Who was the third ruler of Abbasid? What did al-Mahdi fail to do? Who took his place after he died? Who was Charlemagne? Whos death brought up war? Who were the real powers behind the throne? Why did people die? What are mercenaries? Different ways people died. Why were there slaves? The Islamic Heartlands in the Middle and Late Abbasid Sea • 3rd Abbasid ruler: al-Mahdi, ruled from 775-785 o He couldn’t cool the moderates so the Abbasid rule ended o There would be assassinations against Abbasid officials that would poison the dynasty forever o He deserted the manner of his ancestor o His habits would be the cause of a financial drain for later rulers o He failed to fix the dilemma …show more content…
o Al-Rashid is the ruler Imperial Extravagance and Succession Disputes • Charlemagne: powerful king of Christian Europe • Harun al-Rashid had expensive and luxurious taste like his father • He sent gifts to Charlemagne and Christians • The Thousand and One Nights • Harun al-Rashid depended on a family of Persian advisors • His death brought up a war o The first war persuaded al-Ma,mun sons that they needed their own armies o One of them had 4000 to 70,000 people in his army o He was killed by one of his slaves and one of his sons took his place on the throne o 4 more ruler were killed by the mercenaries in the next 10yrs • The leaders of the mercenary armies were the real power behind the throne • They bullied people and had fights between each other • The mercenaries were a major force of violence • They were the reason for food riots Imperial Breakdown and Agrarian Disorder • Frequent civil problems brought down the treasury down • Rulers tried to get away from the problems in Baghdad by creating new capitals • The support for mercenaries raised the demands of the poor • Commanders of the mercenaries couldn’t get paid • The commanders tried to improve cropping patterns and …show more content…
• Bandits were involved in rebellions and food riots • Shi’I sects wanted to destroy the dynasty The Declining Position of Women in the Family and Society • Harem and veil: symbol of womens surrender to men and the control of their homes • The Abbasid court made the harem • Wives and mistresses ( who were mostly slaves) were banned from the forbidden quarters • Mistresses could get freedom by giving birth to healthy sons for the rulers • Slaves were bought and taken to non-Muslim regions o Were bought in slave markets o Boys and girl slaves were given gifts for their intelligence o Most of the slaves were the best educated in the empire o Rulers spent more time w/ their talented mistress slaves than with their wives o Servants and mistresses had more freedom than wives Nomadic Incursions an d the Eclipse of Caliphal Power • Rulers couldn’t prevent territory losses • Syria and Egypt broke free from Abbasid control • Independent kingdoms formed in the 10th century • Buyids of Persia o Baghdad was invaded by the Buyids of Persia Sultan: victorious o Sultans controlled what was left of the Abbasid empire o The Buyids of Persia had authority over the court and rulers o Lost control and nomadic invaders (Seljuk Turks) replaced
Professor Leila Ahmed, active Islamic feminist, in her article “Reinventing the veil” published in the Financial Times assumes that there is a connection between “advancement” and veiling, which means that unveiled women are advanced and vice versa. In addition, she supports that it led to increasing rate of violence. She questions why women wear veil, that is considered as “symbol of patriarchy and women’s oppression”. However, research changed her position towards wearing veil. Firstly, she states that wearing veil was essential for women, because it could be beneficial and influence to how people treat women, in terms of job, marriage and free movement in public. Secondly, her assumption was explained while interviewing women, who stated
One of Sultana Yusufali’s strongest arguments in “My body is my own business” is her scrutinization of the exploitation of female sexuality. Initially Yusufali writes about the injudicious individuals that assume she is oppressed by her hijab. Thereafter, she describes them as “brave individuals who have mustered the courage to ask me about the way I dress”. Moreover, Yusufali’s word choice is intriguing as she utilizes the word “brave” when laymen hear this word they habitually associate the aforementioned with heroic, valiant and courageous. Consequently, Yusufali ensues to comprise her opinions on the hijab and how it carries a number of negative connotations in western society. Furthermore, Yusufali proceeds to strike on the importance
though he was king he had to convince people that he was the true and
throne, and only wanted to find a faster way to obtain that authority, thus he
A lady is an object, one which men attempt to dominate. A man craves to get a hold of this being beneath his command, and forever have her at his disposal. In her piece “Size Six: The Western Women’s Harem,” published in 2002, Fatema Mernissi illustrates how Eastern and Western women are subjugated by the control of men. Mernissi argues that though she may have derived from a society where a woman has to cover her face, a Western woman has to face daily atrocities far worse then ones an Eastern woman will encounter. Moreover, Mernissi’s core dogma in “Size 6: The Western Women's Harem” is that Western women are not more fortunate than women raised into harems in other societies. Additionally, she asserts that though women in the Western world are given liberties, they coincide with the unattainable ideals of what is aesthetically pleasing. Furthermore, to strengthen her argument towards her wavering audience, Mernissi’s main approach in her paper is to get the reader to relate with her issue by means of an emotional appeal, while also utilizing both the ethical and logical appeal to support her thesis.
