Yemeni Wedding (by Tyler)

One of the first weeks in Sana'a, Professor Lo, Andrew, and I came across a traditional Yemeni wedding ceremony while walking through the old city. In Yemen, weddings are divided into men's parties and women's parties. The men's parties are held in the streets and involve singing, dancing, and chewing gat. The celebration is open to all men and western guests are readily welcomed. The groom sits in a throne-esque chair while wedding guests alternate being photographed with the groom while sitting in adjacent chairs. The groom is dressed in his finest clothing, often wearing make-up and carrying a golden sword. The streets are illuminated with strands of light, while loudspeakers blast traditional Yemeni music (in addition to the occasional western song). Dancing starts early in the evening and often lasts until early the next morning.

In contrast, the women's party is a very private event, but much more extravagant. The women all meet in a home or wedding hall for an evening of dance and socializing. They wear extremely flashy clothing, often more lavish than what is seen in the west. Hopefully Isabelle or Ella can follow up with a first hand account of one of these parties.




This photograph shows Professor Lo participating in a traditional Yemeni wedding dance. Andrew and I made a deal with Professor Lo that if he participated in the group dance, we would owe him a similar participation at another Yemeni wedding. Professor Lo argued that Duke students should strive to become Arabists instead of Orientalists. The latter looks into Arab and Muslim cultures from the perspective of the "others", while the former develops an inward approach of the culture. They strive to become a part of the culture, understanding why and how world views are socially and historically constructed. In brief, he argues, "being able to dance with and immerse yourself into a cultural group tells a lot about your psychological readiness to observe continuity and changes within that culture." Hopefully Andrew and I will have a chance to uphold our end of the deal before leaving Yemen.

More Photos from the Children's Rights Tournament

Son of Dr. Jamal, the director of the Democracy School.


The masterpiece following the drawing contests. As mentioned in my blog, the children drew someone they could trust because you are suppose to speak with a trusted friend if facing abuse.


The children were all smiles throughout the entire day, even off the football field.

This was the tee shirt administered to all of the children before the day began.

Between soccer games and during the workshops, every child was reading the pamphlet on children's rights.


Assembling for my speech before walking over to the playing fields.

Professor Lo's Arabic Language Workshop (by Taimoor)

I recently tagged along with Professor Lo as he conducted a workshop on the Challenges and Methodologies of Teaching Arabic. The workshop was organized by two institutions: Center for Arabic Language and Eastern Studies (CALERS) and Yemen Institute for Arabic Language. About 18 Yemeni professors of Arabic language and Middle Eastern Studies attended the workshop. Professor Lo narrated his journey and experience in teaching and researching on issues related to the Arabic language and culture. He encouraged institutions in Yemen and the Middle East to take the current world interest in Arabic as an opportunity to build cultural bridges and introduce foreign students to the beauty and richness of Arabic and Islamic cultures


He also gave a description of the DukeEngage mission as a cutting edge model of redefining the way and mission of undergraduate students. “We, the Duke Islamic Studies Center will bring our students to the Arab and Muslim world as ambassadors of the Duke community in particular and the American society at large. We want them to observe, learn and share their personal experiences with these societies” he said.



Professor Lo stressed the importance of making the learning process interesting and relevant to a student’s experience. He gave a detailed account of the different reasons that American students have for studying Arabic and suggested that Professors keep in mind the student’s motivations when determining optimal teaching strategies. He argued that unless these motivations are taken into consideration, the process of learning will remain fruitless. Using findings in several surveys, Professor Lo stated that the demand for Arabic language and culture will remain high for at least the next few years, a condition that is both an opportunity and a challenge to those interested in taking the process of teaching the language to a higher level.



In another area, Professor Lo offered a survey of American universities, covering different approaches and methodologies used by different Arabic programs. He argued that diversity is healthy and good for the field, but more research is needed on the acquisition process, heritage speakers, teachers’ preparation and curriculum developments. Most Arabic programs in the United States, he lamented, have trouble moving learners from advanced level to superior.

