Friday, November 9, 2007

SURVEY OF SALJUK STATE IN IRAN

The Saljuks were of the Turkish origin that brought about the new era in the history of Islam and caliphate. They were inhabitant of the Kirgiz steppes of Turkistan were Sajuk the founder of Saljuk was the chief of the nomadic tribe of Ghuzz. During period of the time they were settles in the region of Bukhara and they soon become great dynasty afterward.

When the Saljuk appeared on the scene, the Abbasid Empire became totally dismembered political and military anarchy prevails all over the empire and it seemed that the Abbasid were crushed to the ground. The Saljuk’s niccessfully fought their way trough the territories of I.L Khan and Samanid. In 1037, Thugril bey, the grandson of Saljuk captured Marv and Nishapur from Ghaznavids afterward he captured Balkh, Isfahan, Khawarizm, Ray and Tabaristan. In the year 1055, Tughril Bey entered Baghdad victoriously and put an end to Buwahid dynasty. He was welcomed by the caliph Al-Qoim and appointed him as the Sultan of Abbasid Empire. The the Saljuk domination over the Abbasids caliphate lasted till 1194.

He reigns of Tughril, his nephew and successor Alp-Arsalan (1063-1073) and later son Malik Shah (1073-1092) marked the brilliant period of the Saljuks domination the Muslim east. They extended their power in all directions and again the vast Abbasid Empire became united under the Seljuk. The first two sultans didn’t lived in Baghdad. Marv was the capitals of Tughril beg and Isfahan was the capital of Alp-Arsalan. It was during the end of the Malik Shah’s rule in which the capital was moved to Baghdad.

In the second year of his reign, Alp-Arsalan captured Aani, the capital of Christian Armenia in 1071; he gave a crushing defeat to the Byzantine in the battle of Manzikhard at Armenia. After that the whole of Asia Minor permanently came under the sway of Seljuk.

Under Malik Shah the Seljuk power reached its highest glory. His rule was extended from Tashgarh to Jerusalem and from Constantinople to Caspian sea there was also internal security during his rule.

According to Ibn-Khalakan all the roads of Empire was safe and the caravan’s were peacefully traveled from tranoxiana to Syria. It is also remarkable to note that during his period. The Turks were migrated in large number to Persia, Iraq, Syria and others parts of Islamic world and lived under the protection of compatriots
.
The renowned Persian wazir Nizam-ul-Muluk was a great asset of the rule of Malik shah. A number of welfare scheme including sanitary were undertaken. Several roads and mosques were reconstructed end built. Canals were dug and huge amounts of money were spent on the caravan saris that spreading along pilgrimage route to Mecca.

It was during this period that the first Jalali calendar was made at the suggestion of Nizam-ul-Mulk by the team of astronomers; Nizam-ul-Mulk was himself as the cultured and learned man. His contribution in field of knowledge can be seen from the famous book titled Siasat-Namah it was the most celebrated and valuable book. It was due to initiation of Nizam-ul-Mulk that the first well organized center of learning from the muslims was established in Baghdad.

Nasir-i-Khusraw, Imam Ghozali, Jalaluddin Rumi, Abdul Qadir Jeelani and Umar Khayyam were the other luminary personals of the time.

After the death of Malik Shah in 1092 A.D, the civil war broke out among his sons who resulting the weakened the Seljuk Dynasty and this lead to the downfall of Seljuk dynasty. Soon, the number of independent states sprung up and ruled different parts of the Seljuk Kingdom the main live of the Seljuk in Persia remained their till 1157. But the Seljuk of Asia minor remained in power up to 1300 when they supersede by the Ottoman Turks.


Written by: Muhammad Ikhsan.
The author is student of post graduate under department of Islamic Studies. Aligarh Muslim University



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LET’S AGAINST TERRORISM

Most of the Muslims in developed countries have been suffering by consequences the acts of terrors. They are not only guilty of the most horrendous crimes, but also denigrating of the fair name of Islam. Therefore, Muslim everywhere awake, arise and assert themselves, too long we have suffered by remaining silent spectators to what had been happening. Both of our religion and to the magnificent civilization given to mankind in word of the well orientalist, Bernard Luis said that for many centuries the world of Islam was in the forefront of human achievement. The strong military and economic power of the world, the leaders in the arts and sciences of civilization, a remote land beyond its north, western frontier, Christian Europe was seen as utter darkness of barbarism from which there was nothing to learn or to fear and then everything changed as the previously despised west won victory after victory, first on the battlefield and market place, then almost every aspect of public and even private life.

