"Understanding Muslim Countries" -Dr. Richard Bulliet

A program of the World Affairs Councils of America with support provided by a grant from Carnegie Corporation of New York
The "Arab Spring" and the challenge it presents to American foreign policy and interests across North Africa and the Near East has raised new and complicated questions jumping out of the headlines. There could be no timelier topic for us to discuss than the tension between America and the Arab and Islamic worlds. We seek to understand these developments and how they impact U.S. interests in these important regions. Join us for an insightful presentation by renowned Professor Richard Bulliet as he explores "Political Authority in a Changing Middle East."

[@ThePayola123]

The audio conveniently cuts out at the most sensitive moments.

[@mehmedhasanovic5132]

Guess why

[@TimothyJMcCoy]

Refreshing comment from a true scholar who's purpose is to understand a subject. His lecture is grounded in verifiable historical information and driven by facts from careful academic research.

[@ashwayn]

Totalitarianism in Islamic Doctrine Totalitarianism is found in the very name, Islam. Islam means submission, submission to the Koran and the Sunna of Mohammed. We see the basis for absolute power in Mohammed’s life. After he Ran to Medina, he became a jihadist and attacked his neighbors. When he arrived in Medina, it was half Jewish. In two years, there were no more Jews left in Medina. They were exiled, assassinated, enslaved and executed. Mohammed attacked the Pagans of Arabia and the Jews. After Arabia submitted to Islam, Mohammed turned to Syria and attacked the Christians. In the end, Political Islam will not tolerate opposition. After Mohammed died, Abu Bakr, his closest companion, became caliph. His first order was to attack and crush the Muslims who wanted to leave Islam. Everyone must submit to Islam and once a Muslim, you must remain a Muslim, or you can be punished.

[@ilhansahin7048]

Ü o

[@Salenceable]

99% of it is audible, so it's worth listening to. Very interesting stuff.

[@kayhan1359]

wow! He predicted a coup in Egypt !!!

[@mjcard]

Anyone paying attention predected a coup as well.

[@AB-ue5pm]

@44:40 I've been using Neo Mamlook for years, independently. Some call the current, 1952 onwards, Mamlook 4th dynasty.

[@mahmoedmhmed5975]

Guess what the coup happend in egypt five month after this lecture

[@mrnomad1737]

A lot of the commentators here does not grasp that the Islamic model often people think of is from pre modern era and laws reflects the socio economic structure. This is not the case anymore and so Islamic governance is in general based on principle and not enaction of laws from classical era. Islamic scholar of high calibre understands this. There is no hard and fast model of Islamic governance. islsmic Jurisprudence in most cases is speculative and not absolutelas as some orientalist with imperial mindset often tries to project. Only people with littld or no grasp will read quranic test or hadith literature literally for derivation of laws. just to clarify non Muslim in shari applet state in general are free to practice relegion even their own laws provided a poll tax is paid to the government (classical laws). This law can be suspended or modified to suite time. As for women having no right has been debunked many times before. Post mongol invasion laws were modified in favour of patriarchy. KSA by no means is epitome of Islamic governance but a byproduct of imperial adventure and tribal customs.

[@youknow6968]

An important point is that this so called poll tax is not in addition to the taxes paid by the Muslim's. It's an important point that always gets lost, so in imagination it is always assumed in people's minds they pay double the tax which simply wasn't true. Furthermore, not everyone paid the poll tax, the elderly, the sick, the disabled and so many other categories were exempt.

[@Aprilforevergreen]

Rubinood - I'm a little perplexed by your response that non-Muslims were treated as second class and this was justified in hadith and the Quran - please could you share your sources? The verse you cite is not relevant for example you quote Quran at 8:55: 'Verily, The worst of living creatures before Allah are those who disbelieve'. In fact you have not quoted fully '....those who have disbelieved and will not (ever) believe...'. The preceding verse refers to the Pharoh who had many signs of God presented to him, he had in his presence the Prophet Moses, and you would know the rest from the Bible stories. And the verse preceding that one says that God would not change his favour to a people until they have changed what was in themselves. So here is a text that is talking about personal belief, in this example that of Pharoh, that even after pondering God's miracles before their very eyes they remain stubborn in their unbelief. There is no reference at all to Jews or Christians. The above verse has several aspects which you ignore: those who disbelieve in God, the Creator is the worst of living creatures - this does not apply to people who believe in God which includes Christians, Jews and many other people. The worst of creatures could relate to the wretchedness a person who does not believe in God may find himself in, it may also refer to a person who behaves in a Godless way - for example causing some kind of injustice, it may refer to the state of ungratefulness of a person who does not believe in God. You can also find 'the worst kind of creature' among the people who make outward claims to believe in God but their actions are contradictory. You have several problems - one is you can't take a translation and say that it fully transmits the true meaning of the original though it may be close, and you can't always take a text and apply a literal meaning to it, you can't grasp the proper full meaning of a text, any text, without finding out something about the context in which it was written. Therefore you might 'suggest' that the meaning is this or that, or that you yourself 'understood' something to mean this or that. That's all you can do. The best way to find the closest meaning is to refer to the work's of credible scholars and take several scholars so you can compare meanings. You have accused the people who have questioned your understanding as Muslim apologists. What is your position? Does your personal position render your comments valueless - are you coming from a position of attack rather than a position of wanting to get to a truer understanding of something? For example if you believe that Islam is a problem then you can only understand how to address the problem by trying to understand it the best you can. You won't gain anything if you let your emotions send in the wrong direction. I'm sure you know all that anyway. Good luck

