Abstract This paper examines the book "Clay v. United States: MuhammadAli Objects to War", written by Suzanne Freedman. It outlines reasons Ali refused to be drafted, the actual court process and the impact the courts decision had on the nation.
From the Paper "The problem with the United States is that it always seems to become involved in events in which it has no place to be in. The Government seems to stick their nose where it doesn?t belong all too often. For many Americans one of these cases happened when the U.S. became involved in the Vietnam War. The Vietnam War was the first war that the U.S. was involved in that the general public did not agree to support or condemn it. The book Clay v. United States: Muhammad Ali Objects to War, written by Suzanne Freedman, describes one of the problems created by this "split" in the American public, the draft. For the entirety of the war there was always skeptics about what the U.S. was actually doing there. The Selective Service Act outraged many of Americans because of the opinion of the war. To show their disapproval of the war many refused to be drafted. Cassius Clay, a.k.a. Muhammad Ali, was one of these people but for different reasons."
Abstract In this article, the writer discusses the life of MuhammadAli. The writer looks at how Ali influenced other African Americans of his time. By learning how he has accomplished this, the writer shows through the lens of history how he was perceived in this great academy of athletes in American sports tradition, who fought for race rights in America.
An examination of the social and political themes in the writings of Palestinian poet Taha MuhammadAli, Israeli poet Aharon Shabtai and Turkish poet Ozkan Mert.
Abstract This paper discusses contemporary Middle Eastern writers and the way that they typically approach social and political themes in their writings. The paper specifically focuses on Palestinian poet Taha MuhammadAli, the Israeli poet Aharon Shabtai, and the Turkish poet Ozkan Mert, and how they each give voice to the suffering and protests they feel in their poetry, attempting to redeem their negative sentiments and experiences through language and art.
From the Paper "As I see it, the relationship art and the world's social and political scenes has always been a difficult one. The language of poetry may seem to many a force that, in a way, alienates the reader from the immediate experience of reality. The words seem to clinch the meaning behind the state or the event described and then to reveal it entirely differently to the audience. Nevertheless, good poetry is like a transparent veil, through which we can see directly into the heart of things. It is very hard to state just exactly the limit between description and creation in a work of art. Even when art talks about well known events or feelings, it always seems to have much more than a descriptive value, reaching somewhere behind what is immediately known and always disclosing a secret. In many of their works, the Middle Eastern writers are concerned with the exact same thing: when they write about war or murder, they show us the unknown sides of these events. The attempt to voice these atrocities gives birth to an aesthetics which is all the more bemusing as it tears open the inside of crime, sin, hatred and the feelings they compel us to experience. Moreover, no matter its subject art is always the creation of beauty. As Muhammad Ali put it, "art is worthless unless it plants a measure of splendor in people's hearts" (Lehrer), that is, art can awaken and teach emotion and beauty."
Abstract This paper reviews the novel "Brick Lane" by Monica Ali. This is the story of a Bengali woman who grows up surrounded by superstition and the belief in fate. The paper describes her development as she raises her own family in London and attempts to shed her superstitious belief system.
From the Paper "Learning from her sister that their mother chose suicide, Nazneen becomes able to embrace her strength. In her new found freedom, Nazneen has defied fate and made her own choices, and has not been punished or met death over it. Living in London has expanded her thinking, and her perspectives shift as she sheds her superstitious upbringing It has become clear to her that when a person depends solely on Fate, she possesses no power of her own to change anything. Her husband, as a highly educated man, could not make a happy life for himself where so much autonomy of choice keeps him confused and angry. In India, where there was not as much freedom and wealth, people are forced to rely on fate and their religious beliefs to be able to handle the rough parts of their lives. We can assume Nazneen's children will decide their own fates as they grow up, following their mother's example. Nazneen overcomes incredibly deep programming to make this major shift in her life, but she is happy, and dances in her autonomy."
This essay examines and analyzes Muhammad's influence in the founding of the Islamic Empire. It also describes patterns and draws conclusions on the four historical phases of Islamic history that followed his death, up to the mid-20th century.
