In the previous articles of this series, we have seen that Language-wise, the “foreign” woman or the “strange” woman is the alien or the exotic or the outsider woman. However, the Bible has another opinion. As determined by the Bible: the “foreign” woman or the “strange” woman is the non-Israelite woman or the non-Jewish woman.
As a result, all non-Israelite or the non-Jewish women are “foreign” women or “strange” women.
This indicates that the women in the Bible are but one of two categories; they are either Legitimate (genuine) or Foreign (strange).
According to the inspired word of God (Nehemiah 10 and Nehemiah 13), the Bible asserts that Nehemiah said:
And the rest of the people, the priests, the Levites, the porters, the singers, the Nethinim, and all they that had separated themselves from the peoples of the lands unto the law of God, their wives, their sons, and their daughters, and every one who had knowledge, and understanding; They clave to their brethren, their nobles, and entered into a curse, and into an oath, to walk in God’s law, and that we would not give our daughters unto the peoples of the lands, nor take their daughters for our sons;
On that day they read in Torah that no Ammonite or Moabite should ever enter the congregation of God. In those days, I saw the Jews who had married women of Ashdod, Ammon, and Moab. And half of their children spoke the language of Ashdod, and they could not speak in the Jews’ language, but only the language of each people. And I confronted them and cursed them and smote some of them and pulled out their hair. And I made them take oath in the name of God, saying, “You shall not give your daughters to their sons, or take their daughters for your sons or for yourselves. Did not Solomon king of Israel sin on account of such Foreign Women? Among the many nations there was no king like him. Nevertheless, Foreign Women made even him to sin. Shall we then listen to you and do all this great evil and act treacherously against our God by marrying foreign women?“ And one of the sons of Eliashib the high priest, was the son-in-law of Sanballat the Horonite (i.e. married a foreign woman). Therefore I chased him from me. Remember them, O my God, because they have desecrated the priesthood and the covenant of the priesthood and the Levites. Thus I cleansed them from everything foreign, and I established the duties of the priests and Levites, each in his work.
In addition, Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary on the Bible says: “Israel was a peculiar people, and not to mingle with other nations.”
It should be emphasized that although the Bible says that no Ammonite or Moabite should forever enter the congregation of God; however, the righteous “Ruth“, the grandmother of King David and the ancestor of the Lord Jesus was Moabite!!
On the other hand, the Quran says that all women are equal.
In the whole Quran, the idiom: “foreign woman” or the “strange” woman is not mentioned therein; all women are equal in their rights and duty regardless of race, color, location etc. For details, read the previous articles of this series.
However, the exception in the Quran is only for Muhammad’s wives who were peculiar women.
Muhammad’s wives were peculiar women
Verses 33:28-31 of the Quran talk about how peculiar were the wives of the Prophet Muhammad.
Although Muhammad was a very rich man, he had a lot of money, and he could live a very luxury life with all of the life adornments and splendors; however, he lived a tough life, a life of asceticism; and he used to give all of his money to the poor people. His wives asked him, one day, for some of the adornments of this world like the other women who lived around. Then, Allah gave them in the Quran two options to choose one of them.
The first option: O Prophet Muhammad! Say to your wives: ‘If you desire what is in the life of this world (and its adornment) and its splendors; come! I will content you with divorce and will release you in a gracious manner; I will divorce you and will not coerce you to stay. This was the first proposed option.
The second option: But any of you that is devout in the service of Allah and his messenger, and works righteousness, - to her shall we grant her reward twice: and we have prepared for her a generous sustenance. This was the second proposed option; and Muhammad’s wives have got it.
Not only that, but the Quran continues:
O you wives of the Prophet! Whosoever of you commits manifest lewdness; whoever of you commits manifest indecency, the punishment for her will be doubled. In other words, twice the chastisement for other women; and that is easy for Allah.
And whosoever of you is submissive, obedient unto Allah and His messenger and does right between herself and her Lord, Allah shall give her reward twice over a double reward, and Allah has prepared a noble provision for her, in Paradise, in addition to the twofold reward.
Hence, Muhammad’s wives were peculiar women; their punishment is twice and their reward is twice too; and both are easy for Allah.
Moreover, the Quran (Verse 38:30) talks about Kings Solomon and says: What an excellent servant is, Solomon! Truly he was a penitent soul, always returning [to Allah] with glorification and remembrance at all times. He was ever turning in repentance (towards Allah) he is ever betaking himself to Allah and engaged in His obedience.
Herein there are two important ethical issues.
1) If the Quran is Anti-Israelite, and since King Solomon is an Israelite king, then the Quran would have exaggerated all the negative attributes of him that are mentioned in the Bible and would say: this is the behavior of the Israelite kings! But, the truth is the truth.
2) According to the Islamic teachings (Quran and Hadith), anyone says or believes that King Solomon (or any other Prophet) did evil, did not follow his Lord, built high places for other gods because of his 700 foreign wives is categorized as disbeliever and he or she will dwell in the Eternal Hell in the Afterlife.
For more details, you can read on the internet my series of 25 articles about King Solomon in the Quran; just type on Google search engine: “Not in Bible But in Quran” + King Solomon + my name.
