NASA video clearly shows the ongoing collapse of the Aral Sea and its’ ecosystem which is happening due to the Soviet Union diverting to major rivers that were feeding into the Aral Sea. Some progress has been made in recovering the water supply there but only the north basin is beginning to recover.
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Scientists have recently discovered from piles of ancient trash that the Byzantine Empire might have begun to collapse sooner than previously thought as it is clear the the infrastructure surrounding trash pick-up collapsed. The trash also indicates signs of climatic disaster and disease.
https://www.livescience.com/65069-byzantine-trash-heaps.html
Recently, Chinese officials have ordered that Arabic signs along with any images associated with Islam are to be covered up and out of public view. Many feel this is a blatant attempt to erase Islamic culture in Chinese society.
Steve King, a representative for Iowa, recently joked about the plight of Uighurs in China which drew criticism from both the left and the right. His comment was culturally insensitive and he is already in deep trouble for suggesting that without rape and incest babies the world would not have a population.
United Nations Panel says that the listed countries may be complicit in war crimes. They say that the supplying of weapons as well as torture, sexual violence, using starvation and siege tactics as methods of warfare. https://www.cnn.com/2019/09/03/middleeast/yemen-war-crimes-un-panel-intl/index.html
I came across this article on Facebook, and while the article itself is interesting, the single comment on FB (from an August 1st post) about it is what I found informative:
“Stupid not our Faith, our lord freed women with the excellent example demonstrated by prophet Mohammed prayers and peace on him.”
This is a significant contribution to informing the general American public on what Islam is not.
And not just a mosque, but a little town too! A sample from the article states the importance of the find:
“This is one of the earliest mosques known from the beginning of the arrival of Islam in Israel, after the Arab conquest of 636 CE.”
Prof. Gideon Avni, Times of Israel
Pronounced (more prettily) in Turkish as Ayasofya. This structure was commissioned as a Christian church but was eventually made into a mosque. Come take a peek.
You can read here about the mosque’s history on its official site.
The British Museum is currently hosting an exhibition :How did the Islamic world influence Western art? It runs until January 2020, if you’ve got some free time over the winter break. From their site:
Known as ‘Orientalism’, this representation of the East in Western art often blurred the line between fantasy and reality. Ranging from painting and decorative arts, interior design to architecture, the objects and artworks depict or refer to subjects and styles from the Islamic World, primarily the Middle East and North Africa.
British Museum Blog
The article goes on to discuss Edward Said’s critique of the wetern representation of the East (how it was distorted).
This is an article about the recent problems in Kashmir regarding the recent action in that region. But this article offers a different perspective than the Indian view since it is written by the Pakistani prime minister.