3,530 words (approx. 14.1 pages), 4 sources, 2002, $ 99.95
Abstract This paper traces the path of the prophet Muhammad. It traces his life, teachings and the history surrounding Islam and Arab History.
Muhammad is rightly recognized as one of the most influential persons in history. His strong character and the astute political and spiritual leadership he provided helped shape an amazing age of human progress and unify most of the Arab world with a creed that has lasted over a thousand years.
From the paper:
"In addition to arriving at a time when political and religious weaknesses were present in the Middle East, Muhammad was also able to capitalize on the need for linguistic unity during this period of history. There was no dominant language used throughout the Arabian Peninsula, only various dialects of Arabic, but Muhammad brought a common language forth through Islam. While not requiring citizens of his expanding empire to become Muslims, he did insist that the Quran and God's messages had been given to him in the Arabic language. The Quran was the first book to written in Arabic and Muslims believed it was the language in which it had been revealed; thus it had a huge impact on Islamic history and the cultural growth in the empire.
Tags: arab, east, islam, middle, mohammad, muhammad, muslim, quran, god, teachings, world, war, II, penninsula, ottoman, turks
Abstract This paper presents an in-depth examination of Muhammad from an Islamic perspective. In particular, the author focuses on Muhammad's role in the creation of the Holy Quran, his influence related to Muslim beliefs and practices and his role in the creation and dissemination of the Five Pillars of Islam, namely, faith, daily prayer, the giving of alms, fasting during the month of Ramadan and the pilgrimage to Mecca. The author describes Muhammad's first religious experience and how he spread this message to the masses. Additionally, the importance of the Islamic belief in one God is also emphasized along with other Muslim outlooks, such as the importance of family. The paper also gives a brief religious history of Islam, including many of the initial conflicts with the pagan religions of the Arabian peninsula. The author concludes that Muhammad was the"interpreter" of the Holy Quran and he transformed an entire culture from one of pagan traditions to the belief in one God.
From the Paper "As a human being, Muhammad considered marriage and family as the foundation for all things related to man's existence on earth. When Muhammad was about twenty-five years old, he married a woman named Khadija who owned a trading caravan in which the young Muhammad was hired to assist with the daily activities related to the selling, bartering and trading of a wide range of goods from all over the Middle East. At the time of her marriage to Muhammad, Khadija was forty years old and possibly had children from an earlier marriage. As husband and wife, Muhammad and Khadija bore seven children. In 619 A.D., Khadija died from an unknown illness; soon after, Muhammad married for the second time. However, at this point in his life, ..."
Abstract This paper explains that the British comedy "The Ali G Show" revolves around four interviews by three different characters played by the Baron Cohen: Ali G, Borat and Bruno. The author points out that each of the characters come from different countries, have different cultural backgrounds and interests and usually target different aspects of the American society. The paper relates that the goal of the show is to emphasize different underlying traits of the American society and how the influences of the American modern culture are impacting the rest of the world.
From the Paper "This brings us back to Ali G, the character coagulating the entire show. As a hip hop TV show host, I think that Ali G wants to bring together the stereotypes that the other two characters have sought and met throughout the US and summarize the cultural impact of the US culture as simply a culture of ignorant hip-hopers. Ali G is a "completely illiterate, wannabe gangsta, from this streets of Stains, England" who discovers America by being ignorant. By this, Cohen plays into bringing forth the ignorant characteristics of the Americans themselves, in his view. "
Abstract According to Maya Angelou's "Champion of the World," Joe Louis became an icon because he changed the concept of what it meant to be an American and for many he represented the American Dream. Similarly, Mohammed Ali achieved greatness and managed to overcome many of the obstacles facing him during this uneasy and turbulent period in American history to become such an American icon. This paper provides an analysis and a comparison of these two individuals and what factors contributed to their success and the part they played in providing role models for American children. A summary of the research is provided in the conclusion.
