The importance of studying the primary context of the relationship between "source" and "influence" in a comparative science of religion and culture is emphasized throughout this article. Focusing primarily on the situation in Muslim and Christian Africa, the article distinguishes between in-coming "sources" and…

This article seeks to link the dynamics of oil with the spread of English in the Arabian Gulf region. It argues that "oil" sustains certain social, economic, and political conditions that (a) provide a fertile environment for the expansion of English and that (b) disproportionately serve the economic interests of the English-speaking nations of…

Traces the historical events that have influenced the development of science in Iran. Describes the major movements and personages of the Persian Islamic state. Also explores the impact of the religious, social, political, and intellectual forces on the image of science and its role in Iranian society. (ML)

A discussion of the history, educational philosophy and teaching methods of Quranic schools is divided into two sections. The first section discusses the historical development of such schools beginning in 650 A.D. with their strong emphasis on verbatim mastery of text, self-paced learning, and literacy skills. The second section provides a case…

Nursing education in Iran has been influenced by cycles of religious and political change, including fluctuations in women's status, the modernization attempts of the Pahlavi Dynasty, and the shift from secular science-based education and health care back to a system based on religious and cultural principles in the Islamic Republic of Iran. (SK)

Examines and analyzes some basic questions on women's place in the process of development. Outlines the low position women occupy in various economies in the developing world which makes them the most underprivileged group of workers. (JOW)

Maya K. David reports an interesting view of reading in Malaysia through the eyes of graduate student Mohd Nazri bin Hamid (2003), who conducted an exploratory study about the culture of reading in an academy of Islamic studies. The purposes of Nazri's investigation were (a) to examine undergraduate students' reading habits, (b) to offer a…

Urges that the search for origins of European exploration extend to Africa and East Asia and their international trade. Cites contributions of India and the Arabs, Chinese, and Malaysians. Emphasizes the importance of mathematics, navigation, and sailing technology. Argues that without these contributions the European voyages would not have been…

One of the most important and difficult challenges facing social studies educators, particularly world history teachers, concerns the role of Islam--one of the world's fastest growing and most dynamic religions--in historical and contemporary domestic and international affairs. What teachers choose to teach about Islam and how they present it are…

By looking at changes in the status and role of the fqih or traditional Islamic teacher in Morocco, it is possible to trace the transformation of the entire learning system from an independent, teacher-centered approach to a government-controlled educational system, of which religious education is only a part. In the traditional system, students…

An historical and descriptive account of the Islamic school system is presented. Traditional Islamic schools began with the founding of Islam in the seventh century A.D.; the madrasas or Islamic universities were considered to be among the world's finest higher education institutes. Although Islamic scholarship began to wane in the 14th century,…