Critical reading assignment Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Critical reading assignment - Essay ExampleThe scientist argued that the Jews-Muslim convivencia had contrasting governmental motives or goals. Some state that Jews and Muslim existed in fully harmony that time. Others state that they were under pressure altogether the time, and their rights were impaired. For better understanding the Jews position, Cohen in his article used a comparative approach, and in such centering explained lots of gaps. Undoubtedly, it was the period of harmony existence of the Jews and the Muslims, only if nevertheless there were some restrictions and exceptions. Cohen tries to show how antithetical were life the Jews in Islamic and Christian world. According to the article, Jews had lots of rights in Muslim world, they were well inform and took part in Muslim courts and economic life, and at the same time their position among the Christian were mingled with the horns of dilemma (Cohen 4). According to the archives, it is possible to make a conclusion that the Jews adopted in some bureau the elements of culture of the Muslims. It to study the culture of Jews carefully, it is possible to find many similarities between their culture and the culture of Muslims. Those who lived in the Christian lands suffered along the whole history. Those who lived in Ashkenazic world suffered much less than historians stated in theirs book. Cohen provides in the article much approval concerning this point. He claimed that they had rights moreover, they had integrated some Christian motives into Judaism as well. It is essential to leave attention to what attitude Islam and Christianity had to the Judaism. Speaking about religion, Islam treated Judaism much more positively than Christianity. If we read the saucy Testament we can find that Jews were rejected on theological basis. The Quran is not rejecting religious pluralism, but at the same time considers Islam to be the prevailing religion. The difference is that Islam is monotheistic religion, as opposed to the Christianity, with its Trinity. The other profound difference is that Muhammad died naturally in contrast to the Christ, who was crucified. These differences caused quite different attitude to the Jews and their position among the Reconquista Spain and the Ashkenazic lands (Cohen 4). The Jews had a heavy status in Muslim world. They had to pay some per year taxes, they had no restrictions on the manifestation of their religion, they completely had to wear a special clothes, in order to be recognized among Muslims. They were trusted enough to stamp down the official positions. There was a period when both the Jews and the Christian can participate in the political life of the Islamic states. They could be translators or diplomats. Cohen in his article pays especial attention to the economic factor. The Muslims and the Christians had abruptly different approach and attitude towards the Jews. The Jews were associated with luxury, they were international traders. But later they Christians developed bad attitude towards them. quite a different attitude could be noticed in the Islamic world. They not only served some goods, but also had some functions, wrote letters etc For other reasons, too, Jews meshed a more stable and enduring come forth in the social order of Islam than they did in northern Christian Europe. Islam, like Christendom, is a hierarchical society. Jews occupied a brand on the hierarchical ladder-- a lowly place but a place nonetheless. The same was true of Christendom in the early middle