I have always been intrigued by the definitions of words. One time, when I was younger, my mother caught me with a red copy of Webster’s Dictionary, looking up the largest word I could find to memorize.
As I grew older, I learned new words but forgot to question their meanings. Words that we used all the time, words said on television or on the radio, words in books I never bothered to look up anymore.
Last year, I took a class "Islam and Global Contexts." My professor asked us what “terrorism” was. We were all a little taken aback. We had heard this term so often, yet none of us could pinpoint what it actually was. Phrases were formulating on the tips of our tongues, but none were specific enough and others were too vague.
Most people mentioned Islam in connection to it, others correcting them by saying, “No, you mean fundamentalism, or fundamental Islam”. My professor had a retort for this, too. She asked us then, “What does fundamental mean?”
That conversation could have gone on for ages. But it made me realize that we should question the terminology we hear everyday.
Recently, I heard about a national week of awareness that fully described this issue. Called “Islamo-Fascism Awareness Week”, it is meant to illustrate the dangers of militant Islam towards the West and towards women. On the website promoting it, it gives verses from the Holy Qur’an as examples of why this is terrorism.
That conversation re-entered my thoughts. I thought about the word fascism, about what that little dash connecting it to my own religion was meant to convey. Nothing positive, I assume.
At DePaul University, this week of awareness is taking place. However, it will not be called Islamo-Fascism Awareness Week, but rather Terrorism Awareness Week. Which, of course, begs me to ask, what do you mean by “terrorism”?
And hopefully, that question will be answered before I can do as they ask, and be aware of the action itself.
Comments (6)
Example: When people are asked for the longest word they know, they often say antidisestablishmentarianism.
Posted October 9, 2007 1:43 AM
Posted on October 9, 2007 01:43
justfor giggles, and i think norrie already knows this one- but i thought of you
an·ti·dis·es·tab·lish·men·tar·i·an·ism
–noun opposition to the withdrawal of state support or recognition from an established church, esp. the Anglican Church in 19th-century England.
[Origin: anti- + disestablishment + -arian + -ism]
antidisestablishmentarianism
n
Definition: originally, opposition to the disestablishment of the Church of England, now opposition to the belief that there should no longer be an official church in a country
Example: When people are asked for the longest word they know, they often say antidisestablishmentarianism.
1838, said by Weekley to be first recorded in Gladstone's "Church and State," "in reference to a scheme directed against the Church of England," from establishment in the sense of "the ecclesiastical system established by law; the Church of England" (1731). Hence, establishmentarianism "the principle of a state church," and disestablish (1598) "to deprive (a church) of especial state patronage and support," first used specifically of Christianity in 1806. Rarely used at all now except in examples of the longest words, amongst which it has been counted since at least 1923.
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2001 Douglas Harper
Posted October 9, 2007 1:40 AM
Posted on October 9, 2007 01:40
*What do you mean by ''terrorism''?
By your permission,let me try to explain.
Egypt,the land of *poverty*.
5000 years ago,Egypt was the center of Civilization.
4000 years ago,Egypt was the center of Civilization.
2000 years ago,Egypt was the center of Civilization.
1400 years ago,*terrorism* came to Egypt and the civilization gone.
1400 years ago,*terrorism* and *The Hunger Mentality/Stone Age Mentality* entered to Egypt,the prosperousness ended.
The little terrorism is *the torture* to your own body.
The big terrorism is *september 9/11*
Posted October 5, 2007 11:12 AM
Posted on October 5, 2007 11:12
Hafsa,
This is, of course, off the subject, but, if you should want to resume your youthful pastime of finding long words to memorize, you might consider the following:
Llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerychwyrndrobwllllantysiliogogogoch.com is the longest single word (without hyphens) .com domain name in the world. It was registered by Internetters on 21st October 1999.
This Welsh town actually exists and its name translates as "The church of St. Mary in the hollow of white hazel trees near the rapid whirlpool by St. Tysilio's of the red cave".
For brevity, it is understandable that many of the locals simply refer to their village as "Llanfair" www.llanfair.com or "Llanfair PG" or "Llanfairpwll" which, of course, makes for easier typing and is faster to pronounce.
Prior to October 1999 it was not possible to register .com domain names longer than 26 characters (including 4 for the .com suffix). This denied many businesses and organisations the ability to register their full trading names as a .com domain name. However in October 1999, it became possible to register domain names up to 67 characters in length (including the 4 for the .com suffix).
Companies with names such as Cheltenham and Gloucester were then able to secure their trading names
with a .com suffix www.cheltenhamandgloucester.com (27 characters).
For more information about places of interest or associated with llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerychwyrndrobwllllantysiliogogogoch
There is a station in Wales called Gorsafawddachaidraigodanheddogleddollonpenrhynareurdraethceredigion but this is well less known.
And finally, sadly even the 67 character allowance for a .com domain name is still insufficient for the town of Tetaumatawhakatangihangakoauaotamateaurehaeaturipukapihimaungahoronukupokaiwhenuaakitanarahu
in New Zealand with a staggering 92 characters however even this seems positively tiny compared to the town of
Krungthepmahanakornamornratanakosinmahintarayutthayamahadilokphop
nopparatrajathaniburiromudomrajaniwesmahasatharn
amornphimarnavatarnsathitsakkattiyavisanukamprasit
in Thailand which is a whopping 163 characters long so long that it doesn't even fit on one line! However whilst the New Zealand place name is recognised by the Guiness Book of Record, the Thailand name is not.
Other long names (but not place names) include words such as Pneumonoultramicroscopicsilicovolcanokoniosis (and many others) .
© Copyright Internetters Limited 1998-2003. All Rights Reserved
Internetters domain name registration and web hosting specialists since 1998
Good luck!
Posted October 5, 2007 7:50 AM
Posted on October 5, 2007 07:50
"I took a class "Islam and Global Contexts.""
Was your class "Islam in Global Contexts" and was this your professor?
"Against All Prejudice by AMINAH MCCLOUD" interview NassebVibes
http://www.naseeb.com/naseebvibes/interview-detail.php?aid=3036
"The larger problem is the U.S. plan to rid the planet of Islam and Muslims and to use their resources."
Aminah McCloud
Posted October 4, 2007 4:10 PM
Posted on October 4, 2007 16:10
Good for you, Ms. Arain!
You're starting to question the use of language that has been brought about by very clever Government spin doctors to describe things whose meanings may be very different. And it happens all the time. 'Liberal' is now a dirty word. Happened when we weren't looking. Couldn't be a 'patriot' if you called yourself a 'liberal.'
We need more people to question these things. Especially the young people who have to pick up the tab for this war. Would any of our lawmakers have actually voted for the Patriot Act if they'd a) actually read it or b) called it the Destruction of our checks and Balances Spying on Americans Torture Act? Homeland Security? Sounds only shades better than 'the Fatherland'.
If people actually took the time to think about these things and not just repeat what they are told, we could have headed off a disaster like Bush. Remember 'compassionate conservative?'
The list goes on... and on..
we have to demand better from our politicians, regardless of where they came from or what party.
Posted October 4, 2007 4:04 PM
Posted on October 4, 2007 16:04