2007 Fiscal Year Final Research Report Summary
Revisiting and Redrawing the Eastern Mediterranean : Ethnic and Sectarian Conflicts and Human Mobility
| Project/Area Number |
16201049
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| Research Category |
Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (A)
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| Allocation Type | Single-year Grants |
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| Section | 一般 |
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| Research Field |
Area studies
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| Research Institution | Tokyo University of Foreign Studies |
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Principal Investigator |
KUROKI Hidemitsu Tokyo University of Foreign Studies, Research Institute for Languages and Cultures ofAsia and Africa, Professor (20195580)
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| Co-Investigator(Kenkyū-buntansha) |
IIZUKA Masato Research Institute for Languages and Cultures of Asia and Africa, Professor (90242073)
USUKI Akira Japan Women's University, Faculty of Humanities, Professor (40203525)
SAHARA Tetsuya Meiji University, School of Political Science and Economics, Professor (70254125)
TOSA Hiroyuki Kobe University, Graduate School of International Cooperation Studies, Professor (70180148)
HAZAMA Yasushi Tokyo University of Foreign Studies, Graduate School of Area and Culture Studies, Researcher (70401429)
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| Project Period (FY) |
2004 – 2007
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| Keywords | Mediterranean / Nationalism / Religious Sectarianism / Security / Modern History / Islam / The Middle East / The Balkans |
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| Research Abstract |
The Eastern Mediterranean has enjoyed a long history of inter-regional exchange, having sophisticated systems of movement both on sea and land. The area has developed highly plural and complex societies open to outsiders who wished to migrate to and settle at the land of the oldest civilization. The Eastern Mediterranean people have kept high human mobility (integration of geographical and social mobility). On the other hand, throughout the modern periods, they have experienced various ethnic and sectarian conflicts, such as the Palestine Question, civil wars of Lebanon and former Yugoslavia, division of Cyprus, etc. For the sublation of the two contradicting phenomena, we introduced a key notion of "protection." The Arab Bedouins have a long tradition to protect persons coming into their territories in accordance with contracts. This pre-Islamic-rooted customs of building security with the Other were adopted by Islamic states in the Eastern Mediterranean. The Ottoman Empire established unilateral relationship with European countries which implored to be given the Capitulations from the Sultans. Basing on the Islamic Laws, the Ottoman Sultans assured all the human beings' security in the domain, and those Ottoman subjects who were employed by the European diplomats were not exception. The turning point for the beginning of national/ethnic/sectarian conflicts in the area was when the European powers succeeded in usurping the right of protection of Ottoman non Muslims by distorting the articles of the Capitulation. This trend continues until the 21st century; France still claims its special relationship with Lebanese Catholic population. The fact that Palestinians today have no "protector"-the international laws are not applied to them-requires the urgent necessity to establish a new protecting system, which must be based on the observance of civil rights and sustainable against political violence. "Human Security" may have a degree of potential.
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Research Products
(141 results)
