Article 6 A Faith of Their Own - Examining the role of females in Syria's Islamic revival.

http://www.nytimes.com/learning/teachers/featured_articles/20060830wednesday.html

Amber, Dave, Sam, Krystel, Jony and Morgan

Location

This article takes place in Damascus, Syria. Syria is a middle-eastern country between Lebanon and Turkey. It has over 185,000 sq feet. Which makes it a very small country. Since it is in the Middle East, there are many different culture clashes. There are also numerous Israeli settlements and much civilian land use, which increases the different cultural clashes.

Quote

"People mistake tradition for religion. Men are always saying, 'Women can't do that because of religion,' when in fact it is only tradition. It's important for us to study each so that we know the difference."

Anecdote

Enas al-Kaldi has been attending an exclusive and secret Islamic women's society known as the Qubaisiate. She has been selected because she is a good student. She would attend with a few other women. There was expensive food before the lesson for the teenage girls and then fancy Mercedes cars to take them back home afterwards.

These are the two faces of an Islamic revival for women in Syria, one that could add up to a potent challenge to this determinedly secular state. Though government officials vociferously deny it, Syria is becoming increasingly religious and its national identity is weakening. If Islam replaces that identity, it may undermine the unity of a society that is ruled by a Muslim religious minority.

Key Vocabulary

Fervor-intensity of feeling or expression; Ex: booing and cheering somebody on

Mosques-a building used for public worship by Muslims

Skepticism-doubt concerning basic religious principles (as immortality, providence, and revelation)

Vanguard-the forefront of an action or movement

Secular-not bound by monastic vows or rules; specifically : of, relating to, or forming clergy not belonging to a religious order or congregation

Hezbollah-a radical Shi'ite Muslim organization in Lebanon engaged in guerrilla warfare against Israel

Scripture-Often, Scriptures. Also called Holy Scripture, Holy Scriptures. the sacred writings of the Old or New Testaments or both together

Sheikha-a woman who heads a large family and is revered, esp. as a guardian of religious ways

Madrassas-an Islamic religious school

Alawites-Muslim religous minority

Qubaisiate-a woman's society based on islam

Notes:

-Secularism-worldly, belief that religion should be kept separate from that activities of government.

Revival brings something back into use.

-In Damascus, Syria in a girl school girls at 6 years old are taught to memorize the Qu'ran because it is important to there religion.

-A women society known as the Qubaisiate.

-Meeting about Islam and influence men to spread Islam.

Syria is ruled by Alawites.

Syria national identity is weakened, as Islam gets stronger. Islam threatens Syrian unity.

- Syria supports Hezbollah and wants to avoid what happen in Lebanon.

-Islamic men are getting jailed for using conservative and women are getting a stronger freedom to spread their conservative views.

-The color of their headscarfs change by their status in their studies.

White for beginers, navy for the second stage and black for the final stage.

-They target wealthy girls and good students in order to have strong leaders in the future.

-They target girls from wealthy family's to have a chance to change politics.

-Women know that they have official ownership and are active to ask questions.

-Knowing the Qu'ran makes them equal to men.

-That tradition is not religion.

some info from outside of the box:

http://www.qantara.de/webcom/show_article.php/_c-651/_nr-15/_p-1/i.html?PHPSESSID=5

this page offers more insight to the uprisal of female islamists in syria.

1) http://www.qantara.de/webcom/show_article.php/_c-651/_nr-9/_p-1/i.html

2) http://www.qantara.de/webcom/show_article.php/_c-651/_nr-17/_p-1/i.html

3) http://www.qantara.de/webcom/show_article.php/_c-651/_nr-10/_p-1/i.html

these will direct you to some information on women of islam in other countries.