For the last two centuries, many overseas force have working to effort undermine the position of Muslim, allowed themselves to be thrown in the dustbin of history after falling dawn the power of Ottoman Turkey (1281-1920 A.D) and the first world war (1914-1918) most of the Muslim world enslave and were colonized by either Britain, France and Russia. Further effect Muslim psyche and then became subjected to the great humiliation, they lost their selves confidence, they were isolated from the society, live under line of poverty. Continued to out of touch with the progressive trend, the lost of power had damaging effect on their way of living, their culture was fossilized, their out became morbid. The non-Muslim especially give the no consideration, they were in the fact happy to see Muslim remain in the backwardness, Muslim crying for their lost glory and their spirit urge to face the new challenges.

During the period of time the world has so far away go ahead to the modernizations new form of progress come into existence. This changed the whole manner of functioning of non-Muslim. In the return they brought about many essential reforms in their religion their thinking took new shape. They are devotee of the democratic institutions they hold civil liberties, their women were emancipated, a new encourage was given by them to the human right. Muslim in the other hand lived in their minority, most of them keep away from changing time, and they could not cope with the new world that was emerging. They continued to ignorance, stay on their archaic they refuse reform their low or modernize their institution. Their autocratic ruler and selfish leaders use religion to perpetuate status quo. In order to help their power game and pleased to old colonizer or the armed provocateurs who backed it them, meanwhile, time sped post.

The result has been that Muslim have became backward with the passage of time, the most despised in the world. Such degradation has not been enough to take away from Muslim the zeal for life and argue to change, a section of them had come out to strike more serious blow to their so-religion, and these are the new tribes of jihadist who believed as the savior of Muslim, but in the fact became their calamity. They commit the most cruelty crimes in name of Islam, they kill innocent man, women and children, therefore this act obviously violating the Qur’anic admonition, which is clearly expresses the sacredness of human life. Allah said, “man qotala nafsa bi-ghoiri nafsin awfasadin fil-ardhi fakaanama qotala an-nasa jamiian, waman ahyaa kaanama ahya annasa jamian, waman ahyaha fakaanama ahya an-nasa jamiia (QS. Al-Maidah: 32) which mean, “that if any one slew a parson unless it be for murder or for spreading mischief in the land it would be as he slew the whole people. And if any one saved a life, it wold be as if he saved the life of the whole people.

This Muslim who call them selves as jihadist are falsely made to believe by their motivated call mentor that by bombing, burning and killing many people from non-Muslim as well as Muslim, they would not be able to restore Islam to its original glories. The young Muslim so trained and brainwashed, get ready even to die, because they are told that their place in the heaven would be than assured. Only once in the annual of Islam terror raised its ugly head, that was in the 11th century when Imam Al-Ghozali called to the resurrection of Islam, warned the faithful that if they nor destroy terrorism, they would destroy them. The warned was well taken and for centuries thereafter nothing of kind happened.

However in the last two decade the evil has burst fort in a more virulent and vicious form and spread murderous in many part of the world, those Muslim who have taken to this danger path are doing the greatest harm, both Muslim and Islam distorting the teaching of Islam and inducing young Muslim to take up arms and thrown bombs in many buses, hijack planes, temples and some of particular buildings. Thus ill will and hatred against their own coreligionist among the non-Muslim everywhere so unlivable. They are being isolated by non-Muslim and cut them from the rest of human race.

To the terrorist nothing seems to be sacred. So far they had concentrated on the commercial building or offices and resident houses, but now even churches, temples are not spared, and their devotees are mercilessly done to death. Are these Muslims so ignorant of what Al-Quran has stated about unholy acts in Al-An’am: 108? It is mentioned, “Revile not ye those whom they call upon besides Allah, lest they out of spite revile Allah in their ignorance. Thus we have made alluring to each people its own doings. In the end will they return to their lord and he shall then tell them the truth of all that they did”.

The recent insane attacks on Akhsardain temple and other places of worships, mere deliberated attempt on the part of jihadist not only sacrilege but also disturb and disrupt Hindu-Muslim and other religion relationship. Terrorists and their fanatic mentors under the school of Wahabis influence are also against any reform being made in Muslim laws and institution they brand those who demand it, as traitors and if need be to be killed.

Are they so unaware of the fact that the prophet about the most radical changes in every aspect of human life? The martyrdom of man has observed instead of repining that deeply our prophet did no more, we have reason to astonish that he did so much. His career is the individual in human history that single man created the glory of his nation and spread his language over half curt.

The terrorist also started killing some foolish and stupid person who spitefully utter or wrote and abusive words or against the prophet. They are even told by rulers of Pakistan that their religious enjoin upon the Muslim to kill such critics look back at the story or the prophet when an old lady was in habit of throwing dirt on him every day when he passed by her house. One day, he found that no dirt was thrown on him, on enquiring he was told that was ill. Prophet visited her and prayed for her recovery on the other occasion. Young Muslim come to him, all agitated and said that Jews was going around the streets and shouting that Moses is greater than Muhammad. The young Muslim said wants to kill him. The prophet warned him to leave his zeal such a criminal act and told him, “The criterion to judge is who is doing a greater well to humanity.”

