Leo Africanus, Part 1

During the reading, I found the Year of the Crossing chapter to be really disheartening. Like many people throughout time, all across the world, they have been asked to leave their homes for reasons that (in truth) make little sense. It's sad to read about what it was like, making the choice between a life of "tameness" in your home or a life with your god, but not in your home. What makes it all the more sad is how commonplace this has been throughout human history. In many cases, people have had to flee their own home for fear of persecution, or sometimes death.

We've seen it in the Americas with many indigenous people, with Granada (and similar Muslim places, during periods of Christianity conversions, with many African countries and villages (similarly through Christian means), the Jews during the Holocaust period, and many many more. I don't know if I would be able to handle a decision like that, being asked to leave a place (my home) to save myself from harassment or death. I would hate that. It's not really a fair choice, especially since I have lived in my hometown for 18 years of my life (basically from when I was born until I came to college). And even being here was hard! I miss my home... I couldn't imagine moving away permanently for reasons like that.

Anyways, I definitely like Leo Africanus way more than the other books. Probably because this is an actual story, but it's also really interesting. I can't wait to read the rest of the book :)

Do you think there will be a time in our world where "homes" will remain homes for the entire population? *Excluding natural disasters.