... dynasty to gain power. When they controlled the caliphate, the Abbasids worked to distance the Arab elitism of the Umayyad dynasty and make Islam an appealing religion to outsiders as a whole. An example of their efforts is evident in the fact that they moved the capital of the caliphate from Mecca to Baghdad. This physically separated the idea of the religion from the Arab world. The Abbasid's effort worked in solidifying more ... territories into Islamic states. Overall, the careful work of the ruling caliphs, both Umayyad and Abbasid, over the controlled territories cemented the foun...

• Word Count: 1783
• Approx Pages: 7

... I think if America is trying to stop terrorism and war then we should step down of the pedestal that we some how put ourselves on. As long as we stay separated from the rest of the world we will never be able to live without paranoia and suspicion. America has insisted on ... look at the big picture. Why not concentrate on teens shooting faculty and student in their own high schools. Or maybe terrorists like the Uni-bomber and Timothy Mc Vey. Could those terroristic attacks be prevented. We should stop the terrorism that's coming from our own nation first and then focus on the outsiders....

• Word Count: 714
• Approx Pages: 3
• Grade Level: High School

... the people; they do not, however, worship or mistake them as the center of their faith. That is the Qu'ran. This chapter shows the importance of the Qu'ran to Muslim people. It goes on to explain the language in which this Holy book was written: Arabic. How moving this language is, but at the same time it shows that language is not the only barrier for outsiders. The ... content of the Qu'ran is many times very hard to follow, even when translated. QUESTIONS: 1. ... I have heard different stories as to whether or not Mohammad really ever knew that he was indeed a "prophet- before he rec...

• Word Count: 918
• Approx Pages: 4
• Grade Level: High School

... religons. For one, the Christian God was forgiving, while the Islamic god, Allah, was very unforgiving. The Christian religon is based on the philosophy of "turn the other cheek", while in Islam, Allah condones and even encourages revenge against sinners. Islam is an exclusive religon as Ibn Ishaq writes, "Believers are friends one to the other to the exclusion of outsiders," while the whole basis of ... Christianity is on the inclusion of others ... , and fair treatment of those with different beliefs. And one other example of the difference between the two religons is that women were t...

• Word Count: 1611
• Approx Pages: 6

... to unite people, encourage trade, and expand the Islamic empire during this period, meanwhile Christianity withheld the West from expanding. Ultimately, the tolerance and acceptance of different ideologies and cultures and the encouragement of free thought created a sense of unity that was much more appealing compared to the restraints of the Roman Catholic Church in Western Europe which pushed outsiders to conform, and free thought to be ... repressed for Church theology, thus allowing the Islamic world to develop into the dominant group of the time. To compare the differences in how W...

• Word Count: 1444
• Approx Pages: 6
• Grade Level: Undergraduate

... the icon shares the likeness and therefore the sanctity of the sacred person portrayed. That is the purpose of this piece of art. The Byzantine picture is trying to communicate all the people of the empire, the importance of religion inside it. The artwork itself has the holy figures that reveal to us important moments of the religion. It is supposed made by a person from the clergy of the Orthodox Church to the citizens of the ... empire, to laity, with the purpose of ... has preferred painting a more useful manner for people to like art: showing their own, daily life. Islamic art is ...

• Word Count: 1237
• Approx Pages: 5
• Grade Level: High School