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Reading through chapters 19-21 and specifically chapter 20, which mostly talks about World War I, II the Holocust, Hiroshima etc.., made me wonder if the history of wars is repeating itself today?   In many places in the world today yes there is still fighting and killing going on as well as other wars such as political, economic, cultural, equality, homosexuality and racism still going on even here in the United States. I spent all my childhood years living in a country filled with civil war horrors, lived with uncertainty every single day wondering whether my family and I will be alive the next day, find food to eat or even go back to school some day.   Those readings brought back memories of pain and suffering of human beings who lived and survived genocides, wars, holocaust etc..   Wouldn't it be nice to wake up one day and find out that this world we are living in is all peaceful now: free of racism, prejudice, wars, genocide and so on. As we look back to the w...

Education and Religion in the Colonial Era I was very interested in the section about education and religion because I related some of the ideas to the world today. Education is encouraged by society today as it was in the colonial era. Furthermore, education in the colonial era was like a “magical power” (Strayer p. 628) to Asian and African societies that allowed these native races to be uplifted. For instance, it allowed some people to escape forced labor by obtaining better-paying positions. We see this same desire to achieve higher education in the contemporary world. For others, the knowledge of reading and writing gave social mobility and elite status. This was important for native races because it gave a chance of equality to form within to racially defined societies. Although, the number of minorities having access to education today has increased, many still struggle to pay for higher education because of the financial expenses. Even though people became educated, they ...

Muslims, Christians and Women in the Ottoman Empire     Each empire, for instance the Persian, Roman, Caliphate, China, and Byzantine all impacted the world by spreading religion, culture, and power. Most were formed by nomadic people who fought battles and conquered lands without having modern day weapons that today’s militias have today.   It did not surprise me what the Ottoman Empire has done over three centuries, wiping out much of the Middle East, North Africa and the Southeastern Europe to create and enlarge one of the largest and longest lasting Empires in the history of Islam.   The small Ottoman empire inspired and sustained by Islam was transformed into a powerful one c reated by Turkish tribes in Anatolia  that grew to be one of the most powerful empire in the world during the 15th and 16th centuries.   It replaced the Byzantine Empire as the major power in the Eastern Mediterranean.  The Ottoman Emp...

Muslim Rulers Few days ago I was talking to my niece about my world history class and chapter 9 specifically which talks about Arabia, Islam etc..She shared with me an article she read about The Pact of “Umar”.   The Pact of ‘Umar, is one of the documents produced by the Muslim rulers, which was used to keep the social hierarchy in place. Since Islam was considered the most modern form of monotheism, all non-Muslims—which were mostly Jews and Christians—were expected to follow their restrictions. The restrictions and privileges were composed into specific categories with a similar goal. As the Islamic Empire expanded across the Mediterranean, so did their status in the social hierarchy in society. Muslim rulers created specific guidelines for all non-Muslims to follow; thus placing themselves at the top of the hierarchy pyramid. Muslim rulers opposed non-Muslims to preach their faith because they believed that the Quran was the most accurate version of monotheism. This ...

The Messenger and the Message-Blog 4 I grew up in a Christian home and went to a catholic school and attended church almost every Sunday.   Every Friday, I used to hear the prayers coming out of a Mosque nearby my house and yet I never had a chance to visit one.    As a child I learned about Jesus and the Bible, and even though I had many Muslim friends, I never once asked them who Muhammad was and how they prayed.   In Lebanon, the general consent of the country was that Christians and Muslims co-existed because it was an accepted fact and there was no curiosity or interest about neither religion, “you have your religion and I have mine.”    Fortunately, living in America, gives you the perspective and the chance to really look beyond your own religion and culture and have the understanding and acceptance to other religions with no judgments. Muhammad’s birth brought a new value system and religious beliefs to the Arabia especially Mecca.   ...

The subordination of women has been a universal problem in the world’s history. As mentioned in our text, women of the Song dynasty were stripped away from their freedom. This was due to the rise of the patriarchal restrictions that was accompanied by a rapid economic growth and the return of Confucianism. The perception of women was shaped by various ideas such as women being a distraction to men and therefore should be kept separate in every domain life unless otherwise summoned. Foot binding was another extreme form of tightening patriarchy, which was involved tight wrapping of young girls’ feet. This practice often resulted in breaking the bones of the foot and causing extreme pain. Foot binding is disturbing to me, but for the people of the Song dynasty it was associated with feminine beauty and had a deeper meaning. The practice of foot binding was also used as a way to distinguish elite women from commoners and peasants, which was important because it enhanced marriage pro...