Week 11

Last week I watched a video about an Palestinian Massacre by Israeli militia.  The documentary is about the few Israeli families who can give a close an accurate account to what happened at Deir Yassin.  As the battle began early in the morning many Israeli woman and children had to flee for their lives out of the village.  From watching the video, the attack seemed to be an extremely violent and well thought out systematic murder of the Israeli  solely because they were not Jewish.  The video really gives a close and personal account of the massacre from survivors and witnesses of the execution of hundreds of people.  The website only gives on side of the struggle between the Palestinians and Israeli people, however subject to the issue and content of the website I feel the website obviously is done in this way to really express peoples sorrow for what happened.  Awareness of the atrocities from both the Palestinians and Israeli need to be publicized and analyzed so that they will stop fighting.  After watching To Live and Die in Jerusalem and now watching Deir Yassin Remembered, I feel that this war is utterly pointless between the two.  Its been realized through history that it takes time for divided cultures to co-exist, but someone needs to break this barrier and personal hatred for one another and unite as humans living together.  The problem is recognition of crimes committed against one another.  Its as simple as two kids in a fight where one simple needs to apologize for his companion to quickly forgive him with loving arms.

Week 10

During class we talked about Reza Shah, Mohammed Reza Shah and Mossadeq.  These leaders made reforms to Iran during the early 1900's.  We discussed the Arab struggle for Independence as well as the Authoritarian Reform in Turkey.  Its interesting to see that struggles that faced and crippled the Ottoman Empire, are causing the same future for many of the developing independent countries sprouting all over the Middle East after the empires collapse.  Turkey and Iran's dependency on European loans, manpower, and technology all steadily increase through out the century.  

Revolutions and reforms arise in these countries as citizens show their defiance to Europeans basically rapping their country.  The struggle to push for a constitution is an important as well as interesting action that occurred in Iran.  Its interesting to see through out history even in the Ottoman Empires past, that humans constantly fight for their idea of freedom. 

Week 9

Elif Shakfat's The Bastard of Istanbul tells the story of a young girl trying to find her identity in a family who's  two cultural back rounds struggle to co exist .  Shakfat's novel proclaims a powerful message, that a person can be proud of his or her culture, but must also realizes that everyone is related somehow if traced far back enough through time.  

Her novel's intent is to convey the idea that it is wrong for any culture to be at war with one another.  She argues that disputes from the past are carried through generations to the point where there is a cultural grudge that no longer has any reason to exist.  She expresses an inevitable truth that humans swiftly and strongly come together whenever they share a common enemy.  I really question my heritage and wish to trace my ancestry back to its origins.  I think if any individual does not feel complete in some sort of way and is searching for some sort of meaning in their lives, retracing ones own ancestry could really enrich ones life.

Week7

To Live and Die In Jerusalem

The film was a very emotional look into the personal lives of families from the Palestinian and Israeli perspective.  The movie shows brief glimpses of the problem of understanding by showing examples of how many people are misinformed and have clouded ideas about other cultures, nations, and individuals. The need for understanding between Christians, Muslims and Jews is at a critical moment in history.  All three religions believe in the same God, that this god does not allow or encourage murder and that every individual is part of his family.  Both families expressed their deep sadness and regret for the loss of their loved ones by mourning in their own way.  It was interesting to see that the Palestinian martyr's parents praise the courage of what their daughter did despite if it was right or wrong, because she saw and injustice happening to her people and sought out to help them.  It was sad to see that two families who are rivals with each other share such similar feelings, goals and aspirations.  Neither family wishes harm on another and both seem to be peaceful kind and god loving families.  Its sad that just due to a lack of communication and understanding that families, brothers and sisters are dying for a dispute and cause that seems irrelevant.  The families of Palestine and Israel as well as in any country that feels a need for violent action towards other humans, need to end the violence and bloodshed between each other and at least recognize where each sides anger and frustration is being originated.

Week 6

In regards to the attempts at reform in the Ottoman Empire during the late nineteenth century, I think it was a wise idea for the authority and the Sultan to realize that the citizens needs and ideas need to be preserved and protected.  A nation where citizens feel pride, they feel protected, and feel as though their ideas are cherished make a successful nation as well as a powerful and enduring one.  Of course conflicts of ideas and conflicts between nationality will always be present in attempting reform.  This sparked religious reaction as well.  The Ottoman reform wished to let people express their religion with freedom.  This willingness and openness was a major aide when taxation was enforced through out the empire.  When given freedom and fair treatment, religions were more willing to pay the taxes placed on them.

Week 5

This week during class we held a major discussion about our Zayni Barakat papers.  Many of the issues in the news today is the conflict in the Middle-East between Palestinians and the Israeli.  This is a conflict that arises when territory and leadership is not decided.  In Zayni Barakat the same problems arise for the Sultans rulers in Egypt.  The main focus of my paper was how leadership and authority of the Mamluks were the glue that held the empire together, especially in Egypt.  Like present day in the Middle-East some regions are inhabited by multi-cultural backgrounds each with their own set beliefs and ideas.  The Mamluks had to remain in charge while regulating many aspects of the civilians lives in order to keep the Sultans empire running smoothly.  The Mamluks understood that the citizens were the most important thing to the empire and that peoples needs and beliefs needed to be catered to and respected.  This is an idea that needs to carry on through time so that humans can live harmoniously with one another no matter which plot of land we choose to live.

Week 4

After watching a film on WWII, the subject of slavery and mistreatment of the Jewish race was what I related in my mind to the Imperial Harem.  The struggle of sons and wives of the Sultans were a main point and exclamation in the book, but i feel it was the concept of slavery that I found the most relevant to current issues.  Any war into the present is usually spawned from some sort of racism.  I find it so amazing a civilization such as the Ottomans had such a different approach to slavery.  

Some people argue the fact that should the term when referring to the Ottomans "slaves", should even be the word slave.  I disagree with this opinion because no matter how well or better off these slaves were under Ottoman rule they were still slaves and did not have what I consider freedom.  The idea still of the treatment of these slaves was incredibly different that western and even most european civilizations.  I think the reason the Ottomans may have treated their slaves and workers so differently from western cultures is because the Sultans were clever and realized this was their best bet at avoiding a riot and full on revolution from captured peoples.  The United States history shows very well the process of mistreatment of slaves and the path of a revolution that follows.