Islam in Italy Essay - 2453 Words

Islam in Italy Problems with format Like many minority communities of varying religious and ethnic backgrounds, Muslims have struggled to define their place in societies around the world. As immigration patterns have ebbed and flowed through the centuries, Italy is one of many European countries that plays host to a growing number of Muslim immigrants.? Muslims struggle with identity, intermarriage, gender relations, worship, education, and civil rights in the context of their new country.? These issues are particularly poignant for Muslims entering and living within Italy during this religiously momentous time.? During the past twenty years, Italy has seen a resurgence of immigrants who hold to the Islamic tradition.? For the†¦show more content†¦Its effects were felt in commerce, language, and culture until Sicily was retaken by the Normans in 1091. Transition From the Dark Ages The main entrance to the city of Mazara del Vallo?s eleventh century cathedral depicts the Norman prince Roger I on horseback with sword in hand, personally chasing the last of the Muslims away from Sicily.? This not-so-subtle warning was added during the sixteenth century to honor Roger, who reclaimed Sicily after 200 years of Muslim rule (Holzner).? Hundreds of years later, Muslims are crossing back into Italy?s borders not as conquerors of the past, but as peasants, merchants, and workers who intend to stay in Europe to escape the economic stagnation and overpopulation of their countries of origin.? For many Muslims, Mazara del Vallo is the first stop before venturing north to Italy?s larger cities.? Yet those who do go north are welcomed by another symbol in distinct opposition to Roger I; Europe?s newest and largest mosque speaks volumes of Islam?s permanence in Italy. Contemporary Conditions The past two decades have brought a drastic change to Italy?s demographics, along with a change in the architecture, which now is comprised of domed roofs and minarets that pierce the skyline in even the most historically Catholic cities.? This phenomenon has impacted all aspects of Italian society: religious, social, occupational, educational, cultural, and institutional.Show MoreRelatedSimilarities Between Christianity And Islam942 Words   |  4 PagesChristianity and Islam are two of history’s most influential and powerful religions in the post-classical and early modern era. As different regions began to communicate, products, ideas, and services were exchanged across vast distances. Civilizations became less isolated and depended on other regions to sustain stable economies. The role of the merchant increased as trade arose with other regions. Initially, Christianity despised trade, but as time progressed, merchant activity became moreRead Mo reAl Islam : A Major Economic And Cultural Center1220 Words   |  5 Pagesthis time world were divided into two parts: Dar Al-Islam which was the house of Islam and Dar Al-Harb the house of war.In order to be a part of Dar Al Islam a country/empire must be ruled by a muslim government.The outside world, which has not yet been subjugated, is called the House of War-the name that Dar Al Islam gave to the Europe because of christian being. -DAR AL ISLAM -Was a major economic and cultural center in the word.Dar al Islam provided a common language of traders on Indian Ocean(Arabic)Read MoreRise Of Islam Essay519 Words   |  3 PagesIslamic rule spread over major areas of Africa, the Middle East, South, Southeast and Central Asia, Spain, and Southern Italy. Many Christians saw Islam as a religion of the sword. They have been very violent throughout their history. Arabian armies engaged in attacking the remnants of the Byzantine Empire. The First Crusade was launched in order to stop the Arabian invaders. The Islamic worldview was greatly influenced by the Christian and Jewish worldviews. In the Qur’an it states that thereRead MoreI INTRODUCTION A. BACKGROUND INFORMATION The impact of the dark ages had a1000 Words   |  4 Pagesstructures, the break with Antiquity was not complete. The still- sizeable Byzantine empire survived in the east and remained a major power. The empire’s law code, the Code of Justinian, was rediscovered in Northern Italy in 1070 and became widely admired later in the middle ages. In the west, most kingdoms incorporated the few extant roman institutions. Monasteries were founded as campaigns to Christianize pagan Europe continued. TheRead MoreThe Muslims Of Medieval Italy By Alex M Essay1499 Words   |  6 Pagesï » ¿The Muslims of Medieval Italy by Alex Metcalfe Less than two hundred years after the death of the prophet Muhammad the rule of Islam had spread from the Arab Peninsula to Italy after the Roman Empire had crumbled away; eventually it spread all the way to Iberia. The book The Muslims of Medieval Italy by Alex Metcalfe focuses on the Muslim-Christian dynamic and the respective ruling entities by examining the chronological timeline of events and more cultural history of the dynamic in the regionRead MoreDome of the Rock and Santa Costanza950 Words   |  4 Pages Christianity and Islam are religions are two of world’s most widespread religions. Both religions when founded were not accepted by the people of that time and they have faced great resistance. Early Islamic art and early Christian art both are historically important as both are similar in some ways. The most earliest architecture and first such structure from the Muslims is the Dome of the Rock located in Jerusalem. When the Muslims co nquered the city of Jerusalem inRead MoreRebirth Of The Renaissance1030 Words   |  5 PagesJacob Burchhardt, writer of The Civilization of the Renaissance in Italy (Doc. 2), wrote, â€Å"†¦man became a spiritual individual, and recognized himself as such. In the same way the Greek had once distinguished himself from barbarian.† He is saying that the people wanted to be well rounded individuals that could create new things. Jacob Burchhardt was a Swiss art and culture historian. He wrote The Civilization of the Renaissance in Italy to inform readers about how people were during the RenaissanceRead MoreSimilarities Between Christianity And Islam993 Words   |  4 Pages Christianity and Islam are the two biggest religions that are present in the world today, with close to four billion followers combined. While Christianity and Islam actually have a lot more in common than most people think, there are still many differences to them. First, let’s start with the s imilarities between the two. Both religions believe that in one way or another, Jesus will return to Earth in the final days of the world to have a judgement day, in which essentially will determine if youRead MoreThe Introduction of the Burqini in Europe1242 Words   |  5 PagesIn January of 2007, a new style of bathing suit known as the Burqini became a media sensation. Burqini is a multi-piece head to toe bathing suit designed especially for women who follow Islam and practice sartorial hijab and cover their entire body except face hands and feet. The media created this portmanteau of burqa and bikini and referred to these full body multi piece swimsuits to modestly dress Muslim women as burqinis. Burqini has received a lot of attention from media from all over the world;Read More The Media Portrayal of Islam Essay954 Words   |  4 PagesThe Media Portrayal of Islam Islam is portrayed and is commonly accepted as the most violent and largest direct threat to the West. This is a generalization made by most of the West, but it is not particularly the West or the Islamic people’s fault. There is constant turmoil in Islamic countries in the Middle East and these conflicts are what make the news in the West. The only representation in the media that the Islamic nation gets is that of war. Though most Islamic people are not