Subject:
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Re: What we can do...
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Newsgroups:
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lugnet.off-topic.debate
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Date:
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Thu, 27 Sep 2001 21:14:05 GMT
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Viewed:
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175 times
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> In lugnet.off-topic.debate, Larry Pieniazek writes:
> But what can we do. We can call for tolerance on discussion forums. We can
> tell our Muslim friends we like them as much as we ever did. But the
> intolerant bigots don't always read LUGNET or go to the same schools we do.
Yup.
> I am interested in hearing from other people about what can be done. Any
> ideas about specific concrete steps?
Well, how about Arab History Month? The Arabs have made abundant
contributions to civilization throughout history in areas such as
mathematics, astronomy, medicine, engineering, architecture, art,
philosophy, music, literature, and so on. And there are also noteworthy
Arabs in American history, such as the profound contribution of Caey Kasem
as the voice of Shaggy on "Scooby Doo." ;^)
But seriously, I think Western culture largely ignores the Arabs. I think
there is an undercurrent of resentment by the mainly Christian West toward
the Arabs that stems from the Crusades. As I look back at grade school in
Michigan, "history" began with the Greeks, then the Romans and sort of
skipped ahead to the Renaissance. Everything taught about the Arabs maybe
would fill a single chapter. The basic lesson, and I'm not making this up,
was that Arabs live in the desert, ride camels, and have lots of oil. In
high school, we expanded on that to learn about the Crusades and highlighted
the Christain's single victory (which was historically a shameful bloodbath).
So I think Americans just don't know the depth of Arab/Middle East history.
I think the Renaissance owes a lot to the Arabs, yet most history classes
make it look like it happened out of the blue. So, I think the best thing to
do is to learn the whole story.
Dan
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Message has 1 Reply:
 | | Re: What we can do... (my 2 cents)
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| (...) Agree. I would suggest that the Arab influence on western culture is best noted in Iberian cultures (Spain and Portugal), since the Arab presence on the Peninsula lasted some 781 years. In fact, it ended shortly before Columbus reached America (...) (23 years ago, 27-Sep-01, to lugnet.off-topic.debate)
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Message is in Reply To:
| | What we can do...
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| This editorial: (URL) the point that it is not just the president that ought to be exhorting Americans to be tolerant, it's all of us. But what can we do. We can call for tolerance on discussion forums. We can tell our Muslim friends we like them as (...) (23 years ago, 25-Sep-01, to lugnet.off-topic.debate)
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