Rudy's Corner

Greetings. In just a few weeks, we will mark the 25th anniversary of that day when 19 radical Islamist hijackers attacked the United States and killed nearly 3,000 people. For those of us who lived through that period, one question is often asked: Where were you that day? Yet the consequences of those attacks are discussed far less frequently. Changes such as the creation of the Department of Homeland Security became part of everyday life and, for the most part, were accepted with little public objection. No one speaks of the cost inflicted by subsequent wars, along with worldwide refugees, and the clashes between cultures. Personally, during that time I was a devoted Rush Limbaugh listener, and one question he frequently raised continued to bothered me: How is it possible to convince 19 young men to willingly kill themselves by flying airplanes into buildings? In my last blog I shared the translation from a German history Book about the world of Islam.  In this segment I like to m...

  What do we know about Islam?     As I approach my ninth decade of life on this wonderful planet, I find immense joy in pursuing my passions. I enjoy good health and a clear mind, which allows me to engage in activities that I love the most. These activities include studying and writing about history, which I find fascinating. I also compare the lessons learned from the past with the events happening in the present, which helps me gain a deeper understanding of the world around me.   My interest in history was first kindled by my fourth and fifth-grade teacher in Westerholt, Germany, during the years 1948 and 1949. The Second World War had just ended, we were about thirty students in our classroom, with only a handful of textbooks that we had to share. Homework was often written in the margins of old newspapers because writing paper was not readily available.   Despite these shortages, our teacher made up for what we lacked in materials. He was responsible for ...