Middle East Focus

Course Description:

This 2-day course will familiarize attendees with the history of the Middle East and the culture of regional peoples with special focus on Islam as a religion and as a pattern for living. The program will enable law enforcement to develop strategies that bridge the gap between misunderstanding and beneficial engagement with the Muslim community and individuals of Middle Eastern descent from all religions. Attendees will learn to successfully work with victims, witnesses, suspects, sources, prosecution, corrections, analysis, and liaise with community leaders united by culture and history. Rapport-building communication, based on understanding of Middle East customs, will be emphasized and validated.

Upon successful completion of the course, students will be able to:

1.Discuss current regional issues in the Middle East including Syrian production and distribution of the drug, Captagon.
2.Explain the importance of knowing from which Middle East country a person considers their family to have originated.
3.Discuss the nature of tribalism and how it defines the Middle East today.
4.Explain how the life of Mohammed shaped Islam.
5.Describe the key difference between Sunni and Shia Islam.
6.Explain how Shariah Law is derived.
7.Discuss Western colonial influence on the region after WWI.
8.Identify the five general categories of Arabic naming conventions.
9.Explain the "rapport-based" approach to interview and interrogation.
10.Discuss Linear vs. Associative thinking and why it matters when talking with people from the Middle East.
11.Identify Middle Eastern cultural norms and explain the importance of respecting these traditions when dealing with victims, witnesses, suspects, and sources.
12.Explain the cultural conception of Pan-Arabism or Arab Unity.
13.Discuss the attraction of Islam in prison populations and efforts at deradicalization.
14.Explain the difference between Appearance vs. Behavior profiling.

Prerequisites: None

Course Length: 2 days / 14 hours

Who May Attend:Law Enforcement, Intelligence, Analysts, Military, Corrections, Prosecution