Lila Abu-Lughod’s article titled, “Do Muslim Women Really Need Saving?” takes a closer look at the problematic ethnocentric approach many have when trying to gain an understanding of another culture that may be foreign to that individual. In this analytical paper, Lughod looks at women in Islam, specifically the treatment of women and how it might be utilized as a justification for invading into a country and liberating its people. The country Lughod refers to in her article is Afghanistan, and Lughod points out the misunderstanding from the people to the Bush administration like First Lady Laura Bush who believed that intervention was necessary to free women from the captivity of their own homes. It is important to consider the role that different lenses play into all of this, especially when one’s lenses are being shaped by the media. Depictions of covered women secluded from society leave a permanent image in the minds of many, who would then later support the idea of liberation. This paper will discuss that the practice of using propaganda when referring to the lifestyle in the Middle East is not exclusive to the U.S; rather it has been utilized throughout history. Additionally, we will take a closer look on the importance of symbols, such as veils in this case; help to further emphasize the cause to liberate. Finally, we will analyze Lughod’s plea towards cultural relativism and away from liberal imperialism.
Do Muslim Women Really Need Saving by Lila Abu-Lughod describes Western feminist beliefs on Muslim women and their burqa/veil and how focusing on these misconceptions are doing far more harm than good. This causes Western feminists reduce the culture and beliefs of Muslim women down to a single piece of clothing. The burqa is a type of veil worn by Muslim women for a number of reasons such as proprietary and signaling their relationship with God. The burqa is often seen a symbol of suppression amongst the Western world and it was expected for women to throw it off in a show of independence once liberated from the Taliban. The saving of Muslim women is often used to justify the “War on Terrorism” as exemplified in Laura Bush 's 2001 speech. The belief that Muslim women needed saving existed before the “War on Terrorism” as seen when Marnia Lazreg wrote about a skit where two Afghan girls talked about the beauty of the free Christian France.
To be honest, describing Waghar shouldn’t be as difficult, because she’s my one good friend in Oakville and I see her all of the days of the week. I think that I’m having trouble with describing her because I’m worried that no one will see her the way I see her. Waghar is typically very classy with the clothing she wears to school; she always has matching socks,this is something we’ve had an entire conversation about before. Waghar’s parents are from South Sudan and she often talks about her family that still there. Waghar has an upright posture when she walks and her body language gives off the feeling that although she’s small in size and often blends in, she’s someone you should definitely pay attention to because you can learn from her.
In the book, Women in the Middle East, a Saudi Arabian proverb states, "A girl possesses nothing but a veil and a tomb" (Harik and Marston 83). The key words, "veil" and "tomb" lend evidence to the fact that many Middle Eastern women lack identity symbolized by the “veil” and lack the right of ownership except for their veil and the tomb. This statement further enforces the notion that many women in the Middle East are expected to serve and tolerate the oppression of the men in their lives throughout their lives on this earth. Moreover, it confirms that many of these women do not get the opportunity to obtain education, join the work force, and even participate in the political affairs of the country. This arrangement further helps the Middle Eastern men to view women as their properties, servants, or even as slaves. Ultimately, there are three main reasons why Middle Eastern men engage in the act of oppressing their women.
