Absolute Rule Imperial Russia & Modern Day Oppression.

Absolute RuleImperial Russia & Modern Day Oppression

Saddam Hussein’s Iraq

Saddam joined the Ba'ath Party and began his rise to power. He started off as a "hit man" eliminating anyone who got in the way of the Ba'ath parties success and his own

undermine anyone who was plotting against the government or himself

Anyone who was perceived as a threat was dealt with swiftly and harshly by Saddam's security services

Iraq Continued

People could not oppose Hussein or the government

Widespread fear amongst the population

If caught, could mean arrest and certain torture or death

Iraq

Majority = Shiite Minority = Sunni Hussein treated Sunni population well, but they

only comprised 12-15% of pop Feared takeover by shiites faced military attacks, extrajudicial detentions and

killings, torture, embargos designed to prevent the delivery of food and other humanitarian supplies, and restrictions on religious rights.

Hussein’s Chemical War

Horrific gas attacks were first used by Hussein in war against Iran

Post-War: Feared uprisings or attempted coup by Kurds living in North - began attacking ‘own’ people

Mass graves have been found since fall of Hussein

The Taliban of Afghanistan

On September 27, 1996, the Taliban, a violent military force took over the control of Kabul the capital of Afghanistan

All women and girls had their basic human rights taken away.

Taliban Law

All women must wear a Burqa

Taliban Law

No school or university allow female students.

That there be no female teachers.

All windows in a women's house be painted black.

All women must be accompanied by a close male relative when outside of their home.

All women were forced from their jobs.

Taliban Law

Woman cannot see a male doctor, and women cannot be operated upon by a surgical team containing a male member. And there are very few female doctors in Afghanistan.

Women cannot wear bright coloured clothing and cannot wear makeup.

Their heels cannot click against the ground. They can't even speak in public.

Taliban Law

Politics dominated by Taliban loyalists - no orderly form of local government or politics

adverse to debate on doctrine with other Muslims. "The Taliban did not allow even Muslim reporters to question [their] edicts or to discuss interpretations of the Qur'an

The Taliban

Isolated nation from outside world and its influences

Taliban Law

Sharia law was interpreted to ban a wide variety of activities: employment and education for women, movies, television, videos, music, dancing, hanging pictures in homes, clapping during sports events.

Yet More Taliban Law

Movie theaters were closed and music banned

Museums were ransacked and banned

Taliban - Punishments

Theft was punished by the amputation of a hand, rape and murder by public execution. Married adulterers were stoned to death. In Kabul, punishments were carried out in front of crowds in the city's former soccer stadium

Failing Economy

Twenty years of continuous warfare devastated Afghanistan's infrastructure and economy.

There was no running water, little electricity, few telephones, decent roads or regular energy supplies. Basic necessities like water, food and housing and others were in desperately short supply.

Imperial Russia & Autocracy

What is an ‘Autocracy’ ???

Serfdom

So…what is it?

Enforced labor of serfs on the fields of landowners, in return for protection and the right to work on their leased fields