THE 5 TIME PERIODS OF SOCIETAL EVOLUTION OF MOSLEM COUNTRIES IN THE MIDDLE EAST

I have condensed the history of societal evolution  into 5 TIME PERIODS, as they affect Arab countries and by extension the whole Middle Eastern Moslem nations. The first 4 periods lasting centuries and they inevitably overlap as it is next to impossible to know with certainty when exactly does a time period begins and ends. Here under are the 5 TIME PERIODS, briefly described & measured in Common Era – CE (in lieu of AD), let's call them the 5 STAGES of EVOLUTION: 1. BARBARIC AGE 2. MIDDLE AGES 3. TRANSITION PERIOD 4. PRE-MODERN “ANNÉES TERRIBLES” 5. POSITIVE MODERN AFTERMATH.

1. BARBARIC AGE nomadic period characterized by savage acts for survival in a harsh environment (300 – 700 CE)



 
Cruelty. Part of nomadic society.






Ignorance, superstition and cruelty. Nomadic desert Bedouins.













                       ______________________________________________

2. MIDDLE AGES characterized by a time of conquests and rivalry between “Emirates” (about 701- 1250)

 
 

Conquering Moslem warriors


















 











The once powerful Abbasid empire which covered an area of 4,300,000 square miles 


 

 BECOMES FRACTURED INTO AUTONOMOUS RIVAL EMIRATE DYNASTIES







                                       ___________________________________________

3. TRANSITION PERIOD characterized by great Islamic innovations and discoveries in science, literature, chemistry, astronomy, town planning, architectural splendor and adaptation to cultural diversities. (1100- 1600)

 The ARCHITECTURAL splendour of the Alhambra mosque in Grenada - Spain

 Modern rendition of Moslem Arab Prince ruler of the Taifa of Saragossa Taifa = Emirate.



 





 Saladin watching Guy de Lusignan surrendering.

 

 IBN BATTUTA the greatest medieval traveller who dictated his memoirs to his nephew entitled modestly IL RIHLA (the excursion).







The number of seminal Moslem scientists is in the hundreds, sufficient to say that between 1000 and 1500 Moslem civilization far surpassed anything existing in Western Europe. Indeed the RENAISSANCE in Europe started after the translation of Arabic manuscripts and texts in the Arabic speaking universities in Moslem Spain. the great library in Cordoba in 1100 contained more than 400,000 Arabic texts (more than all the books in England, France, Austria & Italy). There were more than 13 Arabic universities in Spain & Portugal (Coimbra, Alhambra, Valencia, etc.) 
Her are only two such Giant Moslem scholars:  

 

IBN SINA 14 VOLUME ON THE CANONS OF MEDICINE AND THE DECEASE OF THE EYE WAS THE STANDARD BOOK OF REFERENCE IN THE WEST UNTIL 1850





 

 AL-KHAWARIZMI WAS THE GREATEST MATHEMATICIAN OF ALL TIMES. HE INVENTED ALGEBRA, DIFFERENTIATION & INTEGRATION AND A PHILOSOPHER
THE WORD ALGEBRA DERIVED FROM THE ARABIC AL-JABR.




                           
         ______________________________________________


 4. PRE-MODERN AGE “ANNÉES TERRIBLES” characterized by years of hate & rage towards first the Ottomans, then later against the overbearing presence of French and especially British Colonialism. ( 1515 - 1958).

THE AGE OF COLONIALISM

a. Ottoman (1515 - 1917)

b. French ( 1830 - 1962) Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia and after WWI Syria and Lebanon were French protectorates
     
c. British (1882 - 1956) Egypt, Kuwait and after WWI Jordan, Iraq were dominated by Britain which dictated these countries' foreign policy and defense.

d. Italian (1911- 1943) Libya (virtually all) under control of Italy. 

Arrival of French Marshal Jacques louis Randon in Algiers

KING GHAZI I OF IRAQ WHO PERISHED MYSTERIOUSLY IN A ROAD CAR ACCIDENT.
THE BRITISH WERE STRONGLY SUSPECTED OF SABOTAGING THE BRAKES AS THE KING HAD EMBRACED A POLITIC OF PAN ARABISM AND CALLED FOR BRITISH WITHDRAWAL IN REPEATED MESSAGE TO IRAQIS FROM HIS PALACE PRIVATE RADIO STATION.








 
 THE BRITISH GRANTED EGYPT REPRESENTATION IN BRITISH PARLIAMENT ONLY IN 1913

KING IDRISS I (THE ONLY KING LIBYA EVER HAD) WITH THE FUTURE ELIZABETH II AND HUSBAND
KING IDRISS EL-SENOUSSI FOUGHT THE ITALIANS FOR 30 YEARS.