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The Bible: Nehemiah 10:28-30 and Nehemiah 13:1and 13:23-30
(King James Version)
Nehemiah 10:28-30
28And the rest of the people, the priests, the Levites, the porters, the singers, the Nethinims, and all they that had separated themselves from the people of the lands unto the law of God, their wives, their sons, and their daughters, every one having knowledge, and having understanding;
29They clave to their brethren, their nobles, and entered into a curse, and into an oath, to walk in God’s law, which was given by Moses the servant of God, and to observe and do all the commandments of the LORD our Lord, and his judgments and his statutes;
30And that we would not give our daughters unto the people of the land, not take their daughters for our sons:
Nehemiah 13:1
1On that day they read in the book of Moses in the audience of the people; and therein was found written, that the Ammonite and the Moabite should not come into the congregation of God for ever;
Nehemiah 13:23-30
23In those days also saw I Jews that had married wives of Ashdod, of Ammon, and of Moab:
24And their children spake half in the speech of Ashdod, and could not speak in the Jews’ language, but according to the language of each people.
25And I contended with them, and cursed them, and smote certain of them, and plucked off their hair, and made them swear by God, saying, Ye shall not give your daughters unto their sons, nor take their daughters unto your sons, or for yourselves.
26Did not Solomon king of Israel sin by these things? yet among many nations was there no king like him, who was beloved of his God, and God made him king over all Israel: nevertheless even him did outlandish women cause to sin.
27Shall we then hearken unto you to do all this great evil, to transgress against our God in marrying strange wives?
28And one of the sons of Joiada, the son of Eliashib the high priest, was son in law to Sanballat the Horonite: therefore I chased him from me.
29Remember them, O my God, because they have defiled the priesthood, and the covenant of the priesthood, and of the Levites.
30Thus cleansed I them from all strangers, and appointed the wards of the priests and the Levites, every one in his business;
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The Quran (Qarib Translation):
Verses 33:28-31
?28? O prophet, say to your wives: ‘if you seek this life and its finery, come, I will release you with a fine release.
?29? But if you seek Allah and his messenger and the everlasting residence, know that Allah has prepared for those of you who do good works a mighty wage. ‘
?30? O wives of the prophet! Whosoever among you commits a flagrant indecency, for her the punishment shall be doubled, that is easy for Allah.
?31? but she who obeys Allah and his messenger and does good works shall be doubly recompensed; for her we have made a generous provision.
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Back to my question to the smart and interested reader:
Are the Scholars honest when they claim that the Quran quoted from the Bible?
Professor Dr. Ibrahim Khalil,
Prof. of Clinical and Chemical Pathology, Head (ex-) of Clinical Microbiology and Infection Control Unit, Ain-Shams University. Cairo, Egypt
President of the Egyptian Society of Inventors, Honorary President of SPIC-Egypt (The Society of Practitioners of Infection Control – Egypt), Co-Chief Editor of the Egyptian Journal of Lab. Medicine
Member of the Egyptian union of Writers, Published 5 Books and some 60 Medical Articles, Supervisors for 79 PhD theses and111 Master Degree theses.
The social contract theory of John Locke provided the philosophy and source of governing authority for both U.S. Constitution and the Declaration of Independence. Jefferson borrowed freely from Locke’s phraseology.
John Locke laid out the social contract in the 5th paragraph of the chapter entitled “Of the Beginning of Political Societies” in his “Second Treatise on Government”. There he states that the will of the majority is the only source of authority for civil government. God and His law are ignored.
“And thus that which begins and actually constitutes any political society is nothing but the consent of any number of freemen capable of a majority to unite…this is that, AND THAT ONLY, which did or could give beginning to any lawful government…” [John Locke, Second Treatise of Government (New York, NY: The Liberal Arts Press, 1952), p. 56]. This is the heart of democratic social theory — note the conspicuous exclusion of God and the ruling authority of His Word.
Under the Lockean model the people contract with one another to ordain a civil government. God and His law are not Party to the Contract. The Preamble of the U.S. Constitution clearly adopts this model: “We the people of the United States . . . do ordain this constitution for ourselves and our posterity.” God is snubbed, and Article VI, Section 3 forbids requiring an officeholder to swear allegiance to God.
The Bible contradicts Locke’s ascription of power to the majority. Romans 13:4 states that “…there is no power but of God. The powers that be are ordained of God.”
Locke’s factionalized, pluralistic society is doomed to rip itself apart. God judges the society that fails to acknowledge the supremacy of Christ. Anarchy ensues.
Without the living and true God and His law there can be no justice. But contrary to popular Christian opinion, the founding fathers never appealed to the Bible. There is only one substantive reference to Scripture in the four-volume set of notes compiled from the Constitutional Convention.
The Federalist Papers, written in defense of the Constitution, make no reference to the Bible. Having spurned God’s law, the founders were forced to employ Locke’s Social Contract and so-called natural law.
When Adam fell, he was expelled into a darkened world that fell with him. Man’s fallen mind cannot correctly interpret the fallen creation. “For the creature [creation] was made subject to vanity, not willingly, but by reason of him who hath subjected the same in hope” (Rom. 8:20). Looking for justice in the “law of nature” or “natural law” is an exercise in futility in a fallen world.
The Founding Fathers opened the door for their posterity to arbitrarily reinterpret the vague social contract articulated by John Locke. As our current desperate plight indicates, the Constitution cannot shield us from social, economic, and political devolution.
<b>For More Information</b>
For more information about the anti-Christian features of the U.S. Constitution visit http://www.america-betrayed-1787.com/us-constitution.html Dennis Woods is webmaster and also a political pollster and fundraiser in Oregon. Copyright: you may freely republish this article, provided the text, author credit, the active links and this copyright notice remain intact.
Ominously, in what is remembered as “Patrick Henry’s Prophecy,” Patrick Henry pointed ahead to the American Civil War,
“This government cannot last,” he thundered, “It will not last a century. We can only get rid of its oppression by a most violent and bloody struggle.”
