GHS208-05 Fall 2019 China and the Islamic Middle East

China’s recent efforts to study the DNA of their country’s ethnic minorities has garnered a lot of criticism. A growing backlash among the scientific community stating that Beijing could use the information in order to spy on and oppress its people. China is currently attempting to harness bleeding edge technology in order to track minority groups in an effort to “suppress terrorism”. This abuse of power has been most predominant in the region of Xinjiang, an area in western China where more than one million muslims have been locked up in internment camps.

Chinese officials have collected blood samples from Uighurs and other Muslim groups to build new tracking tools. Chinese companies have been developing facial recognition technology which can tell when a person is Uighur or not. Sadly the Chinese have been getting help from western sources, often unknowingly. Taking the results of high profile journals and papers and using this information to add credibility to their findings and provide additional funding.

It remains doubtful that the Chinese have actually received permission from the people they’re extracting and testing DNA from. This fact, combined with the lack of moral reasoning behind the studies has started a global movement towards redacting scientific journals and papers relating to these Muslim groups. If scientists are publishing information which is helping the Chinese harm Muslim’s, either knowingly or unknowingly, then the information should be redacted from public view.

Source: https://www.nytimes.com/2019/12/04/business/china-dna-science-surveillance.html

Since early October thousands of Iraqis, men and women, have been congregating at Tahrir Square, the hub of mass anti government protests in the heart of Baghdad. A small group of mainly male protesters have stationed themselves at the forefront of the battle, standing at the frontline of the battle zone on Rasheed Street. This is an area where dozens of protesters have been killed or wounded since the uprising began. Within this frontline group stands a woman named Araji.

Araji, an Iraqi journalist and blogger, is fighting alongside the men at the most dangerous parts that one could protest. She stated “The frontline is where I feel happiest. It’s where I belong… If I die here, I’ll have sacrificed my life for a cause, for my country”. Araji has taken on the full list of responsibilities that other protesters have been performing, everything from guarding the concrete barriers against security forces to maintaining a consistent food/water supply for other protesters.

Araji told Al Jazeera “There’s no difference between a man and woman on the frontline. We’re both there to support, motivate and protect each other from the advance of the security forces”. It’s strong women like this who are helping to break down gender stereotypes across the world. Women like Araji empower every single one of us to fight for what we believe in, and not like societal norms push us back down.

With the violence rising to a daily level in Iraq, seeing over 430 protesting deaths in total since uprisings began, it’s a more dangerous time than ever to continue fighting. Araji stated that “When a woman speaks, her words are heard”, proving that women bring different aspects to the table for all tasks, not just protests. If the people of Iraq want to successfully win the battle, they need to help empower the women already striving for equality and uplift those who are on the fringes of the battle.

 

Source: https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2019/12/women-frontline-iraq-uprising-191205085107123.html

Artificial Intelligence, or AI, represents the cutting edge of technology and may be the defining creation of humankind. How countries research AI and plan to utilize it is different for all countries. Nations such as China and the US are at the forefront of the technology, pushing research and development in order to be the first to unlock new abilities.

There has been a misconception over the past year over just how much money China has invested into AI. In a speech given by a top US Air Force General in 2018, China was claimed to be spending $70 billion by 2020, up from a recent estimate of only $12 billion. But a new estimate from the Center for Security and Emerging Technology (CSET) show that China is actually spending far less on AI, and in particular military applications of AI. The study has shown that most of China’s AI research is going into non militaristic applications; such as fundamental algorithm development, robotics research, and smart infrastructure development. While the US is spending most of its AI R&D money on military applications.

This recent study estimates that China’s upper bound of total AI spending in 2018 was actually around $8.4 billion, far lower than previous “projections” had stated. This is good news for the US. The less China spends on AI the less pressure there is on the US to rapidly develop the technology. That we can take our time to responsibly develop the tech and implement it in non defense applications much more than previously thought.

 

Source: https://www.technologyreview.com/s/614842/china-us-ai-military-spending/

Today about 8% of all Muslim American adults are Latino, contributing to a growing trend of Islamic converts. In interviews Latino converts stated that they were drawn to Islam because of the intense devotion to God, a simplicity in faith, and a focus on the community that they failed to find in their former faith. However, converting from Christianity to Islam is not an easy task, as these people are breaking ties with their families and changing their entire livelihood which was once encapsulated by Christianity.

This trend is also coming into fruition during Donald Trump’s presidency. Latinos and Muslims both feel targeted by President Trump’s rhetoric and escalating anti immigration policies. Muslims have had to deal with their negative media depiction ever since the 9/11 attacks, combine this with President Trump’s rhetoric and you have a group fully prepared to fight for their image. Latinos are connecting with Muslims on this issue, feeling the heat as talks are constantly being held over illegal immigration and anti latino comments in general.

