Rhetoric 1101

Alia,
That sound amazing! Do you not eat all day long for a whole month??? Or can you eat after it is dark?

Wow! I never knew that part of the Muslim religion... and I think that's cool that you have such strong values. But to be honest, I could never go that long without food and I can imagine how great it was for you to eat sweets again and stuff! Interesting information... thanks!

I am a Muslim, but I am a bad Muslim, because I didn't fast or pray a single time before in my life. Alia, please don't get mad. I still follow my religion, but since I am from a country that is not very religious (Kazakhstan), I really never practiced it much. Went to Mosque (Mechet') on Fridays every now and then.

I haven't been on the blog for soo long...but to answer Tonna's question: we don't eat from sunrise until sunset, but after sunset we can eat as much as we like!!! Courtney: a lot of people that hear about fasting say that, but yknow once you get used to it its really not that hard. I guess that its also easy because (for me anywayz) Im doing it with strong faith, Im doing it for a cause that I believe in. When you believe in something it becomes really easy.
Olzhas: loool...I won't "get mad"..its none of my business how you practice your religion! Everyone is free to do what they want..but why not give prayer a try? Its cool, trust me!

Last night I watched a DVD I checked out from the public library called Islam: Empire of Faith. It was wonderful!! I can say a little more about it in class tomorrow if people are interested, but for now, here are a couple of points. It was Muslim scholars who found the writings of the ancient Greeks. I knew that already, but the writers of the documentary took it a step further and insisted that there would have been no Renaissance without those scholars. Also, Muslims had a system of running water hundreds of years before Europeans even thought about it; the system, they argued, was precipitated by the fact that Islamic culture started out as a desert culture made up of many Bedouins, and as such, water was precious (necessity is the mother of invention, you know?). Finally, they provide a lot of information about the life of Muhammed, and it really made me want to find out more about Muhammed's persuasive strategies. According to the film, Mecca had become more and more polarized in terms of economic class, with a big gap between the haves and the have-nots. Muhammed persuaded everyone that wealth should be shared, which was a part of his larger message of social justice and equality (for all men, women, and children). I'd like to know how he got the wealthy people to go for that! I wondered how Muhammed might have responded to the "Open Letter to the Democratic Party" from "Sad American."

hmm. fascinating. i took a world literature class my senior year of high school, and we read a lot of books on different religions, and experienced various religious texts. i think that muslim is a really cool religion, and a lot of their practices are meaningful and full of tradition.

Yes...talk about Islamic history (I am not saying this just because I am a Muslim)..all the science and technology they explored and all the inventions Muslim scientists invented are really cool! I have studied Muslim history, and I loved reading about the ENORMOUS libraries some of the rulers and scholars had. Not to mention the fact that Muslims invented the first camera (pin hole camera), and already had a sysytem of running water loooong before Europeans ever "thought about it" (as Clancy put it). I have lots more info where that came from, so I will keep posting here if anyone is interested!

Clancy- about the prophet Muhammad's (pbuh) persuasive strategies: I know a bit about this topic since we studied it in Islamic studies last year in high school...The teacher explained to us how he used to use various rheotrical strategies to persuade people of his point of view (some which we have discussed in class actually!). One thing I found interesting was this: when he wanted to present a new idea, or tell his followers about a new practice in Islam, he often started his conversation with a question. He did not come out right at the beginning and say (for example): "In Islam, all men are equal in God's eyes, but the most pious of men is the highest standing ammong all men, and in God's eyes." Instead, he began by asking his followers what they thought made a man most worthy of God's and people's love and respect, intriguing them and causing them to become interested in the issue he wanted to present. After catching their attention with this question, he commenced answering which man has the highest standing in Islam, and this in turn helped them to understand that they should try to be as pious as they could to earn the highest standing in God's eyes. Interesting....and there is more, but I have to refer to my tenth grade Islamic studies text book to referesh my memory.

I wondered if I should write "(pbuh)" beside Muhammad's name, or if it was one of those things that wouldn't be quite appropriate for one who isn't a Muslim, like for someone who isn't Catholic to take Communion. The people interviewed in the documentary didn't say it, so I decided not to. (For those who don't know, pbuh stands for "peace be unto him.")

I wanted to ask if that DVD u showed us in class today can be found at any public library...or if there's a specific place i can find it/borrow it/rent it???It sounded interesting....

I got it from the St. Paul Public Library, at the St. Anthony Park Branch, which is right by campus at the corner of Como Ave. and Carter Ave. I walk there from campus if it's not raining. To get a library card, you need to bring some kind of proof of address, like a piece of mail addressed to you, and a photo ID. If the DVD isn't there when you go, you can go to http://www.sppl.org/ and request it. Then it will be delivered to the location of your choice, and you'll get an email when it gets there. I'm sure there's a good chance that other libraries will have copies of it too, so you could try the one that's closest to you. Search for "Islam: Empire of Faith."

Thanks! I'll look for it !!