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Gwynvyd -> RE: Bullshit about Muslims (2/18/2008 1:18:46 AM)
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quote:
ORIGINAL: LadyMorgynn
That's not Islam, that's someone from a ignorant, generally provincial and uneducated cultural backwater. Basically, he's pretty typical for an ignorant bigot of ANY culture, race or religion. I had death threats against me in small town America for being Wiccan. There are still cross burnings in this country today. It has nothing to do with religion per se. Remember that ANYONE can corrupt any religion for their own ends.
But you cannot convince a simple... how to put it? ...not ignorant, but someone raised in a culture and community so steeped in its own ideas that they are quite literally incapable of learning otherwise. I was completely unable, for instance, to convince my Egyptian friend not to use butter on her daughter's burned finger. No matter how much I explained about modern medicine and science, she "knew" that butter was best. There is just no shaking such deep, ingrained beliefs. Your friend is a case in point. Also, working with refugees from Iraq, Afghanistan and Russia, I found out another piece of information that I'd never considered before. People who are not literate in their own language... and Gods knows most of these war refugees, especially from Afghanistan where the Taliban held sway for so long... find it difficult if not impossible to learn another language. They can speak enough English, a few words to get around, but even after years they cannot speak the language, because they have no frame of reference in which to learn another language, being illiterate in their own.
Too bad this country spends so much time looking for wars to wage and governments to undercut and throw over. That money could educate and feed so many in third world countries, we would earn their gratitude, instead of their undying (and well-deserved) hatred. It's a shame, because we could lead the world, instead of seek to rule it.
Thank you so much for posting about this.
I have not lived in the middle east, but I have many friends from there, and I have studied it a bit.
What it seems like in my studies is most of the muslim countries have been in an upheaval for the last few decades. With wars against one another, and even within themselves. The more conservative sects, or even radical sects have taken over most of the schools, and teaching. Unless you come from a fairly well off family you go to one of these madrasahs. The Qur'an of course is taught.. how ever in most of these schools it is taught by the fundementalists.. where the translations are lost.. and the actual study of the language is not taught for them to think for themselves. They are taught to recite.. and regurgitate what they are told. Scholars are being lost now to old age.. and the ones who do know the texts are not the ones doing the brunt of the teaching for the poor. So many wars.. and the ideas have changed, and scholars have very little say any more. More restrictions have been placed on people because of the fundimentalist ruling.
It would be the same here if many wars caused all of our young to go to war.. and only the fundimentalists were left in charge to teach, and to pass down books and knowledge... they might even try to repeal evolution... how crazy is that.. oh.. wait a min.. they are already trying that. *smirks*
war is a great reset button and the under current of society always tries to get an upperhand and pick up the pieces afterwords. This is when you have to be careful. Sometimes it is good ( French Revolution ) some times it is bad... (Treaty of Versailles and The Depression leading to the influx of the Nazi party in Germany)
but it is always hard on the people, and it's republic.
Gwyn
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