Australian national identity in the 21st century Essay

Australian national identity in the 21st century - Essay Example The best possible means would have been to segregate individuals under certain units like family and city and denote them by these identifying marks. (Sherman, 114) Similarly, Australia has been under the theoretical protective umbrella of the Queen of England till now. But the national identity is hugely manifested in every walk of life. It can well be stated that the issue of diversity in Australia is highly accepted and celebrated in the modern era. The evidence is clear and assertive. This is because there are a number of creed, race, language and color operating at the same time in the same fields all at a single time and space. This would not have been possible if the government was not in a true democratic mode and this true nature of democracy yields opportunity for all and as a result we can find the huge amount of diversity within the nation and this could well be stated as the most significant aspect of national identity of 21st century Australia. From the point of view of bilingual individuals it could also be ascertained that they have complete access to their native language. For example it can be stated that that the Asian and East European influx in the southern regions of the Australia are comfortable speaking their mother tongue and practice the same at their business. It is true that there are some sections who believe that there should be only English at least in the parameters of business but that intension is yet to be fulfilled. As a result it can be easily stated that bilingual individuals have no problem with their mother tongue and they are comfortable with it. (Lamb, 188) This specific intent of openness and freedom is the driving force that has turned into becoming so successful in uniting Australia and the credibility or the acceptance of all sections of the population has become the primary nature of the country. This success is highly celebrated and it can well be stated that the unification of diversity is the key ingredient of 21 century Australia. However, it can be stated that there are certain arguments related to Melting Pot vs. Salad Bowl phenomena in Australia. In melting pot all the elements are poured into a cauldron and a homogeneous stew is prepared where the individual identity of elements seizes to exist. However, in a salad bowl it is found that though all the ingredients are placed in the bowl each of the element tends to sustain its basic properties. In this respect we can state that Australia is more of a salad bowl than a melting pot because members of several communities with a number of creed, race, language and color operate together with their individual identity intact. However there are sections who believe that there should only be a single Australian culture and each individual must indulge in it and this culture is supposed to be mostly English flavored. (Kar, 227) As a president or a Congressional leader the policies that need to be initiated in order to limit the intolerance and racism in the Australia

Mesopotamians Polytheism and The Epic of Gilgamesh Essay

Mesopotamians Polytheism and The Epic of Gilgamesh - Essay Example Nippur city state for example, was dedicated to the god of the wind known as Enlil. Occupying a number of acres was a temple complex at the heart of each city-state. It comprised of a ziggurat and a temple dedicated to the god or goddess of the city at the top. The god or goddess placed at the top of the temple was in the form of a statue. The construction of temples and other buildings such as priests and priestesses residents always consumed a lot of wealth. A close relationship between the culture and religion of the Mesopotamians could be seen in the way temples were dominating structures in their commercial and personal lives. The Mesopotamians view of the world or universe was impacted by their physical environment. Their local climate consisted of a disturbing climate, heavy downpours, ferocious floods and scorching winds. Famines and such conditions were convincing factors to the Mesopotamians that supernatural powers controlled the world and the life of human beings in it we re short. These can be clearly seen in the laments of the epic of Gilgamesh where the Mesopotamians always felt helpless in the presence of nature. Some words from the poem are as follows; â€Å"The rampant flood which no man can oppose, Which shakes the heavens and causes earth to tremble, In an appalling blanket folds mother and child, Beats down the canebrake’s full luxuriant greenery, And drowns the harvest in its time of ripeness.† (qtd. in Spielvogel 11). Because of the many gods and goddesses that controlled the universe, Mesopotamians had a religion of polytheism. The greatest god was An, god of the sky, he was the source of all authority followed by Enlil, god of the wind. The god of the earth was known as Enki, he was in charge of all canals, wells and rivers as well as waters of creativity. Ninhursaga, the goddess was initially associated with mountains, soil and vegetation but eventually became a mother goddess. The relationship between the Mesopotamians an d their gods was that of subservience since they believed they were created to work for their gods. Since they were unsure of what the gods would do they developed arts of divination. Divination took various forms with the most common being that of priests and kings. They would kill animals like sheep and analyze their organs to foretell events. Predicted events served as a means of guiding people to act wisely. The Mesopotamians viewed death with horror and fear. Death and disease were viewed in a spiritual perspective. They believed that the gods ordained immortality for themselves and death for man. They also believed that death and sickness were the results of sin. According to their mythology, man was made of clay which was then added blood and flesh of a god; therefore, God was present in all human beings. The main purpose why man was created was to serve the gods. When humans offended the gods, they would get angry and withdraw their support allowing demons to take over. The souls of dead people went to the underworld where according to the Mesopotamians was a dark land from which no one returned. However, offended spirits could find their way back to the living and inflict misery on them for their wrongdoings. To avoid such wrath, the Mesopotamians gave daily sacrifices to the spirits of the dead to appease them. The story of Gilgamesh is similar to the story of Noah in the Bible. The story deals with issues surrounding mortality and immortality. Gilgamesh was Sumerian king