On his entering Mecca, after the Muslim had captured it, the first thing that the prophet did was to grant pardon to his enemies and detractor, gathered on him, some wear and some away always in hiding, were the people who had mocked him, made fun of him humiliated and oppressed him and his followers refused his prophet hood. Thrown the garbage on him, subjugated him to abuse, put thorns and thistles on his way. The prophet called Abu Sofyan, the leader of opposition who had waged several wars against him told him every one of his followers was free and none would be punished. His wife Hindun who like to strange tigress had stripped open the belly Hamza, the prophet’s uncle who was killed in the battle of Badr; she has taken out Hamza’s liver and ate it to spite Muhammad. She also engaged a number of musicians to sing songs, mocking the prophet. Nervous and frightened she asked Muhammad, “Am I also pardoned?” the prophet looked at her and said, “Yes”. She has ruined and to be awareness.

In the supreme hour on his factory in Mecca, the enemies, detractors and critics come forward one after another and bowed before him. He grated pardon to one and all, Muhammad (pbuh), an old man approaching him rather scared and respect steps. He asked him of what do you stand in acme? I am not a king; I am as humble as you are, born a mother who ate flesh aired in the sun.

On the basis that criminality made by jihadist who in their ignorance indulge in using mocking words against the prophet? Is their mouth of such persons in conformity with theat the prophet did whom the Al-Quran described as “mercy to all creatures”? What happened in Nigeria and some other places is incomplete. Contrast to the tolerance and compassion, which prophet preached and practiced.

The terrorist seems to be forgot of the biggest effect of their acts of terror on Muslims everywhere after the exiting in bombing and washing for. Muslim in America, despite the assurances the protections by President Bush are going to hell. They are disturbed by uncomfortable feeling Americans and made to feel unwanted. They are refusing from their jobs. They are socially boycotted. Their children are derived of social contact. Their children troubled in school. A number of them have been arrested on more suspicion. Therefore Muslim America has become suspect, neither desired nor trusted.
William Ptaff has reported in international herald tribune that a part of conservatives Washington intelligence is trying to turn the Bush administration was against terrorism into a war against Muslim civilization and the Islamic religion. And many citizens toward President George W Bush for his effects to assure Muslim that his war is against terrorism, not against their religion, i.e. Islam. The Bush critics say Islam itself is America’s enemy because Islamic religion and civilization are nit intolerant, hostile, western value and reliant.

The condition of Muslims living in Britain, France and many other countries in Europe are in no better, as a result of the heinous acts committed by the so called jihadist the whole environment has become vitiated against Muslim. After the tragic incident in Bali which twenty-two Australian tourists was burnt alive, Muslim living and new Zealand being isolated no Muslim permitted in association, they have lost everything. The doors in almost every country are being closed to Muslim.

The process of isolation of Muslim from different aspect of life is gathering became restriction the more terrorist indulge in their suicidal and Muslim suffers.
However, Muslim everywhere must conscious openly against terrorism who responsible for spreading so much ill and troubles for the society in the world. The question is why the Ulama are or Islamic scholars (keep) silent that they can see violation teaching by them and the terror are spreading on the name of Islam. How long Islam will continue in state of fear of them and not save themselves and their religion from such misery and backwardness.

Moreover, many Muslim countries have also suffered heavily as a result of the act of terror by these jihadist, Lebanon, a country with its capital Beirut once known as Paris of east has been destroyed. Likewise tourist traffic, which have huge financial support to countries like Egypt, Jordan, Indonesia, Nigeria, Kenya and several other Asian and African countries.

The beautiful of Kashmir is in the totters of Pakistan, which has been the greatest sponsor of terrorism, has admittedly become failed state. Muslim living abroad individually and collectively has become destructed. Victim of the murderous adventures of criminal gangs, which had spread death and destruction wherever Muslim staying. What happened inside of this phenomenal? Our religion never taught as to killing any body, therefore who made cruelty and murderous (without such legal reason) is actually not among us.


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ARAB QONQUEST IRAN

The last of our prophet Muhmmad saw. Dispatched embassies to the different Rulers of Arabia to invited them to accept Islam. Many of the Rulers came under the banner of Islam. He also sent an envoy to the court of Persia, the Persian King Chosroes ll. Known in Persia as khusraw parwiz. He insulted the envoy and thereby incurred the displeasure of the Muslim. The enmity of Persians was further revealed in the rebellion of Bahrain, during Hazrat Abu bakr, when they helped the enemy of Muslim, thus the Persian proved dangerous to the Muslim state and therefore Muslim had to cautious against them.

