총 44페이지

05
BookOpening
ByLeeHo-je
writes,“Forexample,wethinkthatSaudiArabia
and Egypt are similar, but they are as distinct
Cub-ReporterofTheArgus
from one another Korea is different from the
hesemesterisabouttoend.Atthispoint
Philippines. Saudi Arabia is a monarchy, has an
in time, I would like to recommend
oil-oriented economic structure, and its society
a book about the Middle East to you.
does not allow women to drive, but Egypt is a
I will tell you about a book that may change
republic and has an agriculture- and tourism-
your views about the region. The book is The
orientedeconomicstructure.”
Middle East, Land Of Humankind, written by
In this way, Professor Seo wrote this book to
Professor Seo Jeong-Min in the Department
correct various misunderstandings about the
of Arabic Interpretation and Translation. He
Middle East. He offers simple explanations on
said that readers of this book can learn what is
six topics; politics, economics, culture, Islam,
misunderstood about the Middle East and what
and the place of women in society. In addition,
istrueabouttheMiddleEast.
he discusses ten stories on each of these topics.
“Many people think still of the Middle East as
This book is a work of academic writing rather
the land of hot deserts or as Allah’s land. They
than an introductory work for general audiences
usuallyviewtheMiddleEastfromaWesterner’s
that will change their perceptions of the Middle
standpoint. However, if people see it as a
Eastern societies. “I tried to capture the full
mass without regard to the diverse ethnicities,
range of Middle Easterners’ positions, ways
religions, and ideologies that coexist there, they
of thinking, and unvarnished lives. Also, I
will never see the real life of the people there.”,
believethisbookwillgivereadersthefeelingof
hesaid.
traveling through the Middle East and talking
Koreans usually associate the Middle East
withitsnativeinhabitants,”hesaid.
with stereotypical images such as those of
Many tragic events of the past decade have
the desert, oil, nomadic life, militant Islam,
contributedtonegativeviewsamongKoreansof
etc. However, if you read this book, you will
the Middle East. These include the September
learn about the myriad cultures represented in
11, 2001 attacks; the kidnapping in 2004 of
the region. Although women’s suppression is
translator, Christian missionary, and HUFS
an unfortunate reality in parts of the Middle
graduate Kim Sun-Il in Iraq; and the abduction
East as in other areas of the world, women’s
of 23 Korean Christian aid workers in 2007
education, representation and women’s rights
in Afghanistan. Also, many people who do
are greater in parts of the Middle East than in
not have detailed knowledge about the Middle
‘advanced’countrieselsewhere.Forexample,the
East misunderstand Islam to be a religion that
number of female officers in Egypt and several
supports and advocates terrorism. By reading
other Middle Eastern nations is more than in
thisbook,wecancorrectourmisperceptionsand
Korea. Female MCs on Lebanese TV programs
expandourknowledgeabouttheMiddleEast.In
dress much more provocatively than in Korea.
addition, Professor Seo’s vivid narrative lets us
In Dubai (United Arab Emirates), where the
feel as though we are actually traveling through
divorcerateisnolessthan50%,thegovernment
theMiddleEast.
has distributed pamphlets titled “49 guidelines
between a husband and wife”. Professor Seo
argus85_hector@hufs.ac.kr
JUNE 2010

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