The Dig Age of Coexistence w/ Ussama Makdisi
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Dec 23, 2023 Ussama Makdisi, expert on the late Ottoman Empire's Arab culture of coexistence, discusses the impact of European colonialism and Zionism on sectarianism in the region. Topics include missionary movements, the decline of the Ottoman Empire, European intervention, post-Ottoman mandate states, colonial Zionism, and the making of the modern world.
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Orientalist View of the Middle East
- The orientalist view of the Middle East as inherently sectarian removes history and context.
- This view simplifies the region's complexities, justifying colonialism and imperialism.
Ottoman Governance of Religious Minorities
- The Ottoman Empire was a diverse, hierarchical system that didn't force religious conversion.
- Non-Muslims had some autonomy but were subordinated, lacking equality or citizenship.
Misunderstanding Ottoman Tolerance
- Using the treatment of Jews as the sole measure of Ottoman tolerance is misleading.
- There was no "Jewish question" as in Europe; Jews weren't singled out as the minority.