Children's Rights Soccer Tournament (By Andrew)

Today, the 21st of July was the first annual Children’s Soccer Tournament for the Children Parliament Cup. The event was held at a local sporting club offering two, dirt soccer fields within walking distance. There were 6 teams in total with 16 kids on each team, along with a small coaching staff. Each team was provided with T-shirts reading, “Know Your Rights and Protect Them,” in both English and Arabic. The Duke University emblem sits in the upper left corner of the shirt along with “DukeEngage” as the subscript. The Democracy School’s symbol rests in the upper right corner of the shirt. After the children gathered in the gym around 8:40a.m. I was asked to provide a short speech, translated by Professor Lo. In front of the approximately 100 children, all wearing the DukeEngage t-shirts, I described why I came up with this idea and the purpose of the event. Without having prepared a speech beforehand, I said the following:

“Since my stay in Yemen I have attended several workshops discussing children’s rights. However, children were not present at these events. The organizers just addressed the Yemeni Youth in presentations (powerpoints, question and answer sessions, etc). This event is meant for you, the children of Yemen. The information will be placed in your hands directly. I hope you have fun today and I hope you learn something about your rights. I also want you to share with your friends what you have learned today. Thank you.”

Following a short photo session with the children I walked over to the fields with Abdullah, a close friend at Democracy School, and the other Yemeni Youth. On the way over to the fields Abdullah told me an interesting story relative to the tournament’s purpose, alerting children of their rights. He said that on his way to the gym earlier that morning a boy stopped him and asked about the brochures he was carrying. Abdullah explained how the pamphlets were meant to inform children of their rights and what to do if they face any abuse. He then went on to say how there was a football tournament today where the pamphlets would be administered. The child then asked if he could participate, but unfortunately Abdullah explained how all the spots were already full. After hearing the disappointing news the boy then said, “Isn’t it my right to play soccer?” Similar to this child, the Yemeni youth at the tournament and in the workshops quickly gained a grasp on what their rights are in terms of not accepting child abuse, and apparently having the right to play soccer.

After the first round of games all participants were brought back to the initial gym. Here, members of Children’s Parliament and other volunteers from the Democracy School led workshops and films discussing children’s rights. I sat in on both of the films shown, made by the Democracy School, and witnessed the positive reactions of the children. One film presented the children with 10 cases of child abuse while the other cartoon discussed the issue of parental abuse and neglect. After the showing of each film the administrator asked the children what they saw and what they thought about the films. The facilitator then recapped the main message of the viewing. Following the two films the children then rotated with other youth who had been participating in workshops. In the workshops, children parliament members (including the former President) led the children in discussions and readings of the pamphlet and brochure produced by the Democracy School and myself. In addition to the discussions during the workshops, the children parliament members engaged the other children in games. These games included, but were not limited to, writing and drawing contests. For example, at one station the facilitator asked the boys to illustrate what the pamphlet discussed. This included drawing a picture of a person they trusted, because you are suppose to talk to a trustworthy person if you are being abused.

When the workshops finished I sat down with the children before eating lunch, all generously provided by the Democracy School, DukeEngage program, and Duke Islamic Studies Center (DISC). At first, the children may have been a little shy talking to me, but once they saw my camera their entire demeanor changed. Within seconds I learned the names of twenty children and their takes on the program today. From their perspective the program ranged from very good to excellent and this opinion was before the food even came out. After the 40-minute lunch break it was back off to the field to play the final championship game. The match was close throughout the first half, until the hosting team eventually pulled away to a hard fought victory. Dr. Jamal, the director of Democracy School, came for the medal ceremony, which was reminiscent of the awards ceremony at the World Cup, at least in the eyes of the children. I was in charge of presenting the bronze medals, Professor Lo presented the silver medals and cup, and the winning coach handed out the gold medals and cup. Once all the awards were handed out everyone began taking photos of the winning team, which had assembled in the middle of the field. The captain of the team is seen kissing the trophy in almost every photo on my camera. Not wanting to interrupt the momentous victory for the gold team, I gave a short speech:

“I want to first thank everyone for coming. I hope you had fun and I hope that you learned something. Once you leave here, do not forget to tell your friends what you have learned and what happened here today. Even though I will be back in America next year, I look forward to hearing good things from next year’s tournament. Thank you.”

