gem from hamidm and more...
gem from hamidm
#364 by hamidm2 on July 15, 2005 7:54am PT
........... on a personal note, i do not consider myself an atheist and have nothing against people going to mosques, churches and synagogues if it makes them feel better .........there is nothing wrong with personal faith even if it involves worshiping cows and jewish men of dubious parentage ............. but i am against all organized religions that seek to divide humanity and wreak havoc in the name of arrogant and vengeful gods - and, at this point in history, islam is clearly the main culprit ..............
..in the wake of recent events the more i talk with my friends, specially younger friends troubled by the recent events and anguished by the portrayal of their religion in the press and media all over the world...(and they live all over the world)...the more i realize the cause of their frustration...(bullets nani?)
* almost invariably they bemoan the hijacking of their religion by the hardliners...
* they mention to me their islam is not violent
* they tend to stay away from mosques and Islamic centres for a variety of reasons (distance, rising blood pressure at the non-sense and hatred fumed by the lecturers, stares, bigotry,
* they tend to make fun of hijabis and beardofundos
this is not all i ever hear...i also hear
* they leave here and wash their hands of religion
* they only pay lip service to qur'an and sunnah
* if they practice – they do so selectively
* they look on us as if we are animals – with derision, suspicion and hatred
khair...both sides point at each other...but what do they do?...think I am getting ahead of myself...my friends...conservative, orthodox or those on the other end do not breed suicide bombers...this I know for a fact!
...what should be done...this is a big canvas...let me narrow it down...in this age and times...it will be foolhardy to ask my friends (and please recall i am not talking about the billions out there...just my friends....a journey of a thousand miles...etc. etc.)...so....what should be done?
...let us consider the options that are a no-go
* do not blame or invoke Allah
* do not blame the western imperialists, the Zionists, the neoconzix alliance, the hindus, the whatevers
* do not blame others (heheh am repeating and reinforcing)
what can we do?
...first consider what is happening is the results of years if not centuries of apathy by us...we...ironically...we the people of the Book...who have abandoned reading it!...therefore we only pay a lip-service...and more importantly...we find ourselves in this dilemma where all muslims are blamed for the actions of a few...
* start reading qur'an (in any language you understand)...why is this so relevant asked me someone yesterday...i told her to look up the qur'anic ayah on 'marriage...and get back to me...this is a bone of contention...the silent majority...heck...the majority of muslims over the centuries have conditioned themselves to pay a lip service to islam…doing bare minimum…and thereby abandoning the field to the clergy...some good...mostly bad, devious...and over the centuries...they... the clergy have built up and secured their turf..religion is theirs now...and any interpretation of it has to come from them!!!...wrong! read the BOOK...reclaim the turf from them...
* start attending the mosques and Islamic centres wherever you are...make your presence felt...participate...volunteer...contribute and most importantly...ask questions...about any practice you observe and disagree with…..if you are one of them you would have more of a restraining effect...at least in the beginning
* participate, write, speak in secular and non denominational gatherings and organisations
* speak up against suicide bombings (emphasize they are not sanctioned in qur'an)
* young people, young professionals should also organize their own meetups
* for a start i have these five suggestions...if you have some ideas i would appreciate if u email me...i will be updating this again
digression:
while i was in the midst of writing these a friend came in and said nahin, you are right, given the current events i feel that (a) society on the whole not just sub groups need to take a deeper look at what is producing such feeling of isolation amongst some (b) the moderates amongst us need to speak out loader and clearer and longer on where to go from here and how...its that bit about taking responsibility...
am quoting her a bit out of context...we were discussing an email to God that i was contemplating writing…with a cc to Sec. Homeland Security, Directors of FBI and CIA and Commissioner of Scotland Yard and Mosad etc…in which I would urge him to take interest and rersponsibility for the mess He created and left down here...this would be titled the other half confession taking a dig at my story;)...readers will recall that story ended in a selected quote from "the other half"...what have in mind in this email is that in the end i will reproduce and auto generated email from my ISP...saying the addressee's email is overflowing and they are unable to deliver this email:)
you have read some of my IM stuff here between t and cc? let me reproduce this one...will put her comments under "cc" to protect her identity:
cc: your idea writing to god is funny because of the paradox. but think about it -- even you are going to ask god for the fix rather than take responsibility
t: nah kiddo...u read me wrong :)
cc : i know you -- but just at face value -- not having read the piece
t : i have always maintained that having made this world, you me...He has moved....away...far far away... he has lost interest and left us...guess what i inculcate indirectly (in my readers) is that this world around us is OUR mess and We better fix it... the only thing is -- u r right...i do not spell it out as such... if i do - i feel do i have to offer everything on a PLATTER to the simpletons?... no way! thora sa tO insaan ko khud bhee SOCHNA chahiyay...
cc: :)
and another digression:
while i continued with this and showed it to another friend this is what transpired...again am protecting the identity:
t: read this and give me some suggestion?
cc: *give up the whole enchilada and move to bali, bequia, or Istanbul
t: yeh kya baat hui?
cc: failing that..*buy a vineyard...options abound...if that is a no go
t: serious please!
cc: *(heave a long sigh)....don a hijab if you`re a woman and grow a beard if you`re a man
t: :(
cc: (if you can't beat'em join`em tactic)- near 99% fool proof
t: join them yes...but only to fix them?
cc: *pass out condoms at your local mosque (this kills two birds with one stone-shocks and awes aunti jis and furthers the cause of safe sex)
t: (shaking me head)
cc: hey am being very serious
t: yes:)
cc: *get rid of the boring, repetitive, sermonizing imams
cc: *get some hipper and cooler people to talk in mosques (u know people who actually have a clue)
#364 by hamidm2 on July 15, 2005 7:54am PT
........... on a personal note, i do not consider myself an atheist and have nothing against people going to mosques, churches and synagogues if it makes them feel better .........there is nothing wrong with personal faith even if it involves worshiping cows and jewish men of dubious parentage ............. but i am against all organized religions that seek to divide humanity and wreak havoc in the name of arrogant and vengeful gods - and, at this point in history, islam is clearly the main culprit ..............
