Middle Eastern leaders almost invariably come from rural towns or villages, including the Mubarrak family in Egypt, the clerical rulers of Iran,the many Arab emirs tracing origins out from the desert, plus many new office holders in Turkey, in Syria (where the Nusayris or Alewites, hold sway. Also consider David Ben Gurian's preference for rural living.
The reason is that the cities are seen by most as symptoms and sources of corruption, economically, culturally, historically.Rural areas are considered the rightful source for the most wholesome identifications, in the Middle East, if not the rest of the world.
It is quite different than the USA or Europe where cities are seen as cultural capitals, with its cuisine, fashion, music. New York, Boston, San Francisco, and, once, New Orleans, all served as cultural beacons. Places in the mind. But it is different in the Middle East. The region is littered with ruined cities.
Saturday, June 20, 2009
Tuesday, March 10, 2009
Everyone is Lying
The Speculum has been delicately separating the tissues of the collective body politic. You too can venture forth into the unknown, by studying the lies that all players maintain. The curious law here is that you can't change somebody unless you know yourself inside out thoroughly. In fact, there are just three ways to influence others: 1) by setting an example 2) by using suggestion 3) by using competition We can go even further into the marrow by just forgiving everyone, then asking other countries to enjoin us in severe self-criticism. Only an open admission of mistakes will generate the trust needed. If we hang our sins around our collective neck, other countries will be moved to do the same. Warriors often ended up fighting alongside their enemies, yielding a degree of mutual respect.
There are American lies, European and Russian lies, the lies of the politically active clergy, living lies of imposters, Israel's lies, Arab lies, the lie of ther militants and the terrorists. If is impossible to say one is more virtuous than the other, then how can one play a one-sided blame game? The price for a ticket to the admission of the 2 state solution, is self-critique, by all involved. For certainly the people of Palestine have failed - and that includes the 140,000 Israeli settlers in the West Bank and the Golan. The American lies hurt the US by letting Israel do whatever it wanted - expand into Arab lands, using the gun to suppress even the local farmers. Both the Arabs and Israelis are sick. So too Russia, China, the USA.
There are American lies, European and Russian lies, the lies of the politically active clergy, living lies of imposters, Israel's lies, Arab lies, the lie of ther militants and the terrorists. If is impossible to say one is more virtuous than the other, then how can one play a one-sided blame game? The price for a ticket to the admission of the 2 state solution, is self-critique, by all involved. For certainly the people of Palestine have failed - and that includes the 140,000 Israeli settlers in the West Bank and the Golan. The American lies hurt the US by letting Israel do whatever it wanted - expand into Arab lands, using the gun to suppress even the local farmers. Both the Arabs and Israelis are sick. So too Russia, China, the USA.
Wednesday, February 11, 2009
Muhammed's Pain
MUHAMMED’S PAIN
What they do in my name is an abomination
Worse than blasphemy because they mock God
And use terror to seize power and then kill.
But my pain is not like their pain of eternal hell.
“The power is God’s alone.
And God is stern in punishment.”
(Qur'an)
But look, the willful usurpers. Their power
Comes from the barrel of a gun, from terror.
They oppress women which is strange because
The Qur’an says women and men are equal.
How many times in the sacred Qur’an
Is it said that non-combatants cannot be attacked?
As for the hadith, Muhammed’s own words,
they are even more explicit:
“If two Muslim parties are at war,
Determine who started it
Then attack the aggressor.”
“If Muslims are faced with a contest
Between a righteous non-Muslim lord and
A non-righteous Muslim,
Fight for the righteous non-Muslim lord.”
Consider for example the Qur’anic verse:
“Those who believe and those
Who follow the Jewish scriptures,
And the Christians and Sabians
Anyone who believes in God
And the Last Day, and
Who work righteousness
Shall have their reward
With their Lord. On them
Shall be no fear, nor shall they grieve.”
(Qur'an 2:62)
So Islam insists that Jews and Christians and anyone who recognizes
Higher Mind, God, are believers to be protected and respected.
As for the indiscriminate slaughter of non-combatants, civilians,
The voice of the Qur’an is furious:
“If a man kills a believer
On purpose, his recompense
Is Hell, to abide therein
Forever. And the wrath
And the curse of God
Are upon him A dreadful penalty
Is prepared for him.”
