This is an account of how Islam gained control of Spain. It is admitted that both fact and myth are mixed together in this account which was written about 150 years after it happened. There are no accounts of the Islamic conquest of Spain that are known to be totally accurate. This legend states that Tarik was in command of an army. Tarik be-friended Ilyan, Lord of Septa. Ilyan was a subject of Roderic, king of Spain. Ilyan sent one of his daughters to Roderic to be educated but she became pregnant by him. Ilyan wanted revenge on Roderik and helped Tarik invade Spain. On the island of Umm-Hakim the Moslems took the vinedressers captive and butchered one of them and boiled his flesh. They also boiled meat. They threw away the flesh of the man when no one was looking and ate the meat, but the other prisoners thought that the Moslems ate human flesh. Roderoc was defeated and Spain was conquered.
Many people wonder if the reason for the conquest was really Ilyan wanting revenge against Roderic. Many suspect that the Muslim people wanted to enlarge their territory. Perhaps Ilyan wanted the throne as well. As the Muslims conquered many countries, they were much more generous to the people they conquered than other rulers in the past.
The portion of the reading that stood out to me was the portion about the Moslems making it look like they feasted on human flesh to intimidate the other prisoners. While some sources say the Moslems were more generous to captive people than others in the past, this suggestion of having the reputation of eating human flesh seems less than gentle (whether they did it or not). The part of the Jihad to wage war on unbelievers with the sword is a less than gentle approach.
At the very beginning of the reading it says that they were waging holy war. I wanted to find out more about this, and I looked into what this really refers to. Non-Muslims often translate the term jihad as holy war, but Islamic people want people to know these terms are not the same. The Quran never uses the term jihad for fighting and combat in the name of Allah. Jihad is a term meaning a struggle of any kind, whether it be internal, religious, violent, etc. There are many misunderstandings about jihad and "holy war". Many Muslims claim that the greatest jihad is an internal struggle to live the Muslim life and that violence and terrorism are not their goals. However, there are others who say that to wage war on unbelievers is the highest form of jihad and should be pursued.
In current times Islamic people have come to be viewed as a dangerous militant minority that could disrupt society through terrorism. Some articles say that Muslims will fight for world domination, and that they expect to be dominant in Europe within thirty years and become the largest religion in the world during that time. Mosques are being erected all over the United States more and more as well. If non-Muslims will be viewed as infidels, then this potential spread could be very dangerous. Just as Islam was conquering in the past, they are still trying to conquer today.
Sources:
Text book
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Umayyad_conquest_of_Hispania
http://www.sunnahonline.com/ilm/seerah/0075_popup9.htm
http://www.bbc.co.uk/religion/religions/islam/history/spain_1.shtml
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jihad
http://www.cqpress.com/context/articles/epr_islam.html
http://blogs.christianpost.com/christianity/2010/07/countering-the-spread-of-islam-08/
Friday, February 24, 2012
Thursday, February 9, 2012
Early History of the Hellenes
This reading describes the development and progression of the Hellenes. Hellas was not a settled country in ancient times. Rather, the people migrated, and were continuously vulnerable to attack and overthrow from other people groups. There was no accumulation of wealth or commerce. When people were successful because of good land, people fought over the power that could be acquired. If the land was poor, then the people did not fight, because there was nothing to fight over. Hellen and his sons became powerful in Phthiotis, and eventually the people called themselves after this name. Other parts of the development were as follows: Minos established the first navy. Piracy was a constant threat, and people carried weapons at all times because of the danger. The Athenians were the first to put down their weapons and adopt an easier and more luxurious way of life. The shores began to consist of walled towns to be protected from pirates, and these coast populations began to acquire wealth and become more settled. The climax is the Peloponnesian War in which Athens is overthrown by Sparta.
Thucydides, the author of this reading, is an Ancient Greek historian of the fifth century B.C. He suggests that a change in hierarchy of weaker states does not really affect the stability of the overall system. However, when stronger states are fighting for power, then instability and disaster can occur. This is what happened with the great power of Athens rising and intimidating Sparta. People continue to look back on the Peloponnesian War and learn from its principles of power and hierarchy.
An interesting part of this account is that the Hellenes and other coastal barbarians were tempted to become pirates. They were becoming more accustomed to the ways of the sea, and becoming pirates and plundering vulnerable cities and villages would be a good way to provide for their own needs, and help support the needy. The unusual aspect is that apparently in these times being a pirate, and doing these things, was an honorable occupation, and not a disgraceful one. I cannot imagine plundering cities and villages being an honorable thing. Perhaps whoever could acquire the resources they needed were respected and honored. Perhaps the honor was given based on a "survival of the fittest" attitude. If you needed to take someone else's resources to survive, then so be it.
