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OVERVIEW
Sacred
Space, Secular States? - Jerusalem and Turkey
This
video program features two case studies: Jerusalem:
Capital of Two States? and Turkey: Fundamental
Change.
The
first case study, Jerusalem: Capital of Two States?,
explores the spatial variations of religious practice
in Jerusalem. The three major monotheistic religions
of the world share the same sacred ground in the Old
City, but without peace. The boundaries that carve up
the city and the rest of the Holy Lands were wrought
from warfare and the issues are far from settled.
Jerusalem
means "city of peace," but Israeli soldiers
are always on guard. The entire city is divided by the
Green Line, which was the Israeli eastern boundary before
it captured East Jerusalem and the West Bank in the
Six Day War of 1967. Part of the land captured in this
war includes the Old City and its significant religious
sites. Palestinians believe that Israeli control beyond
the Green Line and settlements in the West Bank are
lands that belong to their would-be state.
This
case study includes new updates on the peace process
and interviews with former Ambassador Dennis Ross.
The
second case study, Turkey: Fundamental Change,
examines the gaps between rich and poor, secular and
fundamentalist, in Istanbul. The city is situated at
the junction of Europe and Asia where Western and Eastern
influences collide. Critics of modernization in Turkey's
cities see secular democratic and economic reforms as
corrupting fundamental Islamic ways of life.
The
case study explores the challenges of the rural-to-urban
migration that brings secular Turks and fundamentalist
Muslims head-to-head in Turkey's largest city. The video
contrasts Istanbul's Oriental atmosphere with evidence
of its Westernization; the wealth in some of the city's
districts compared to the poverty in others; and the
secular nature of Turkey's society, which is giving
rise to fundamentalism in its politics.
Updates
to this case study include commentary by Dr. Anna Secor
and Dr. Carl Dahlman. Discussion includes Turkey's desire
to join the European Union, and the role of Islam in
modern Turkey.
Video
Key Words
Jerusalem
- Palestine
- Sacred
Space
- Occupied
lands
- Palestinian
Liberation Organization
- Historical
Geography
Turkey
- Fundamentalist
Islam
- Rural
to Urban Migration
- Kurds
- Secular
vs. Islamist
- Democratic
vs. Authoritarian
- European
Union
- European
vs. Asian
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