(4:93)
Muhammed’s hopes for the Middle East are very different from the situation in the Islamic world today.
God in the Qur’an calls for brotherhood, and condemns divisive accusatory talk, lies told against others,
as does the Judaeo-Christian commandment:
“Thou shall not bear false witness against another.”
It is not hard to see how hate speech rises to oppression, then terror,
Resulting in a fearful chaos, burnt out wastelands like Gaza, Chechnya,
Southern Lebanon, Afghanistan, Kashmir, Somalia and the Sudan.
Ethnic/sectarian groups fall victim to their own propaganda
And rise up to take power. Liberal secular people would
Shut them up if only Israel and the USA did not give
The Arab and Persian radicals a pretence of truth..
God has no chance in an environment where ego is in charge.
Humanity has no chance if left to a dim self-willed clergy
Be they rabbis, priests or mullahs.
Behind every real religion is a real way
Or there once was a real way
A way to develop, grow with God.
But the fractious personalities
Cover and dominate the Essence.
Any growth of essence
Is at the expense of personality. Therefore
Go against the ego and the small mind.
But this is not the way of loud popular sects.
Their leaders are self-selecting and gloat.
Even their children become violent serial killers.
Any way in which ego rules is cut off from truth..
Any way which claims to be the exclusive
Way to God, is not nearly humble enough
To be granted access to – the Power.
But look at how it is on Earth. The loud
Ostentatious religion is what it is -
A display of the ego, a usurpation
Of the body and the body politic
By willfully ignorant personality.
So do not ever think a viable political
Religion can arise from the sects,
From self-appointed clergy
Who do not doubt themselves.
They think they know, but
the way to God is not to know.
The ugly truth is that most Muslims
Have not the classical Arabic skills
To be able to read the Qur’an.
The mullahs and the ayatollahs
Were, are, unfamiliar with critical approaches.
They have no liberal education.
They were never taught to doubt
The crude constructions in their heads.
For some reason they believe they can select
Some verses in the Qur’an and ignore others.
Muhammed was not much of a warrior.
He was forced to fight to save himself
His family and friends. Only after his death
Did the Muslim Arabs move out of Arabia.
There are verses urging Muslims to fight,
But they were handed down as contemporary guidance
For Muhammed’s immediate situation.
They were not intended to be
Universal proverbs.
Muhammed doubted himself, his head,
So Angel Gabriel moved to encourage him.
This is the man who, when he first started hearing
The words which are now the holy Qur’an,
Thought he was going insane and wanted
To kill himself.
Contrast that with the hard-hearted mullahs
And ayatollahs and their executors.
People think conflict in the Middle East is normal
But it is not normal. It is already the worse case scenario.
Because the fundamentalists are so full of themselves,
They can’t escape but aim to kill and to maim.
They are what they are: they can only be themselves.
And their stupid ideas and behaviors help no one.
They do not benefit from experimentation, or cross-fertilization.
They do not think for themselves.
God says in the Qur’an: “There is no compulsion in religion.”
But it seems many neighborhoods fear armed thugs
Backed up by renegade self-willed “clerics of the ego.”.
They each give what the other needs,
The thugs get some legitimacy
The clerics lethal power and protection.
Instead of looking at themselves,
They blame outsiders for their problems.
It is God that leads them astray
And Eternal Hell is their just reward.
Don't let the Middle East (or Texas) colonize your head, or determine whether you're warm, or mobile, well fed. What you don't know will kill you.
You might enjoy the Shortfalls: The Novel on blogger.
What they do in my name is an abomination
Worse than blasphemy because they mock God
And use terror to seize power and then kill.
But my pain is not like their pain of eternal hell.
“The power is God’s alone.
And God is stern in punishment.”
(Qur'an)
But look, the willful usurpers. Their power
Comes from the barrel of a gun, from terror.
They oppress women which is strange because
The Qur’an says women and men are equal.
How many times in the sacred Qur’an
Is it said that non-combatants cannot be attacked?
As for the hadith, Muhammed’s own words,
they are even more explicit:
“If two Muslim parties are at war,
Determine who started it
Then attack the aggressor.”
“If Muslims are faced with a contest
Between a righteous non-Muslim lord and
A non-righteous Muslim,
Fight for the righteous non-Muslim lord.”