After crushing the rebellion of Bahrain, the first caliph Hazrat Abu bakr turned his attention toward Persia, so. In 633 A.D Hazrat Au Bakr ordered Khalid bin walid to proceed to the border of Persian Emperor accompanied 10.000 army men, at that time Hurmuz was the commander of Persian forces. The first battle between Muslim and Persian took placed at a place called Hafir. The battle was known as the Battle of Chain. The Persian was defeated and their commander was killed. Hira was besieged and the Persians surrendered and entered into treaty with the Muslim, supporting to pay tributes to the Muslim, the tribute taken from the Christians Hira was termed Jizya.

At the lost of the Hira the Persian became Furious and they were trying to recover it from the hand of Muslim. The Persian king sent Rustam, a famous and general with a large army, Khalid bin Walid has already left to Syria. And Muthanna was left alone in the Persian Frontier. So, Mthanna to the second caliph Hazrat Umar to reinforcement, thereafter Hazrat Umar sent an army toward Persia under the commanded of Abu Ubayda, the battle finally took place at the place called Namaraq in 634 A.D in which Persian were defeated.

The defeated of Persian in the Battle Namaraq enkindled their national pride. They against met the Muslims on the river of Euphrates under commander Bahman, unfortunately Abu Ubayda refused the advised of Muthanna to crossed the river and gave the battle to the Persian. As the resulted Muslims fell in to another’s till 3000 remained out of 9000. Muslim was defeated in this battle. This battle was known as battle of bridge. After this battle retook Hira, meanwhile Yazdigard lll the last sasanians kings had succeeded to the throne.

Hazrat Umar was mortified at the news of the Muslim disaster and began to raise attack against the Persians, both the armies met at the place named Buwaib, a few miles from Kufa. The Persians were defeated after hard conquest their leader Mahram was slain in this battle Buwaib.

The Persians couldn’t tolerate the crushing in that battle of Buwaib and now they began to prepare themselves against all over the lands of Muslims. Sa’ad bin Abi Waqqas was chosen for the chief commander as the Muthanna has been died. Firstly he sent envoy to the Persian court to accept Islam before the opening hostilities, but Persian King insulted the envoys. The ill treatment of Persian king hastened the war, the Persian soldiers were sent against the Muslims under the command of Rustam to Qodisiya. A harder battle took placed at Qodisiya in 637 A.D in which lasted for three days. Although the Persians fought gallantly but defeated and their famous general Rustam was killed, and by the death of him the strength of Persia was completely broke down. This secured for the Muslim to footing ground in Persia.

After a few months Sa;ad bin Abi Waqqas with the permission Of the caliph Umar, Marched against the capital Madain and occupied it. Thus the territory between the Euphrates and the Tigris came under the possession of the Muslims.

The Persians king took refuge in Hulwan, about hundred miles to the north of Madain, He also occupied Jalula. Sa’ad bins Abi Waqqas with strong army under the commander of Qaka to meet the Persians were defeated and Hulwan was captured and the Muslims strongly garrisoned the place.

After this a peace was concluded with the Persians and fighting took place for a view months. But the Persians took and brook the treaty in 638 A.D and the Muslims were completely declare war against them, the last great battle was fought in 642 A.D at Nihawand in which the Persians were completely defeated. Soon after big lost of the throne the King of Persians Yazdigard fled to Isfahan, then to Khirman and from there to Balkh. Thus the whole Persia is under the sway of Muslim.

Written by: Muhammad Ikhsan.
The author is student of post graduate under department of Islamic Studies. Aligarh Muslim University


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We Lost But Yet To Be Defeated

In the law of nature, supremacy and domination is two kinds, moral, and intellectual supremacy and, material and political domination. One nation acquires the moral and intellectual collectively to built strong civilization. In the contrary the strong civilization acquires the material and political domination in other to establish an independent nation; both of them have the same rule in the political drama. The nation which are sturdy and steadfast intellectually rule the minds and bodies of the weak and dormant nation and Muslim world today are surrendered these dual slavery completely to the intellectual as well as political subjugation

If there is any Muslim state politically independent and autonomous in the reality they are not totally free from intellectual slavery their school, offices, markets, houses and even their bodies provide an eloquent testimony of domination of western life style, western thought, and the western art and western learning, they think with western minds, see with western eyes, and tread their ways of west, consciously or unconsciously, they have come, they believe s correct what west claim to be correct and believe as wrong all that is regard as wrong by the west. It can be said that whatever prophet have said about the matters beyond our observation and experience get no support from the modern sciences and exploration, hence the people suffer with doubts and suspicious yet they remain Muslim as they have no other plausible option but we challenge nothing to this sciences and exploration definitely and disputable as the fundamental of Islam is any such thing, it should brought forth.

