Hellenocentrism or Grecocentrism is a worldview centered on Greeks and Greek civilization . The worldview presupposes the idea that Greeks were somehow unique in world history and that Greek civilization essentially emerged from within itself. Nonetheless such premises have been frequently questioned.
27-537: According to Hatoon al-Fassi , Hellenocentrism "is a vision of history that views the Greek world as the centre of the civilised universe." Werner Jaeger employs the term "hellenocentric" to describe the Greek influence on the advancement of modern European culture. He argues that European history should always begin with Greece, where, he believes, the West belongs, both "physically and intellectually". Greece should always be
54-462: A PhD in ancient women's history from the University of Manchester in 2000. Al-Fassi has been employed at KSU since 1989, with lecturer status as a KSU faculty member since 1992, carrying out historical research into women's history. She has not been allowed to teach at KSU since 2001. Since 2008, she has had the status of an assistant professor of women's history at KSU and since 2013
81-679: A margin of 787 to 167 to join the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) movement to hold Israel to account for alleged human rights abuses against the Palestinians. MESA's decision was criticised by the Academic Engagement Network, the AMCHA Initiative, and ASMEA. The current president is Eve Troutt Powell , University of Pennsylvania . The International Journal of Middle East Studies (IJMES)
108-544: A practical reason for non-participation of women rather than a religious reason constituted a success for women's campaigning, since arguing against practical objections is easier than arguing against religious objections. In 2006, Al-Fassi objected to a proposal to change the rules of women's access at the Masjid al-Haram in Mecca that had been made without women's participation. Since early 2011, al-Fassi has participated in
135-447: A source of inspiration for Europe because it is the "hellenocentric world" that possesses "the ideal", and because both the temporal and spiritual journey of Europe begins there. For Nasos Vayenas , hellenocentrism can be understood as "a conviction of the uniqueness of the Greek element and its superiority over everything foreign – a conviction that usually leads elevating Greekness to the level of an absolute value". Vayenas argues that it
162-639: A version of 'science' that "allows them to credit the Greeks with the invention of science and of 'the' scientific method". In Enrique Dussel 's view, Hellenocentrism asserts that Greece is the cultural origin of the West and that Greek civilization "owes nothing to the Egyptians and Semites ," arguing that Greece was nothing more than a "dependent" and "peripheral Western part" of the Middle East . Defunct Lidewijde de Jong maintains that hellenocentrism
189-595: A very active Committee on Academic Freedom (CAF) that has two wings: CAFMENA (Middle East and North Africa, established in 1990) and CAFNA (North America, established in 2005). Through CAF, MESA monitors infringements on academic freedom on the Middle East and North Africa worldwide. Albert Hourani Book Award Since 1991 MESA has awarded the Albert Hourani Book Award to recognize "the very best in Middle East studies scholarship". The prize
216-409: Is rather a traditionalism that speaks of the discovery of a "silenced Greek tradition". According to Heinrich von Staden , the term hellenocentrism appears to carry at least two charges in the history of science . The first is that science historians prefer Greek science to science from other ancient civilizations, often with disastrous consequences. The second is that Eurocentric historians prefer
243-515: Is a learned society , and according to its website, "a non-profit association that fosters the study of the Middle East , promotes high standards of scholarship and teaching, and encourages public understanding of the region and its peoples through programs, publications and services that enhance education, further intellectual exchange, recognize professional distinction, and defend academic freedom ". Critics have accused MESA of politicization and being dominated by academics critical of Israel and
270-439: Is a quarterly journal published by Cambridge University Press under the auspices of MESA. The editor is Joel Gordon of University of Arkansas . The Review of Middle East Studies ( RoMES ) is MESA's journal of review. MESA policy has established the focus of RoMES as the state of the craft in all fields of Middle East studies. The Editor is Heather Ferguson and the journal is based at Claremont McKenna College . MESA has
297-512: Is committing". Al-Fassi stated that women had decided to create their own municipal councils in parallel to the men-only elections and that women creating their own municipal councils or participating in "real elections" were both legal under Saudi law. Electoral commission head al-Dahmash agreed. In April, al-Fassi said that there was still time before the September election for women to be allowed to take part. She stated, "We are putting all
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#1732772104518324-463: Is deeply rooted in European history and archaeology. For Peter Green , it has "distorted and diminished the achievements of any civilisation" that came in contact with the Greeks. Han Lamers argues that proponents of a hellenocentric worldview, such as George Trapezuntius , sought to "reduce all forms of progress and decline ultimately to Greek affairs". Enrique Dussel held that hellenocentrism
351-569: Is named after Albert Hourani , "to recognize his long and distinguished career as teacher and mentor". Malcolm Kerr Award The MESA Dissertation Awards were established in 1982 to recognize exceptional achievement in research and writing for/of dissertations in Middle East studies. In 1984 the award was named for Malcolm H. Kerr to honor his significant contributions to Middle East studies. Awards are given in two categories: Social Sciences and Humanities. Jere L. Bacharach Service Award Since 1997 Jere L. Bacharach Service Award has recognized