Consider for example the Qur’anic verse:
“Those who believe and those
Who follow the Jewish scriptures,
And the Christians and Sabians
Anyone who believes in God
And the Last Day, and
Who work righteousness
Shall have their reward
With their Lord. On them
Shall be no fear, nor shall they grieve.”
(Qur'an 2:62)
So Islam insists that Jews and Christians and anyone who recognizes
Higher Mind, God, are believers to be protected and respected.
As for the indiscriminate slaughter of non-combatants, civilians,
The voice of the Qur’an is furious:
“If a man kills a believer
On purpose, his recompense
Is Hell, to abide therein
Forever. And the wrath
And the curse of God
Are upon him A dreadful penalty
Is prepared for him.”
(4:93)
Muhammed’s hopes for the Middle East are very different from the situation in the Islamic world today.
God in the Qur’an calls for brotherhood, and condemns divisive accusatory talk, lies told against others,
as does the Judaeo-Christian commandment:
“Thou shall not bear false witness against another.”
It is not hard to see how hate speech rises to oppression, then terror,
Resulting in a fearful chaos, burnt out wastelands like Gaza, Chechnya,
Southern Lebanon, Afghanistan, Kashmir, Somalia and the Sudan.
Ethnic/sectarian groups fall victim to their own propaganda
And rise up to take power. Liberal secular people would
Shut them up if only Israel and the USA did not give
The Arab and Persian radicals a pretence of truth..
God has no chance in an environment where ego is in charge.
Humanity has no chance if left to a dim self-willed clergy
Be they rabbis, priests or mullahs.
Behind every real religion is a real way
Or there once was a real way
A way to develop, grow with God.
But the fractious personalities
Cover and dominate the Essence.
Any growth of essence
Is at the expense of personality. Therefore
Go against the ego and the small mind.
But this is not the way of loud popular sects.
Their leaders are self-selecting and gloat.
Even their children become violent serial killers.
Any way in which ego rules is cut off from truth..
Any way which claims to be the exclusive
Way to God, is not nearly humble enough
To be granted access to – the Power.
But look at how it is on Earth. The loud
Ostentatious religion is what it is -
A display of the ego, a usurpation
Of the body and the body politic
By willfully ignorant personality.
So do not ever think a viable political
Religion can arise from the sects,
From self-appointed clergy
Who do not doubt themselves.
They think they know, but
the way to God is not to know.
The ugly truth is that most Muslims
Have not the classical Arabic skills
To be able to read the Qur’an.
The mullahs and the ayatollahs
Were, are, unfamiliar with critical approaches.
They have no liberal education.
They were never taught to doubt
The crude constructions in their heads.
For some reason they believe they can select
Some verses in the Qur’an and ignore others.
Muhammed was not much of a warrior.
He was forced to fight to save himself
His family and friends. Only after his death
Did the Muslim Arabs move out of Arabia.
There are verses urging Muslims to fight,
But they were handed down as contemporary guidance
For Muhammed’s immediate situation.
They were not intended to be
Universal proverbs.
Muhammed doubted himself, his head,
So Angel Gabriel moved to encourage him.
This is the man who, when he first started hearing
The words which are now the holy Qur’an,
Thought he was going insane and wanted
To kill himself.
Contrast that with the hard-hearted mullahs
And ayatollahs and their executors.
People think conflict in the Middle East is normal
But it is not normal. It is already the worse case scenario.
Because the fundamentalists are so full of themselves,
They can’t escape but aim to kill and to maim.
They are what they are: they can only be themselves.
And their stupid ideas and behaviors help no one.
They do not benefit from experimentation, or cross-fertilization.
They do not think for themselves.
God says in the Qur’an: “There is no compulsion in religion.”
But it seems many neighborhoods fear armed thugs
Backed up by renegade self-willed “clerics of the ego.”.
They each give what the other needs,
The thugs get some legitimacy
The clerics lethal power and protection.
Instead of looking at themselves,
They blame outsiders for their problems.
It is God that leads them astray
And Eternal Hell is their just reward.
Don't let the Middle East (or Texas) colonize your head, or determine whether you're warm, or mobile, well fed. What you don't know will kill you.
You might enjoy the Shortfalls: The Novel on blogger.
