Griffith University Expert Delivers Insights Into Middle East

Brisbane, Australia, February 06, 2015 --(PR.com)-- Griffith University's Islamic-West Relations specialist Associate Professor Halim Rane, gave Criminology students insight into what is happening in the Middle East at a guest lecture, ‘Jihads, Caliphates and Muslim Militant Groups’ recently.

Jihads, Caliphates and Muslim Militant Groups goes into the history of the Middle East and how it has evolved over time, giving context to the modern issues that we see today.

Professor Rane says it is through exploring the history of the region we can understand how current issues emerge.

“There’s a bigger picture here that we need to be able to see in order to have an informed understanding of what’s going on in the Middle East and the kinds of issues that we’re seeing in the media today,” Associate Professor Halim Rane says.

In the lecture, Associate Professor Rane explains in-depth the concepts of Jihad and what it means according to the Quran.

The lecture then moves onto the eras of Muslim empires through to modern times, before exploring the rise of the militant groups that we’ve become familiar with today.

“A range of social and political factors drive the contemporary jihadists and Caliphate groups,” Associate Professor Rane says.

“We need a deeper understanding and investigation of these factors in order to have a better understanding of these issues relating to jihadists and Caliphate groups that we’re encountering.”

The lecture is now available for download as a free e-resource for those interested in learning more about Islam-West relations at Griffith University's Islamic Studies website.