EGYPTIAN ROYALTY DURING QUEEN MARY EN ROUTE TO VISIT INDIA 1911.
During their voyage to India King George V and Queen Mary stopped at Port Said. From left: General Sir Reginald Wingate, H.H. Prince Mohamed Ali Pasha, Duke of Teck, Prince Zia-ed-Din, the Khedive of Egypt, H.M. King George V and Lord Kitchener. Front: H.M. Queen Mary and H.H. Kiami Pasha (ex-Vizier of Turkey).

AS LATE AS 1942, THE BRITISH HIGH COMMISSIONER SIR MILES LAMPSON (SEEN HERE WITH AN INDIFFERENT KING FAROUK) WAS GIVING THE KING ULTIMATUM REGARDING THE CHOICE OF P.M.

 KING FAROUK OF EGYPT HOSTING THE DUKE OF EDINBURGH AND BRITISH P.M. STANLEY BALDWIN.

However, there was measurable progress achieved not too long ago, during the PRE-MODERN AGE, including an appreciable level of autonomous rule precipitated by the aftermath of the two WW wars and accelerated by advent of the XXth century & the spread of technological innovations.

           ___________________________________________

5. POSITIVE MODERN AFTERMATH characterized by political, economic & religious dynamic revival period, affecting society at all levels. (1956- present time)

The Present tragedy is that nearly none of the Arab or Islamic countries in the region have reached STAGE 5 yet; as many Islamic countries were still experiencing the soul-searching STAGE 4 of the Pre-Modern Age “années terribles”, BUT NOT RIGHT NOW. 

 Abu Bakr Al-Baghdadi so-called new Caliph and head of ISIS/ISIL Islamic State.

The stark shame & horror is that baring a few exceptions, all are proceeding now in the wrong direction, going in reverse, some faster than others, They have rejected their own period of Transition which they already went through to turn back, but TURNING BACK to what? To find refuge in STAGE 2 that of the MIDDLE AGES PERIOD in the name of what? RELIGION. 

It is an irrational escape to the VIIth century when it all begun, believing firmly that such a return to the seminal roots of RELIGION will release its magical power to heal and solve all problems of contemporary life. It is a global mass organized insanity, aimed at unquestioned and apathetic societies mesmerized daily by Koranic incantations, kept alive through the constant references of “the prophet said”. The maddening indoctrination is fueled by demented declarations and “Fatwas” of Clerics, Muftis and Mullahs. These conditions preclude any attempt at religious reformation.

SYRIA
It is still too early (2016) to assess the outcome of the War raging in this unfortunate country as there are MULTI players with conflicting goals. However. one thing is certain DAESH was created by the greater Israel, euphemistically called USA, dominated by the smaller Israel which wants nothing less than the total DESTRUCTION of Syria NOW & FOREVER. Russia's intervention has so far prevented the collapse of the legal government. IN A FEW YEARS, I SHALL POST MY ASSESSMENT OF THE OUTCOME OF THIS UNIMAGINABLE TRAGEDY.

        _________________________________________________

EGYPT  SHOWING THE WAY TO A CIVILIZED FUTURE

FORTUNATELY, EGYPT IS A GLARING EXCEPTION, GOING PRESENTLY THROUGH THE FINAL FIFTH STAGE OF EVOLUTION, THAT OF THE POSITIVE MODERN AFTERMATH













 PRESIDENT EL-SISSI URGING THE CLERICS AT AL-AZHAR UNIVERSITY
TO START AND ENDORSE A "RELIGIOUS REVOLUTION"

 AND WHETHER SOME PEOPLE LIKE IT OR NOT, IT IS ALL BECAUSE OF THE COURAGE, VISION & DEDICATION OF THE MAN AT THE HELM; EGYPT'S PRESIDENT ABDEL FATTAH EL-SISSI






IF THE PATH TOWARDS GREATER SECULARISM STUMBLES OR FAIL AND THE "BEARDED ONES" MEANING THE MOSLEM BROTHERHOOD RETURN TO POWER, THE CATASTROPHIC EFFECT FOR THE COUNTRY WILL BE BEYOND WORDS.
         _____________________________________________________

WARNING

President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi has repeatedly warned Egyptians of fourth-generation warfare, which he has described as the use of technology, modern communication tools and psychology to destabilize the country. He has warned the danger of what he called a new kind of struggle, saying it can destroy countries.