Wellbeing - Insights to Islam

This week we have our very own Shed member, Michael Wilson, providing an insight into Islam.

In Michael's own words...

I graduated in mathematics from the University of New England many years ago.

In my profession as a petroleum Geophysicist/Explorationist, I have lived and worked in many countries all over the world, basically in Australia, S E Asia, North & South Africa, North & South America.

These many locations exposed me to many different cultures and diverse habitats and environments. Being naturally inquisitive I always delved into the assorted lifestyles and histories of these places.

As I lived in these countries for many years my exposure to Islam is quite comprehensive, namely some 7 different countries, so while certainly no sociologist or scriptural scholar, I do have a lot of basic insights and experiences.

I hope to show some of these facts to you today.

The Western World, (our world) is predominantly Judeo-Christian in its Culture and Background.

Following the great civilizations of Egypt, Sumer, Assyria, Babylonia, Greek, Roman and Judea etc. and the expansion of Christianity about 300AD when the Roman Emperor, Constantine declared Christianity as the state religion. Thus, Christianity spread thru Roman Europe/Byzantine and beyond.

So please come along and be informed, entertained, and refreshed.

Around 650-700 AD, a new religion (way of life) emerged out of Arabia.

This new religion became known as Islam and rapidly spread from Morocco/Spain in the west to the Indus Valley, India in the east, mostly by warring expansion, called Jihad in Arabic. This Islamic Caliphate was later known as the Ottoman Empire.

Innumerable battles ensued between this new religion, Islam, and Christian Europe and confrontation still persists today, after some 1,400 years. Following the Turkish defeat in WWI this Caliphate was broken up into individual Countries, States and areas of influence.

With more recent conflicts in the Middle East, many adherents to Islam, known as Muslims, have sought asylum in the West and brought this religion with them.

Since we Westerners are basically ignorant of the precepts of Islam, this talk is intended to reveal some Insights into Islam. This talk reveals some factual information about this religion/way of life filtering into our Western Society. Surprisingly many Muslims are also unaware of their own Islamic history and aims of their beliefs.