Job Discussion Forums

scot47 · Joined: 10 Jan 2003 Posts: 15343

While you are at the music, why not show your students how to roll a joint ?

TROLL ?

fledex · Joined: 05 Jun 2011 Posts: 342

Muhammed Abbas Khan · Joined: 04 Jan 2011 Posts: 73

al-Californian · Joined: 27 Jan 2008 Posts: 96

Dedicated · Joined: 18 May 2007 Posts: 972 Location: UK

Muhammed Abbas Khan,

This is all about interpretation of the original Arabic. They have interpreted "idle talks" as meaning "music, singing", whereas other scholars think that means "gossip".

( And I happen to hold an MA with distinction in Arabic and Islamic studies from a prestigious UK university. I'm not a Muslim, however.)

johnslat · Posted: Sat Apr 21, 2012 6:37 pm Post subject:

Careful everyone - you're dealing with an expert:

al-Californian

"1. No M.E. teaching experience. The closest thing to teaching that I could get in the states with this broken economy has been part-time tutoring jobs on campus.
2. English B.A. (Language and Discourse)."

Regards,
John

casio · Joined: 01 Mar 2012 Posts: 18 Location: KSA

Ambient, shoegaze, drone, industrial, discordant chiptune etc are all arranged sounds that don't depend on the narrow definition of musical instruments; genres that leave certain folks - truly stumped.

I used Throbbing Gristle's opening track on the DOA album on an induction video - no one spotted the covert use of ''music'' right there.

When the Iranian authorities adhered to strict anti-music policing in the early 80s, a new wave of electronic and ambient sound artist came into being. The nasty thought police would confiscate tapes only to be confronted with an unusual flow of scratches, machine noises and low hums. To them they were just damaged audio recordings. In other words, the intellectual limitations of religious killjoys allowed a new strain of abstractist electronica to flourish.

Similarly, when every guitar, piano, amp and two sided drum is smashed to bits, someone will fashion something from the natural world around them to create a purposefully arranged string of sounds.

Call it music or anti-music but the traditionalists call it crap...

... good!

Muhammed Abbas Khan · Joined: 04 Jan 2011 Posts: 73

johnslat · Posted: Sat Apr 21, 2012 7:31 pm Post subject:

Dear Muhammed Abbas Khan,

"I appreciate that you have studied Islam at a UK university but the prestige is purely one that you are conferring . . ."

But isn't that exactly what you're doing?

". . . . I would deem those universities in KSA that teach Islam to be far superior in terms of objectivity and content."

Regards,
John

Muhammed Abbas Khan · Joined: 04 Jan 2011 Posts: 73

johnslat · Posted: Sat Apr 21, 2012 7:54 pm Post subject:

Dear Muhammed Abbas Khan,

" . . . I am presently studying the Arabic language at a UK university at the moment and I have to say that the syllabus is rather restrictive and euro-centric."

I'm sorry to hear that. Studying Arabic, though, is different from "Islamic Studies," isn't it? Have you taken Islamic Studies courses in Saudi and also in the UK?

Of course, it's also impossible to have a valid opinion of the courses that Dedicated has taken since we don't know which "prestigious UK university" is being referred to.

Regards,
John

Dedicated · Joined: 18 May 2007 Posts: 972 Location: UK

Dear John,

As I currently work at this top-ranking university, suffice it to say that it consistently rates in the top 6 universities in the world and the department has received 5* ratings for teaching and research. I'm not aware that any Saudi institution even rates in the top 500. Correct me if I'm wrong.

I had to complete various courses in Beirut, Michigan, Iraq, Egypt in order to acquire pretty good fluency and be sent on assignments in hot-spots.

Muhammed,

If you are finding the syllabus in the UK university "restrictive and euro-centric" why don't you study in Saudi Arabia?? I presume you are a beginner....?

Muhammed Abbas Khan · Joined: 04 Jan 2011 Posts: 73

Dear John and Dedicated,

The 'eurocentricity' or restrictive nature of a course is perhaps something that is open to ones interpretation. What is apparent is that there is a desire to teach Arabic using the communicative approach as is in vogue with the teaching of English as a foreign language. This means that more attention is given to communicative competence in Arabic over accuracy. "as long as you are getting the message across". This is perhaps not entirely a bad thing as language is after all for communicating but I do feel that more attention should be paid to form - particularly for writing - if that means rote learning then so be it.

I intend to study the Arabic language and Islam further when I return to KSA. I applied to the universities in KSA in person on numerous occasions but unfortunately I did not get accepted.

Regards,

Abbas

posh · Joined: 22 Oct 2010 Posts: 430

[/quote]You have no right to disagree with Islam. Well, actually, try publicly disagreeing with it in Saudi Arabia.[/quote]

Says who? My students always ask me about it and I tell them I don't believe one word.