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Friday, November 2, 2007

Aligarh Muslim University (AMU)


Aligarh Muslim University Where i have been studying i got degree of B.A Islamic Studies under department of social science, here is the simple overview of this university, The University grew out of the work of Sir Syed Ahmad Khan who in the aftermath of the Indian Rebellion of 1857 felt that it was important for Muslims to gain modern education and become involved in the public life and Government Services in India at that time. Raja Jai Kishan helped Sir Syed a lot in establishing this university. The British decision to replace the use of the knowledge of Persian in the 1830s for Government employment and as the language of Courts of Law caused deep anxiety among Muslims of the sub-continent. Sir Syed then clearly foresaw the imperative need for the Muslims to acquire proficiency in the English language and "Western Sciences" if the community were to maintain its social and political clout, particularly in Northern India. He began to prepare the road map for the formation of a Muslim University by starting various schools. In 1864, the Scientific Society of Aligarh was set up to disseminate Western works into native languages as a prelude to prepare the community to accept "Western Education". Sir Sultan Mahommed Shah, The Aga Khan III has contributed greatly to Aligarh Muslim University in terms collecting funds and providing financial support.

In 1875, Sir Syed founded the Muhammadan Anglo Oriental College in Aligarh and patterned the college after Oxford and Cambridge universities that he had visited on a trip to England. His objective was to build a college in tune with the British education system but without compromising its Islamic values.

It was one of the first purely residential educational institution set up either by the Government or the public in India. Over the years it gave rise to a new educated class of Muslims who were active in the political system of the British Raj, and who would serve as a catalyst for change among not only the Muslim population of India, but of the entire subcontinent.

The college was originally affiliated with Calcutta University, and was transferred to the Allahabad University in 1885. Near the turn of the century it began publishing its own magazine, and established a law school. It was also around this time that a movement began to have it develop into a university to stand on its own. To achieve this goal, many expansions were made with more and more programs added to the curriculum. A school for girls was established in 1907. By 1921(exact year 1920), the College was transformed into a university, and it was named Muslim University. Its growth continued. The first chancellor of the university was a female, Sultan Shah Jahan Begum. In 1927, a school for the blind was established, and the following year, a Medical School was attached to the university. By the end of the 1930s, the university had also developed its Engineering faculty.

Current status

Aligarh Muslim University is a residential academic institution offering more than 250 Courses in traditional and modern branch of Education. It has currently 12 Faculties viz. Agricultural Sciences, Arts, Commerce, Engineering & Technology, Law, Life Sciences, Management Studies & Research, Medicine, Science, Theology, Unani Medicine and Social Science [citation needed].

Currently the University has almost thirty thousand students, and over two thousand faculty members with over eighty departments of study. It continues to function as an education institution in India, and draws students from a number of countries, especially countries in Africa, West Asia and South East Asia. In some courses, seats are reserved for students from SAARC and Commonwealth countries [citation needed].

Very recently the university got into a legal battle when it announced a fifty percent reservation for Muslims for some of its courses. The Division bench of Allahabad High Court struck down two sections of Aligarh Muslim University (Amendment) Act, 1981 and also rejected the claims of minority status of AMU as it was set up by an act of Parliament.[1] The Supreme Court of India later enforced the status quo and ordered AMU not to go forward with the religious reservation plan.[2]

It hosts one of India's premier Engineering Colleges, The Zakir Hussain College of Engineering & Technology (ZHCET), named after a former president of India. ZHCET as it is generally known was recently offered IIT Status by Ministry of Human Resource Development and the college is now in the second phase of the six phase process of becoming an Indian Institute of Technology. Dr Jawed Hussain, a professor of Applied Physics, after whose name United Nations gives annual prize for young scientist was a former Dean.

In September 2007, following a murder of a student and subsequent student protests, a sine die has been imposed and the University has asked its students to vacate the hostels. Though normalcy has been restored on campus it still remains unclear when the institution will reopen.After the Sine Dine,the university is going to open from 6th November-27th November according to the various faculties. [3]

