You’ve got My Attention, Egypt

Modern-day Egypt–that is, the Egypt that’s not associated with the pyramids or sphynx or Luxor or other motifs of antiquity–rocked onto the international scene this year with their “successful” coup d’etat back during the January 25 revolution. The world was riveted by the fact that Egypt had largely managed to overthrow ol’ Hosni Mubarak without bloodshed. But, there was bloodshed. Now, Egypt is constantly in the news again, but this time, the violence is all one hears about.

The shocking interviews, images and, most importantly, videos–have you seen the video of the infamous Blue-bra girl?–show a country that has, I hate to use such a blanket general term but I feel that in the sense of a society, gone to the dogs. Where is humanity’s compassion? How do we end up throwing cement blocks off the roofs of buildings onto civilians? How do soldiers end up shooting live bullets into crowds, or stomping and morally defiling a pious women by lifting up her clothes and stomping on her?

Whatever happens next, the world is watching. If the protesters wanted the world to watch them, they got their wish. But really, at what price? Certainly, one has a lot to protest about now, given the extreme and disgusting violence that has occured in the past few weeks, but simply protesting is not going to help. People need to calm down and think with their minds, not think as animals charging in packs and burning buildings or mowing down innocent people. Yes, protesting was the reason that Mubarak was ousted; but the protesting card can not be played every time one wants something done.

In exactly a week, I shall be back in Egypt. Although I am excited to see my husband, I am not excited at the prospect of staying indoors all the time again because people can’t ‘behave’ themselves. THe revolution has, if anything, set Egypt back. The country that I first saw in October 2010 is no more. And although it would be historically interesting to view the protests live-even more so to interview people-I will be staying away. Unlike those beastly college students who got arrested for allegedly participating in the protests in Tahrir Square (I believe that they were protesting; they can spin some sob story about the government falsely arresting them and mistreating them but they obviously exercised poor judgement. Getting caught up in a dangerous protest in one’s own country is bad enough; getting caught in a protest in a foreign country is tantamount to expulsion, threats, rumours of spying and plotting and yes, perhaps even violence).

Egypt, you have my attention. Can you try to calme-toi by next Thursday? Shokrun!

S-L-M

There is No Fun in Islam? Charlie Hebdo learns the Hard Way

Is there truly “no fun in Islam?” Is it truly a live without sin and die kind of religion, as the infamous (and certainly depressed) Ayatollah Khomeini of Iran once famously stated?

Ayatollah Khomeini. He looks suitably miserable. Who bans fun from their life, unless they sinned too much? (photo from mideastweb.org)

Charlie Hebdo, a French weekly paper, might agree with Khomeini and say that yes, there is no fun in Islam, after the recent bombing of it’s headquarters.

Charlie Hebdo, like it’s Danish predecessor a couple years ago, became the recipient of Muslim ire and violence when a Molotov cocktail was thrown at it’s building and destroyed the office, after it decided to make the Prophet Mohammad a “Guest editor” for the magazine and included several cartoons.

The Blasphemous cover of Charlie Hebdo (taken from their Facebook page) which ignited such ire. "1000 lashes," Mohammad says, "if you don't die of laughter" Eh ben, personne ne mort de rire!

This incident has been bothering me for a while, and I decided to take a break from my Koran reading posts (which have also been bothering me) to discuss the incident. I am a strong supporter of freedom of speech, as long as you are not grossly name-calling or demeaning a certain people. (For example: there are many horrendous WordPress blogs that I have encountered denouncing Islam, Arabs, even our own country which disturb me oh-so-greatly for their pure lack of ignorance. I was called a “dumb little girl,” when I tried to rightly stand up to the ignorance. No such luck)

Muslims insisted that Charlie Hebdo (like the Danish cartoons before it) was insulting Islam and the Prophet and, in retrospect, themselves. This time, I’m going to have to stick up for the freedom of speech for several reasons, namely that:

1. The magazine wasn’t saying that Islam or Muslims were stupid or wrong.

2. The cartoonists weren’t blasphemizing, since they are not Muslim

3.  If we can’t poke fun at life, than we are going to end up like Iran (or Saudi Arabia; at least women drive in Iran and have water fights).

4. The issue was supposed to commemorate Tunisia’s moderate Islamic party victory; they weren’t condemning it (hey, Mohammad got the seat of honor: he was editing the magazine!)

6. Christianity-poking cartoons are produced without full-scale international clamor and bombing; learn to take a joke, please!

