OBJECTIVE
● The objective is to connect history, religion, language, statistics and society.
● The objective is to explain terms such as Byzantine, Sharia, Quran, Sunna, Ijma, Qiyas, caliph, priest, CBS, and others.
● The objective is to integrate historical events, alphabet origins, religious structures, statistical realities and cultural interpretations. ⚖️
1. ROMANIA, BELGIUM AND ROME
● Romania is a country in Eastern Europe that appears as a modern state on January 24, 1859, when Wallachia (a historical principality in southern Romania) and Moldavia (a historical principality in eastern Romania) unite.
● Independence of Romania is recognized on May 9, 1877, and the Kingdom is proclaimed on March 26, 1881. 🏰
● Belgium is a country in Western Europe that becomes independent on October 4, 1830, after separation from the United Kingdom of the Netherlands.
● The name Romania derives from the Latin word romanus, meaning Roman citizen.
● Romanian language descends from vulgar Latin spoken after the Roman conquest of Dacia in the year 106 AD (Anno Domini, “after Christ”).
● Romanians consider themselves descendants of Romans and Dacians, the ancient inhabitants of Dacia.
● Bulgaria, founded in 681 AD (Anno Domini, “after Christ”), is a neighbor of Romania and influences Romanian through Slavic contact.
2. BYZANTINE EMPIRE AND CULTURE
● The Byzantine Empire is the continuation of the Eastern Roman Empire, founded in 330 AD (Anno Domini, “after Christ”), with capital in Constantinople (today Istanbul).
● The Byzantine Empire lasts until May 29, 1453 AD, when the Ottoman Empire conquers Constantinople.
● The Byzantine Empire provides the cultural and religious framework for Cyril and Methodius, two brothers from Thessalonica (a city in the Byzantine Empire), who create the Glagolitic alphabet.
● Their disciples develop the Cyrillic alphabet in Bulgaria in 893 AD. 🔠
● The Cyrillic alphabet, based on Greek (the official language of the Byzantine Empire) and Glagolitic, is used in Russian, Bulgarian, Serbian and other languages in 2025.
3. RELIGIOUS STRUCTURES
● The Pope is the supreme leader of the Catholic Church, based in Vatican City.
● The caliph is historically the successor of the Prophet Muhammad (the founder of Islam in 610 AD “after Christ”) after his death in 632 AD.
● The caliph combines political and religious authority until the abolition of the Ottoman caliphate in 1924 AD by Mustafa Kemal Atatürk (the founder of modern Turkey). ⛪
● The position of caliph exists as a concept that continues in 2025 without universal recognition.
4. PRIESTHOOD
● The English word priest translates as sacerdote in Spanish.
● In Orthodox Christianity, a branch of Christianity practiced in Eastern Europe and the Middle East, men may marry before ordination as priests.
● Married priests serve in parishes, while celibate priests often live in monasteries. ✝️
● Only celibate priests may become bishops in Orthodox Christianity.
5. SHARIA AND ISLAMIC LAW
● Sharia means “path to water” and is the religious law of Islam.
● Sharia derives from four sources:
- Quran: the holy book of Islam, revealed to the Prophet Muhammad.
- Sunna: the sayings and actions of the Prophet Muhammad.
- Ijma: the consensus of Islamic scholars on legal matters.
- Qiyas: reasoning by analogy applied by Islamic jurists. 📖
● Sharia regulates religious rituals, marriage, inheritance and contracts.
● Divorce is allowed through several processes:
- Talaq: divorce pronounced by the husband.
- Khul: divorce initiated by the wife with compensation.
- Faskh: judicial annulment of marriage.
● Sharia affirms protection of life and human dignity.
6. MUSLIMS AND ISLAMISTS
● A Muslim is a follower of the religion of Islam, founded by the Prophet Muhammad in the 7th century AD.
● An Islamist is a person who promotes political ideology based on Islam to influence state law.
● Islam and Islamism are distinct categories with different purposes. 🕌
● The majority of Muslims practice their faith as a religion.
7. EURABIA THEORY
● Eurabia is a conspiracy theory spread in Europe during the early 2000s AD.
● Eurabia claims an alleged plan to Islamize Europe.
● Eurabia is rejected by academics in Europe and the United States. 🌍
● Radical groups such as ISIS (Islamic State of Iraq and Syria, a jihadist militant group formed in 2014 AD) promote the idea of a global caliphate.
● The caliphate exists in 2025 as a political project of extremists, without legitimacy.
8. RELIGIOUS STATISTICS IN THE NETHERLANDS (2025)
● CBS (Centraal Bureau voor de Statistiek, Statistics Netherlands) is the Dutch Central Bureau of Statistics.
● In 2025, six percent of adults in the Netherlands identify as Muslims.
● In 2025, fifty eight percent of people declare no religion. 📊
● In 2025, Catholics (members of the Catholic Church) represent eighteen percent of the population.
● In 2025, Protestants (followers of Protestant Christianity) represent thirteen percent.
9. SIXTY PERCENT IN EUROPEAN CONTEXT
● In France in 2016, sixty percent of prison inmates are Muslims.
● In the Netherlands in 2003, twenty percent of adult prisoners are Muslims.
● In the Netherlands in 2003, twenty six percent of youth prisoners are Muslims. 🚔
● The sixty percent figure belongs to France and applies to prison population.
10. EMPLOYMENT AND UNEMPLOYMENT (2025)
● The Netherlands, a country in Western Europe, has an unemployment rate of 3.8 percent in June 2025, equal to 386,000 people. 🏭
● Argentina, a country in South America, has an unemployment rate of 7.9 percent in March 2025, the highest in four years. 📈
● Mexico, a country in North America, has an official unemployment rate of 2.5 percent in March 2025 and an extended unemployment rate of 10.3 percent, considering informality.
● In Mexico in 2025, more than fifty percent of workers are informal.
11. BENEFITS IN EUROPE
● The idea that Muslims in Spain or Portugal receive one thousand euros per month without working is replaced by the fact that benefits depend on income, family situation and residence status.
● Social benefits in Spain and Portugal exist as part of the welfare state.
● Benefits apply to all residents equally, regardless of religion. 💶
12. JOKES AND STATISTICS
● A joke says that combining kleptomania and pyromania produces a Moroccan, a person from Morocco (a country in North Africa).
● This joke is humor with cultural context that reflects past perceptions.
● It originates in the Netherlands and Belgium in 1999 AD. 🔥
● In the Netherlands in 2022, 2.8 percent of people of Moroccan origin are suspects of crime.
● In the Netherlands in 2022, 97 percent of people of Moroccan origin are confirmed as integrated citizens.
13. ORIGINS OF CULTURAL HUMOR
● France in the 1980s uses jokes involving Maghrebi immigrants.
● Italy and Spain in 2007 use jokes involving Romanians.
● United Kingdom in 2004 uses jokes involving Poles.
● Greece and Italy in 1991 use jokes involving Albanians. 🎭
● All such jokes reflect cultural interaction and humor traditions.
SUMMARY OF LEARNING
● Romania connects to Rome through name and Latin heritage.
● The Byzantine Empire provides cultural roots for the Cyrillic alphabet.
● Sharia is explained with its four sources and divorce rules. 📘
● Muslims are followers of Islam, while Islamists are political ideologues.
● Eurabia theory is clarified as a conspiracy rejected by academics.
● CBS clarifies that six percent of Dutch adults are Muslims in 2025.
● Employment and unemployment data are explained for the Netherlands, Argentina and Mexico.
● Jokes are explained in their cultural origin and statistics confirm reality.
My Diary - Leonardo Cardillo 