'll hear about Israel building settlements on land that is apparently to be held on hold for peace talks. Have there ever been repercussions for this or a reason given as to why it happens?

3. Norman Finkelstein is a polarizing historian to some with regards to Palestine and Israel. A few years back there was a lot of controversy regarding his denial of tenure. Perhaps one of the panelists understands the situation better but it still doesn't quite make sense to me that both DePaul University as well as independent academic investigation revealed his findings to be sound yet he was still denied. Were his statements and findings fabricated or not well sourced?

Adam Cutis' documentary "The Power of Nightmares", basically claims the Muslim Brotherhood was at the upbringing of Islamism. Is this true, can Islamism be traced back to someone or some group ?

What is 'modern' Islam?