..in the wake of recent events the more i talk with my friends, specially younger friends troubled by the recent events and anguished by the portrayal of their religion in the press and media all over the world...(and they live all over the world)...the more i realize the cause of their frustration...(bullets nani?)
* almost invariably they bemoan the hijacking of their religion by the hardliners...
* they mention to me their islam is not violent
* they tend to stay away from mosques and Islamic centres for a variety of reasons (distance, rising blood pressure at the non-sense and hatred fumed by the lecturers, stares, bigotry,
* they tend to make fun of hijabis and beardofundos
this is not all i ever hear...i also hear
* they leave here and wash their hands of religion
* they only pay lip service to qur'an and sunnah
* if they practice – they do so selectively
* they look on us as if we are animals – with derision, suspicion and hatred
khair...both sides point at each other...but what do they do?...think I am getting ahead of myself...my friends...conservative, orthodox or those on the other end do not breed suicide bombers...this I know for a fact!
...what should be done...this is a big canvas...let me narrow it down...in this age and times...it will be foolhardy to ask my friends (and please recall i am not talking about the billions out there...just my friends....a journey of a thousand miles...etc. etc.)...so....what should be done?
...let us consider the options that are a no-go
* do not blame or invoke Allah
* do not blame the western imperialists, the Zionists, the neoconzix alliance, the hindus, the whatevers
* do not blame others (heheh am repeating and reinforcing)
what can we do?
...first consider what is happening is the results of years if not centuries of apathy by us...we...ironically...we the people of the Book...who have abandoned reading it!...therefore we only pay a lip-service...and more importantly...we find ourselves in this dilemma where all muslims are blamed for the actions of a few...
* start reading qur'an (in any language you understand)...why is this so relevant asked me someone yesterday...i told her to look up the qur'anic ayah on 'marriage...and get back to me...this is a bone of contention...the silent majority...heck...the majority of muslims over the centuries have conditioned themselves to pay a lip service to islam…doing bare minimum…and thereby abandoning the field to the clergy...some good...mostly bad, devious...and over the centuries...they... the clergy have built up and secured their turf..religion is theirs now...and any interpretation of it has to come from them!!!...wrong! read the BOOK...reclaim the turf from them...
* start attending the mosques and Islamic centres wherever you are...make your presence felt...participate...volunteer...contribute and most importantly...ask questions...about any practice you observe and disagree with…..if you are one of them you would have more of a restraining effect...at least in the beginning
* participate, write, speak in secular and non denominational gatherings and organisations
* speak up against suicide bombings (emphasize they are not sanctioned in qur'an)
* young people, young professionals should also organize their own meetups
* for a start i have these five suggestions...if you have some ideas i would appreciate if u email me...i will be updating this again
digression:
while i was in the midst of writing these a friend came in and said nahin, you are right, given the current events i feel that (a) society on the whole not just sub groups need to take a deeper look at what is producing such feeling of isolation amongst some (b) the moderates amongst us need to speak out loader and clearer and longer on where to go from here and how...its that bit about taking responsibility...
am quoting her a bit out of context...we were discussing an email to God that i was contemplating writing…with a cc to Sec. Homeland Security, Directors of FBI and CIA and Commissioner of Scotland Yard and Mosad etc…in which I would urge him to take interest and rersponsibility for the mess He created and left down here...this would be titled the other half confession taking a dig at my story;)...readers will recall that story ended in a selected quote from "the other half"...what have in mind in this email is that in the end i will reproduce and auto generated email from my ISP...saying the addressee's email is overflowing and they are unable to deliver this email:)
you have read some of my IM stuff here between t and cc? let me reproduce this one...will put her comments under "cc" to protect her identity:
cc: your idea writing to god is funny because of the paradox. but think about it -- even you are going to ask god for the fix rather than take responsibility
t: nah kiddo...u read me wrong :)
cc : i know you -- but just at face value -- not having read the piece
t : i have always maintained that having made this world, you me...He has moved....away...far far away... he has lost interest and left us...guess what i inculcate indirectly (in my readers) is that this world around us is OUR mess and We better fix it... the only thing is -- u r right...i do not spell it out as such... if i do - i feel do i have to offer everything on a PLATTER to the simpletons?... no way! thora sa tO insaan ko khud bhee SOCHNA chahiyay...
cc: :)
and another digression:
while i continued with this and showed it to another friend this is what transpired...again am protecting the identity:
t: read this and give me some suggestion?
cc: *give up the whole enchilada and move to bali, bequia, or Istanbul
t: yeh kya baat hui?
cc: failing that..*buy a vineyard...options abound...if that is a no go
t: serious please!
cc: *(heave a long sigh)....don a hijab if you`re a woman and grow a beard if you`re a man
t: :(
cc: (if you can't beat'em join`em tactic)- near 99% fool proof
t: join them yes...but only to fix them?
cc: *pass out condoms at your local mosque (this kills two birds with one stone-shocks and awes aunti jis and furthers the cause of safe sex)
t: (shaking me head)
cc: hey am being very serious
t: yes:)
cc: *get rid of the boring, repetitive, sermonizing imams
cc: *get some hipper and cooler people to talk in mosques (u know people who actually have a clue)
posted by temporal at 10/06/2005
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