[edit] Eminent Personalities of A.M.U

* Ishwari Prasad, historian
* Zakir Hussain, Former President of India
* Liaquat Ali Khan, First prime Minister of Pakistan
* Ch. Abdul Hameed Khan, Rehabilitation Commissioner of East and West Pakistan.
* Dr. Rahi Masoom Reza, Eminent Writer
* Dhyan Chand, Greatest hockey player ever
* K Asif Legendary Direcor of Mughl-e-Azam fame
* Javed Akhtar, Famous lyricist and scriptwriter of Salim-Jawed fame of Sholay
* Ali Ashraf Fatmi, Minister of state, HRD, Govt of India 2003-present
* Mushtaq Ali, Former Indian Cricket Team captain
* Prof P.S. Gill, Renowned Physicist and Head Physics Department
* Lala Amarnath, Former Indian Cricket team Captain & Father of Mohinder Amarnath
* Prof. Mohammad Habib, Noted historian and freedom fighter
* Dr. Irfan Habib, World Famous Historian
* Zafar Iqbal, Former India Hockey Team Captain
* Asrarul Haq Majaz, Urdu Poet and writer of AMU Tarana
* Naseeruddin Shah, Bollywood Actor
* Prof. Aley Ahmad Suroor, Famous Urdu critic and writer
* Prof. Rasheed Ahmad siddiqi, Famous Urdu critic and writer
* Kaifi Azmi, Urdu Poet
* Bilquis Azmat Gauhar, professor, meteorologist, writer, 1922-2003
* Syed Zahoor Qasim, Father of Oceanography and polar research in India
* Prof. Moonis Raza,Noted academician, freedom fighter and former vice chancellor Delhi University
* Anubhav Sinha, Famous director of Hindi movies (Tum Bin, Dus, Cash etc)
* Dileep Tahil, Famous Hindi movies artist
* Sahib Singh Verma, Senior BJP Leader, ex Chief Minister of Delhi State & ex-Union Cabinet Minister
* Mohammad Hamid Ansari, Current Vice President of India, former chairman of the National Commission for Minorities (NCM), Academician, Former diplomat, and former Vice-Chancellor of the Aligarh Muslim University
* Prof P.K. Abdul Aziz, Vice-Chancellor Aligarh Muslim University 2007-Cont

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The Real of India


Before my visited to India for study, many question were offered to me, why should I go to India for study, in my country peoples saw India as the lax country in term of economy, at that time there was no exact answer which can I provide to them, but only one thing that made me sure that India is my destination it was the future prospect of this country as the new powerful country emerge in the Asian land.


There was much valuable point of views among the famous figures. Condoleezza Rice the US Secretary of State has stated that “India is a rising economic influence of power in the international system. It’s a great multiethnic democracy.”

Dr Manmohan Singh, the Prime Minister of India also said “Today, there is a great willingness internationally to work whit India and to build relationships of mutual benefit.”

It is easy to think of the Bush administration of the USA as being doggedly gung-ho in its foreign policy and perpetually worried about any Asian power getting a little above itself. Yet in March 2005, Washington began to make the extraordinary overtures to India, and announced that it planned to help India became a major world power in the twenty-first century, not the most Indians would consider they needed help, of course, but the point was clear.

Later that year, Manmohan Singh was fated in a visited to Washington, in which he was saluted with an almost unprecedented nineteen-gun salute. The following spring George Bush pain cordial high profile return visit to India. In the dramatic contrast to his condemnation of Iran’s nuclear programmed. Bush offered not just vocal but practical support to India’s nuclear aspiration, though with caveats that might yet cause ructions.

WHAT IS INDIA?

Not surprisingly, people in west are becoming increasingly interested in finding out what make the new India tick, and there has been a whole spate of books, articles and documentaries examining the “idea of India”. Views differ, of course, yet the one thing they all agree on is that India is contradictory, enigmatic and just plain hard to pin down.

There is a whole raft of superficial contradictions. India has been a fully fledged nuclear power since 1998, but it also home to 40 per cent of all the world’s malnourished children. It combines a booming retail economy with, apparently, an enduring anti-materialist philosophy. It is one of leading Asian players in the space race, yet it is dominated by ancient spiritually. It is at the forefront of some of the world’s cutting-edge technology and research, yet also home to some of the world’s most conservatives, intolerant religious ideas,

This was the simple views of India, and the incumbent thing that now India has upgrading its educational system, and it could be compared with the another developed countries, see and watch out the real of new great Gandhi’s country.