[@abdullaahmed1298]

Some audio was censored around 39mins

[@JurijFedorov]

Good talk. But it has some sound issues that needs fixing.

[@user-tj9bg6tz2p]

12:05-12:09 "go to the mosque on Sunday....." really? lost some cred there

[@TOWARSZAWA]

Aero Bic - The Best Pencil Under The Dome

[@walterchavez3081]

People in countries with islamic majorities who supported USSR during Cold War were probably not as religious because USSR actively supported atheism but rest of Western World tends to support free religion (at least some islamic countries don't allow free religion , only islam allowed )

[@rehammon6561]

(at least some islamic countries don't allow free religion , only islam allowed ), can you please name these countries? and then work out their percentage? More importantly, perhaps look at all the numerous verses in the quran that reinforce the freedom of adopting whichever faith you like and emphasising ,it's your choice and we all go back to GOD.

[@mohamedadel-tw8sf]

1:00:44 man can see the future

[@raminsafizadeh]

Dr. Bulliet needs to add some theoretical tools from political science to his tool box. It was not Islam, per se, that acted to reduce tyranny of the ruling entities, but the presence of a second source of societal power, any source, regardless of its ideological bearings, which acts to counteract the dominant one, leading to less tyranny. Make that plural sources of social and political power and require it to be stable and functional , you have democracy, or something close to it.

[@Piemonn_]

bring back islamic govrtmnt in muslim country..world will be peace again.

[@Lmaxk007]

😂

[@JacksonPolyp]

This is Truth! God bless Dr. Bulliet. All Americans should watch this. If anyone is still laboring under the illusion that the US is promoting rather than hindering democracy in the Middle East, this lecture should clear that up. He ended up being pretty wrong about sectarianism decreasing, though.

[@sudhirpandey2149]

What is point when one can't listen

[@Piemonn_]

I agree..that correct.

[@serigala11]

Complicated.. 😆😆😆

[@buddythatcher5421]

how does one get past the aaah aaaah aaaah. I want to learn but........

[@johnniebee4328]

he's better here than usual, on other videos he makes all kinds of mouth noises and clickings

[@buddythatcher5421]

aaaaaah aaaaah aaaaaaaah

[@ALSENANY911]

Allah (God) stated in the Holy Koran in numerous verses that the name of the religion of all the prophets of Allah is one: Islam. The 124,000 prophets and messengers of Allah are all Muslims including ABRAHAM, MOSES, JESUS AND MOHAMMAD PEACE BE UPON THEM. THEY ALL CAME WITH THE SAME MESSAGE: ONENESS AND UNITY OF THE CREATOR, ALLAH. THIS MEANS THAT THE UNITARIAN CHURCH CHRISTIANS AND OTHER CHRISTIANS AND JEWS WHO BELIEVE IN ONE GOD ARE MUSLIMS.

[@Lmaxk007]

😂

[@user-zg5vq6qp5w]

A lot of historical and analytical mistakes

[@Piemonn_]

Morsi should be realise..

[@xareedproduction.7740]

ILif,in

[@Piemonn_]

islamic govermnt equal syariah law

[@Andre-zq7mx]

Understanding Islamic Countries

[@Lmaxk007]

😂

[@jmcr1963]

Spaniards never spoke Arabic in their daily lives in Muslim times. They spoke Romance languages and that is where Spanish language comes from!!! Stop lies!!!

[@Lmaxk007]

🤮

[@jmcr1963]

Spanish Muslims? That was not Spain as it is understood nowadays. What a bunch of lies. Ask real Spaniards!!!

[@ssrags100]

learnt a lot from this talk. Excellent talk. Islam is for the most part bad for humanity (besides architectural, arts, etc.) but it's important to get a good understanding. Many of the notable accomplishments of Islam were in large parts copied from elsewhere and Arab glory is highly inflated if not for being the birth place of Islam and so forth. Egyptians are only 14% Arab DNA and 68% North African DNA yet the country is an Arab Republic in-spite of very significant exchanges for hundreds of years and a neighbor. Similar story for entire North Africa with far less Arab DNA yet they claim Arab lineage over their native lineage.