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Politics : America Under Siege: The End of Innocence -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: lorne who wrote (8790)	10/27/2001 8:11:23 PM
From: Carolyn	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 27666

The alphabet!

To: lorne who wrote (8790)	10/27/2001 8:19:19 PM
From: Bill Fischofer	Read Replies (3) \| Respond to of 27666

Re: Arab contributions The words algebra, algorithm, azimuth, and admiral, among others are all of Arabic origin. We use Arabic numerals, which replaced the earlier and more cumbersome Roman numerals, in our counting and calculating. Arab contributions in the fields of mathematics, medicine, astronomy, and navigation were in large part responsible for the European Renaissance. In addition, it was only through Arab libraries that much of the literature of classical Greece and Rome survived the so-called Dark Ages.

To: lorne who wrote (8790)	10/27/2001 11:00:25 PM
From: Captain Jack	Respond to of 27666

lorne-- I see your question has already been answered. However, one should look at the time frame of these items. I certainly would not put all Arabs in the same catagory as the inbred imbiciles that are in the news today. Just on humanitarian reasons the past 30 years many now in the news could be put to sleep (probably should be) and they and the world would be a better off.

To: lorne who wrote (8790)	10/27/2001 11:15:40 PM
From: Nadine Carroll	Respond to of 27666

Can you think of anything such as inventions, discoveries, medical etc. useful things that the Arabs have given to the world??? Short answer: very many. Just not lately.

To: lorne who wrote (8790)	10/28/2001 9:42:54 AM
From: Gabriel	Respond to of 27666

Carly Fiorina, the CEO of Hewlett Packard, recently gave a speech defining the relevance of leadership in today's world. Here is the quote from the final part of her speech. hp.com There was once a civilization that was the greatest in the world. It was able to create a continental super-state that stretched from ocean to ocean, and from northern climes to tropics and deserts. Within its dominion lived hundreds of millions of people, of different creeds and ethnic origins. One of its languages became the universal language of much of the world, the bridge between the peoples of a hundred lands. Its armies were made up of people of many nationalities, and its military protection allowed a degree of peace and prosperity that had never been known. The reach of this civilization’s commerce extended from Latin America to China, and everywhere in between. And this civilization was driven more than anything, by invention. Its architects designed buildings that defied gravity. Its mathematicians created the algebra and algorithms that would enable the building of computers, and the creation of encryption. Its doctors examined the human body, and found new cures for disease. Its astronomers looked into the heavens, named the stars, and paved the way for space travel and exploration. Its writers created thousands of stories. Stories of courage, romance and magic. Its poets wrote of love, when others before them were too steeped in fear to think of such things. When other nations were afraid of ideas, this civilization thrived on them, and kept them alive. When censors threatened to wipe out knowledge from past civilizations, this civilization kept the knowledge alive, and passed it on to others. While modern Western civilization shares many of these traits, the civilization I’m talking about was the Islamic world from the year 800 to 1600, which included the Ottoman Empire and the courts of Baghdad, Damascus and Cairo, and enlightened rulers like Suleiman the Magnificent. Although we are often unaware of our indebtedness to this other civilization, its gifts are very much a part of our heritage. The technology industry would not exist without the contributions of Arab mathematicians. Sufi poet-philosophers like Rumi challenged our notions of self and truth. Leaders like Suleiman contributed to our notions of tolerance and civic leadership. And perhaps we can learn a lesson from his example: It was leadership based on meritocracy, not inheritance. It was leadership that harnessed the full capabilities of a very diverse population–that included Christianity, Islamic, and Jewish traditions. This kind of enlightened leadership — leadership that nurtured culture, sustainability, diversity and courage — led to 800 years of invention and prosperity.