From the Paper "The period during which Joe Louis and Mohammed Ali rose to fame was a difficult time for blacks in general (Stone 2000:100). During this period in American history, many white Americans actually believed that "separate but equal" facilities for African-Americans were appropriate and equitable. In this America, African-Americans were not only different, they were not entitled to use the same restrooms, the same drinking fountains, indeed the same schools as whites because they were inferior to whites. However, Joe Louis and Mohammed Ali served as clear examples that this was simply not the case."
Abstract The paper relates that Muhammad was a monotheist who preached against the polytheism of the Meccan religion. This aroused the hostility of the merchant leaders of his native city who derived their wealth from pilgrimages to Mecca and its surrounding cities. The author points out that the early Muslim community and its Prophet Muhammad believed that the people of the early Muslim community could trace their contract with Allah (Jehovah) back to the Jewish Patriarch Abraham; however, the Muslims believed that God commanded Abraham to sacrifice Ishmael instead of Isaac. The paper relates that it may not be an accident that the Qur'an has two distinct voices because, in Mecca, Muhammad was a rebel but in Medina he was head of state; the early Meccan verses, which were those recited while his new religion was being formed, are concern mainly religious dogma; while as, in the Medina verses, Allah took a surprisingly detailed interest in the day-to-day problems of Muhammad's community.
From the Paper "Few other religions sanction a man's beating a disobedient wife, as does the Qur'an. But other rules, such as his ban on a woman's being "inherited" as chattel by her late husband's eldest son, were decidedly progressive for the era and remained so relative to the West until the twentieth century. While Allah in his revelations to Muhammad limited to four the number of wives a man could take -- excluding God's Messenger, of course, who was permitted to marry for reasons of state and had at least nine wives (at least one of them a converted Jew) and a Christian concubine when he died -- he did not restrict the number of a man's concubines or slaves. (Slavery in Saudi Arabia was abolished de jure only in 1962). But Allah required that men treat their wives equally, that women retain their own wealth, and that they be permitted under certain conditions to ask a judge to order their husbands to divorce them (men could end marriages at will) -- all progressive measures compared to the practices of pre-Islmaic society, the jahiliyya."
Abstract This paper analyzes the life story of Muhammad according to the rites-of-passage model of Arnold van Gennep and Victor Turner, the relationship between the life story of Muhammad, and some of the key principles of Islamic cosmology and the ways in which Muhammad's life story might be linked to the cosmological traditions of the religions out of which Islam emerged.
From the Paper "The rites-of-passage model, explained by Victor Turner, "indicate and constitute transitions between states" of ?relatively fixed or stable conditions.? This model contains three phases, pre-liminal, liminal, and post-liminal characterized by certain transitional traits: during the pre-liminal phase the individual or group ?comprises symbolic behavior signifying detachment from an earlier fixed point in the social structure or a set of cultural conditions;? during the liminal phase ?the state of the ritual subject is ambiguous; he passes through a realm that has few or none of the attributes of the past or coming state;? and during the post-liminal ?the passage is consummated.? "
Abstract This paper examines Muhammad and the Islamic faith with the help of the book "Muhammad: A Biography of the Prophet" by Karen Armstrong. The paper explains that contrary to Western belief, Jihad does not mean "holy war", instead it means "to struggle" and refers to the struggle that every Muslim must make in order to live a peaceful and good life. The paper looks at Muhammad's revelations, which would become the Qu'ran. The paper then discusses the history of Islam and points out the differences between the three Abrahamic faiths. The writer believes that the book is written in a very non bias way and gives us in the West the true portrayal of the man who we have misunderstood for centuries.
From the Paper "Muhammad was portrayed as the Anti-Christ and Islam as a religion of the devil. This view of Islam has changed little since then and this is the source of the Islamic bias we find so prevalent in the West today. Although today anti-western feeling might seem a basic part of the Muslim ideal, historically it is a very new development. Most Muslims remained unaware of the West until just over 200 years ago. Even during the Crusades, which were a very important of Western history and identity, the majority of the Islamic world was unaffected by them. Though Muslims of the near East were deeply impacted, the Muslims of the Islamic heartland, namely Iraq and Iran, were entirely unaffected and viewed the Crusades as simply remote border incidents."
