What’s happening in the Middle East from a Muslim American’s perspective. What movements toward modernization are happening in the Middle East that the press doesn’t cover? What happened during Turkey’s transition to secularism and how can Egypt/Tunisia be modeled after it?
About our Guest:
Dr. Tugrul Keskin is an Assistant Professor of International and Middle East Studies, affiliated with the Center For Turkish Studies at Portland State University. His research and teaching interests include Sociology of Islam and the Middle East, Social and Political Theories, Marxism, Post-Colonial Theory, Islamic Movements, Sociology of Africa (Imperialism and Re-colonization in Africa after 1950s), Modern Kurdish, Uyghur and Turkish Nationalism. Previously, Dr. Keskin taught as an instructor of Sociology and Africana Studies at Virginia Tech University and has also previously taught as a Visiting Assistant Professor of Sociology at James Madison and Radford Universities. He received his PhD from Virginia Tech in Sociology, with certificate degrees in Africana Studies, Social and Political Thought, and International Research and Development. The topic of his Ph.D. dissertation is A Comparative Analysis of Islamist Movements: Jama’at-e-Islami in Pakistan and the Fethullah Gulen Movement in Turkey – Reactions to Capitalism, Modernity and Secularism. Dr. Keskin is a moderator of the Sociology of Islam and Sociology of the Middle East Listserv, and is the editor of the Sociology of Islam and Muslim Societies Newsletter. He is a member of the Middle East Sociology Working Group: http://www.unc.edu/~kurzman/MideastSociology/. Dr. Keskin is also the editor of the book, The Sociology of Islam: Secularism Economy and Politics, which will be published by Garnet/Ithaca Press in March 2011. Tugrul Keskin is a board member of Sociologists Without Borders and a book review editor of Societies Without Borders.
Show Highlights
- What cultural shifts toward secular life happened in Turkey and how similar changes are happening throughout the Middle East?
- Hear how Facebook is replacing the mosque as a gathering place for creating a cultural identity.
- How did Turkey handle the separation of mosque and state? How did it’s conservative religious leaders transition into a more secular life?
- Hear what Dr. Keskin wants you to take away and learn about Muslim and Islam.
Resources
- Middle Eastern countries with the most oil: Iran, Iraq, Kuwait: http://middleeast.about.com/od/oilenergy/a/me080207d.htm
- Journalist Rami Khouri’s blog, who comments on Middle East issues for the BBC, NPR and CNN: http://www.agenceglobal.com/article.asp?id=2519
- Time Magazine article on Mohammed Bouazizi who set himself on fire in Tunisia ans started the people’s revolution: http://www.time.com/time/world/article/0,8599,2043557,00.html
- How a self-described amateur activist spurred a pro-democracy movement through a Facebook Page: http://www.newsweek.com/2011/02/08/google-executive-wael-ghonim-admits-he-was-el-shaheeed.html#
- Link to Facebook Page “ We are all We are all Khaled Said”: (http://www.facebook.com/elshaheeed.co.uk
- Utube video of Khaled Said: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JmFnY8bM6CE
- CNN’s report on Khaled Said: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q7vwdIsXc4I&feature=related