And sure enough, 77 years later the American Civil War consolidated power under a godlike central government.
At its conclusion, the voice of Reverend Edward Fontaine echoed down the corridors of time. Patrick Henry’s great grandson wrote, “The violent and bloody struggle has ensued, and it has not yet ended…The government has been overturned, and the century has not yet rolled away.”
This was the first installment in the Divine pay-as-you-go judgment plan for breaking the national covenant “four score and seven years” earlier. The entire country was being judged by the consolidation of power, although the South bore the brunt.
“Preserving the Union” was Lincoln’s euphemism for wresting power from the states. Slavery was a convenient spark plug to justify the holocaust. The emotional issue of slavery was exploited for Lincoln’s purposes. The abuse of slaves was greatly exaggerated, for the subtle agenda of consolidating power. As we are told today, “Never let a good crisis go to waste.”
What is the evidence? During the Great Depression of the 1930s the federal government employed journalists to interview former slaves. They collected over 10,000 pages in the 40-volume “Slave Narratives.” Only 4% of the slaves reported having “cruel masters,” according to Steve Wilkins in “America: The First 350 Years.” Ten percent said they had “hard masters”, and the vast majority — 86% — said they had “good masters.”
Although Southern slavery was generally familial and mild, it nonetheless violated Biblical laws governing slavery. Thus, abuse was possible under the law in rare instances, provoking the judgment of God.
But there was no excuse for the slanderous hypocrisy of the northern abolitionists and their call for a violent resolution. Abolitionist hatred and mischaracterization polarized the sides and made war inevitable.
Ignoring the British example of gradual abolition, they spurned a peaceful solution. The inflammatory abolitionist rhetoric invited federal involvement and centralization of supreme and unquestioned political authority in Washington D.C. This has accelerated to the present day.
God condemns slave trading as a capital offense, but He permits slave owning in certain situations. Otherwise, why would he give regulations for the kind treatment of slaves (Eph 6:5; Col 3:22-4:1)? By condemning slavery, without exception as a “great moral evil”, we are condemning God and His Word spoken through the Apostle Paul (Philemon 11).
Why then did the South lose, especially after so remarkable a beginning. As we have noted above, the South wasn’t right. Biblical slave laws were not instituted and the Confederate Constitution repeated almost verbatim the blasphemous exclusion of the religious test oath for public officeholders.
<b>For More Information</b>
For more information about the anti-Christian features of the U.S. Constitution visit http://www.america-betrayed-1787.com Dennis Woods is webmaster and also a political pollster and fundraiser in Oregon. Copyright: you may freely republish this article, provided the text, author credit, the active links and this copyright notice remain intact.”
Human life in this world has often seen transitions. These transitions have occurred in every age, in every century. However, the latest transitions, which have been occurring in the twentyfirst have never ever impressed me. The twentieth century was a bit better, but not the best. The nineteen nineties did see some good developments; but it obviously had to be the nineteen twenties which, I feel, every individual of the present age would have loved to live in. Alas, there are very few from that period who are still alive, and most of them are in their late ninetees or hundreds. Yet, their memories are so sharp; after all could anyone forget the days of America’s golden age.
The Prelude 1918 - 1923
The period of progress and transition which is referred to as the “Roaring Twenties” or the “Jazz Age” had its origins in the optimistic and progressive thinking of a new generation of Americans who emerged from the rigors of the First World War. The Treaty of Versailles of 1919 had destroyed the power of the enemy they had so feared so completely that Americans felt more secure. As a result, the economy soared to new heights. Their purchasing power had increased dramatically and they spent lavishly on enjoyment and dress. This phase of progress was coeval with the passing of the Volstead Act on January 29, 1920 which made the sale of all forms of liquor, illegal. This led to the birth of a prosperous bootlegging business whose captains smuggled in alcoholic drinks from Canada. For this reason, the period starting from 1920 and ending with 1933, when Prohibition was brought to an end by an amendment, is also known as the “Prohibition Era”.
Another major invention which epitomized American thought and culture during the 1920s was the Colt-Thomson sub-machine gun whose inventor General John T. Thomson released a version for the general public in 1919. This gun, known colloquially as the “Tommy gun” was the most lethal weapon ever handled by the American public and soon found favor with the managers of the bootlegging business who used them to effect some of the most gruesome murders ever committed.
The Golden Age 1923 - 1929
Prosperity and development in America was at its peak between 1923 and 1929. Motor cars became the most preferred means of transportation. Ford, Dodge Brothers, Packard, Haynes and Winton were some of the top car manufacturers. Lavish lifestyle, costly vacations and expensive jewellery became the trend of the times.
The year 1923 which saw the death of American President Warren Harding also saw the rise of a hitherto unknown gangster called Alphonse Capone or Al Capone in the distant city of Chicago. Capone rapidly rose in the ranks of organized crime, eventually displacing his boss Johnny Torrio and snatched control of crime syndicates all over the USA. Known popularly as “Scarface”, Capone was the most dreaded gangster of the time and virtually ruled Chicago till the early 1930s with his money and muscle power (at one time, he even had a mayor of Chicago William “Hale” Thomson, popularly known as “Big Bill” in his pay). This period is remembered in Chicago for gangwars, nightclubs where illegal booze and jazz music were served, rampant corruption in the administration and police force and the gruesome civilian murders and police encounters that took place.
