212 middle east test - TU DINH
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Name: TU DINH
Date: 11/08/2023
HUM 212 Middle Eastern Culture Test
Section One:
Matching terms. Instructions: Match the term to its corresponding definition.
1.cultural centrism
D
A. leader of the unified Islamic religion and political
authority/government
2.cultural relativism
E
B. a system of faith and worship, with belief in a higher power or
ultimate authority, with a structured set of values and traditions
3.denomination
F
C. the integration of regional cultures and media through a
system of exchange
4.caliph
A
D. belief that a certain group’s worldview and norms should be
the standard for all groups
5. religion
B
E. belief that individuals should only be judged by the standards
of the cultural group to whom they belong
6.church
G
F. subgroup of a religion
7.mosque
H
G.place of worship in Christianity
8.synagogue
I
H. place of worship in Islam
I. place of worship in Judaism
Section Two: Abrahamic religions short answer.
Instructions: Fill in the blanks with corresponding
information based on notes about the Abrahamic religions.
Judaism
Ancient history: Judaism is one of the oldest monotheistic religions in the world, dating back over 3,500
years.
Major denominations
: There are several major denominations within Judaism, including Orthodox,
Conservative, Reform, and Reconstructionist Judaism.
Holy book:
The primary holy book of Judaism is the Hebrew Bible, which consists of the Torah (the first
five books), the Prophets, and the Writings. The Talmud is also a
significant text of Rabbinic literature.
Beliefs about the messiah:
In Judaism, beliefs about the messiah vary among denominations, but most
Jews do not believe that the Messiah has come yet. They await
the future arrival of the Messiah, who will be a human figure
and not divine, and will bring about the ultimate redemption
and peace.
Christianity
Ancient history:
Christianity emerged in the 1st century CE as a sect within Judaism. It is based on the life
and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth.
Major denominations:
Christianity has several major denominations, including Roman Catholicism,
Eastern Orthodoxy, and various Protestant branches like
Lutheranism, Anglicanism, and others.
Holy book:
The holy book of Christianity is the Bible, which includes the Old Testament (shared with
Judaism) and the New Testament. The New Testament contains
the teachings and accounts of the life of Jesus and the early
Christian church.
Beliefs about the messiah:
Christians believe that Jesus of Nazareth is the Messiah (Christ) prophesied in
the Old Testament. They believe that Jesus is both fully divine
and fully human and that he came to offer salvation to humanity
through his death and resurrection. Christians await his second
coming, which is associated with the final judgment and the
establishment of God's kingdom.
Islam
Ancient history:
Islam emerged in the 7th century CE in the Arabian Peninsula, with the revelations
received by the Prophet Muhammad. The Hijra (Muhammad's
migration from Mecca to Medina) in 622 CE is considered the
beginning of the Islamic calendar.
Major denominations:
The two major denominations in Islam are Sunni and Shia. Sunnis make up the
majority of the Muslim population, while Shia Muslims are the
second-largest group. There are also several smaller sects within
both Sunni and Shia Islam.
Holy book:
The holy book of Islam is the Quran, which Muslims believe to be the literal word of God as
revealed to the Prophet Muhammad.
Beliefs about the messiah:
In Islam, Jesus (Isa in Arabic) is considered a prophet and not the Messiah.
Muslims believe in the return of Jesus in the future, not as a
savior but as a sign of the end times. According to Islamic
tradition, Jesus will return as a follower of the Prophet
Muhammad and will play a role in the final events and
judgment. However, this belief differs from the Christian belief
that Jesus is the Messiah and Son of God.
Section Three: Multiple choice.
Instructions: Choose the answer that best completes the sentence.
1.The period after the collapse of the Roman Empire is often described as “the Dark Ages” in Western
cultures, but this same period of time is described as ___________ in Islamic cultures.
A.the Coptic Age
B.the Orthodox Era
C.Wahhabist reformation
D.the Golden Age
2.The _______________ is widely regarded as the last great Islamic empire, and it lasted until the end of
World War 1 in 1919.
A.Byzantine Empire
B.Egyptian empire
C.Pharoanic empire
D.Ottoman empire
3. By the 1800s, European colonialism also began to encroach upon what eventually became labeled
“the Middle East”, resulting in a variety of responses in the Islamic heartlands. One response, known as
_________, favored the rejection of European influences and a strict fundamentalist interpretation of
Islam.
A.Islamic extremism
B.Wahhabism
C.Iranian revolution
D. the 6 Day War
4.By the early 20
th
century, most of the modern nation-states of the Middle East had been formed,
through a process of political partitioning. Iraq was created by ______________, out of a region which
had human civilizations existing since the time of the ancient Mesopotamians.
A.Germany
B. Israel
C.Great Britain and France
D.Syria
5.The modern state of Israel was created in the aftermath of the Holocaust and World War 2, and ratified
through a UN security resolution in ____________.
A.1919
B.1970
C.2003
D. 1948
6. Mohammed Mossadeq was the democratically elected leader of _________, who was deposed in a
1953 coup sponsored by Western intelligence agencies.
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A.Iraq
B.Syria
C.Palestine
D.Iran
7. After Mossadeq was replaced by a pro-Western regime, public discontent with this regime eventually
led to the _____________.
A)2003 Iraq War
2) Operation Desert Storm
C)1978 Iranian Revolution
D) Lebanese
civil war
8. According to US government officials, the Iraq War was necessary to ____________.
A)prevent the spread of weapons of mass destruction and future terrorist attacks
B)prevent the creation of ISIS
C)end Western access to the region’s oil
D)locate lithium mines
Section Three: Short Essay.
How do issues raised in the introduction to Said’s “Orientalism”, relate to the current conflict in Israel
and Palestine?
In the introduction to his seminal work "Orientalism", Edward Said examines how the West has
historically viewed the Middle East through an imperialist lens, portraying it as exotic, backward,
uncivilized, and in need of Western intervention and domination. This problematic framing continues to
influence perceptions today. The Israeli-Palestinian conflict is viewed by many in the West as arising from
ancient ethnic and religious hatreds, rather than modern colonial occupations and dispossession of land.
There is little attempt to understand Palestinian perspectives and grievances. News coverage frequently
relies on stereotypes of Palestinians as militants and terrorists rather than occupied peoples. The failure
to acknowledge Israel's military dominance and occupation reinforces an imperialist narrative of a
vulnerable Israel needing Western support against a threatening Oriental other. Said argues Orientalist
discourses justify and enable imperial expansion. This dynamic continues whereby Israel expands
settlements and military occupation of Palestinian lands, aided by Western powers proclaiming shared
values and security interests. A just resolution requires recognizing the Orientalist biases that shape
dominant narratives and obscure the power dynamics at the heart of the conflict. Said's critique
encourages us to confront persistent Orientalist frameworks that limit understanding and propagate
injustice.