The development and settling of a people group causes me to think about what we are learning and discussing in my anthropology class. The Hellenes migrated a great deal, and carried weapons to protect themselves in their vulnerability. They eventually became familiar with the ways of the sea, and acquired more wealth. They eventually became a settled people, but it took awhile. All people groups have to endure that process in some way or another to survive. Whether it is tribal people in the Amazon Rainforest, settlers traveling to a new land, or the Hellenes, each people group must be in a location where there is enough food, where they can have some form of protection, shelter, and other resources. Without these basic needs a people group cannot survive. The determining factor of who is the most powerful is who is the most successful at this quest. The people group that is doing the best job at producing abundant food, having shelter for all its people, protecting its people, and effectively using resources will be the most powerful. I never really thought about the acquiring of power in this way before.
The struggle that ultimately occurred between Athens and Sparta reminds me of the struggle between the Soviet Union and America. The Peloponnesian War seems to parallel the Cold War very much. In the very beginning of the Hellenes, if people started becoming successful they fought over the power. This principle holds true at every level. When powers rise, conflicts often emerge. When certain nations rise in power, it makes other nations nervous. Iran’s nuclear powers, and China’s potential to be a global power, are things that make America nervous. Mankind will always struggle over power. Adam and Eve wanted to be “like God”, so they disobeyed God and sinned. Man wanted a higher position of power. It is how man began, and man will always struggle with this temptation.
Thucydides, the author of this reading, is an Ancient Greek historian of the fifth century B.C. He suggests that a change in hierarchy of weaker states does not really affect the stability of the overall system. However, when stronger states are fighting for power, then instability and disaster can occur. This is what happened with the great power of Athens rising and intimidating Sparta. People continue to look back on the Peloponnesian War and learn from its principles of power and hierarchy.
An interesting part of this account is that the Hellenes and other coastal barbarians were tempted to become pirates. They were becoming more accustomed to the ways of the sea, and becoming pirates and plundering vulnerable cities and villages would be a good way to provide for their own needs, and help support the needy. The unusual aspect is that apparently in these times being a pirate, and doing these things, was an honorable occupation, and not a disgraceful one. I cannot imagine plundering cities and villages being an honorable thing. Perhaps whoever could acquire the resources they needed were respected and honored. Perhaps the honor was given based on a "survival of the fittest" attitude. If you needed to take someone else's resources to survive, then so be it.
The development and settling of a people group causes me to think about what we are learning and discussing in my anthropology class. The Hellenes migrated a great deal, and carried weapons to protect themselves in their vulnerability. They eventually became familiar with the ways of the sea, and acquired more wealth. They eventually became a settled people, but it took awhile. All people groups have to endure that process in some way or another to survive. Whether it is tribal people in the Amazon Rainforest, settlers traveling to a new land, or the Hellenes, each people group must be in a location where there is enough food, where they can have some form of protection, shelter, and other resources. Without these basic needs a people group cannot survive. The determining factor of who is the most powerful is who is the most successful at this quest. The people group that is doing the best job at producing abundant food, having shelter for all its people, protecting its people, and effectively using resources will be the most powerful. I never really thought about the acquiring of power in this way before.
The struggle that ultimately occurred between Athens and Sparta reminds me of the struggle between the Soviet Union and America. The Peloponnesian War seems to parallel the Cold War very much. In the very beginning of the Hellenes, if people started becoming successful they fought over the power. This principle holds true at every level. When powers rise, conflicts often emerge. When certain nations rise in power, it makes other nations nervous. Iran’s nuclear powers, and China’s potential to be a global power, are things that make America nervous. Mankind will always struggle over power. Adam and Eve wanted to be “like God”, so they disobeyed God and sinned. Man wanted a higher position of power. It is how man began, and man will always struggle with this temptation.
Sources:
Text Book
Thursday, February 2, 2012
When on High
This is a very interesting Babylonian creation story. Unlike the Christian story of creation, there are many gods involved. The creation of the world starts off where there is no material form to anything in the universe, and a male and a female god came about in this formless state. Apsu is the male god, and Tiamat is the female god. Mummu seems to also be apart right from the beginning as well. Apsu means sweet primeval waters, and Tiamat means salt primeval waters. Sweet and salt water come together at the merging of the Tigris and Euphrates rivers, which is where the origin of Mesopotamian civilization occurs. (This is interesting because we are starting off studying the early Mesopotamia civilization.) Mummu means maker. Next Lahmu and Lahamu come about, and their names mean slime, mud, and silt. From these two gods come Anshar, which means whole sky, and Kishar, which means whole earth. Anshar and Kishar come together to make Anu, the sky god. He produces Ea, which means image fashioner.