Costume
A typical gentleman of the 1920s wore a shirt made of cotton or silk and suspenders. Men belonging to the rapidly growing American middle-class wore buttoned jackets over their shirts and a coat on top of their jackets. Not infrequently, ties or bowties replaced buttoned jackets. Hats, monocles and walking sticks were the fashion of the time and were used even by men who weren’t bald or blind or lame. Sunglasses were sported by film stars.
In women’s fashion, skirts decreased in size during the time. It was a marked deviation from the conservatism of the Victorian Age. A typical woman of the period who bopped her hair and wore short skirts and excessive makeup was known as a “flapper”.
Jazz Music
Jazz originated in the city of New Orleans in the early 1900s as a fusion of Afro-American, Jewish, Italian and post-Victorian European music styles. However, jazz music flourished largely during the 1920s supported by the active patronage of mafia dons as Al Capone who roped in jazz stars to play in their night clubs. Louis Armstrong, arguably one of the greatest exponents of jazz, performed during this period. The fast-paced jazz renditions appeared more glamorous and attractive to the critical and unorthodox American public than the slow-paced classics of 18th century European musicians. Jazz marked the transition from the sonatas and waltzes of Mozart and Beethoven to pop and rock music of our times.
Films
The 1920s saw the transition from black-and-white to color and from silent to the talkies. The film-production business which, during the early 1900s, was the preserve of the adventurous few, grew manifold during the 1920s. Mary Pickford, Douglas Fairbanks, Greta Garbo, John Gielgud, John Barrymore, Charlie Chaplin, Spencer Tracy and Bob Hope were some of the stars whose careers bloomed in the 1920s. Comedian Bob Hope who passed away in 2003 at the age of 100, once recounted his nerve-cracking experience performing for Al Capone. The Toll of the Sea, the first film in Type 2 Technicolor was produced in 1922. The Jazz Singer (1927) was the first talkie while The Viking(1927) was the first film shot in Type 3 Technicolor. On With the Show made in 1929 was the first talkie produced in Technicolor. Following these firsts, there were so many movies filmed in Technicolor that it was estimated that color would replace black-and-white movies entirely by the year 1930. However, this was not to be as the Great Depression struck and Hollywood returned to black-and-white in order to cut down upon production costs.
Walter Elias Disney brought out his first Mickey Mouse animation film in 1928. This was a milestone in the history of motion pictures. Over the next few years, many cartoons were made, mostly by Disney but some also by Metro Goldwyn Mayer and Paramount. Most of these early cartoons were filmed in Technicolor.
Sports
The 1920s saw impressive milestones set in different sports and field and track events of the time. Baseball legend Babe Ruth was at his peak in the early 1920s . He set towering records that have stood for decades. Finland’s Paavo Nurmi set the record for long-distance running (1,500m). Charles Lindbergh made the first non-stop transatlantic flight in 1927 and became a celebrity in his time. However, celebrity status did prove to be a bane to Charles Lindbergh when his toddler son was kidnapped for ransom in 1932 and later, killed.
The Wall Street Crash and the Last Stage 1929 - 1933
On the 24 of October 1929, famous in history as “Black Thursday” the Wall Street crashed. The prices of shares rapidly fell bringing down the American economy. It spelt the doom of millions of Americans and precipitated the Great Depression. Millions were left jobless and destitute. However, the Roaring Twenties lasted well until 1933, when a second fall brought further ruin.
The impact of the Great Depression was widespread. Production of costly color movies were stopped. Car showrooms were filled with unsold motor cars. There were labor movements in the USA. Elsewhere, Communism was increasingly touted as the best alternative to the capitalist system of economy which prevailed in the USA. United Kingdom was another country which was hard hit by the Great Depression. The Government of British India drastically increased the price of salt and other commodities which led to widespread famine. These events indirectly led to M. K. Gandhi’s Dandi March. In Burma, there were nationalist movements calling for the separation of the colony of Burma from British India and for the expulsion of the extortionary Chettiar moneylenders from India.
The strength of the Labor Party increased manifold in Great Britain. A series of Round Table conferences were held to chart out a solution to the India question. There was general disillusionment in all developed countries with the existing capitalist system of economy.
On February 14, 1929, hitmen from Al Capone’s outfit in disguise as police officers “raided” a stockade of illegal liquor belonging to a rival gangster “Bugs” Moran. Assuming them to be police officers, the seven members of Moran’s outfit turned their backs to the “officers” and stood with their arms held up in the air. Immediately, the “police officers” opened machine gun fire killing seven of them on the spot. Forensic evidence showed that the seven victims were almost cut in two by machine gun fire. The “police” later led some men out to the car and left. This act evoked widespread condemnation and public outrage. One newspaper branded Al Capone as “public enemy number one”. The expensive and luxurious lifestyle of these gangsters while the rest of the American population was suffering in poverty at the height of the Great Depression evoked the ire of the general public. Al Capone, however, did escape once again due to lack of evidence, but was arrested in 1932 on charges of income tax evasion. He was found guilty and sentenced to imprisonment for eleven years, the longest prison term ever awarded for income tax evasion. Al Capone, however, did not serve his full term. He was released after six and a half years due to good behavior. However, by the time, he was out of jail, his crime empire had been liquidated. Thus ended the career of one of the most dangerous gangsters of the twentieth century.