Overall, this event was my most memorable experience in Yemen. The organization and planning process was difficult and I could not have accomplished anything without the help of the Democracy School, DukeEngage program, and Duke Islamic Studies Center . Moreover, I want to point out that the Democracy School continues to organize and run events like today on a regular basis, all under the constraint of limited funding. I feel honored to have interned at Democracy School and I look forward to staying in contact with this wonderful NGO in the future.

If you want to read more about the event there will be an article in the Yemeni Observer this upcoming Saturday.

Pamphlet for Children’s Soccer Tournament (By Andrew)

Here are the flyers that will be distributed to all of the children this upcoming Saturday, in addition to the banners that will be hung around the fields. We are expecting a large turnout for the event with around 100 children playing soccer and attending children's rights workshops.

Reply to "Professor Lo with an Imam (part 2)" (By Professor Lo)

You are right about the khutba. It was surprising to hear such fiery oratory from an imam in Sana’a. In his defense, I have to say that he is one of the most popular imams in the city. His mastery of classical Arabic, traditional poetry and his ability to read beyond the scripture has dramatically expanded the size of his congregation.


The manager of our hotel recommended the mosque (we say Jami’h to differentiate between street mosque/ masjid which is for daily prayers, and Jami’h which is often reserved for Friday prayer) because it is in honor of those who died in the revolutionary war. As you already know, I love the institution of the mosque because I believe it to be the most democratic institution in the Arab world. If progress is to come to this part of the world, it has to be through these institutions. The eradication of liberty or political freedom, especially of those imams, is a threat to the consolidation of democratic institutions in the Muslim World. By building on the great potential of the masjid system, it is possible to implement social change, reform and expand human capital in these regions. Indeed, we should modernize masjid’s madrassa systems, promote difference of opinions on its MeHraab, and, of course, tackle its patriarchal disposition. Malaysia and Cape-town, South Africa are a few good models in this regard.

The current policy that considers state-appointed imams to be the best choice of removing factions, or filtering "hate" messages from the community is a dangerous precedent. I harbor a Madisonian attitude in this regard. For, as he argues in the Federalist Papers that there are 2 methods of removing the causes of faction. One by destroying the liberty which is essential to its existence. Two by giving to every citizen the same opinions, the same passions and the same interest. Madison argues that it could never be more truly said of the first than that it is worse than the disease.

Curtailing the liberty of imams has never proven to be a successful approach to removing faction, or improving the spritual well-being of a community. A good example in the history of Islam can be learned from the khawarij movement of the earlier ages. This movement was considered by all account of earlier historians as the most perilous, most destructive and most dividing force in the development of Islam. However, Al-mubarrad, a 9th century linguist and historian, has pointed out to what enabled this violent movement to go on for many decades. In his book Al-Kamil, he mentioned that the endurance of the khwarij “kharijites” into the end of the 9th century was primarily due to the fact that Ummayad rulers and their subordinates, as in the case of al- Hajjaj ibn Yusuf al-Thaqafi of Iraq, refused to allow Khawarij preachers to use mosques or express their grievances publicly. Most Sunni clergymen of the time condemned the khawarij as "deviated sects and violent Muslims." As a result, the khawarij moved to the peripheries of the Ummayad empire and led a lethal, deadly and protracted rebellion against the Ummayad dynasty.