Brooks, G. (1995). Islamic marriage. Nine parts of desire: The hidden world of Islamic women. London: Hamish Hamilton.
The context of the birth of Islam provides important insight into the position of women in the religion. Pre-Islamic Arabia was largely nomadic and violent. Tribes often raided other tribes, taking with them food, tools, and women. These captu...
Society in western civilization sees Islam's treatment of women as heinous, unfair, and typically cruel. How can one respect a religion and culture that makes their women cover themselves from head to toe in 100 degree weather, walk behind her spouse, enter separate doors of the mosque (if they are even allowed to enter), pray in an closed off area separate from the men, marry complete strangers, and receive little to no education. These few examples and a lot more can surely discourage anyone from even wanting to become a Muslim, especially women. These problems are particularly ironic due to the fact that Islam was the first religion to try to equalize men and women, which is truly hard to believe being that Muslim countries by far treat their women the most unjust. This paper will discuss certain hardships of the women of Islam and further discuss if this is truly a religion that discriminates women and if not where the problem exists. The topics that will be discussed are the problems for women in mosques, and common misinterpretations of rights of Muslim women vs. the laws they actually have.
Violence against women is prevalent throughout the Islamic world. The Middle East is one of the many areas that continue to oppress its women. Countries such as Iran, Egypt, and Saudi Arabia still believe in a patriarchal culture; so, many of the people living there have an extreme traditionalist perspective. Women in the Middle East face many hardships, such as polygamy, sexual and domestic violence, forced marriages, strict dress codes, and so on. The Muslim women who acknowledge this inequality and seek to balance it—identify themselves as Islamic feminists. Islamic feminism is a new generation of feminism that has surfaced during the past two decades, as women's issues became an integral part of the modern Islamic discussion. The women involved with this movement seek to challenge and change these outdated perspectives by attacking the root of the problem: the verses in the Quran—which were interpreted solely by men. It is not just the verses, it is also everyday Arabic words that have different meanings, but they also hinder the progression of women—because Muslim men think that only their definition applies. By re-analyzing the interpretations of this religious text and Arabic words, Islamic feminists believe that their perspectives on these things could change the patriarchal culture that exists in Muslim societies.
The traditions of Islam revolve around the blessed words of Muhammad revealed to him through Allah. These revelations guide Muslims through not only the act of worship, but also through a lifestyle strictly designated in the words of the Qur'an. Those who criticize Islamic customs often accuse the Qur’an of attempting to govern society under prehistoric law. This holy book dates back to the lifetime of the prophet Muhammad in the 7th centuries Clearly times have changed; yet many Islamic customs have not evolved through time. One of the most controversial topics in Islam today addresses women’s issues. Popular American culture portrays Islamic women as veiled and silenced figures living in a world of submission. Feminist groups in the United States focus on Muslim women and attempt to liberate the strong hold of Islamic tradition on women’s freedom. Over 900 million Muslims continue to worship Allah worldwide. Islam continues to thrive as one of the major monotheistic religions across cultures and the followers of Islam respect and defend the words and customs laid out in the Qur’an.
Within the Middle East, the largest population of the men and women are Muslim. The Muslim religion suggests that women wear a veil or hijab, which is a head scarf that only exposes a woman’s eyes, accompanied by a burqa which is a full body cloak. The sole purpose of the clothing is to cover a woman’s feminine features from men’s eyes. The Qur’an, an Islamic scripture, supports and slightly obligates the uniform by saying that women are to be conservative, “let them wear their head covering over their bosoms, and not display their ornaments.” (Qur’an).