Legacy
The 1920s typified the inter-war mindset of America. It marked the transition from the Industrial Revolution to the Age of Computers. Most of the gadgets that we come across in our daily lives today as vacuum cleaners, refrigerators, tube lights, lawn movers, televisions, washing machines and elevators gained widespread acceptance during this period. There was also an increase in the popularity of amusement parks and roller coasters. A number of path breaking inventions were made during this time. John Logie Baird invented the television in 1927; Alexander Fleming invented penicillin in 1928. The Zippo, the first modern cigarette lighter was invented in 1932.
The 1920s witnessed a spurt in the demand for motor cars which were available at far cheaper prices. The horseless carriages of the early 1900s with their heavy and costly brass fittings and headlight were shunned for more compact, fashionable and cheap cars. Ford released its Model A in 1927. This was perhaps the first motor car which targetted the lower-middle class American population.
By the early 1930s, roadways were expanded to cover the whole of America. This, gradually threw railway companies out of business. The durability of vintage-era cars made long distance travel easy and comfortable.
This period also witnessed many political changes. Imperialism was universally condemned and human rights and values respected. Monarchism was shunned in favor of democracy. Apparently, there were many movements for democracy all over the world. There was an astonishing amount of racial equality in America where Afro-American artistes and Afro-American culture were held in high esteem for the first time, notwithstanding the fact that the ultra-racist Ku Klux Klan was at the zenith of its popularity during this period. Almost all popular jazz musicians of the period were of Afro-American ethnicity and received extravagant amounts of money as salary. In Europe, the period saw the rise of rightist movements as Fascism in Italy and Nazism in Germany. In India, the Montagu-Chelmsford reforms were passed in 1919. According to the provisions of these acts, free and fair elections were held for the first time in Madras province. The League of Nations was established in 1919 to arbitrate in disputes between different countries in the world. Drastic growth in transport and communications fostered globalization and inter-cultural dialogue.
The 1920s are viewed by some as a dark age where there was widespread degeneration and immorality. To some, it was a golden age when one could aspire for the sun and the stars and yet get them. America was at the zenith of its prosperity. Monarchs had lost much of their power and influence worldwide as the general inclination of popular thought was in favor of democracy only to be replaced by film stars, bootleggers, inventors and businessmen who lived in regal splendor. However, we can never chose to ignore the twenties, as the nineteen twenties made the America we know today. This was probably the period when the United States surpassed the United Kingdom in the quest for leadership among the world’s nations. Above all, the 1920s more than any other period in American history, exemplified the great “American Dream”.
“The poorhouse is vanishing from among us. We have not yet reached the goal, but, given a chance to go forward with the policies of the last eight years, we shall soon… be in sight of the day when poverty will be banished from this nation…. When the war ended, the most vital of all issues both in our own country and throughout the world was whether governments should continue their wartime ownership and many instrumentalities of production and distribution. We were challenged by a peacetime choice between the American system of rugged individualism and a European philosophy of diametrically opposed doctrines — doctrines of paternalism and state socialism. The acceptance of those ideas would have meant the destruction of self-government through centralization of government. It would have meant the undermining of the individual initiative and enterprise through which our people have grown to unparalleled greatness. By adherence to the principles of decentralized self-government, equal opportunity, and freedom of the individual, our American experiment in human welfare has yielded a degree of well-being unparalleled in all the world. It has come nearer to the abolition of poverty, to the abolition of fear of want than humanity has ever reached before. Progress of the past seven years is the proof of it. This alone furnishes the answer to our opponents, who ask us to introduce destructive elements into the system by which this has been accomplished.”
-Herbert Hoover, President of the United States of America, 1929 to 1933.
I am a bank employee and a history buff from India. I am also a regular contributor to Wikipedia.
Spanish Control- The conquest with the Filipinos because of Spain didn’t start in earnest right up until 1564, when one more journey commencing with New Spain, commanded by Miguel López de Legaspi, showed up. Spanish control was quickly founded over many small self-governing individuals that formerly had identified no international rule. By 1571, when López de Legaspi located the Spanish city of Manila in the workplace of a Moro village he had conquered the year prior, the Spanish foothold inside Philippines was comfortable, regardless of the opposition of beginning a Portuguese, who were zealous not to lose their monopoly through the industry of East Asia.
Manila repulsed the assault of the Chinese pirate Limahong in 1574. For ages prior to Spanish arrived the Chinese had exchanged with the Filipinos, but obviously none had decided for good in the islands right up until after the conquest. Chinese buy and sell and manual labor were of amazing consequence in the early progress of the Spanish colony, however the Chinese came being feared and hated due to their escalating numbers, and in 1603 the Spanish murdered thousands of them(later on, there were lesser massacres of the Chinese) .
The Spanish governor, created a viceroy in 1589, ruled using the advice with the persuasive royal audiencia. There were common uprisings by the Filipinos, whom resented the encomienda scheme. By the end of the 16th cent. Manila were now a leading business focal point of East Asia, carrying over a successful trade with China, India, and the East Indies. The Philippines provided some fortune(such as gold) to Spain, and the super abundantly packed galleons plying linking the islands and New Spain were often attacked by English freebooters. There was also hassle from other quarters, and the period from 1600 to 1663 was pronounced by repeated conflicts with the Dutch, who used to be laying the foundations at her prosperous empire in the East Indies, and with Moro pirates. Among the hardest situations the Spanish experienced was the subjugation of the Moros. Non-continuous adventures were carried out versus them but without certain results until highly the 19th cent. As the power of the Spanish Empire declined, the Jesuit orders turned extra influential in the Philippines and inherited tremendous quantities of possession.