Sunday, January 18, 2009
Don't let the Middle East (or Texas) colonize your head, or determine whether you're warm, or mobile, well fed. What you don't know will kill you.
You might enjoy the Shortfalls: The Novel on blogger.
The Israeli invasion of Gaza may have been technically legal, but disproportionate. The Arab world gets no accurate reportage, as everything is Israel's fault. There are two sides to this issue. On both, extremists hold sway - they need each other and call up each other. It's foolish not to surrender - Israel is too strong. If the Arabs opted for peace, Israel would fall under strong pressure to correspond.
You might enjoy the Shortfalls: The Novel on blogger.
The Israeli invasion of Gaza may have been technically legal, but disproportionate. The Arab world gets no accurate reportage, as everything is Israel's fault. There are two sides to this issue. On both, extremists hold sway - they need each other and call up each other. It's foolish not to surrender - Israel is too strong. If the Arabs opted for peace, Israel would fall under strong pressure to correspond.
Monday, November 3, 2008
Obama Eyes the Middle East
Like some Central Asian conqueror of Old, Obama eyes the Middle East. Where to put his efforts? and to ask - or tell - who, what, to get the momentum back.
True commitment to peace would of course demand cessation of terrorist capers by the Arabs and the roll back of Jewish settlements outside Israel. It's a land grab. Why the USA should condone it is pledging a callous, willful ignorance.
Syria needs to be brought in and Obama should be able to mouth apologies for recent armed incursions, driving Israel and Syria like sheep on the fold.(i.e., the Golan)
into a place wherein the ancestors descend and bid peace and mutual respect and a trust just as the border betwixt them has been so calm, so calm, with fruit passing through the checkpoints at Qunetra - why not just claim what already exists? Cannot Israel give up the Golan for an open Syria?
Turkey will surrender territory to the PKK as winter snow set in.
Iraq is sorting out a mountain of issues, ranging from re-admitting property holders to their original homes, to apportioning oil profits, to dicking with the US over a total American pullout. In order for Iraq to consolidate itself, the Americans must basically disappear.
Iran gets its financial wings cut off as the price for oil falls by half. No more carte blanche for Hizbullah. Ahmedinajad is fighting for his political life as the Persian know-nothings find themselves pinned down by nationalist ideology. The processing of Uranian continues, now with soem 6,500 centrefuges spinning.
Afghanistan bleeds again from its many wounds. If Obama lets the scheduled deployment of three US army briageds go through, then the Taliban better lay low. Pakistan is rolling up their village enclaves and terrorist teaching schools, finally, from Bajur to South Waziristan.
True commitment to peace would of course demand cessation of terrorist capers by the Arabs and the roll back of Jewish settlements outside Israel. It's a land grab. Why the USA should condone it is pledging a callous, willful ignorance.
Syria needs to be brought in and Obama should be able to mouth apologies for recent armed incursions, driving Israel and Syria like sheep on the fold.(i.e., the Golan)
into a place wherein the ancestors descend and bid peace and mutual respect and a trust just as the border betwixt them has been so calm, so calm, with fruit passing through the checkpoints at Qunetra - why not just claim what already exists? Cannot Israel give up the Golan for an open Syria?
Turkey will surrender territory to the PKK as winter snow set in.
Iraq is sorting out a mountain of issues, ranging from re-admitting property holders to their original homes, to apportioning oil profits, to dicking with the US over a total American pullout. In order for Iraq to consolidate itself, the Americans must basically disappear.
Iran gets its financial wings cut off as the price for oil falls by half. No more carte blanche for Hizbullah. Ahmedinajad is fighting for his political life as the Persian know-nothings find themselves pinned down by nationalist ideology. The processing of Uranian continues, now with soem 6,500 centrefuges spinning.
Afghanistan bleeds again from its many wounds. If Obama lets the scheduled deployment of three US army briageds go through, then the Taliban better lay low. Pakistan is rolling up their village enclaves and terrorist teaching schools, finally, from Bajur to South Waziristan.
Close in Efforts
Don't let the Middle East (or Texas) colonize your head, or determine whether you're warm, or mobile, well fed. What you don't know will kill you.
You might enjoy the Shortfalls: The Novel on blogger.
You might enjoy the Shortfalls: The Novel on blogger.
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