I've recently come across a pseudonymous blogger that some of you may know - a student here in Canada who was born in Pakistan and spent most of his life in Saudi Arabia. His byline: "even though i've been raised as a mussulman, i'm not one of them." Not any more, anyway. Under Shari'a law, of course, he should be sentenced to death for turning his back on the faith. This is his journey...
- In Darkness. Growing up in Pakistan & Saudi Arabia.
- The Land of Trinity. "A life changing event was to occur. Up till now, I had lived in Pakistan and Saudi Arabia. My mind had been imprisoned by fear and ignorance for all this time. The Land of Trinity would completely shatter the cage." And some parts are pretty damn funny, too.
- IX.XI At university in Canada.... "The program was about the merciless lampooning of Osama in every late night show. One of the guys was very agitated. "I understand why he makes fun of Osama all the time. It’s because he’s a rotten stinking Jew. But I don’t get why Leno jokes about Osama so much?”...I found out later still that the guy was a member of the Muslim Student Association."
- In Delerium. "There was no respite from the conspiracy theories in Saudi Arabia..." But there was the finalization of a choice.
I'm publishing the links to his story, and later to his other work, for two reasons...
One is that his personal journey is evocative and educational. Among other things, it will tell you more than 100 media articles about the irrational, conspiracy-theory mindset we currently confront - and the utter folly of seeking to pander to it or compromise our goals in the vain pursuit of its good opinions.
The other reason is the right it represents. The right of those who are Muslims to make their own choices, even if that means leaving their faith for another - or in "Issac's" case, for none. That there should even be a suggestion of violence against people like him is purest barbarism.
- Honour In Slavery. The life of a woman in a traditional Islamic culture.
- The Ideal Life. Think of it as an extension of "Honour In Slavery," with more of a focus on the arranged marriage portion. Some Jewish Hasidic Orthodox communities also practice arranged marriages - with exactly these same sorts of pitfalls, and others too.
- Pesky Questions. Mom was pissed. "You know, you talk like a Jew. They always bothered the prophets with too many questions."
- Cold. Schrodinger opens the box, and is shocked by what's there: "Westerners learn from, and teach about, the Holocaust. Deplorably, for hundreds of millions of Muslims the Holocaust simply doesn't exist."
The journeys of several others are documented by Melanie Phillips.
Excellent, thanks for the link! I particularly liked the conclusion -- especially this quote:
"Many Westerners didn’t say a word of support for the tortured and oppressed population of Iraq. We had useful idiots before, today we have useful infidels. They are quick to point out all the supposed evils of the West but when it comes to Islamists, the silence is deafening. They effortlessly consume freedom, yet refuse to even rhetorically support the providers and defenders of liberty: the Allied armed forces with major credit to the US troops."
I myself know far, far too many useful infidels.
And the loudspeaker spoke up and said...
"tortured and oppressed population", wait a sec, I thought we where looking for WMD! I'm still holding out hope for that one. Besides I also thought Saddam was out ally, even affter he gassed his own people.
So thousands of people, Iraq and Solder alike dead... And what have we gained...??? Wait a sec, did I see Osamma there? Where "Well I don't know where he is, you know I just don't spend that much time on him" - G.W. Bush
Bush your doing a heck of a job, proffiting off the dead in Iraq and of our own troops now cought up in a Civil War in Iraq.
And now he wants the "evil doers" to manage our ports, even when large ammouts of money to fund the 9/11 hyjackers passed though corrupt UAE banks.
And don't bother about him shiting on the constution, spying on our own people, what the hell don't we just love all this war!!!! 1984 was a typo he really meant 2006!
Talking about Muslims did you see this yet
Iran Threatens U.S. With 'Harm and Pain' Over Nuke Meeting
Excellent links, Joe. Thanks.
Is it just me, or does ConCrusher sound a lot like the people "Schrodinger" writes about in his stories?
Useful infidels, Joe, useful infidels...
-Boo
Also semiliterate, but maybe that's just typos because he/she is shaking with righteuos rage. [sic]
Incidentally, the first line of that post is a reference to Negativland, a musical/appropriationist group I know. The members of that group, over the years, mostly continues to not realize that they themselves (by the nature of their cult-hit notoriety) :
Strong form: ... have become the kind of thing / people they criticize.
Weak form: ...possess most of the same weak points / blind spots as the things they criticize.
Only one of the members seems to "get it".
It's not even ironic to point this out -- it's the typical nature of honest (-but-righteous) criticism. Righteousness is addictive, and there are plenty of addicts at both ends of the spectrum. Throw enough random stuff on a screen, and act as if you have a point beyond "X is awful! Just looook!"
Humans. I weep for the species.
http://gumptionology. blogspot .com is my blog
Look what is happening to these people in Iraq
Iraqi Police Find 87 Bodies in 24 Hours
Can you beleiev this
Moussaoui Evades Death, Receives Life in Prison
this is pretty unreal
Rove Blames Bush's Job Approval Ratings on War in Iraq
----
WELL THIS IS PRETTY UNBELIEVABLE
Insurgents' Web Posting: Zarqawi's Death Was Stroke of Luck