The Shakespeare Birthplace Trust based in Stratford upon Avon,is said to be considered as the most important Shakespeare charity in the world.The Trust is an independent charity that cares for the Shakespeare Heritage,and owns the five Shakespeare houses in and around Stratford upon Avon.The Trust was founded in 1847 by then purchasing Shakespeare’s Birthplace,and the other houses relating to William Shakespeare.The main objectives of the Trust are to promote in every corner of the world the study of the plays and the famous works of William Shakespeare,and the understanding and advancements of Shakespearean knowledge. Also to maintain and preserve the Birthplace of Shakespeare and the other properties for the enjoyment and benefit of the general public throughout the UK and the world.As well as preserving books,records,manuscripts,photographs,of historic interest,and any objects of antiquity with reference but not exclusively to William Shakespeare his life time and works. The Shakespeare Birthplace Trust also actively encourages visitors to take interest in all the other aspects of the trust in relation to Museums,Education,Library and Archives and Events. As the Shakespeare Centre which is a unique setting for corporate hospitality,conferences and other programmes.Then you have the Library archives with local collections consisting of thousands of archival records and photographs,and maps relating to Stratford upon Avon,as well as historical documents relating to Shakespeare and his family.The Museums respectively are the five houses which are all connected with the Shakespeare family,and consist of Hall Croft,and Mary Ardens House and Shakespeare’s Birthplace. The Trust also holds Public Education events for inspiring and discovering Shakespeare,like celebrations and festivals consisting of poetry and outdoor plays set in the Shakespearian gardens or Shakespeares house. The Shakespeare Trust receives no Government funding but is entirely dependant upon the support of the public and a income respectively generated by visitors.Therefore the Trust encourages that the general public become involved in making donations,or becoming a friend,sponsoring the trust,or volunteering your time to help and assist in the running of the Trust. Stratford upon Avon supports and cares for Charities for more on Charity in Stratford upon Avon go to:Charity in Stratford upon Avon.
Herdeep Mann is the webmaster and sole licensee for a website all about Stratford upon Avon.
Metal is a very precious natural resource. It is widely used in industry all around the world. One of the biggest uses of metal is the manufacturing of automobiles. This uses the popular metal called steel. Copper and gold were the first two metals known to be used according to history.
There are 86 known metals. The discovery of these metals took place between 1750 BC and 4000 BC. The first seven were copper, gold, silver, lead, iron, mercury, and. Iron was widely used in many cultures around 2500 BC. This metal was heated and shaped to make weapons for war. It was also commonly used to make farming equipment. Bronze was also used to make weapons and shields around 4500 BC.
Aluminum is very popular today. It was not discovered until 1825. Aluminum was difficult to extract so it was at least 20 years before it became widely used. The more reactive a metal is, the harder it becomes to extract. However, aluminum is the third largest resource we have available to us. It is in line after oxygen and silicon. Aluminum is not used as much as other metals because it takes a large amount of electricity to process.
Almost all metal is able to be recycled. It can be melted down and reprocessed. Millions of tons of metal are considered scrap each year. The ability to reprocess it allows us to maintain our metal sources as well as reduce the amount of materials that find their way to the landfills.
Metals have been in use since very prehistoric times. They have been used to make jewelry, weapons, equipment, construction, and for vehicles. The various types of metals available continue to be very valuable to us. You can sell your scrap metal for a very low price to a manufacturer who will reprocess it and make a profit on it. The reproduction of metal is quite a big industry.
As our technology continues to progress, our uses for metal continues to change. We find better ways to process the metals as well as other materials to use in the manufacturing of various products. Most of the products we use in our homes have some type of metal in them.
Paul Ingersole is an Australian based business person who enjoys writing.Paul discovered a great system that makes small continuous recurring profits using the internet.You can see Google Sniper at Paul’s website
We have some evidence to consider when we try to infer the possible social organization of early hominins. The fossil record can assist us to a certain degree. For example according to Ann Kakaliouras at the Appalachian State University ” dental studies have shown that the early hominins matured quickly, perhaps more quickly than living chimpanzees. This means that infants did not have as long a period of dependency as modern children do. If the features we see in modern foraging societies, such as home bases, sexual division of labor, and extensive food sharing, are the result of a long period of infant dependency, then the social behavior and organization of early hominins probably lacked these features.”
However when the fossil record does not directly help us we have to turn to other models. Broadly speaking there have been three main approaches to infer the probable social organization of early hominins. However, we should realize at the outset of this brief discussion that the term ‘early hominins’ can include a dozen species. One model sought to infer social organization based on comparisons with living primates. A second model examines phylogenetic history and a third model focuses on behavioral ecology.
In the first or specific primate model at various times several different species have been proposed as the best model e.g. baboons, chimpanzees or bonobos. Bonobos or pygmy chimpanzees are interesting since there are similarities in overall body proportion to early hominin species such as Australopithecus afarensis. Their society is more female centred and egalitarian than chimpanzees in which sex is a substitute for aggression.
In the second approach - of phylogenetic comparison with African apes we should consider the work of Richard Wrangham of Harvard University. On the basis of his research he thinks that early hominins “had closed social networks, hostile male-dominated intergroup relationships with stalk and attack interaction, female exogeny and no alliance bonds between females, and males having sexual relationship with more than one female”
The third technique or behavioral ecology model seeks to establish the range of social structures that might have been available to the hominin ancestors and then determine how these structures might have altered in the face of changing environments. Based on ecological conditions Richard Foley has suggested that the most likely social structure in species ancestral to African apes and hominins was relatively gorilla like. However, this is beyond the scope of this brief discussion.