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Thursday, November 1, 2007

Amercans Sentiment Toward Islam

Americans continue to feel favorably toward Muslims and Muslim-Americans, but the public is much less positive in its view of Islam. Few see any common ground between their own religion and the Muslim faith, while more than a third (36%) perceive widespread anti-Americanism among Muslims around the globe. Familiarity with Islam and its practices does not ease the concerns that many Muslims are anti-American. People who are knowledgeable about Islam tend to feel more favorably toward it, and they see themselves having more in common with Muslims. At the same time, they are just as likely as those who know nothing at all about Islam to see widespread anti-Americanism among Muslims, and just as likely to believe that violence is often linked to religious teachings in general. Favorable View of Muslims, Less So for Islam Muslim-Americans are rated favorably by 54% of the public, down slightly from 59% in mid-November, but still significantly higher than this time last year (45%). Fewer than a quarter (22%) express an unfavorable opinion of Muslim-Americans, up slightly from 17% four months ago. Some respondents were asked for their opinion of"Muslims" without identifying them by nationality and this difference in phrasing has some effect on opinions. A 47% plurality feels favorably toward Muslims, with 29% expressing an unfavorable view. But the larger distinction is between ratings of Muslims as individuals and perceptions of Islam generally.
When asked for its opinion of Islam, the public is divided, with 38% saying they have a favorable view of the religion, and 33% unfavorable. This represents a modest shift from an ABC/Beliefnet poll taken in January, when 41% expressed a favorable opinion of Islam and just 24% felt unfavorably. While predominantly favorable, public views of Muslims continue to lag behind most other religious groups. Protestants, Catholics and Jews are rated favorable by roughly three-quarters of the public, with only around one-in-ten expressing unfavorable opinions of these groups. Young People More Positive A majority of those under age 30 express a favorable view of Muslim-Americans, Muslims, and Islam alike (57%, 57% and 51% respectively). Older Americans generally have a favorable opinion of Muslim-Americans; however, they express more skepticism toward Muslims and Islam. Americans age 65 and older in particular express mixed views when it comes to Muslims and Islam. By 43%-25%, members of this group say they feel favorably toward Muslim-Americans, but seniors who were asked about Muslims rated them less positively (30% favorable/30% unfavorable). Just one-in-four has a favorable opinion of Islam, while 37% express an unfavorable opinion. College-educated Americans also express more favorable views of Muslims and Islam than those who did not attend college. Education has a particularly strong effect on perceptions of the Islamic religion. While about half (52%) of college graduates have a favorable view of Islam, just 29% of those who never attended college agree. Among religious groups, white evangelical Protestants have the least favorable view of Islam. Fully 45% of white evangelicals say they have an unfavorable opinion of Islam, compared with just 29% who rate the religion favorably. White evangelicals also are most likely to say they have an unfavorable view of Muslim-Americans.
As many as three-in-ten feel unfavorably toward Muslim-Americans, compared with about two-in-ten among other major religious groups. Still, this is less than the 38% of white evangelicals who rated Muslim-Americans unfavorably a year ago. Negative views of Islam also have ideological and regional components. Political conservatives express substantially more unfavorable views of Islam than do liberals, and negative opinions of Islam tend to be greatest in rural areas and in the South. Islam Is Different Clearly, many Americans make a distinction in their opinions of Muslims and their view of Islam, which is much more negative. So it is perhaps not surprising that relatively few Americans think that their own religion and Islam have much in common. Just 27% see similarities between the Muslim religion and their own religion, while more than half (57%) see Islam as very different. This gap has increased since mid-November, when 52% saw major differences between their religion and Islam, and 31% saw similarities. Opinion on this issue among college graduates, who hold the most favorable views of Islam, have shifted dramatically over the past four months. In November, roughly half of college graduates saw common ground between their own religion and the Muslim religion, while 38% did not. Today, just 40% see similarities between their religion and Islam, while substantially more (49%) see major differences. Even so, college graduates remain twice as likely as those who did not attend college to see similarities between their religion and Islam (40% vs. 19%). Roughly a third of white mainline Protestants, black Protestants, and white Catholics say their faith and the Muslim faith have a lot in common. But just 16% of white evangelicals agree, and just 11% of highly committed white evangelicals say there is common ground with Islam, while 78% see wide differences. These religious divides carry over into regional differences. More residents of the Northeast and West see Islam as having a lot in common with their own religion than those in the South and Midwest. And residents of small towns and rural areas feel they have less in common with Islam than those in larger cities and their suburbs. Age and gender also are related to perceptions of Islam.
