Written Assignment
Middle Eastern and African Unrest and Oppression:
Chapters 7 & 8 of Cities of the World describes in detail the Middle Eastern and African cities of Cairo, Jerusalem, Dubai, Mecca, Istanbul, Kinshasa, Accra, Lagos, Nairobi, Dakar, and Johannesburg. Please see the maps at the beginning of both chapters. Note that the textbook does not include Afghanistan or Pakistan with the Middle Eastern countries (see Chapter 9 for further discussion).
In Chapter 7, the author states, "On December 10, 2010, a wave of democratic uprisings was born. It began in the small Tunisian town of Sidi Bouzid and quickly spread to the capital, Tunis, then to the cities of other Middle Eastern countries including Egypt, Libya, Syria, and Yemen. These revolts aimed to engender political and economic reform by overthrowing dictatorial leaders who had been in power for decades. They began as affirmations of people's struggles for freedom, democracy, and social justice... Often called youth revolutions, these movements showed how peaceful protests could oust dictators, as in Egypt and Tunisia, [and] how powerful presidents might lead their countries to civil wars to stay in power, as in Libya and Syria... Most dangerous to the region has been the ISIS, a violent extremist group that grew out of al-Qaeda in Iraq. ISIS's self-proclaimed caliphate now controls, from its capital at Raqqa, large amounts of territory in Syria and Iraq. The ensuing strife has caused a massive humanitarian crisis, as millions of Syrian civilians have been displaced."
Kano, Nigeria is another city suffering with violence resulting from citizens who feel oppressed; and Lagos, Nigeria, though rich in comparison to Kano, has its own deep rooted problems. Let's take a look...
A. Go to the National Geographic website and read the article entitled: "The War for Nigeria" By James Verini. I have copied the article onto the end of this assignment sheet for your convenience.
The photo gallery associated with this article can be viewed.
A. Also, go to the National Geographic website and read the article entitled: "Africa's First City" By Robert Draper. I have copied the article onto the end of this assignment sheet for your convenience.
A short video associated with this article can be viewed at: nationalgeographic website.
B. Using the given sources, write a 5-paragraph paper (3 pages maximum; points will be deducted for not following instructions) answering the following questions:
1. According to the Nigerian government, what is Boko Haram? According to the Hausa and Arabic languages, what is Boko Haram? According to the collective consciousness of the Nigerian people, what is Boko Haram? What do individual Nigerians suggest that Boko Haram is?
2. Since 2009, more than 16,000 people have dies violent deaths in Nigeria. What atrocities does the author attribute to Boko Haram?
3. Who else besides Boko Haram has recently committed violent acts in Nigeria?
4. Why is the northern city of Kano particularly susceptible to such violence?
5. Nigeria's richest city, Lagos, has its own problems, specifically a huge gap between the rich and poor. How does Lagos prosper when upper Nigeria roils in chaos? Is this governmental oppression or is it something else?
Cite the National Geographic articles.
You may use any citation format that you are comfortable with, however, be certain that all sources are cited inside the text of your paper and at the end. At the end of your paper, give the full bibliographic listing of each source, including videos.
If you do not have a preference, you may use the format listed here... To cite a source within the text of your paper, you can simply place in parenthesis the name of the author, website or organization plus the date published (for example: Mark Maslin, 2009) at the end of the borrowed material. Then at the end of your paper, give the full bibliographic listing of the source, including: author, title, publisher, and copy write date or date information was accessed.
Article: The War for Nigeria By James Verini, National Geographic, Nov 2013.