Globalization

• nalyze a social science question or issue using appropriate theory and method and recommend possible solutions to the problem. (Social Science Outcome #1)

Before participating in the discussion, please view the following videos:

• Globalization Revved Up Religious Fundamentalism? (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site. [Video, 1:52 mins]
• Faith and Globalization (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site. [Video, 3:16 min]
• Paul Barrett: What are the Roots of Islamic Fundamentalism? (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site. [Video, 4:40 min]

Your responses should draw on the module notes and the readings about Islam, as well as the videos.

Please answer the following questions:

• In what ways do American Muslims and the fundamentalists in Kurzman’s reading show “thoroughly modern” traits?
• Does Kurzman’s analysis offer any lessons for the war on terrorism?

Solution Preview

Religious Globalization

The ways through which American Muslims and the fundamentalists in Kurzman’s reading show “thoroughly modern” traits

            Kurzman wonders in his reading why the number of Muslim terrorists extremely low in a religions, which has more than one billion follower who are believed to desire martyrdom and hate the west (Kurzman, 2011). He claims that Islam lacks martyrs as there no terrorist attacks daily. He uses a sarcastic tone to show the readers that American Muslims and fundamentalists who live in Muslim-dominant societies in Middle East and North Africa that today’s Islam is based on modern values. Muslims do not view other religions as enemies to their faith.

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