The folklife of different folks...

What is folklore?

Professor Martha Sims along with Professor Martine Stephens explore the questions and answers of folklore in their book "Living Folklore". They begin by defining what is and what isn't folklore. According to the authors folklore is the "informally learned unofficial knowledge about the world, ourselves, our communities, and our traditions". The authors then "loosely" define a glossary which is then correlated with the study of this field. The addition of those generic terms of identification make as the authors continue "communication with other scholars of this field easier."

A Pakistani truck in the National Mall at

the 2002 Smithsonian Silk Road Folklife Festival.
Drivers in Pakistan adorn their trucks with
elaborate paintings, poetry and calligraphy representing
different regional and historical areas of Pakistan
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trucks_in_Pakistan

This seems to be an interesting field which as mentioned in the reading keeps changing. How and When this field is used remain questions to be answered hopefully with more reading and illumination on this particular subject.

Book Review: One City, Three Faiths (Karen Armstrong)

Armstrong -for those who don't know her- subscribes to the perennial philosophical realm. Another famous author some might recognize within that circle is Huston Smith, author of 'The World's Religions'. Karen, a former nun, believes all religions are "saying the same thing in much the same way despite their differences". She stresses the commonality of compassion, the Golden rule (Do not do unto others as you would not have done unto you) manifest across all faiths.

Her introduction begins with her recollection of her visit to Jerusalem back in 1983. She sets the groundwork for applying an alternative framework of thought in understanding the conflict(s) and the city. Through this she builds on the beliefs and philosophies of past times and religions (cults, as she favorably labels them). She defines images and symbols as the focus of past peoples in their way of explaining or more properly termed "defining" the divine. One thing is evident throughout, she carries a lot of baggage from her experiences.

Armstrong describes herself as a freelance monotheist. A believer who does not accept the supernatural as a proved proposition nor as an acknowledged given, rather a believer who conceives that deity in the image of void and confusion. A deity understood as supreme without the status. A deity that withers when not in need. A deity based on the 'progression' of intellect. A deity malleable in every sense!!

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The book begins by recounting the history of Zion, where little to nothing is known. Zion as the author explains was inhabited at one junction by the Canaanites. The Canaanites were "irresistibly" drawn to experience the divine in the area known as present day "Jerusalem" and thus dwelled there for some time. Mounts Hermon, Carmel and Tabor were all revered places because they've "stood out" from the dramatically surrounding hills as sacred. Little is known about the way of life back then as little evidence exists. Armstrong in recounting history tries to identify the different beliefs of the people living then. Ancient peoples as Armstrong tells us "exalted Zion because they felt closer to heaven there". The recurrent theme begins from here, where it's implied that peoples exalted for the people rather than the opposite.

The second chapter discusses the history of the ancient land of Israel, she flip-flops around different archaeological evidence piecing history together, 5 steps at a time. At one point she mentions how El was “fused imaginatively with Yahweh, the God of Moses”.

In chapter three time is devoted to discussing the city of David, the city under Solomon and preceding leaders. Armstrong in this section decrypts David's character into a “poet, musician, warrior, rebel, traitor, adulterer and terrorist”.

Armstrong through her discourse detaches herself from any presumed history. She goes on through her narration to tell the history of the city of Judah. All while insisting the people of that time lived under a reality of willing henotheism. She discusses the influence of Greek mythology onto the development of Judaism. The destruction of the temple, and then introduces Jesus (pbuh). Islam is introduced shortly afterwards as a "quest for wholeness", right before the crusades are ushered in..

Armstrong after discussing the crusades offers her viewpoint on Islam, a "distorted" one I must say. She in her introduction suggests that Arabs were taunted for not having a prophet, this in Islam contradicts the teaching that every nation and tribe were sent a prophet. She then discusses the Muslim rule of Jerusalem, and elaborates on how coexistence played seamlessly through life back then. And finally highlights the conquest of Salahiddin. Armstrong does no justice to the concept of Jihad, and again fails miserably in explaining the meaning of this notion. A Holy war is made to seem as a part of Jihad, this analysis is again in contradiction to the accepted definition both in doctrine and in practice. She afterwards mentions the "Turkish wars" history, then delves into the revival of the city along with the tensions between different sects within Christianity.

The book finally concludes with the retelling of contemporary history, the establishment and role of Zionism as a movement and then the many wars that unfolded afterwards.

Armstrong tries in her book to offer an alternative view, an interesting perspective for any skeptic reader looking for a steady attack on mainstream beliefs.

Sharon and her mother in law

I shifted back in my seat as I was reading Suad Amiry. It was chapter 17 of her book Sharon and my mother in law: Ramallah diaries, she was describing an incident at the end of the second gulf war (1991). I glanced over my screen to the book cabinet beyond, a faint memory of a time long ago. Yes, I was four years old living in Riyadh with my family back then. 1991, Riyadh was in a panic as the war was raging between the US and Iraq. Saudi Arabia at that time was allied with the US against Iraq. I remember one thing too clearly, I remember the turbulence of the war. We lived in an apartment building complex back then. Both my parents moved into my room as they prepared for the unexpected. I recall asking my mother why, only to see her smile back. The sirens would sound every day, sometimes more than once.

Then one day the siren buzzed. I stood up in my crib and started yelling, and yelling to no avail. Soon afterwards my dad woke up with fear shot through his eyes. We stumbled over the furniture to the building's bomb shelter, the lowest room in the building. Riyadh was hit, a school 15 mins away was bombed. Fortunately for everyone it was past midnight.

