On The Importance of The Moment

Thought for the moment: The time of sentience is the present; not the past, not the future. The here & now is the only time we experience. Our senses teach us to pay attention to this moment but our thoughts drift to the past or the future, though we are not meant to act on yesterday's fatigue nor tomorrow's appetites- only today's. The more we dwell in these other states the more out-of-tune we become with reality and begin to suffer from regret/remorse, guilt, stress, anxiety/fear, etc. as opposed to the needs we have at this moment, which is enough to occupy our thoughts.

It is an unfortunate case for our society that runs on excessive future-planning and scheduling and a culture of entertainment that focuses too heavily on the past. And yet the irony is that we are constantly searching for an escape from these temporally-challenged realities in search of what feels more real and experiential in the moment- love, attention, stimulation, drugs, sex, war, pain, sleep and other quests for satiation of our bodily and spiritual, temporal needs. Why do people love sporting events so much? It's because of that rush of excitement in the now that one feels with other fans, that connectivity and validation from seeing in another person what one is experiencing in the present. Why is fashion so important to us? It's because we crave that attention. Why are we an overweight, substance-addicted, and over-sexed culture? Because we need that stimulation; all of these issues address our needs in the here & now. And the stronger the influence of the past or the future bares upon us, the more intense our present needs cry for attention; demanding from us actions and solutions.

It's not a crime to think about the past or the future, but it is a problem if you base your life-your present- upon it, because the past is gone and the future is not guaranteed. Only the breath we breathe is the reality we need-not yesterday's breath, not tomorrow's. So how do we find a balance between our past, present, and future? Only by giving to what is due here & now, will the past, present, and future quiet down and stop competing for your attention.

On Jihadist, Crusader, and Zionist Cults

Today I read an article in the news that upset me beyond my usual tolerance for this sort of thing. An article on wired.com presents evidence of U.S Army training materials that instructs cadets to view Islam and all of its worldwide adherents as the enemy of America. (http://www.wired.com/dangerroom/2012/05/total-war-islam/)

Thankfully, the instructor of the course was dismissed and the Dept. of Defense has redressed this issue on the highest level and condemned it in the strongest terms. (http://www.wired.com/dangerroom/2012/05/dempsey-islam-irresponsible/) The notion that we must go to war to kill 'them' before they kill us is the same mentality carried by all terrorists. But what I came to realize is that our country still fails to see the parallels between jihadist cults and crusader/zionist cults. In the case of these three radical movements within their respective faiths of Islam, Christianity, and Judaism, I find that each of these cults has twisted or corrupted what was once (originally) a noble endeavor; allow me to explain.

In the Quran a true jihad is a resistance against oppression as outlined succinctly by this verse in Surah Nisa'a (Chapter 4- Verse 75:)

"How should ye not fight for the cause of Allah and of the feeble among men and of the women and the children who are crying: 'Our Lord! Bring us forth from out this town of which the people are oppressors! Oh, give us from Thy presence some protecting friend! Oh, give us from Thy presence some defender!'"

We find that the root cause of this struggle is one to uplift an oppressed people who are too weak to defend their own rights (e.g- Syria and the Arab-spring is a good current example.) The same can be said of a true crusade (e.g- fighting for the rights of Christians or others in non-Christian lands) and even zionism in its true understanding (e.g- the right for Jews to live in the land of Israel equally among others.) We find that in each of these movements, there was a drive to restore equality and restore rights. However, with the modern interpretations of these movements there is a radical element that makes them fringe and cultist. The notion that we must violently attack this group because they have affected or changed our culture is wrong, and that is the difference between true jihad, true crusade, and true zionism- that its no longer about restoring order, rights and liberties but rather killing in the name of so-called 'self-preservation' of identity which is slowly changing.

The article highlighted here points to all Muslims (civilians) as targets because they supposedly attack the American lifestyle (which of course isn't true.) The twisted logic then becomes, "if they wish to attack us then we will pre-emptively attack them." This is the 'clash-of-civilizations' mentality that defines the modus operandi of terrorists essentially. Jihadi cults like al-Qaeda claim a U.S attack on Muslim values/lifestyle so they feel justified in carrying out physical (violent) attacks on innocent American civilians. The Army instructor, Col. Lt. Dooley's views mirror the same logic - "these Muslims wanna change us so let's kill them." Zionist parties who see Palestinians and non-Jews as a threat in the region of Israel want to kill the opposition before they can sway change. It is this feverish claim to self-defense and self-preservation that justifies, in their minds, a war and death of the 'other.' There is virtually no difference.

In a world with increased inter-connectivity and inter-dependency, it is vital for all groups to accept the 'other.' Violence is not the answer. Genuine dialogue and engagement with different communities needs to occur in order to appreciate and respect our similarities and differences. Let's not kid ourselves in thinking that these cults offer viable solutions to the problems [and benefits] of global cultural assimilations. The Islamic world is becoming more Westernized and vice-versa and there's nothing wrong with that. It is a natural result of our shrinking world and the emergence of a global, meshed-culture.