Reflection
7
I
was pondering what I wanted to write about and since in class we didn’t go over
any ridiculously important things I thought I would go off on a limb and cover
two things that I found particularly interesting in the past week; the demand
of a UN resolution against anti-religious media, and Syria’s continued and perpetual
tension amongst the Israel Gaza situation.
On
Saturday Abdullah bin Abdulaziz demanded that the UN pass a resolution
that would ban media critical of Religion. "I demand a UN resolution that
condemns any country or group that insults religions and prophets”
(France24.com). In Saudi Arabia and many other countries religion, especially
Islam is the one thing that unifies peoples, although there are sects of the
religion, you are Muslim above all else, just like you are not a protestant or
a new age believer you are a Christian at the core, and that is something you
can identify with above all else. I think as we talked about last week in class
that the popularity of Islam is a major factor in the proclivity of Islamist social
society movements in the MENA region. Although there are many other social
groups promoting advocacy, social cohesion, and other aspects of civil society,
Islamism is something near to the heart. Moreover, the Saudi government’s hard
line on the YouTube video’s depiction of the Prophet Muhammad and the popular
support his stance receives is just another blow to the growth of social reform
in the MENA region. As political leaders take up the arms of popular culture
and defend “Islam” the general populous will be unequivocally be taken in by
that support for the one thing that binds the society together making it
incredibly hard for civil society to gain any footing within that state our the
region. Another interesting news article was that of Hamas’s brutalization of
Palestinian civilians.
Although, at some points Hamas could be seen
as liberators of the Palestinian people, as the defenders of the abused;
however over the past decades Hamas has been ostensibly seen as a terror group
killing hundreds. According to NewsTimes.com Hamas has now been beating
Palestinians who oppose the ideals of Hamas, and staging executions. Now as far
a social movement this reminds me of N. Ireland during the troubles, however,
in the Palestine situation instead of just three sects there are many, and many
different opinions on the matter. But what is important Is the social movements
of Hamas and what that has done to unequivocally undermine the liberation of
the Palestinian people painting them as terrorist collaborators, and if they don’t
collaborate they are beaten. As much as I would like to continue on this rant I
have to run!
What are you talking about - we always go over ridiculously important things in class!
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