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Before the leadership of Muhammad, Arabia consisted of mainly nomadic tribes. Many traded in spices which were often used in cosmetics in the ancient world. Community and conformity had a great importance because of the nomadic lifestyle of traders. Caravans meant that quarrels or disagreements often resulted in someone being left behind in the desert to die.
Muhammad came from a family of traders and an influential tribe. He was born in Mecca, in what is now Saudi Arabia in 571 AD. He was an orphan who was brought up by his grandfather and an uncle. He got his first revelation at the age of 40 whilst in a cave three miles from Mecca, where he began to write the Quran, which he said was revealed to him by the angel Gabriel. The Quran was written over a period of 23 years.
Muhammad was said to be very good at solving disputes. He began to acquire an increasing number of followers although he had many opposers. In 622 AD, at the age of 51, he and his followers had to leave Mecca. He began to intercept caravans and rose to power through battles with various tribes but is also described as being a cohesive force amongst factions. He and his followers settled in Medina although he eventually conquered Mecca in 629, three years before his death.
The rift between Sunni and Shia Muslims happened soon after Muhammad’s death. Shia Muslims say Ali, the cousin and son in law of Muhammad was his rightful heir, but might have been prevented from leadership by the original inhabitants of Medina. During his time in Medina, Ali is said to have been his constant companion.
Sunni Muslims preferred the authoritive figure of Muhammad’s father in law, Abu Bakr who took over leadership, but just over two years later he died in battle.
Sunni Muslims constitute 90% of all muslims. Shiites are reported to be the majority in Iran and Iraq only.
Sunni Muslims might be categorized as elitists. Shia Muslims not so much.
Saudi Arabia is ruled by Sunnis which is a dictatorship; the history of which has been an expansion of Arab authority across the middle east. Some people say conversion to what is termed as Islam, a religous system, was on pain of death.
Sunni Arabs were also culturally dominating and the term Arab is now a political rather than cultural designation, causing many middle eastern countries to compromise their own cultural heritage at the behest of Saudi Arabia.

Postscript: Although Saudi Arabia is said to be a relatively modern state, there are biblical references to Yaudi of Arabia who was one of the twelve allies, including Ahab of Israel, who fought for independence from the Assyrian empire in 853 BC.

The two state solution creates difficulties primarily because it refers to both Gaza and Samaria (the West bank), home to two distinct cultural groups.
Gazans are said to be of Greek origin and may have Egyption connections. There are records of foreign kings, called Hyksos who ruled Egypt for 70 years or so, around 1650 B C. and it is thought that they may have later settled in what was then Canaan. Canaan, according to the Table of nations was a son of Ham and grandson of Noah. Canaanites were a Semitic civilisation, and the region of Canaan covered what is now Israel and a wider area that might consist of parts of present day Libya, Syria and more.
Current conflict between Israel and Gaza originated in 2005 with the election of Hamas. This marked the beginning of the mechanics of the two state solution. Some Israeli residents had to be forcibly removed from Gaza, the inhabitants of which are now subjugated to both Hamas and the Israeli authorities.
Protests by Gazans who want the same rights as Israeli citizens, to be able to move around freely and have equal opportunities, are not tolerated by the authorities and there has been reports of thousands of injuries and many deaths.
Current protests are called, ‘We want to live,’ and are mainly directed against the Hamas government in Gaza. It’s hard to say what’s going on there but there has been reports of mass executions. Poverty is also described as a major issue.
Hamas took over Samaria (the west bank) in 2006, after a conflict with Fatah who were formerly the Palestinian national liberation movement.
The two state solution in Samaria has resulted in disputes over Jerusalem, and Samaritan inhabitants seeing IDF presence as Israeli occupation. Worse are Israeli plans to squeeze out residents with the ultimate consequence of creating a refugee crisis.
Samaritans are an ethnic group. The first of which have resided in the area since before 1400 BC.
A United Nations initiative under Lord Carson, a British colonial administrator, resulted in a planned withdrawal of Israel from Samaria during the term of Ariel Sharon and a resulting plot to win back and recolonise Samaria systematically. Reports of Israeli activity in Samaria have been detailed.
A one state solution would work on the basis of civil rights for all citizens. The creation of what is now being termed a Jewish state omits to recognise other Isrealis and cultural groups, making Jewish people unpopular and leading to criticism. Hamas is said to be Saudi backed: The problem with elitism is that it leads to conflict.
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Sinn Fein’s leader since february 2018, Mary Lou McDonald, replaced Gerry Adams who seemed always to be surrounded by controversy.
Gerry Adams was leader of Sinn Fein between 1983 and 2018. He is now a member of Seanad Eireann which is described as the upper chamber of the Irish Parliament in Dublin, and said to play an advisory role with regard to legislation.
In Seanad Eireann (the Senate), unlike Dail Eireann, the members of which are selected by popular vote, members are elected by special panels that are not made known to the public. The Seanad has 60 Members, only eleven of which are appointed by the taoiseach.
Aside from the upper and lower houses, the Irish government is said to also include the courts, and the president, Michael D Higgins who is thought by some to be the queens delegate. Often foreign heads of state are greeted by the president, the taoiseach is very often not involved; and new legislation in reality, has to be agreed by both upper and lower houses of Parliament and then signed by the president.
In Northern Ireland Sinn Fein is currently following a policy of abstentionism, reported in the papers to be because of a quarrel concerning the Irish language bill, which doesn’t seem feasible. This is not in keeping with the terms of the good friday agreement.
Brexit is considering a united Ireland. A hard border is what the British say they want to avoid at all costs. Yet a hard border might help to curtail the flow of drugs and other substances, much of which are said to be entering the south via Northern Ireland.

For the last 150 years Brazil has been the world’s greatest producer of coffee and now said to produce 40% of the world’s coffee, which is big business.
Coffee plantations are reported to cover 27000 square kilometres and are mainly situated in Minas Gerais, Sao Paulo and Parana; all areas that have been in the media recently regarding multiple fires. A thousand fires have been started in Parana this summer. Unknown organisations have been blamed but Nasa have reported that the fires have been started by farmers as maintenance for their land and to clear the land for pasture, which seems unfeasible.
The 35th President of Brazil, Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva attempted to banish the hunger and extreme poverty that still existed in Brazil with the introduction of programs that provided financial aid and by trying to provide affordable food and cisterns for clean water. His government also introduced farming subsidies for family farms and small government loans.
He was imprisoned for 12 years in 2018 on corruption charges that are not substantiated and stated in court that he was being subject to unlawful imprisonment.
President Jair Bolsonaro has been president since january of this year and succeeded Michel Temer who was also arrested, on march of this year, for alleged activity involving Petrobras, the multimillion dollar Brazilian oil company. He was accused of seĺling to foreign contractors at inflated prices. Petrobras is said to be worth over 251 billion and is rated the 58th richest company in the world.

Western contingents such as the UK and USA have been termed superpowers. Socialist countries have been the subject of criticism and were classified as second world. Third world countries are said to have had all their resources taken by a superpower.

African nations are part of the 53 nations of the commonwealth. Africa’s resources are believed to have once included gold, diamonds and oil. According to reports, 884 million people lack access to clean water, 3 million dying every year of water related diseases.

Many Africans need clean water. Charities only provide emergency relief such as tablets that in many cases, do not make unsanitary water safe. The digging of wells in Africa would be a way of making amends for past exploitation.

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