The trend is seeing its largest uptick in major metro areas such as New York City, Miami, Chicago, Los Angeles, and Houston. About 56% of Latinos converted from Catholicism while the remainder converted from Protestant, or secular or atheist faiths. Not all people are the same and therefore not all converts follow the same conventions. Some converts decide to wear a hijab while others do not, while some still enjoy traditional holidays like Christmas when others do not. No matter what ideology who believe in, it’s interesting to see a demographic shift in America.

 

Source: https://www.northjersey.com/story/news/2019/12/02/growing-number-latinos-nj-converting-islam/2567295001/

When we first started the Islam unit, I wrote about how I was excited to read The Cairo House because my roommate had read it before and said it was a really good read and that she thought I would like it. I just realized that I never followed up on what I thought of the book when I finished it! Overall, I really liked the novel! There were definitely some parts that were boring and slow to read, and they probably could have been left out altogether, but those were far and few between.

One thing my roommate had mentioned is that the ending is kind of emotional, but not in the “oh someone died so I am going to cry” type of way. I totally agree with her. I thought the ending, while a little abrupt, was actually kind of deep, and really made me think, especially when it says, ” I might go back to Egypt, but I will never go home again (233). It was sad because Egypt is her home, but she was exposed to such change that it was no longer a home for her. Thinking about that, I cannot imagine losing my sense of home like that. I am originally from just outside Grand Rapids, Michigan, but my family has lived in Brownsburg (about half an hour from Butler, just west of Indianapolis) for the past almost 12 years. Both places are home to me, but Michigan will always have a special place in my heart, and I enjoy going back when I can. I can’t imagine going back and not being able to find that connection.

Despite the abrupt ending, I felt that the book was finished, and that most of the loose ends were tied up. We never find out if Tarek is going to go to college in the United States, but it really seemed that he didn’t want to, so I will accept that as an answer.

I have never been this into a book that I have read in a core class, so I am very pleased with the fact that I was able to enjoy myself while reading this!

Yesterday, I complained how much money I was spending on gas because being a college student anything above a cent is expensive. Well, talking with my dad (since ya girl needs gas money always) I kept saying why hasn’t gas stayed constant or gone down. Well, this time last year gas was 2.270 per gallon in Indiana and 2.440 in USA on average. Today, it is 2.615 in Indiana and 2.613 in USA on average. Even though, gas has fluctuated a ton over the years from getting as low as 2 dollars on the dot up till barely under 4 dollars (in other states I’ve seen it even get up to over 5 dollars). Well, researching about gas prices changes in the US… conveniently  an article about fuel increases in Iran popped up on the search engine. Currently, in Iran there have been protests over how the government has tripled the price of gas. This article also has an audio clip which goes further into detail. Next time, I think gas prices in Indy are high I’m going to remember they aren’t as bad as this.

About one year ago the UN ‘s top court ruled that President Trump’s administration should ease sanctions on Iran (Tehran) to aide the flow of humanitarian goods. Now, Iran’s top judiciary has ordered the US to pay $130 billion in damages to Iran over sanctions. Iranian official Gholam Hossein Esmaeili stated that the courts are responding to over 360 letters from civilians over hardships they’ve faced since the US backed out of the multilateral nuclear deal and started imposing sanctions.

Under the Trump administration the US has continued to pull out of world treaties and deals, isolating itself from the push towards globalization. Tensions with Iran even go back to 1988, when a US guided Navy missile cruiser took out an Iranian commercial airliner, killing 290 people. The US ended up paying out over $62 million in damages to the Iranian victims families. While Iran has been suing the US there has been no shortage of legal battles from both sides. With US lawsuits against Iran over the 9/11 hijackings. Both sides are dug in at the moment with little respect for one another, it’ll be interesting to see if the US pays out for damages and whether or we can make a deal with Iran.

 

Source: https://www.newsweek.com/iran-us-pay-130-billion-trump-admin-1475382

From my time at my ICR (IPS Newcomer), I noticed how ethnic it is there. Many cultures are thrown into that school and can be overwhelming to those who haven’t been exposed to such a diverse community. Growing up, I went to an all white school and it never hit me that I was different from them since I never really saw color as a child. When I first went off to college I went to University of Southern Indiana (USI) for my freshman year. The community there is wayyyyy more diverse than my hometown school. The ratio for black to white had a closer gap, as in a 4:5 ratio rather than a 1:5. Also, more Hispanics, Asians, Muslim, Indian, and even Egyptians; were also very high compared to other colleges in the Midwest. I took the opportunity to be really involved there for both semesters. This past thanksgiving I reconnected with some fellow students who I was close with when I was there. These students and I were actually apart of a scholarship program at USI. The scholarship was the Harolyn Torain Multicultural Scholarship. Moreover, during break I wanted to ask them how college has been and how different the community there is versus where they grew up. Those who I asked were, Oceana (African-American), Taylor (Egyptian), Shannon (Asian), and Humaad (Pakistani).

