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march
10th , 2003
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9:27pm
my desk and my rug
2:50pm
i am finding that there
are a disturbing amount of people who are detrimentally misinformed about
islam.
here is a link:
http://www.islamfortoday.com/
http://www.islamfortoday.com/beliefs.htm#introductions
http://www.islamfortoday.com/adi02.htm
Let's set the record straight!
Imam Tammam Adi Ph.D of the Islamic Cultural Center, Eugene, Oregon, tackles
widespread misconceptions and stereotypes about Muslims and Islam and the
sets out the reality.
Allah: Just means God in Arabic, the same God we all worship.
jihad: Often mistranslated "holy war," especially against the West, the more accurate Arabic meaning is "struggle." Jihad is the struggle to control one's lower instincts. Jihad also means to use a fair war to give a nation freedom of religion if all other means fail. Islam's main proclamation is "No compulsion in religion" Koran 2:255. The Afghani Mujahideen (those who do jihad) fought against the atheist Russians to keep their freedom of religion. Unfortunately, chaos ensued.
extremism: "We made you a nation that should take the middle way in all its affairs before all humanity . . ." (2:143) "God does not love the excessive ones." (6:141)
suicide "martyrdom": "Do not kill yourselves." (4:29). Self-killers are condemned to hell. Even killing oneself to end extreme pain is unacceptable. Some radical sects, considered non-Muslim by most, view suicide-killing as legitimate.
martyrdom: A martyr (Arabic shaheed=witness) is somebody who dies as a witness for goodness or a witness against evil. A martyr testifies before God about the evil-doers that killed him/her and about the goodness his/her death creates in society.
terrorism: The punishment for those who wreak havoc is extremely harsh (5:33-34). Terrorism has as little to do with Islam as burning a cross to terrorize a black family has to do with Christianity. Terrorism is often done by haters of Islam, peace and justice to sabotage good Muslims causes such as peace settlements, democracy movements and modernization. No Islamic teaching supports terrorism.
on killing innocent people: "And do not kill the soul that God gave sanctity to except by law." (17:33) The Koran tells us that killing one person is like killing all humanity.
family values: Husbands and wives serve each other. Muslim families cherish traditional family values and close relations with the extended family. Women may work and own businesses, but the husband alone has the duty to provide for the family. Children are expected to take care of their parents when they get old.
treatment of women: Misinformation about this subject has fanned much of the hatred about Muslims. Here is what we are really taught: (1) Paradise is under the "feet" of the mother; (2) a good wife is half a man's religion, (3) men are ordered to "treat them in good ways," (Koran 4:19) and that, in the words of the Prophet Mohammed in his last sermon, (4) "the best of you is the one that is best to his wife."
four wives: Islam was the first religion to limit the number of wives. But the taking of more than one wife was meant to happen only when there was social necessity, such a during war times when there were a large number of widows and orphans. A husband is required to treat each wife with absolute fairness and equality and to have only one wife if he doubts he can be fair. Polygamy is illegal in America and, according to Islam, Muslims are bound by American law.
scarves for women: This is based on a verse in the Koran. "And let them spread their scarves over their shirt openings and not show their natural adornment . . ." (24:31) If Muslim women choose not to cover their head, there is no Islamic law punishing them or coercing them. Styles of dress are cultural and vary according to culture throughout the Islamic world.
female genital mutilation: This is found in some African countries and is a very painful tribal practice passed down to the present day. It is not based on Islamic teaching. Many Muslim women, such as the wife of the late Anwar Sadat, are working hard to eliminate the practice.
12:00am
i wrote this yesteday:
"i wish i knew of a way to connect with a woman in iraq who wanted to leave but couldn't afford it and i could pay for her to fly here. augh. i feel so helpless."
and received 95% negative response. so i wrote this:
"there's NOTHING wrong with WISHING for something GOOD.
you know, i didn't think
i could be amazed and shocked yet AGAIN at how FUCKED UP humanity can be.
but here i am. being shocked and amazed and how people can be so unbelievable
mean over a simple statement about wishing for something good. wishing that
a human life be spared.
but people have to drive by and throw rocks at a person wishing for something
like that.
now what the fuck does that achieve? how in the hell does that make life any
better for ANYONE? how does that teach anyone anything except for just to
keep quiet next time and not say anything good ever? how the fuck does it
make the world a better place to simply drive by and throw a rock at someone
wishing for something good?
SHAME ON YOU."
now i am just getting myself
out of the negativity that they dropped on my doorstep.
cleaning house. mind. spirit.
onward.
++++++++
and my mother is driving me nuts again.
we had a nice civil correspondence for about a month or so. but now that isn't enough for her. now she is upset that i do not email back to every email she sends me. and she is mad if i do not email her right away. and she is saying even now that i do not even respond to her as if i never email her EVER. i do not get it. i give her an inch and she takes a mile. now she is right back to guilting me and whining and sulking and being a bitch.
everything, i thought, was going so well. i was really scared to start this email thing with her but i kept trying anyway. but then she just has to go and ruin it by freaking out on me again and guilting me out. can she not just CHILL THE FUCK OUT? why does she shoot herself in the foot like that?
i juts feel all this pressure building everywhere in everyone....
the impending war...