Cultures Project Proposal

English 10 Cultures Project Step 2 - Formal Proposal *Instructions

• Submitted 10/12/2006

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Recently in World Cultures, we read about a woman named Amina Lawel, who was almost stoned to death by Muslim sharia law. She had supposedly committed adultery and under sharia law she was to be executed by stoning. This practice, however, has been outlawed by most nations and by international recognized human rights treaties. However, a religious court, voting on its outdated laws, threatened to blow away commonly accepted international regulations against torture. Yesterday during class Islamic law was discussed. This influenced the decision to go with this topic. Before, the paper was going to be about either Communism in China or Middle Eastern westernization. This topic closely relates to Middle Eastern westernization, because sharia is one thing that anchors Middle Eastern nations in their past and prevents them from becoming successful business locations for western companies. The modernization in Dubai is amazing. Large hotels and entire chains of islands are being built to attract wealthy residents and business. Dubai is letting go of its Middle Eastern past and accepting investments from the rest of the world. Dubai should be a model for the rest of Middle Eastern nations.

Questions that should be answered during the research phase include Why do Muslims refuse to change their practices?, Why does a human rights group not take action to force a change?, Why is Dubai so much more successful than other Middle Eastern nations? and Why do other nations not look to Dubai as an example? The answers to these questions should be able to be found in various encyclopedia articles, opinion pieces by religious and legal scholars, as well as human rights activist and practicing Muslims. Additional information on current events could be found in newspapers and other periodicals published both in the United States and abroad. One such source is the Garowe Online published in Somalia. Today they published the article “Local clerics demand Somaliland to apply Islamic Sharia.” One could gain relevant information about the topic from this source. Information that should be found on this issue includes both the viewpoints of progressive and conservative Muslims. Information should also be established about the nation’s and the religion’s past, its present, and conjecture about its future. More facts and the specific details about sharia and how it is currently being applied should also be discovered during the course of research.

This topic is very important and viable as Muslim nations and the world economy moves forward. Either these nations agree to play the established rules, or they will be left behind in an impoverished state similar to their current situation. The time is now for them to decide, and debates are ongoing.