Current Events 3

On Monday India and the United States announced that negotiations between the two countries giving rights to India to reprocess spent nuclear fuel, went well. The agreement has the potential for billions of dollars.

In the world today, many nations are concern with nuclear power. It is important that nations try to keep civil relations so not to create conflicts.

Current Events 2

On Wednesday, two suicide bombers, including one dressed as a police officer killed at least 12 people and injured 18 others. The bombing took place in the southern Russian province of Dagestan. Nine police officers were among the victims killed.

This bombing is only a few days after the subway bombs that killed 39 in Moscow. Terrorism is something that effects people all over the world. It is important that Russia discover who is behind all of these attacks so to protect their people.

Current Events 1

Early Saturday, a South Korean naval ship sank, due to a hole torn in the bottom from an explosion. The incident occurred in the area of the Yellow Sea, where three disputes over the coast have happened in the last decade. The South Korean government is not blaming North Korea, but they are investigating the matter.

This could turn out to be nothing but, it also could spark a major conflict between the two nations. If the North really did attack this ship, South Korea will have a legitimate reason to attack the North.

Westernization, Imperialism, Nationalism, and Zionism in the Middle East

1. I think that the cause of the Middle East's dislike of the Western world comes from the way that they were treated in the past. After WWI, Britain and France did not come through on the promises that they made to the Middle Eastern nations. On top of that they stayed and controlled the land, and used their abundance of resources and the power of the Suez Canal to benefit themselves. The Europeans tried to bring their culture into the Middle East, and therefore rid the region of their original cultures. The treatment from the Europeans spurred many in the Middle East to show nationalism for their countries. The nationalism resulted in radical extremists, that are still present today, trying to finish what they started in the past: destroy the power in the Western world.

2. I believe that Imperialism is the cause of the Middle East's hatred towards the West. Westernization alone would not have caused this amount of issues, some nationalist leaders wanted for their nations to Westernize and advance. It is the fact that the Europeans chose to interfere on a greater scale. They were not satisfied wit trading with the Middle East, and spreading ideas, they had to have control over the trade, and resources the Middle East has to offer. By going about it in a way that they tried to make people of the Middle Easy feel inferior by controlling them, they fueled a huge revolt of extremists.

The Veil

Reading these articles on the "the veil" or essentially how many Muslim women dress, was really eye-opening. Before I always thought of it as a requirement, and one that takes away the rights of these women. Reading deeper into the subject really showed me how wrong I was, and how many other uninformed people there are. I think that it is fine for the women to wear the veil, as long as it is their choice. I personally don't interpret the Koran's teaching to the extent of what these women wear, but that doesn't make it wrong in any way. However, countries should not be able to force women to dress in any certain way; not wearing a nikab doesn't necessarily mean that you are being immodest, and breaking the laws of your Religion. It seems ironic in a way that western people, especially men, think that they are attempting to free Muslim women from their traditional way of dressing. Instead they are making it seem as though it is their responsibility to decide this, since they a men, who are stronger than these seemingly oppressed women, and far more educated and civilized than anyone from the Middle East. They say all of these things, even though they are the uneducated ones, who are trying to make these decisions for the women. I think that the most disturbing thing I learned through all of this would not be anything involving the nikab directly, but the way it is perceived so wrongly, in the Western World.

Not a Clash of Religions

1.
I completely with what is presented in the article. In America, I think many people have lost site of the importance of religion in life. Instead people care about money, power, how they look, and how they are received by others. What the Muslims say is true, the Idols of American culture are now cars and houses, and clothes. It appears this way to outsiders, as well as many Americans.

2.
However, I don't believe that Osama Bin Laden is justifies in his claims. Although what he says is true, it is not his responsibility to "fix" America, or to attack us for the way that many of our citizens chose to live their lives. We are no trying to turn the Muslims, or followers of any other religion, away from their principles, so the danger that Osama Bin Laden hopes to eliminate doesn't even exist.

Who deserves the Holy Land?

My opinion is that the Jew deserve the Holy Land. They have been there the longest, and even when they left, they returned. Out of the three religions we have discussed, Judaism was developed first, and so they have the Claim to the Holy Land. I also think it is important that the Jews have the holy land, because they are not welcome in some places around the world. Throughout history, Judaism is probably the race that has suffered from discrimination the most. It is for this reason that I feel they need the Holy Land as somewhat as a haven, and right now that is not at all what it is.