Blog # 12 ( Chapter 23 & 24)- Nelson Mandela

Nelson Mandela had pleaded guilty to 156 acts of public violence, and even Amnesty International asserted that he had committed violent crimes and had a fair trial and reasonable sentence of 27 years in prison. In spite of all that, he became South Africa's first president to win in a fully democratic election. His role in Africa's struggle for unity is now recognized. I guess, it's either people had forgotten about his crimes, chose not to remember it out of desperation for the needed change, or have truly just forgiven him.
Last Sunday, July 18, the U.N. commemorated the first "Nelson Mandela International Day." It was a resolution adopted in November 2009 by the 192-member world body which would now be a yearly remembrance of Mandela's contributions to Africa's liberation. Since I was not born in the 60's, when he became the leader and co-founder of the ANC's (African National Congress) armed wing Umkhonto we Sizwe (abbreviated as MK), I realized that I knew almost nothing about him. So, I did a quick search. I learned that he initially committed to nonviolent resistance, but later on coordinated bombing campaigns against government targets like post offices, courts, government offices, and even the Johannesburg railway station which caused the death of many women and children. MK's move to armed struggle against the apartheid regime resulted in many civilian casualties especially in the 1980's. Mandela admitted that his group violated human rights that's why he and his ANC party members were prohibited from entering the U.S., and were branded as terrorists at some point.
Here's other interesting info about his life:
-----He was 75 yrs. old when he took office as South Africa's President in 1994.
-----He has been married 3 times and his last marriage was on his 80th birthday in 1998
-----His eldest son died in a car crash
-----His second son died of AIDS
-----His eldest daughter was married to a prince

Chapter 21 & 22 Communism

Communist ideals seem attractive at first glance, but a careful look at it reveals a contradictory practice of a communist government. For me, communism just makes all its citizens poor and only the very few in power decides where the wealth goes. I know that capitalism itself is not a perfect system, but when people diligently give out of love for God and their neighbor, it makes a tremendous impact. I would rather freely give and without regulation of how much I should give or to whom I would give it to, because that would reflect of who I am...my values and my character. I very much disagree in a government that forces its people to give all their earnings to support a theory that only benefits the few. There is that sense of fulfillment gained when someone gives out of a cheerful heart. On the contrary, when one is forced to give and is lacking the proper motivation, resentment develops and the delight in sharing is alienated. I mean, when someone got blessed with wealth, let's say through one's honest hard work or inheritance, that person should have the right to choose how the wealth should be redistributed. Good stewardship should come to play, but the decision regarding how the finances should be handled or which charities are deemed worthy of aid should be a private decision. Letting good people exercise their freedom to do good works is healthy and strengthens the society. Communism is not a generous act of reform to stop oppression, but is actually another form of suppression.

Chapter 17, 18 and 20 The Abolition of Slavery and The Beginnings of Feminist Movement

The American abolition movement was a by-product of religious revivalism. They condemned slavery based on moral grounds, and insisted that slavery was not compatible to Christian teachings. It was called The Second Great Awakening. Thanks to the efforts of the Society of Friends (Quakers), who originally formed the core of abolition, and later on was joined by others who were persuaded by their cause. They lobbied hard until their thinking became widespread and their cry gained support. Their lives got endangered as they faced furious opposition. Yet, they persevered. It was indeed, in my opinion, a selfless act. The original evengelical religious movement hoped for repentance and love as the ultimate result, but slavery ended through military coercion. Later on, the movement split into 2 factions and other leaders added other causes to anti-slavery like women's rights.
The feminist movement was another effect of the Atlantic Revolution. I really think that it started as a great cause, but slowly shaped into a more radical movement. According to Strayer, " Most operated through peaceful protest and persuasion, but the British Women's Social and Political Union organized a campaign of violence that included blowing up railroad stations, slashing works of art, and smashing department store windows. One British activist, Emily Davison, threw herself in front of the king's horse during a race in Britain in 1913 and was trampled to death" (p.521). I consider all these as senseless actions. What did they hope to accomplish in ruining public properties and committing suicide? To get public attention? Well, they sure got that, but did they get the support of the majority? I highly doubt it. I view defiance of these kinds as arrogance. Although, I understand that the heavy oppression must have caused much misery and ultimately led to these radical actions. It's just that I see violence as fruitless. They tend to hurt others and also themselves...

Chapters14-16 Slavery should never be tolerated

Other than empire building and growing commerce, what else was significant from 1450-1750 and even beyond? Unfortunately, it was slavery. According to Strayer, "...the New World slavery was largely based on plantation agriculture and treated slave as a form of dehumanized property, lacking any rights in the society of their owners. Slave status throughout the Americas was inherited across generations and there was little hope of eventual freedom for the vast majority" (450). The whole scenario would easily infuriate anyone in a clear mind. Family structure was destroyed as each member went to the auction block. Parents had to shoulder the anxiety of being separated from their children. Children had to go through the emotional trauma of being taken away by strangers as they were sold. The memory of involuntary separation between family members must have caused much anguish. To add insult to injury, they were considered as the "master's property." They had no possession and were subjected to extreme cruelty. Many slaves innocently accepted their troubled plight until they finally realized that nobody had to endure such injustice.
Even today, different forms of slavery exists. I personally think that when pride and greed smothers the heart and blinds the eyes, one's compassion is overshadowed. We have to learn to resist the temptation to desire to be superior. It is not morally right to take advantage of anyone. Slavery in any form is unacceptable.

Unfairness in Islam even in the Punishment of Death?