Suad Amiry in her book recalls the time when the Palestinians of Ramallah were promised gas masks for protection from the missiles coming from Iraq. Saddam at that time threatened and bombed Israel with scud missiles. She describes the attitudes and emotions of the people as everyone gathers after a curfew. The "Urrus" people had drinking bitter coffee in the lines waiting to get on the buses so they could get the masks. The "fetish" soldiers had for making them stand in straight lines. And finally the time they were told off with no masks by the Israeli soldiers.

Suad later on in chapter 9 describes the hassles she had to go through for getting her dog's vaccine shots. She is jealous of her dog, that she was able to get a Jerusalem passport. Her attitude is very admirable-- she's taking her life a day at a time.

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Link to NY times article on Ramallah gas mask distribution: http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9D0CE3DA1030F932A15752C0A967958260

Link to NY times article on Riyadh bombing:
http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9D0CEFD71F3AF932A15752C0A967958260&scp=1&sq=iraqi+attack+bomb+on+riyadh&st=nyt

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The mother of all cities

One of my favorite classes thus far has been Women Studies 110. I learned in that class a lot about myself, and about women. I learned about the existence and study of a field I never thought existed! It was in this class that I flirted with the ideas of feminism.

I sifted through those memories as I read Galit Hasan Rokem's essay on Jerusalem. Her article titled "The mother of all cities: A feminist perspective on Jerusalem" discussed many feminine labels Jerusalem has been described with through the ages. She eludes to the patriarchy of Jerusalem, the possessiveness men have had of the city as they ascribed her to multiple monogamous marriages. Dr. Hasan Rokem in the article recalls how Jerusalem has been described as "mother, sister, and daugther." , "and violated virgin". One thing she doesn't make clear are references to bodies of literature that employ such terms in describing the city.

I also through the reading remembered Mecca (The Holiest city for Muslims). Mecca like all revered symbols and ideas take on many names. In Arabic literature Mecca is sometimes referred to as أم القرى , "the mother of all villages". Could this be mere coincidence?

Masjid Al-Aqsa

Glorified is He (Allâh) (above all that (evil) they associate with Him). Who took His slave (Muhammad SAW) for a journey by night from Al-Masjid-al-Harâm (at Makkah) to Al-Masjid-al-Aqsa (in Jerusalem), the neighbourhood whereof We have blessed, in order that We might show him (Muhammad SAW) of Our Ayât . Verily, He is the All-Hearer, the All-Seer [17:1]

A dual narrative

Jerusalem, القدس, יְרוּשָׁלַיִם. Three names for one city, the city of prayer for all.

It is perhaps best to study history through visual media. Through this objects of interest become personalized, through this pictures and movies become colors that connect to our senses. Colors of different shades that help us reach a more comprehensive understanding of our focus, especially if our focus was a city such as Jerusalem.

A notable movie I recently watched tried to paint Jerusalem using two different brushes. "Jerusalem:City to the gates" provided a dual narrative to the city through its' inhabitants' eyes: The Israelis and the Palestinians. Born from an unsuccessful cultural festival, the movie seeked to explore the benevolence both inhabitants share towards Jerusalem. It juxtaposed two viewpoints in a thirty minute segment starting with the Israeli narrative. The city is forecast by the Israelis as the pivotal focus of the state, the deserved homeland of the people with no land. A city with far stretched Jewish roots dating back many generations. Gears abruptly shifted towards an Israeli barrier while phasing into Palestinian Jerusalem, a very solemn and tense atmosphere camps throughout. A caged bird symbolizing the Palestinians is dragged across all scenes. People are weary, business is slow. People have endured for a long time, but to what conclusion. It is alas that the victimization loop shall continue for some time now...

Both segments illustrated the harsh and cruel reality of this batch of land. I feel progress made towards production of both segments was minimal, it was like two pieces of wood glued together with no special attention paid to whether the top was glued to the side or not...Neither side's story or plot helped shed any hope onto the future. This to the viewer presented the unfrosted corn flake, the double fried french fry, a sad and persistent reality of a land torn by conflict.. I urge anyone who didn't see this movie to at least make an effort to borrow it from their local library, if you're like myself longing to get an opportunity to visit the city then this movie is for you..

The Jerusalem Festival

This blog, an integral component of an International Studies 501 class I'm taking, seems to catch waaaay too many hits than I expected!! I like the idea, the idea of having my podium to the world and that it's required for the class. Given my major I'm very fond of technology and integrating hight-tech into education curricula. The web-based technology applied to this class focuses on writing. I think through this people will be able to better describe their attitudes and beliefs on topics.

On first impression, International Studies 501 in its' experimental stage seeks to study the 'folk-life' and culture of Jerusalem through history. Do I see any difficulties in this class? Yes-- plenty but I've been wrong in the past so only time can tell. Int Studies 501 (or the idea of it) as I've come to learn, was first introduced in the early 90s when a team of individuals representing Palestinians and Israelis were needed for a huge project. The objective was to represent Jerusalem in all its' entirety to Jim and Suzy living in/visiting DC in the Summer. It sparks my interest to learn more about the selection process for the team members working on this festival; we know they were mostly students like myself but how were they selected? I should probably poise this question later in class today, that's of course unless the professor reads this beforehand. On any event the festival turned out great!! For those of you who didn't hear about it Google 'Jerusalem national mall festival'. It was so real!! But In all seriousness the festival suffered from the 'money-shorts' syndrome the first year it was due (1992), it was then delayed another year but to no avail-- the shorts were just too short.