378-502: Is the forefather of Eurocentrism . For Markus Winkler, racism and colonialism have their roots in Eurocentric worldview which essentially emerged from ancient hellenocentrism. Kang Jung In and Eom Kwanyong also refer to hellenocentrism as the archetype of "Westcentrism" which, they argue, has adopted the Greek civilization as its "intellectual origin" and universalized it. According to Sabelo Ndlovu-Gatsheni , hellenocentrism paved
405-685: Is thus a direct descendant of the Islamic prophet Muhammad . Her mother is Sheikha Samira Hamed Dakheel, who belongs to the branch of the Hijazi tribe of Harb that resided in Jeddah. She has a brother, Sheikh Muhammad Ajwad al-Fassi, a lawyer and a sister, Hawazan Ajwad al-Fassi, a poet. Al-Fassi was raised in a family that encouraged her to think independently of school and media ideas about women's rights . She obtained undergraduate degrees in history in 1986 and 1992 from King Saud University (KSU) and
432-603: The National Council of Area Studies Associations , and a member of the National Humanities Alliance . In 2007, Bernard Lewis and Fouad Ajami started Association for the Study of the Middle East and Africa (ASMEA) as a rival to MESA, as they saw MESA as "dominated by academics who have been critical of Israel and of America's role in the Middle East." In mid-March 2022, MESA voted by
459-630: The United States . In 2007, the Association for the Study of the Middle East and Africa was founded as an ideological counterweight to MESA. MESA was founded in 1966 with 51 original members. Its current membership exceeds 2,700 and it "serves as an umbrella organization for more than fifty institutional members and thirty-six affiliated organizations". It is a constituent society of the American Council of Learned Societies and
486-456: The "Baladi" women's rights campaign, which called for women to be allowed to participate in the September 2011 municipal elections . She stated that women's participation in the 2011 election "would show that Saudi Arabia is serious about its claims of reform". She described the authorities' decision not to accept women's participation in the election was "an outrageous mistake that the kingdom
513-499: The International Affairs Department at Qatar University. At the university, al-Fassi carries out historical research. Based on her research into the pre-Islamic Arabian kingdom of Nabataea , al-Fassi claims that women in the ancient kingdom had more independence than women in modern Saudi Arabia. Al-Fassi was active in women's right to vote campaigns for the 2005 and 2011 municipal elections and
540-663: The Sharifi house of Muhammad that belongs to the Hassani Idrissi branch of this line. Through her father Sheikhus Sujjadah Ajwad al-Fassi and his father Sheikh Abdullah al-Fassi, she is a great-great-granddaughter of Qutbul Ujood Muhammad al-Fassi (Imam Fassi) , the founder and spiritual head of the Fassiyah branch of the Shadhiliyya Sufi order, the twenty-first Khalifa (representative) of Imam Shadhili . She
567-688: The other imprisoned women's rights activists to be freed. Al-Fassi is a columnist for the Arabic language newspaper al-Riyadh . She has been featured and interviewed in many documentaries in major national, regional and international media on issues including Saudi women, history, archaeology, municipal elections. In November 2018, while still in jail, she was awarded the MESA Academic Freedom Award for 2018. Middle East Studies Association of North America Middle East Studies Association (often referred to as MESA )
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#1732772104518594-467: The pressure that is in our power, bearing in mind that it is not that easy in a country such as Saudi Arabia where freedom of assembly is not allowed and civil society is not yet fully-fledged." Al-Fassi stated that Baladi had intended to organise training sessions for voter education in the 12 December 2015 municipal elections but was blocked by the Ministry of Municipal and Rural Affairs. Al-Fassi
621-495: The way for " Westernization " as a "process of imposing Euro-North American-centric values on other people" at the expense of their own values. Hatoon al-Fassi Hatoon Ajwad al-Fassi ( هتون أجواد الفاسي ) is a Saudi Arabian historian, author and women's rights activist. She is an associate professor of women's history at King Saud University in Saudi Arabia , where she has been employed since 1989 and at
648-425: Was active in a similar campaign for the 2015 municipal elections . She was arrested in late June 2018 as part of a crackdown on women's rights activists and was released almost a year later, in early May 2019. In November 2018, while still in jail, she was awarded the MESA Academic Freedom Award for 2018. Hatoon al-Fassi is a member of the traditional Sufi Al-Fassi family from Makkah , that descends from
675-619: Was arrested in late June, as part of a crackdown on women's rights activists that in May included the arrests of Aziza al-Yousef , Loujain al-Hathloul , Eman al-Nafjan , Aisha al-Mana and Madeha al-Ajroush . Her arrest took place days before the lifting of the Saudi ban on women driving . On 16 January 2019, Khaled Abou El Fadl , Noam Chomsky and 213 other academics sent an appeal to King Salman of Saudi Arabia describing al-Fassi's academic and women's rights achievements and calling for her and
702-568: Was inserted in Islamic law", and that "it's an ancient adaptation, that [Islamic] scholars are not aware of, and they would be really shocked." Al-Fassi also argues that Nabataea "has weakened the idea that Arabians were merely or essentially nomads, by having an Arabian urbanized state". Al-Fassi was active in organising would-be women candidates for the 2005 municipal elections . Election organisers did not allow women to participate, citing practical reasons. Al-Fassi felt that authorities giving
729-815: Was promoted to an associate professor. In 2007, al-Fassi published her research into the status of women in the pre-Islamic Arabian kingdom of Nabataea as the book Women in Pre-Islamic Arabia: Nabataea . Some of the evidence she used included coins and inscriptions on tombs and monuments written in ancient Greek and Semitic . She found that women were independent legal persons able to sign contracts in their own name, in contrast to women in modern Saudi Arabia, who require male guardians to sign contracts. Al-Fassi says that ancient Greek and Roman law gave less rights to women than they had in Nabataea, that "an adaptation of Greek and Roman laws
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