Overall, three-in-ten respondents under age 65 say the Muslim religion and their own have a lot in common, compared with just 17% of those 65 and older. And more men than women see Islam as similar to their own faith (34% vs. 22%). Mixed Views on Religion and Violence The public is divided over how much of the Islamic world is anti-American. Nearly half (45%) think that just a few or some Muslims are hostile to the United States, but 36% think that as many as half or more of the world's Muslims are anti-American. By comparison, a recent Gallup poll of nine predominantly Muslim countries found that 53% of respondents held an unfavorable view of the United States. The public sees much less anti-Americanism among Muslims in this country. Fully 62% say some or just a few hold anti-American sentiments. Still, one-in-five think that at least half of the Muslims living in the U.S. are anti-American. For the most part, the public rejects the idea that Islam in some way foments violence among its adherents. Roughly half (51%) say Islam is no more likely than other religions to encourage violence, while only a quarter say Islam is more associated with violence than other religions. Yet there is a clear sense that some religions are more likely to encourage violence. While half of respondents were asked specifically whether Islam is more likely than other religions to encourage violence, half were asked the same about "some religions." In the latter case, a 47% plurality said that some religions are more likely than others to encourage violence among their believers, while 41% disagreed. There are similar patterns in the responses to each question.
A higher proportion of conservative Republicans and evangelical Christians say "some religions" are more likely than others to encourage violence. More members of these groups also say Islam is more likely than other religions to encourage violence. In addition, those who believe some religions encourage violence tend to rate Muslim-Americans somewhat less favorably, and see more hostility toward the U.S. among Muslims. More than four-in-ten (45%) of those who believe some religions encourage violence think at least half the Muslims in the world are anti-American. Among those who think all religions are the same in this regard, just 29% see widespread hostility toward America among Muslims. Young Most Aware of Islam Few Americans feel they know a lot about the Muslim religion. Roughly two-thirds of Americans (65%) say they know little or nothing about Islam and its practices, while just 5% say they know a great deal about the religion. This is virtually identical to how Americans felt in mid-November 2001. While just 34% say they know a great deal or some about Islam, nearly half (47%) knew that Muslims use the term "Allah" to refer to God and nearly as many (43%) know that the Islamic equivalent to the Bible is the "Koran." Young people tend to be more knowledgeable about Islam than their elders. Among those under age 30, 56% can identify Allah as the correct answer, compared with 35% of those age 65 and older. Overall, more than half of seniors (56%) could answer neither question correctly, compared with just 37% of those under age 30. Knowledgeable, Still Wary Americans who are familiar with basic aspects of the Muslim faith ­ those who can correctly identify the Koran and Allah ­ rate Muslims and Islam far more favorably than those who know little or nothing about Islam. And people who are familiar with Islam are almost three times as likely as those who know little or nothing (41% vs. 15%) to think the Muslim faith has a lot in common with their own religion. Yet knowledge of Islam does not necessarily lead people to believe there is less anti-American hostility among Muslims or that Islam is no more violent than other religions. Americans who know rudimentary facts about Islam are, if anything, more likely to see anti-American sentiment among half or more Muslims around the world. And as to whether some religions or Islam are more likely to encourage violence among believers, familiarity with the religion has no effect on people's evaluations. Religion in the World Regardless of their feelings about Islam, Americans remain staunchly supportive of religion's influence both in America and in the world. Half think that religion's influence in the world is currently in decline, and the vast majority who believe this think it is a bad trend (85%), not a good one (9%). Among the minority (38%) who think that religion's influence in the world is currently on the rise, there is only slightly less uniformity. Three-quarters (73%) say the increasing influence of religion in the world is a good thing, just 18% think it is bad. When asked to consider lessons from the terrorist attacks, the public's view does not change. By nearly two-to-one, more believe that the bigger lesson of Sept. 11 is that religion has too little influence in the world (51%) than think the lesson is that religion has too much sway (28%). Perspectives on the role of religion in the world depend largely on the importance of religion in a person's own life. Highly religious Americans, by nearly ten-to-one, see the terrorist attacks signifying that religion has too little influence in the world these days (73%), not too much (8%). But among those for whom religion is not particularly important, a 48% plurality say the bigger lesson is that religion is too influential, while 32% take the opposing viewpoint. This "commitment gap" exists within all religious groups. Aside from those who are not strongly religious, men and younger people also express somewhat more skepticism about the role of religion in the world. Whereas women predominantly say the lesson of Sept. 11 is that religion has too little influence in the world (58%), men are more divided (44% say too little, 35% too much). Those under age 30 are split as to whether the lesson of 9/11 is that there is too much (37%) or too little (44%) religion in the world, while older people strongly believe the latter. At the same time, Americans believe that religion's effect is not always positive. One-third of Americans (34%) say religion plays a major role in causing most wars and conflicts in the world, and nearly as many (31%) say it has a fair amount to do with wars and conflicts. This view is most prevalent among seculars, men, and college graduates.

Navigate this report Introduction and Summary Part 1: Religion in America Part 2: Views of Islam and Religion in the World Part 3: Religion, Politics and Policy Methodology Questionnaire

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ketika kita merasa kurang, maka kita berusaha untuk menutupinya, bukan menghindar dan tidak menyadari kekurangan tersebuat, people said "no one is perfect" cobalah untuk tahu kalau kita tahu dan cobalah untuk tahu bahwa kita tidak tahu

jika terdapat kekurangan dalam blog ini maka saya mohon maaf, dan saya mohon kepada teman2 untuk membagi ilmunya

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