A similar case can be made for the Muslim community (ies) of the United States. The recent professionlization of mosque administrations, which means giving mosque executive boards the right to oversee and manage imam’s activities and sermons, has made listening to mosque sermons one of the most torturous experiences of worshipers, because these sermons are no longer sparking people’s interests or concerns. A student in one of my previous culture classes has found out via survey that 10 percent of Friday congregation do sleep or doze during Friday khutba. What that entails is the inability of these “managed” imams to address issues that are relevant to their congregations.


Well, let’s go back to the imam of Masjid As-Shuhada. He is a unique case, and particular in the imamhood of the city. You are right; he is “protected somehow.” As a result he will not “soon face whatever legal penalties are invoked against Imams who lead their own congregations.” I think he is protected for many reasons: he is an Egyptian from Al-Azar as-Shareef University; he has been in this particular mosque for many years, and the fact that Al-azar has a particular prestige in the Sunni world of Islam. So, it makes sense for the state to tolerate this popular figure. Furthermore, as a foreign imam, he will never build a social base that can represent a threat to the interest of the state.

His Khutba was exceptional: classic in its structure and content, but modern in its scope and focus. What you consider “the hot button words” does not necessarily represent “taboo for Friday rumination”. I think if he were running for an office in the States, he could be liberal enough to be elected in any blue state, or conservative enough to be elected in any red state. He divided his khutba into three segments: local, national and international. On local issues, he attacked the patriarchal society that took away what he calls “Islamic rights” of women: to marry whom she chooses, rights to property, rights to education etc.. He recalled some cases of young girls in the old city of Sana’s who complaint to him in these matters. He then adorned these points with many Quranic verses and saying (hadith) from the prophet of Islam. On a national level, he attacked the rich and the powerful for not taking care of the poor. He passionately recounted seeing a child eating from the wastebasket in Sana’a. At this point, he was on fire: attacking the wealthy for not sharing their bits and pieces, and the government for not addressing poverty, and finger-pointing to his wealthy neighbors in the Gulf for not sharing their prosperity. Ironically, Thursday was the wedding of the president’s daughter, and he alluded to the imperative of balancing between government extravagance and taking care of those who cannot support themselves.

On the international level, his attitude toward the War in Iraq is similar to the attitudes of most Democrats and many Republicans in the States. He argues against the “un-just war,” to quote his own words, and the needs to stop a war that is “taking many innocent lives of women and children”. In other areas, he characterized the continuation of wars in Iraq, Afghanistan and Palestine as a shameful mark on the foreheads of mankind.

Professor Lo with an Imam (part 2) (by Taimoor)

Here's Professor Lo with another Imam, this one the Imam of Masjid As-Shuhada, a builiding which is, contrary to grammatical expectation, larger than Masjid al-Kabeer (the big Masjid), where Professor Lo and I went last week. This Masjid is two stories tall and far more grandely adorned than the simpler Masjid al-Kabeer. Golden crystal chandeliers that manage to encompase the size, shape, and majesty of pregnant manatees hover over worshippers, while Qur'anic excerpts are carved into the very substance of the walls. Even more striking than the appearance of the Masjid, was the oratory experience that it offered. To my surprise, and contrary to what I had been led to believe about the structure of Masjids in Sana'a, the Imam of the Masjid delivered the kutba, or the friday sermon, himself, rather than leaving that duty to a state appointed Kaatib. Also, though I lack a command of the Arabic language sufficient enough to understand what the Imam was talking about, I did notice that the kutba lasted almost twice as long as the one at Masjid al-Kabeer, and was delivered in a tone of spit flecked passion rather than with the bovine passivity of the state approved Kaatib. Also, I'm sure that I heard the hot button words "Palestine", "Israel", and "Iraq War", which I thought were pretty much taboo for Friday rumination. Either the Imam was directly breaking the law, in which case he is either protected somehow (maybe has family high up in the government), or will soon face whatever legal penalties are invoked against Imams who lead their own congregations. Whatever the reason, it was certainly the most interesting Friday prayers I've experienced so far in Yemen.