Ea begins to stir up trouble, and Apsu becomes angry, but Tiamat does not seem to mind. However, after awhile, Apsu and Mummu go before Tiamat and suggest that they destroy Ea. Tiamat is troubled by this and does not agree. Apsu and Mummu plan to destroy the younger gods anyway. However, Ea overhears the plots to destroy him, and puts a spell on Apsu and Mummu, causing Apsu to fall asleep and Mummu to be unable to move. Ea killed Apsu and captured Mummu. Then Marduk is born to Ea and his wife, Daminka. Marduk means son-of-the-sun. Marduk is more powerful than his father and impressive in appearance.
The other gods go to Tiamat complaining about Marduk, and saying she did not stand to defend her husband Apsu or Mummu. Tiamat goes to battle against Marduk, but Marduk prevails and Tiamat is destroyed. Marduk decides to create a savage man, who will be "charged with the service of the gods". Ea suggests that the god who caused Tiamat to rebel should be killed in order to make the savage man. Kingu is the one who caused the uprising, so they killed him and made mankind out of him. He was used to "let free the gods".
I thought it was very interesting that Apsu and Mummu wanted to destroy the other gods, which were his sons, but Tiamat did not. Tiamat said, "What? Should we destroy what we have built? Their ways are indeed troublesome, but let us attend kindly!" Tiamat wanted to be gracious and merciful, and not destroy her own children. These two gods were the original gods according to this story. One wanted to destroy what he had created, the other did not. This concept caused me to think about God, the Christian, biblical God. When God decided to destroy mankind except for Noah and his family, or when He destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah, or even when He allowed His one and only son, Jesus, to be sacrificed for the world's sin, I am sure that God did not want to destroy his creation, or allow His son to be crucified, but because of His justice and wrath against sin, He knew it was the right thing to do.
This creation story seems to have modern parallels with monarchies. In the creation story, certain gods are more powerful than others, and that power seems to stay in the same "family" of gods. Ea is the most powerful god and defeats Apsu and Mummu. He then gives birth to Marduk who is even more powerful. He then defeats Tiamat and continues to reign. This family of gods is clearly in charge and in power. Throughout history and even currently, some nations are ruled by monarchies. All the power remains and in the same family, and rulers often rule for a lifetime.
Source: http://faculty.gvsu.edu/websterm/Enuma_Elish.html
Ea begins to stir up trouble, and Apsu becomes angry, but Tiamat does not seem to mind. However, after awhile, Apsu and Mummu go before Tiamat and suggest that they destroy Ea. Tiamat is troubled by this and does not agree. Apsu and Mummu plan to destroy the younger gods anyway. However, Ea overhears the plots to destroy him, and puts a spell on Apsu and Mummu, causing Apsu to fall asleep and Mummu to be unable to move. Ea killed Apsu and captured Mummu. Then Marduk is born to Ea and his wife, Daminka. Marduk means son-of-the-sun. Marduk is more powerful than his father and impressive in appearance.
The other gods go to Tiamat complaining about Marduk, and saying she did not stand to defend her husband Apsu or Mummu. Tiamat goes to battle against Marduk, but Marduk prevails and Tiamat is destroyed. Marduk decides to create a savage man, who will be "charged with the service of the gods". Ea suggests that the god who caused Tiamat to rebel should be killed in order to make the savage man. Kingu is the one who caused the uprising, so they killed him and made mankind out of him. He was used to "let free the gods".
I thought it was very interesting that Apsu and Mummu wanted to destroy the other gods, which were his sons, but Tiamat did not. Tiamat said, "What? Should we destroy what we have built? Their ways are indeed troublesome, but let us attend kindly!" Tiamat wanted to be gracious and merciful, and not destroy her own children. These two gods were the original gods according to this story. One wanted to destroy what he had created, the other did not. This concept caused me to think about God, the Christian, biblical God. When God decided to destroy mankind except for Noah and his family, or when He destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah, or even when He allowed His one and only son, Jesus, to be sacrificed for the world's sin, I am sure that God did not want to destroy his creation, or allow His son to be crucified, but because of His justice and wrath against sin, He knew it was the right thing to do.
This creation story seems to have modern parallels with monarchies. In the creation story, certain gods are more powerful than others, and that power seems to stay in the same "family" of gods. Ea is the most powerful god and defeats Apsu and Mummu. He then gives birth to Marduk who is even more powerful. He then defeats Tiamat and continues to reign. This family of gods is clearly in charge and in power. Throughout history and even currently, some nations are ruled by monarchies. All the power remains and in the same family, and rulers often rule for a lifetime.
Source: http://faculty.gvsu.edu/websterm/Enuma_Elish.html
Subscribe to:
Comments (Atom)