Abstract This paper explains that, as an historical figure, Muhammad stands out as one of the greatest religious leaders of all time, comparable to Jesus Christ, Buddha and Zoroaster. The author points out that, as an historical figure and a human being, Muhammad was not some unearthly spirit from another domain; he was simply a man who wished to help his people by spreading the message of Allah. The paper concludes that the prophet Muhammad is the quintessential Middle Eastern religious leader because of his position as the interpreter of the Holy Quran and his ability to transform an entire culture from one of pagan worship to the adoration of one God, the all-loving Allah.
From the Paper "And since the angle Gabriel is seen as the conduit for the words of Allah as they are found in the Holy Quran, Muhammad firmly believed that angels were "spiritual beings whose entire role is to serve Allah." For Muhammad, it was clear that all of man's knowledge could not be limited to what can be perceived with the human senses, meaning that "there are things that we cannot know through the senses, the very idea expressed by Muhammad in the Holy Quran.""
Abstract This paper compares and contrasts the three founders of the three monotheistic religions that came out of the Middle East: Moses, Jesus and Muhammad. The author points out that Judaism is ethnic in its characters. The paper describes Christianity as institutional; whereas, Islam tends toward universality.
From the Paper "An important part of Max Weber's sociological work was devoted to the religious origins of human society. Overarching the creative human enterprise in Weber's view is the tendency toward making the universe increasingly thinkable or as he characterized it ..."
Tags: Moses, Jesus, Muhammad, Muhammad, Judaism, Christianity, Islam
Abstract This paper examines how Abul-Waleed Muhammad Ibn Rushd (1126-1198 C.E), also known as Averroes, is regarded by many as one of the foremost Islamic philosophers and a pivotal figure in the history of Andalusian philosophy. He is also deemed an important figure in the history of Western philosophy. It looks at how an important contribution to Islamic culture and philosophy was his defense of Greek philosophy in the Islamic world as well as his emphasis on the philosophy of Aristotle. Ibn Rushd is credited with the introduction of "rationalism" into Islamic philosophy and believed that the central motivation for the search for truth lay in the search for an awareness of the "oneness of God the Almighty". His contribution to Islamic and world knowledge lay in his insistence that philosophy and religious thought should be integrated in an attempt to understand the truth of existence.
From the Paper "Abul-Waleed Muhammad Ibn Rushd was born in Cordova, Spain in 520 A.H. or 1128 C.E. He came from a well?known judicial family and both his father and grandfather were judges. His family was also well-known for their scholarship. He studied religious law, medicine, mathematics, and philosophy. Ibn Rushd was appointed as judge in Seville at the age of forty-four. He wrote commentaries on the works of Aristotle, including the Metaphysics. After serving as a judge in Cordova he was called to Marrakech to work as a physician for the Caliph there. On his return to Cordova he was appointed as Chief Judge. Ibn Rushd was interested in philosophy and logic and was intent on integrating philosophy and religion in many of his works."
Abstract Long before the events of September 11th made Islam a topic of debate in the Presidential elections and Arabic one of the 'must learn' languages for college graduates wishing to study international relations or enter the military, Martin Lings wrote a book upon the life of the prophet who founded the third major religious tradition of the modern world, after Judaism and Christianity in chronological fashion. This paper shows how Lings bases his book upon early sources. Although his biography evolves in a story-like fashion, told in modern English, he is anxious at all times to cross-reference all of his sources with early and contemporary accounts of the leader, as well as provide a modern coherence and 'gloss' upon the chronology of Muhammad's life for Western readers. The paper, in particular, discusses the locations Medina and Mecca in Lings' book.
From the Paper "The spiritual power of this pilgrimage should not be underestimated. It has affected the spiritual development of many Muslims up to this present day. Malcolm X, shortly before his death in 1964, said that the pilgrimage to Mecca in Arabia helped him see that Caucasian individuals could be good, as he worshiped with blue-eyed and blond haired Muslims, Arabs, and Africans. Mecca has become the holy site of Islam, although historically Medina is equally important, as it provided a consolidating base to generate followers, solidify his political following of authority and leadership, and to rally support against his opposition in his home city of Mecca."