During the Miocene (10m ya) a drier more diverse habitat may have led to the development of chimpanzee like social structure with communities of dispersed females and offspring with genetically related males defending the community against males from different groups. As cooling continued there was a need for larger group size as food resources became more patchy and the terrain roamed increased and males would have to build more alliances between themselves to defend females. Roger Foley states that ” within the hominin species of 3 to 1 million years ago there developed a degree of morphological diversity, presumably reflecting adaptation to different patterns of subsistence”.
This in turn could lead to different social structures with australopithecines concentrating on tough vegetation leading to more solitary behavior and Homo erectus concentrating on meat eating leading to the need for groups. In addition as the production and rearing of large brained offspring is relatively expensive nutritionally paternal involvement may be necessary thus strengthening male-female bonds.
However perhaps we can not talk about the development of nuclear families. The 20% body size dimorphism in modern humans indicates a degree of male-male competition in the relatively recent past. So perhaps unimale polygyny may have been the norm. Finally there are a host of other factors we should consider when trying to reveal the possible social organization of early hominins. We could draw upon theories used by demographers for example who look at factors like extended periods of infant care, and life history variables such as relatively late maturity in humans, long gestation periods, small litter sizes, long lactation periods, long birth intervals and long life spans.
Demographers at Cambridge University like Wrigley and Schofield and more recently Outhwaite have applied all these factors when looking at social structures in history and perhaps they could be applied to the early hominins too where we can gather evidence or infer from primates. In conclusion we can say that a combination of phylogenetic heritage and ecological context probably determined the social organization of early hominins but since this encompasses a diverse group of species over millions of years it also reflects a variety of social structures. This is not surprising given the very wide range of social organization seen in primates
Few quotes from the previous articles of this series are given here.
In language, the foreign or the strange woman is the alien or the exotic or the outsider woman. However, as determined by the Bible (e.g. 1 Kings 11:1), the foreign or the strange woman is the non-Israelite woman.
Subsequently, all non-Israelite women are foreign or strange women.
This indicates that the women in the Bible are but one of two categories; they are either Legitimate or Foreign.
Moreover, the Bible (Ezra 10:2) states that you break faith with God if you marry foreign women.
Ezra 10:2 (English Standard Version):
“…We have broken faith with our God and have married foreign women from the peoples of the land…”
According to the inspired word of God (1 Kings 11:1-11), the Bible says that
The mouth of the strange woman is a deep pit: He that is abhorred of the Lord, Jehovah, shall fall therein. Why be captivated by a strange woman? Why embrace the bosom of a foreigner? Your eyes will see strange women, and your heart utter perverse things; then, you will be like one who lies down in the midst of the sea, like one who lies on the top of a mast.
The commandment is a lamp and the law is light to keep you from the evil woman, from the flattery of the tongue of a strange woman which flatters with her smooth words. Do not let your heart turn to her ways or stray into her paths. Her (the strange woman) house is the way to hell, going down to the chambers of death. She has cast down many wounded: many strong men have been slain by her.
Herein, there is an interesting remark:
Proverbs 22:14 Says that the mouth of the strange women is a deep pit.
On the other hand, Proverbs 23:27 says that a prostitute is a deep pit…
Proverbs 23:27 (English Standard Version): For the prostitute is a deep pit…
(Read the second article of this series: The Foreigner woman in Bible versus Quran (2)
Meaning-wise, does this indicate that the mouth of the strange women is equivalent to a prostitute?
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On the other hand, all women are equal in Islam.
Historical backgrounds:
There were some historical events that happened before the Quran puts the Law that all men and all women are equal in their duty and responsibilities regardless of their race, color, location etc.
(1) The first event was when Thabit ibn Qays who was hard of hearing and when he came to see the Messenger of Allah, the Companions made room for him in order for him to sit next to the Prophet so that he could hear him. He came one day when people were already seated and started stepping over people, saying: “Make room! Make room!” One man said to him: “You have found a place, so sit down!”
Immediately, Muhammad said: ‘Who mentioned that woman (which Thabit gave her names)?
Thabit stood up and said: ‘I did, O Messenger of Allah!’
The Messenger said to him: ‘Look at the faces of those present’.
And when he looked, he asked him: ‘What do you see?’
He said: ‘I see white, red and black people’.
The Prophet Muhammad said: ‘Well, you are not better than any of them unless it be through your good deed and faith and God- fearfulness and apprehension.
(2) The second event; on the day Mecca was conquered, Muhammad ordered Bilal (a black Ethiopian slave) to climb on the roof of the Ka’bah and perform the call to prayer.
A man commented on this: ‘Praise be to Allah, that Allah has taken my father to Him and made that he did not see this day’.
Another man said: ‘Did Muhammad not find any other caller to prayer except this black raven?’
One person said: ‘O servants of Allah! How can this black slave be allowed to perform the call to prayer on top of the Ka’bah?’
Another man said: ‘If Allah is displeased, He will change him’.
Muhammad summoned them and asked them about what they said and they admitted it. Allah then revealed this verse warning them against boasting about their lineages and abundance of wealth and against looking down on the poor, the color, the race etc.
(3) The third event; Safiyyah bint Huyayy ibn Akhtab (a Jewish wife of the Prophet Muhammad) went to Muhammad, and said: ‘O Messenger of Allah, women revile me, saying: O Jewess, daughter of Jewish parents!’
Muhammad said to her: ‘could you not have said to them in reply: my father is Aaron, my uncle is Moses and my husband is Muhammad’.
In response to such events, Allah revealed Verse 49:11 and 13 of the Quran.
