Elijah Hansen-Lints | | HSTAM 112 | | 2.28.2017 | | Paper 3
Prompt: Analyze and compare the depictions of Islam and Muslim society in the Song of Roland and the Life of Saint Louis
It is important to note that Islam and Muslim society as a whole is depicted differently by different scholars. The depiction of the Muslim culture is mainly prejudicial and biased based on the faith and beliefs of the scholars. Most Christian scholars have consistently and unapologetically presented Islam and Muslim society as violent, evil, and idolatrous. The aim of this paper is to analyze how Islam and Muslim community is highlighted in the “Song of Roland” and the ‘Life of Saint Louis.” Both scholars depict Islam and Muslim society as unquestionably evil,
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However, from the story, it is clear that everyone has a free will to do whatever they wish, either evil or good. It will also be demonstrated in this essay that despite the fact that everyone has a freewill to do whatever they wish, Christians believe that the good will always emerge victorious over the evil. From the analysis of the faith of the characters in the “Song of Roland” and the ‘Life of Saint Louis’, it will be evident how the story depicts Islam and the Muslim society as a whole.
Unarguably, an individual’s perception of another person or culture will mainly depend on the person’s experiences, interests, prejudices, and biases. Subsequently, the depiction of Islam and Muslim in the ‘Song of Roland’ and the “Life of Saint Louis’ are majorly based on the individual’s experiences with Muslim culture, their ways of life, and interests. In some instances, such as in the ‘Song of Roland’, Islam and Muslim society is depicted as an evil society where people are in pursuit of evil. A clear example is the manner in which the Muslim Saracens who are led by Marsilie and Baligant are shown to be in pursuit of the purest evil and are referred to as pagan. However, the Song of Roland argues that God helps those who do good to come out victoriously. There are several instances where God has intervened fairly often in the Song of Roland just to make sure that that those who do no evil come
One thousand years after Christ’s death the peaceful setting in which Muslims and Christians cohabitated in the Middle East began to be threatened. Many formerly Christian controlled cities had now fallen under the control of Muslims. Ordinarily this was not an issue, however, at this
The story of the Czech man that Meursault found in his jail cell, is vastly different from his own trial at first, but their stories relate the more one thinks about it. The Czech man’s story provides Meursault a sense of peace during the last moments of his life. A similarity between the two have missing pieces. In the story of the Czech man, “the first part of the story was missing, but I gathered that its scene was some village in Czechoslovakia”(99). While the article is physically missing the piece, the trial with Meursault is more of mystery, as to what influences him to kill the Arab not not with one shot but four. Although, it never explains to why he does so, it leaves one to consider plausible reasons. Though, both murders are different at first glance, but the more deeper one searches, the more similarities between the two become known.
Thesis: In his book, No god but God, Reza Aslan recounts the history and teachings of Islam in order to deconstruct the barriers within interreligious comprehension.
---. "The Islamic World." The Middle Ages, 14th ed., Boston, Wadsworth/Cengage Learning, 2013, pp. 283-306. 4 vols.
The religions discussed in this article where Catholicism, Judaism, and the Church of the Latter Day Saints, however the main religion focused on in this article is Islam. This article lacked the ability to effectively portray its information to readers that did not have an understanding of the Islamic faith. For example in the story of Sana Khan, and Yusuf Siddiquee, the author mentions the Koran which some readers may not know about. The author also fails to give any insight on why the teachings of the Islamic faith like arranged
The set of documentaries known as People Like us, revealed how different people tend to perceive and determine someone’s position in society. Measuring social class in American can be influenced by many different factors. In fact, sociologists generally rely on the objective method that determines the class of someone based on their occupation, education, income, and place of residence. Although Americans tend to deny the idea of people being separated by class, it is something that greatly influences the cultural norms, actions, and interactions among all individuals in society.
The Middle East is home to the creation of so many different cultures and religions. It is the home to the most prominent monotheistic faiths of this lifetime. Those faiths are Christianity, essentially Catholicism, and Islam. They do not only share a similar origin, but share the same ancestors and stories of prophets and people. There is a connection between the profound values of truth, love, and mercy that Catholics and Muslims hold dear. Although there are a great many commonalities between Catholicism and Islam, it is important to note the key foundations that make both religions special.
Islamic studies has become a subject of strategic importance in our multicultural society. With all of the political upheaval and ever present fear of extremism and terrorism in the world today, it is essential to promote the understanding of Islam and the role Muslims have in the contemporary world. To do this, one must first have an understanding of the culture and religious tenets surrounding Islam, compare and contrast these beliefs with Christianity and Judaism, and discuss how the perceptions or
In comparison, the Pied Noirs and the French are Roman Catholic. The Arab and Berber Algerian is in that regard opposed to Pied Noir culture in the sense that religious practice is viewed differently. The Roman Catholicism practiced by the Pied Noirs is a part of their identity that moves them away from their Algerianess. This is seen through Meursault’s’ relation to religion. He does not practice his Catholicism, but is perceived as a Catholic and treated as such by society.
Islam, a religion of people submitting to one God, seeking peace and a way of life without sin, is always misunderstood throughout the world. What some consider act of bigotry, others believe it to be the lack of education and wrong portrayal of events in media; however, one cannot not justify the so little knowledge that America and Americans have about Islam and Muslims. Historically there are have been myths, many attacks on Islam and much confusion between Islam as a religion and Middle Easter culture that is always associated with it. This paper is meant to dispel, or rather educate about the big issues that plague people’s minds with false ideas and this will only be touching the surface.
Overall, there are a number of similarities in the two faiths’ treatment of minority religions. Still, an examination of Medieval Christians' inter-faith relations finds a history of religious diplomacy much more fragmented than that of the Muslims. In Christianity, tolerance and persecution were part of the ebb and flow of the passage of power from one ruler to the next, as well as the power struggle between the church and the state. On the other hand, Muslims had no such struggle; their church and state were one and the same. Unlike Christians, they did not have separate laws for the sacred and profane, the secular and religious. The passage of power from one Islamic ruler to the next rarely brought with it radical amendments in the treatment of infidels, although exceptions did exist.
As of today, the world’s two largest religions Christianity and Islam share an estimated 3.6 billion members, more than half of the world’s population. On the surface, they appear to have almost nothing in common, however, as one goes beyond the surface and examines the other factors such as the rituals, beliefs, ethics, founders, and convictions, the two religions share many similarities. However, in order to truly see and understand these similarities and differences, one must date back to the rise and birth of Christianity and Islam.
The Song of Roland, written so long ago in 1100 B.C, is a perfect example of a narrative poem completely reprimanding Muslims as, “Sons of the desert, a wild and godless clan/ You’ll ne’er hear tell of such repulsive scamps” (Lines 3250-3251). We see this because the unknown author takes a stronger stance on the view of Christianity. Since this was the beginning of the Crusades, and the Muslims are seen as an invading force, the author is trying not only to incite fear, but also a call-to-arms. There’s only one thing both religions believe in, and that is, that their God has called them to defeat the other and protect their religion.
In the First World War people wanted the young men to go to war, but
At the first glance, Islam and Christianity appear to have nothing in common, however; as you go beyond the surface, they appear to have many similarities such as their beliefs of God, their beliefs of life after death, their holy scriptures, and their prayers. These religions, although are two entirely different beliefs, share a similar origin. Like many other religions, they both claim to be the one and only true way to God. In order to truly see and understand their similarities, one must date back to the rise and birth of Christianity and Islam. Throughout the course of this essay, I will compare the many facets that show the alikeness between these two growing religions.