Wikipedia talk:Articles for deletion/Superstitions in Muslim societies

Quotes of Zur Shalev
Relevant quotes of Zur Shalev (For article in discussion Superstitions in Muslim societies from his essay "Islam, Eastern Christianity, and Superstition  According to Some Early Modern English Observers"


 * ...I would like to propose that European observations concerning superstitious religious phenomena in the Ottoman sphere together form a rich spectrum of diverse responses rather than a univocal reaction.
 * ...At a popular level, Busbecq and Smith seem to imply, the Christians and the Muslims of the East are equally and jointly superstitious.
 * ...What distinguished the Levant, I suggest, was the interreligious element of many of these activities, which struck European observers as a clear mark of the superstitious character of the East as a whole.
 * ...“Writing the other” as a way of reflecting on one’s own backyard is a well-known mechanism in travel and ethnographic literature—regardless of the truth value of facts transmitted, the foreign serves to raise and  elaborate issues that concern audiences at home.36 This mechanism is  fully at work in the case of early modern reporting on Eastern religion  and superstition.
 * ...The message is clear: it is an Anglican message that is aimed at an English public in an England where these very issues are fiercely debated.
 * ...Rycaut did not miss an opportunity to equate Christian adversaries with Islam. He comments, for example, that Muslims, English rebels, and  Catholics share the false argument that God’s favor is proved by success,  even if wrongly achieved by violence and cruelty:
 * ...The superstitions of the Levant, I have argued, were often constructed to mirror European  religious phenomena. This textual mechanism shapes every European  utterance on Eastern religions and superstitions.
 * ...Overall, then, I have attempted to destabilize any rigid notion of “Eastern superstition” by reading European pronouncements against particular and local European contexts. We should also remember that behind these well-crafted texts stood actual human encounters, which together  constructed the wide spectrum of religion in the early modern Mediterranean.
 * ...Thus the question goes beyond “mirroring” and “othering.” Ultimately, we should question overly sharp distinctions between the European and the Ottoman religious spheres and should explore the  superstitious within a continuum of encounters and practices across the  early modern Mediterranean.

Basically Zur Shalev is saying is, ought to explore topic of Superstitions but without behaving holier than thou.

See brief discussion on discussion page.

If possible may be I will shift above quotes to Wikiquote later.


 * Bookku (talk) 11:19, 2 December 2020 (UTC)

Since discussion is closed saving one reply here


 * Here I do fully agree with User:Piotrus that reference of Zur Shalev's essay provided by him first of all adds to the notability of Superstitions in Muslim societies.
 * Probably User:Vice regent did not read Zur Shalev's essay article fully or missed on very crucial points which come later in the article. For ease of reference in this article discussion I have mentioned those at the talk page here.
 * At end of his article what basically Zur Shalev saying is, 'ought to explore topic of Superstitions but without behaving holier than thou.' So User:Piotrus rightly argued that Wikipedia is expected to have an article on Superstitions in Christian societies too. (As such we do have a section Superstition which also needs expansion to include superstitions of other religious communities too)
 * First, While  as said in first point Orientalism and or Occidentalism debate vis a vis superstition itself brings notability, we can add couple of paragraphs on this debate in the article; Second, arguments questioning Orientalism and or Occidentalism (East Vs West) are whatabouteries in themselves, and one needs to understand in rationalist point of views two wrongs don't make a right. Since Europeans themselves were/are superstitious so will not allow to cover Superstitions of east is a logical fallacy Wikipedians should not succumb to.
 * Bookku (talk) 11:53, 2 December 2020 (UTC)