Re: What is a jihadist war?roseofauroraSeptember 12 2008, 17:30:25 UTC
Your journal is always full of materials which are constantly challenging my perspectives (They may sometimes make me uneasy, but I thank you for stimulating my gray matter in such a way!!).
I find myself feeling defensive because I am romantically involved with an Iranian man. At the same time the facts and logic can not be denied.
My boyfriend is a nice man and a good man, not particularly religious (he drinks and swears like a sailor and eats bacon as happily as anyone I've seen). That doesn't change the fact that his religion is very difficult to understand and accept for me.
Personally I have a healthy respect for the people I know of that faith who have proven to be "normal". But in general, many of the rules and restrictions that Islams presents make me very very uncomfortable.
To cite one example of an every day occurrence in Iran:
My beau's mother was not used to driving the new standard car the family had recently purchased. One day she failed to engage the parking break and the car, being parked facing down a hill, rolled down several yards, and gained enough speed to collide with a tree. The mother was stunned and disoriented. She could not manage to take off her seat belt and in a panic called out to passers by for help.
For whatever reason, no women were present at that time, only male pedestrians.
The men rushed to the scene but were completely unable to assist the woman aside from speaking to her.
It is forbidden in Islam for a man to touch a woman he is not related to by blood or marriage even in a life or death situation!! Thank God the situation was not serious but you can imagine what this implies?!
I was shocked to hear this is something that occurs at all and that it is considered perfectly acceptable.
I've discussed this with a few people (non-Muslims) and the essential stance we've all come to agree upon is this:
Islam is a religion based on rules as opposed to concepts. This is what makes it so difficult to accept and even more difficult (for me at least) to respect!
I can not respect a religion or ideology which preaches as part of it's doctrine that a man can not touch a woman to save her life unless she is his sister or mother or daughter or wife (and likewise a woman can not help a man she does not know if he needs it). I don't care who this may offend but that is the simple fact!
My feelings regarding this are not only directed at Islam. I have the same, if not greater, abhorrence for Jehovah's Witness practitioners who refuse live saving organ transplants and blood transfusions for their children (how can a religion that commands you to sit by and watch your child suffer and die be logical or acceptable to ANYONE?).
I agree that at the extremist level, the Muslim Brotherhood flavor of Islam is terrifying. But it is also disconcerting on many many other levels.
Just as Christians have learned through the ages that the burning of witches is not an acceptable practice, so Islam must somehow find it's enlightenment. But considering the fact that it appears as though powerful forces are dead set on preventing any light from penetrating the dark age mentality many of these people subscribe to. Which begs further investigation of the Geo-political atmosphere that is causing the middle east to remain so firmly lodged in the middle ages.
I apologize for recently crowding your in box with all my lengthy comments but as I am very drawn by the points you make and can't help be share my two cents!
Re: What is a jihadist war?level_headSeptember 12 2008, 17:53:55 UTC
First off, I actively encourage your discussion, and I've enjoyed reading your thoughts: you write and present your arguments well, and even on points where we disagree I can ask for no more than that.
But here, there is little to disagree about. I do not condemn all of Islam for the acts of jihadists -- though I would certainly like to see more outrage and less rationalizing from mainstream Islamic groups.
I have friends who were born in Iran -- and we do indeed talk politics and religion.
I find myself feeling defensive because I am romantically involved with an Iranian man. At the same time the facts and logic can not be denied.
My boyfriend is a nice man and a good man, not particularly religious (he drinks and swears like a sailor and eats bacon as happily as anyone I've seen). That doesn't change the fact that his religion is very difficult to understand and accept for me.
Personally I have a healthy respect for the people I know of that faith who have proven to be "normal". But in general, many of the rules and restrictions that Islams presents make me very very uncomfortable.
To cite one example of an every day occurrence in Iran:
My beau's mother was not used to driving the new standard car the family had recently purchased. One day she failed to engage the parking break and the car, being parked facing down a hill, rolled down several yards, and gained enough speed to collide with a tree. The mother was stunned and disoriented. She could not manage to take off her seat belt and in a panic called out to passers by for help.
For whatever reason, no women were present at that time, only male pedestrians.
The men rushed to the scene but were completely unable to assist the woman aside from speaking to her.
It is forbidden in Islam for a man to touch a woman he is not related to by blood or marriage even in a life or death situation!! Thank God the situation was not serious but you can imagine what this implies?!
I was shocked to hear this is something that occurs at all and that it is considered perfectly acceptable.
I've discussed this with a few people (non-Muslims) and the essential stance we've all come to agree upon is this:
Islam is a religion based on rules as opposed to concepts. This is what makes it so difficult to accept and even more difficult (for me at least) to respect!
I can not respect a religion or ideology which preaches as part of it's doctrine that a man can not touch a woman to save her life unless she is his sister or mother or daughter or wife (and likewise a woman can not help a man she does not know if he needs it). I don't care who this may offend but that is the simple fact!
My feelings regarding this are not only directed at Islam. I have the same, if not greater, abhorrence for Jehovah's Witness practitioners who refuse live saving organ transplants and blood transfusions for their children (how can a religion that commands you to sit by and watch your child suffer and die be logical or acceptable to ANYONE?).
I agree that at the extremist level, the Muslim Brotherhood flavor of Islam is terrifying. But it is also disconcerting on many many other levels.
Just as Christians have learned through the ages that the burning of witches is not an acceptable practice, so Islam must somehow find it's enlightenment. But considering the fact that it appears as though powerful forces are dead set on preventing any light from penetrating the dark age mentality many of these people subscribe to. Which begs further investigation of the Geo-political atmosphere that is causing the middle east to remain so firmly lodged in the middle ages.
I apologize for recently crowding your in box with all my lengthy comments but as I am very drawn by the points you make and can't help be share my two cents!
Reply
But here, there is little to disagree about. I do not condemn all of Islam for the acts of jihadists -- though I would certainly like to see more outrage and less rationalizing from mainstream Islamic groups.
I have friends who were born in Iran -- and we do indeed talk politics and religion.
More in a bit.
===|==============/ Level Head
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