5. Violence is never, ever the answer. Protest all you want; but turning to violence is wrong. The cartoonists weren’t trying to destroy Islam, they hadn’t hurt anyone, but if someone had been in that office, they probably would have been dead. I never condone violence unless it’s self-defense (self-defense of your religion does not count).

Another reason that I sympathize with the Charlie Hebdo people is that I hope to one day publish the highly satirical Christian play I wrote, entitled L’Eglise (une comedie), and I sure as Hell don’t want my future abode to be bombed by some fanatical Christian who thought I was blaspheming and trying to bring down his religion.

Well, at least it looks like Charlie Hebdo has no hard feelings. “Love is stronger than hate:” what a good message!

S-L-M

"Love is Stronger than Hate" La une/cover of Charlie's post-bombing mag (from charliehebdo.fr)

It’s a Man’s World, We Women Just live in it:The Koran

In keeping with my updates on my Koran reading, I will report that I soldiered on to the next two surahs, Al-Imran and al-Nisa (The Woman), in order to read the Koran authentically as it was introduced to the world. Per some wise advice, I plan on now reading from the last surah’s first, although in all honesty the two surahs that I just read would be just as hard for me to personally digest later as they were now.

Al-Imran continued with the previous ideas of punishing the wicked and the non-believers. I must admit, a (no doubt blasphemous) thought crossed my mind: God is highly authoritarian, almost like a dictator! Basically, “do as I say or feel my wrath.” Of course, unlike a real dictator, God is “merciful,” as the Koran keeps telling me, and so one can reason with him and be forgiven, but passages like “3:83″ where it constantly goes on and on about punishment is somewhat unnerving.

A good line:

“Indeed, you have argued aboutthingsof which you have some knowledge. Must you now argue about that which you know nothing at all?(3:66)

“Al-Nisa” or “The Woman” was a much more interesting (if outraging) chapter, as one can infer simply by it’s title. Again, the Koran proves to me that all those crazy fanatics out there might be following a partial truth about Islam: witness line 4:34:

“Men have superiority over women because god has made the one superior to the other, and because they spend their wealth to maintain them. good women are obedient.”

Again, I will repeat: I’m not sure how any self-respecting woman can read these words and agree with the Koran and Islam. A book that denounces human rights should certainly not be used as the basis of any law (see: Shariah). It then goes on to say that a man can beat a disobedient wife! Now we’re promoting domestic abuse? Absolutely not! I know that one “virtue” of the Koran that Muslims extoll is that it, unlike the Bible or Torah, has not been changed in format or content, in part due to the fact that the original was written in Arabic and thus can still be read by modern people today. However, I think that (like slavery and concubinage before it) it would be great justice and no great sin if people would expunge these words of “superiority over women” and “beat them” out of the Koran. Do you think the millions of Africans or Asians would follow Islam if the book said “White males are superior over Black males or Asian males?” I don’t think so! Thus, women are again swept under the doormat. Stick up for yourselves!

“God wishes to lighten your burdens, for man was created weak.” (Line 4:27)

I can’t help but assume that a book such as the Koran only adds to a persons burdens, as the religious try so hard to be good Muslims!

On a more cheerful, peaceful note: all this talk about gardens with running streams sounds highly delightful (if not out of date with what a modern person might dream of Paradise). I suppose the thought of a stream and lush vegetation while one was living in a dry, stony desert was quite the mirage! Garden of Eden, anyone?

Gardens in Cairo: paradise? (Excuse the poor quality)

Salam alaykoum

In the Arabic language, words with similiar meanings are formed by the same root consonants. The words ‘Islam’ and ‘Salam’ both have the same 3 consonants:

S-L-M.

These 3 letters mean “peace” in Arabic.

Unfortunately, there is not a lot of peace in the world today. A lot of people, including radical Islamists, do not believe in peace or equality and thus there is a lot of fighting in the world. Similiarly, those who are suppressed are forced to struggle for their rights.

The Middle East today is quite far from the peace and “surrender” that Islam suggests. As Muslims themselves misinterpret the Koran for their own power and political gain and the West focuses on solely these negative people, misunderstanding occurs.

My goal, therefore, is to spread two messages: one, that Islam is a peaceful and righteous religion and thus the mistreatment that occurs in it’s name should be stopped, and two, that the Western world must educate itself about the real, and good Islam that exists.

I myself am not a Muslim, nor a Christian: my beliefs are that everyone is equal, everyone has the right to freedom, and that education is al-noor, or the light, to guide the world!

S-L-M