In connection to my recent post about men and women in Islam, I just wanted to share a few things about the many things that I discovered regarding the punishment of death (specifically in Iran). According to this article, with regards to the penalty for adultery, "Married offenders may be punished by stoning regardless of their gender, but the method laid down for a man involves his burial up to his waist, and for a woman up to her neck (article 102)." It continued to say that, "The law provides that if a person who is to be stoned manages to escape, he or she will be allowed to go free." Hey, wait a minute!!! Who has a better chance of escaping---a man buried up to his waist or a woman buried up to her neck? Tsk, tsk...I guess, it does not really matter. Why? The article mentioned that, " in some instances, when the woman miraculously managed to escape, contrary to the regime's own law, she was recaptured and either stoned again or killed on the spot." One woman was recaptured and shot to death, and one woman charged with adultery was thrown off a 10-story building. This is beyond cruelty!!! Okay, please do not get me wrong. I am not hoping for a less escape for men as I do not want both genders to suffer that way, but I would think that there would be no case of adultery charges for males since they are legally allowed to have up to 4 wives anyway (provided he can equally sustain all 4).
Again, I do not condone adultery, but these are horrific examples of punishment by death. We have to consider also the possibility that charges of adultery could be just false accusations to reign terror or maybe admission is under duress. Anyway, I am very grateful for the freedom that we have here in the U.S. and makes me hope that everyone can enjoy it the same way. In other countries, both men and women are under the same terror and tragic situation, and yet, women and children still suffers most.

If interested, here is the link to the article where I got those info:
www.iran-e-azad.org/stoning/women.html

Genghis Khan Exhibit at the Tech Museum

I was so afraid to drive to the unfamiliar roads of downtown San Jose, but my daughter and I safely made it to the Tech Museum last week. I originally searched for a hotel for an overnight stay because I was ridiculously fearful of ending up in one way streets. Then, I had to abandon the plan when it dawned to me that the museum has extended hours, until 8 PM, on a holiday. Holiday means no cars and less people in a business area, right? Just to make sure, we went in the mid-afternoon. It was such a relief to find out that my intuition was correct. However, after a couple of driving mistakes, I added a total of 4 more blocks to our already long walk because we went in the opposite direction (Yikes! I do not have a sense of direction not only in driving, but also in walking? That is terrible!!!). I believe we walked a minimum of 8 blocks before we made it to the exhibit.
The $37 tickets for both of us included a full access to the other Tech galleries (except the Imax Theatre) so it was viable. We really took our time. There was a big statue of Genghis Khan and life-size statues of warriors, plenty of artifacts, preserved human remain, short clips to watch, wall murals to look at, etc. I noticed that the artifacts were borrowed from The National Museum of Mongolia, Military Museum of Mongolia, and The Institute of Archaeology of the Mongolian Academy of Sciences. Much effort and diplomacy must have been exerted to put this exhibit together. Everything was just indescribably valuable.
Before going there, I read an advertisement that said, "Participate in several engaging, family-friendly activities. Watch live cultural performances by traditional Mongolian singers and musicians." Those were either missing or partly missing. There was not a single live performance when we were there. The fact that it was a holiday must have changed things. There was a small Ger set up with a few costumes that people were allowed to try on. The person manning the area was willing to answer questions. I guess, that can be considered the, "engaging, family-friendly activity" that they were talking about plus the small digging site that children can go in at the end of the exhibit.
Anyway, we read everything in the exhibit, took notes, and watched all the video clips. My daughter said she really liked it although she never knew who Genghis Khan was before that experience. To sum it up, we both came out satisfied with what we have accomplished and learned. I promised to bring her again soon.

Chapters 11-13 Islam, Mongol Moment, and The 15th century

Chapter 11, regarding men and women in Islam, reminded me of my 2 favorite former co-workers. They are both male American Muslim converts that has served in the U.S. military. Here in the U.S. , their wives work, are not subjected to cover their bodies from head to toe, and are respected enough to be consulted first if they ever agree to share their husband to a second, third, or fourth wife. My friends love their wives enough not to abuse them physically nor verbally, and have chosen not to have more than one wife. Outside the U.S. , where monogamy is not the norm, my friends might be tempted to take wives no. 2 to 4. So, to keep the peace that they currently have within their household, they better keep their feet within the U.S. grounds : >)) .
Other Muslim women in other countries, especially in the Middle East, does not have the same liberty or consideration. Just last week, an Iranian woman was reported to be facing death by stoning for adultery under a duress.Yesterday, it was confirmed that she will no longer be stoned to death, but most likely face execution by hanging. So, is stoning to death an Islamic rule based on the Quran or does their culture play the major role? America has a more embracing culture then. Most of these women must have been wrongly accused and forced to confess adultery. They also normally receive 99 lashes before imprisonment and still gets final death sentence. I do not condone adultery, but I also cannot help but think that stoning and hanging anyone is inhumane.
"Negative views of women, presenting them variously as weak, deficient, and a sexually charged threat to men and social stability, emerged in the hadiths, traditions about the sayings or actions of Muhammad, which became an important source of Islamic law"(Strayer p. 316). For me, it is a matter of getting to know the woman to discover her strength. For anything that she is lacking, the purpose of the existence of the opposite sex is there: to complement each other and not to degrade one another. This quote describes it better:

"Woman was taken out
of man; not out of his head to top him, nor out of his feet to be trampled
underfoot; but out of his side to be equal to him, under his arm to be
protected, and near his heart to be loved." (Just something to think about...)

I prefer not to say much about the Mongol Empire as I would be posting something separate about my trip to the Genghis Khan exhibit. However, I would like to emphasize here what our text has reiterated about Genghis Khan being a charismatic leader and his people being skillful horse-back riders. Together, they passionately conquered and ruled. Loyalty was rewarded while betrayal meant death. Their beginning seemed impossible, and the far-reaching result was remarkable.