Shannon and Taylor both agreed they came from not so diverse schools growing up and how they were surprised when they came to USI to see how diverse it was. They both are involved in clubs that not only apply to their culture but also other cultures. Taylor is in an all Hispanic Women’s Club, Jewish Club, and Indian Club. Shannon is in Asian-Indian Club and attends a bible study group. They both have shared how much more comfortable they feel when exploring other cultures and learning more about them. Oceana said how she really didn’t feel an adjustment since she attended Indianapolis Public Schools, whereas I’ve come to learn how diverse they are from volunteering at them. One of the main reasons she chose to attend USI is because how at home she felt and welcomed. However, Humaad is from Chicago and was also comfortable with the diversity however, he said not many Pakistanis’, or those who identified as Muslim were in his school; or made it known they studied Muslim. But coming to USI he has joined an all Muslims Society Club and has been able to make that connection and feel open with other students in the community.

Moreover, all of them has expressed how much they’ve learned from one another’s culture, as well as, from their other classmates. I talked more with Humaad since of our recent topic in class. I asked him many questions that have I’ve thought about in class and from the readings/documentaries. From the documentary Not Without My Viel, I noticed how Muslim women who practiced in villages or cities were different compared to those who practiced in the deserts. Women in the desert, more constricted by their clothing were allowed more social freedoms than those in the cities. With that being said, I asked Humaad if he ever felt constricted/ or ever felt not free to be himself at schools in the past and has it changed now? He explained how during primary schools he tried to hide himself since many would make the stereotypes or not feel comfortable sitting next to him because of how the media has pushed negative views on Muslims onto the public. He did make some friends but any discussions/chatter around religion he would try to steer away from since majority of his friends at high school were Christian. But, now he feels he has the freedom at USI since of it’s diverse community. He feels he can express/talk about religion without feeling uncomfortable or having stares. “People actually want to listen and learn about it [Muslim].” Elaborated how many actually compare it to their religion nowadays and go into discussions on the history around both of them as they compare/contrast.

Their responses have made me so happy to see how much they feel free in the community they are in right now, and to hear how happy they are at college still. I have really enjoyed this course and being able to talk about topics that many people today still struggle to bring up. Being able to talk about any topic should feel normal and people should be able to listen to one another without feeling/or pushing an opinion on someone. This class has not only given me knowledge on other cultures but also has taught me to keep my ears open when someone of a different culture than me is talking. Also, the drive to engage in conversation/ learn about other religions than me.

After going to your talk this afternoon, it got me to thinking about how this would look in the Islam culture that we have studied so far this semester, so I did some research, and this is what I have gathered. There is an iPhone app call “Ramadan Times” which reminds the user on what time the fasting’s begin, based on location. There are two sides to the story, one is they love technology because it allows them to become closer with certain prayers and allows them to connect with others around the world who share the same faith. Whereas the ones who don’t want the technology in Islam are the older and more traditional people, and they say no to this because it goes against what they believe, and it is against the Islamic principle.

 

I found this article interesting because it seemed that the younger generation was all for it, while the older generation was not a big fan. I wonder if this is the same for all world religions, I assume it would be because kids have had technology in our lives forever, we don’t know a world without having a computer to “Google It” like you mentioned today in your talk.

 

If anyone else has a comment on technology in religion if it’s a good or bad thing please respond, because I feel like this is a current topic that will be and could be in the spotlight for a while.

 

Until next time,

Patrick

Throughout the Middle East there’s an unlikely trend happening before our very eyes. From Beirut, to Baghdad, to all across Iran, the people of the Middle East are pushing back against the state. Fighting for the very freedoms that we take for granted in the West. These people want to be treated as sovereign citizens, demanding freedom and rights that they deserve. The people want to be ruled by a well run government, not like the current ruling class which consists of corrupt militias and thugs.

For years the Sunni and Shiite party leaders have cemented their power on the people by enforcing their sectarian and tribal laws upon them. Fixing who gets what job and how these people must act if they want to live a trouble free life. Countries such as Iran and Iraq have attempted to shut down communication by their people. The less information the people have, the less able they are to co align to fight for their freedoms.

The protests will probably be unsuccessful due to Iran’s all controlling power grip over the Middle East. Iran continually arrest and kill Democratic demonstrators in order to maintain their influence over not only Iran, but Iraq, Syria, and Lebanon. Iran has used tactics ranging from utilizing militia’s and Mobilization Forces to even shutting down their own public internet in 2002 to quell public uprising in the Middle East.

However the Middle East is facing a multitude of problems which may make freedom going forward more likely for their people. Global climate change is affecting the Middle East in particular, with rising temperatures drying up water supplies and stunting food production. Protests in Lebanon were recently sparked in response to government inability to contain widespread wildfires due to those rising temperatures. As I mentioned in my last article, the Middle East and Iran in particular are facing an economic crisis as US sanctions hinder their main revenue source, oil exports. All of these factors make it an interesting scenario as to whether or not the Middle East can get its act together, only time will tell.

Source:

https://gulfnews.com/opinion/op-eds/how-iran-is-crushing-freedom-in-middle-east-1.68245713