The meaning of Verse 49:11
Evil is the name, mentioned out of mockery, derision and mutual reviling, of immorality after faith!
And whoever does not repent, of such immorality, those, they are the evildoers.
In other words, do not defame one another nor backbite against each other, nor insult one another by nicknames that he or she dislikes to hear. Bad is the name of lewdness after having accepted faith. And whoso turned not in repentance from doing that after having accepted faith, such are those who are evil-doers and they harm themselves with punishment in the Hereafter.
The meaning of Verse 49:13
O mankind! Lo! We have created you male and female from Adam and Eve, and have made you nations and tribes that you may know one another. Lo! The noblest of you in the Hereafter, in the sight of Allah on the Day of Judgment, is the best in conduct in the life of the world Lo! Allah is Knower of your status and lineage; He is Aware of your works and standing in His sight.
In other words, the verse says:
O mankind! We have indeed created you from a male and a female, from Adam and Eve, and made you nations and tribes that you may come to know one another that you may acquire knowledge of the customs of one another and not to boast to one another of whose is the more noble lineage, for pride lies only in the extent to which you have fear of God. Truly the noblest of you in the sight of God is the most God-fearing among you. Beyond doubt, God is Knower of you; He is Aware of your inner thoughts.
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The Bible (King James Version)
Proverbs 5:20
And why wilt thou, my son, be ravished with a strange woman, and embrace the bosom of a stranger?
Proverbs 6:23-24
23For the commandment is a lamp; and the law is light; and reproofs of instruction are the way of life:
24To keep thee from the evil woman, from the flattery of the tongue of a strange woman.
Proverbs 7:4-5 and 25-27
4Say unto wisdom, Thou art my sister; and call understanding thy kinswoman:
5That they may keep thee from the strange woman, from the stranger which flattereth with her words.
25Let not thine heart decline to her ways, go not astray in her paths.
26For she hath cast down many wounded: yea, many strong men have been slain by her.
27Her house is the way to hell, going down to the chambers of death.
34Yea, thou shalt be as he that lieth down in the midst of the sea, or as he that lieth upon the top of a mast.
Proverbs 22:14
14The mouth of strange women is a deep pit: he that is abhorred of the LORD shall fall therein.
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The Quran (Yusuf Ali Translation):
Verse 49:11 and 13
11) O ye who believe! let not some men among you laugh at others: it may be that the (latter) are better than the (former): nor let some women laugh at others: it may be that the (latter are better than the (former): nor defame nor be sarcastic to each other, nor call each other by (offensive) nicknames: ill-seeming is a name connoting wickedness, (to be used of one) after he has believed: and those who do not desist are (indeed) doing wrong.
13) O mankind! we created you from a single (pair) of a male and a female, and made you into nations and tribes, that ye may know each other (not that ye may despise (each other). verily the most honored of you in the sight of Allah is (he who is) the most righteous of you. and Allah has full knowledge and is well acquainted (with all things).
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Back to my question to the smart and interested reader:
Are the Scholars honest when they claim that the Quran quoted from the Bible?
Professor Dr. Ibrahim Khalil,
Prof. of Clinical and Chemical Pathology, Head (ex-) of Clinical Microbiology and Infection Control Unit, Ain-Shams University. Cairo, Egypt
President of the Egyptian Society of Inventors, Honorary President of SPIC-Egypt (The Society of Practitioners of Infection Control – Egypt), Co-Chief Editor of the Egyptian Journal of Lab. Medicine
Member of the Egyptian union of Writers, Published 5 Books and some 60 Medical Articles, Supervisors for 79 PhD theses and111 Master Degree theses.
Battle axes are those axes that have been especially designed so as to serve the purpose of a weapon. A battle axe may be regarded as a specialized version of the utility axes. These battle axes may be used single-handedly, or may require one to use both hands. Battle axes that can be used with just one hand are much shorter in length. Battle axes, which are specifically meant for the purpose of fighting wars, generally do not weigh more than about 1lb to over 6lbs. The length of these axes may also vary greatly, ranging from over just about one foot, to about five feet. Examples of such axes are the Sparth axes and the Danish axes. Axes that are more than five feet in length are considered to be belonging to the family of the pole arms. A battle axe would usually weigh much less than the modern splitting axe, especially a maul. This not only made handling the battle axes easies, it also ensured a quicker combat. Since these axes were meant to cut into flesh, instead of chopping wood, they had slicing blades that were much narrow. This allowed the user to cause the enemy to have much more severe wounds, especially when the blades were made of better metals, and were well designed and sharp. Often the axes were reinforced with the help of metal bands, (popularly known as langetts). This ensured that the enemy was not able to easily damage the axe by cutting the wooden handle. In fact, there were many battle axes designed for the army that had handles that were completely made of metals. During the medieval times, battle axes were quite specifically designed for the men using them. Since battle axes had very important uses in the army, they were specifically designed to meet the needs of army men. For instance, axes that were designed for the cavalry were much longer than the axes that had been designed for the infantrymen. Similarly, horsemen too used to have specifically designed battle hatchets for their use.
Battle axes had been used for centuries by a number of armies and countless army men. Though battle axes are not used anymore, and like all other weapons, its use is strictly prohibited to the people, it still continues to amuse many. Especially the ancient battle axes that are now regarded as pieces of treasure continue to fascinate both the young as well as the old.
Paul Ingersole is an Australian based business person who enjoys writing.Paul discovered a great system that makes small continuous recurring profits using the internet.You can see Google Sniper at Paul’s website
