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Jun. 22nd, 2008 02:20 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
leaveoutalltherestI've been procratinating on doing my assignments for class this week, mostly because the majority of my class is made up of small-minded, 'Christianity is the ONLY way' bigots that make me want to reach through the internet and rip their skulls out to use as yard decorations.
Anyway, this weeks Discussion topic and my answers.
want to talk about the questions raised in the lecture. Refer to your text, to the websites you found and to current events.
What role did the West play in the problems in the Middle East? What responsibility do we have in solving those problems? Which problems are not of our own making? Is there something about Christianity that has influenced the attitude in the West that they are responsible for solving the problems that they did not create? How much does the Islamic faith play in the problems between the Arab world and the rest of the world? Who is interpreting the Qu''ran more correctly, the liberals, moderates or fundamentalists? Are the terrorists right or are those fighting terrorism right?
1) The West played a very fundamental role in the problems in the Middle East. Both sides have reached far beyond their boundaries in order to spread their religion to others and gain new terroritories, and they have done this for centuries. (Fisher, pgs 322 & 406) The cultures have clashed more than once, and with many violent and bloody wars. ( http://www.npr.org/news/specials/mideast/the_west/ ) Until recently, the Christianity has maintained a larger following than Islam outside of the Middle East, but both cultures managed to remain separate and apart. With the technological advancements that have been made, not to mention the Western military occupation of parts of the Middle East ( http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=3865983 ), more and more of the secular traditions of the west have been influencing the attitudes and behaviors of those in the Middle East. Because of this, religious leaders and other religious like minded individuals of Islam are seeking a way to banish these influences from their people.
2) I don't feel that we have any responsibility in solving the basic problem, which is the influence due to technology and other venues. This is something the religious leaders need to address with their people, that parents need to address with children and so forth.
3) The West, particularly the US government, seems to have decided it's the world's keeper. We continually step in to 'assist' other countries with situations in their regions, sometimes without being asked to and often times despite the protests of that country. ( http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/3314349.stm ) Whether this is due to actual religious reasons or just part of the West's history of expansion is debatable.
4) I don't believe that the Islamic faith actually is the problem between the Arab world and the rest of the world. It's the rest of the world's interpretation of the actions and words of the Islamic fanatics and terrorists that is the problem.
5) I believe the liberals and the moderates are interpreting the Qu'ran correctly, while the fundamentalists take the message to the extreme.
6) Terrorists, no matter what their cause, are never right. These are detemined and dangerous people who will do anything to further their cause and destroy their enemy, even at the cost of innocent lives. On the other hand, those fighting terrorism can be wrong as well, when the fight moves beyond the point of bringing terrorists to justice and evolves into taking over another culture completely.
Anyway, this weeks Discussion topic and my answers.
want to talk about the questions raised in the lecture. Refer to your text, to the websites you found and to current events.
What role did the West play in the problems in the Middle East? What responsibility do we have in solving those problems? Which problems are not of our own making? Is there something about Christianity that has influenced the attitude in the West that they are responsible for solving the problems that they did not create? How much does the Islamic faith play in the problems between the Arab world and the rest of the world? Who is interpreting the Qu''ran more correctly, the liberals, moderates or fundamentalists? Are the terrorists right or are those fighting terrorism right?
1) The West played a very fundamental role in the problems in the Middle East. Both sides have reached far beyond their boundaries in order to spread their religion to others and gain new terroritories, and they have done this for centuries. (Fisher, pgs 322 & 406) The cultures have clashed more than once, and with many violent and bloody wars. ( http://www.npr.org/news/specials/mideast/the_west/ ) Until recently, the Christianity has maintained a larger following than Islam outside of the Middle East, but both cultures managed to remain separate and apart. With the technological advancements that have been made, not to mention the Western military occupation of parts of the Middle East ( http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=3865983 ), more and more of the secular traditions of the west have been influencing the attitudes and behaviors of those in the Middle East. Because of this, religious leaders and other religious like minded individuals of Islam are seeking a way to banish these influences from their people.
2) I don't feel that we have any responsibility in solving the basic problem, which is the influence due to technology and other venues. This is something the religious leaders need to address with their people, that parents need to address with children and so forth.
3) The West, particularly the US government, seems to have decided it's the world's keeper. We continually step in to 'assist' other countries with situations in their regions, sometimes without being asked to and often times despite the protests of that country. ( http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/3314349.stm ) Whether this is due to actual religious reasons or just part of the West's history of expansion is debatable.
4) I don't believe that the Islamic faith actually is the problem between the Arab world and the rest of the world. It's the rest of the world's interpretation of the actions and words of the Islamic fanatics and terrorists that is the problem.
5) I believe the liberals and the moderates are interpreting the Qu'ran correctly, while the fundamentalists take the message to the extreme.
6) Terrorists, no matter what their cause, are never right. These are detemined and dangerous people who will do anything to further their cause and destroy their enemy, even at the cost of innocent lives. On the other hand, those fighting terrorism can be wrong as well, when the fight moves beyond the point of bringing terrorists to justice and evolves into taking over another culture completely.