Update Q2 2014

Hello fellow prisoners! It's been a long time as usual. It's customary for me now to give periodic updates on myself and this blog. I realized its been several months since my last entry and (again) I was gravitating toward musical tracks to explain the emotions I was facing at the time. With some recent changes to my life I've felt disconnected from writing for some time now but lately I've been rediscovering some of my earlier writing and its made me want to share my thoughts again. This is going to be a random (or should I say 'rant 'em') update but here goes....

For starters I forgot how nice it feels to re-open this blog and let my thoughts flow here. Expression is truly what separates us from other people...(well that and a few other things.) Since my last entry I've switched smartphones and now Google owns 90% of my soul (Android-user now.) And oh the loveliness of syncing everything about my life to one company is so convenient and disgusting. I'm waiting for Google Poop to inform me of what I've eaten and break down the ingredients so as to integrate it with my other biometric data it will collect. The future is scary for those who value the vestige word "privacy" in the 21st century. (Btw, yes I'm aware that blogger is owned by Google - I love you guys!) Anyways, the future of control is information. Nothing revolutionary there as its been the practice of every ruling regime since human civilization but there's something more sinister about census 2.0. The age-old census was the way ruling parties collected stats on its citizens and with accurate info they were able to make informed decisions. In today's targeted-everything world, knowing just who we are, what we like (and look like,) how and what we consume will not only result in more security, and by extension more stability for rulers, but more efficient marketing which will result in more money saved by investors and more money spent by consumers. The end-goal is clear: transparency means security and security means stability while transparency also means efficiency and efficiency means good economics. We see that in recent years governments have pushed private Internet companies to share their amassed data for a hefty sum and most companies can't resist the payoff; the few that do face a losing battle in the courts. The giants of our tech age (Google, Facebook, Microsoft, etc.) all provide us with convenience at the expense of our privacy. They make money while the government gets info. It's a win-win formula for them but who loses out?

Not that I'm against transparency all-together but I would rather see a limited-transparency of the Internet, kinda like how I advocate limited nakedness of ugly people on the streets. Cover that shit up please. In the same way, our rights as citizens (if "rights" still have meaning) entail that we have limited privacy. Sensitive information should not be shared with third parties for the sake of making profit and governments/authorities should only have access to that information should they need it, and after due process of law (i.e- seeking warrants.) Like the good ol' days. The government already knows everything it needs to know about everyone so there's nothing to hide from them and that's fine. But what gets me is these private companies that want my data- my location, biometrics, contacts, pictures, files, media, etc. And we give it away willingly via "app permissions" which in-turn make our mobile devices little surveillance appliances in our pockets. I love my phone but its almost got a mind of its own sometimes. Lord knows what app-permissions I signed off on when downloading cool apps. Random third parties now have access to your most sensitive info. That shouldn't be cool with so many people but it is. To me, Internet privacy is akin to wearing clothing; complete anonymity is farce and unsafe but we shouldn't be completely naked in the eyes of private companies either. The government is a separate issue, it will know what it needs to know and we should respect that, but private companies do not need to know that I like the color green and advertise green clothes to me as I walk by a clothing store and yet this is the kind of targeted advertising tech companies are aiming for. Ever wonder why the Internet was never taxed? Well, how else do you give billions of people a platform to willingly share all their private information with the world? Exactly. The Internet is free like a free podium, a free mike-night. Say whatever you want but know that what you say is stored somewhere forever. I know I'm stating the obvious, but it was what was running on my mind (I told you it would be a random rant! ;p) Ay yai yai! I need to get back into my poetry. Prose sucks. Peace prisoners!
-RA


P.S: Shout out to all my dedicated fans who show love by visiting my site. I'm truly touched by all the visits and attention on some of my posts. You guys make it fun and worthwhile to keep writing. I am always sad to leave you guys hanging after long windows of no entries but posting again makes me happy and happy for you all. This is my first post of 2014..wow. Here's to more. Buenos Noches.

My Thoughts on the M.E Conflict, War & Peace

I truly hope that I see real, sincere, and lasting peace between Israelis and Palestinians before I die. This is a global human tragedy that is solvable. I refuse to accept otherwise. My mother taught me that there is no problem in the world that cannot be solved except death. I believe that all the worlds' brilliant influential minds, beloved and charismatic personalities, powerful and affluent, and tolerant, open hearts can help achieve an agreeable settlement, overcome hatred, ignorance and politics. Sometimes the power of forgiveness, common good-will, acceptance and change is a stronger force than the threat of nuclear weapons, power struggles, persuasions of money, zealous religious beliefs, nationalism/racism etc. We've seen it before in our human history. The human family cannot allow this travesty to continue for decades more to come. This conflict is at the root of global antisemitism (yes, of both Jews & Arabs) and its resultant spillage of extremism, racism, and ethnophobia of other forms, the war on terror and other terrorist movements since the 20th century. War is not good business. Money is not the holy grail of life. Respect is not just achieved through fear and deterrence. Might is not always right. Power and control is not a sign of divine sanction. Religious faith does not equate with moral superiority and belief does not guarantee one is categorically correct. The freedom, peace, and dignity of ALL humans matters and affects us all. Enough is enough. It's time for a change- indeed it has been long since.

On Muslim Crazies, Islamophobia and Real Islam

I am appalled by the tragedy met by U.S Ambassador Christopher Stevens and the three other Americans who died for no reason other than guilt-by-association for some anti-Islamic video that went viral and again, stirred up rage riots that took the life of innocents and diplomats. However, I am even more upset at the fact that these barbaric acts continue in the face of Islamophobia and indeed perpetuate the myths and stereotypes that Muslims are savages with no morals. Truly the lands of Islam are living in the dark ages where true guidance is forgotten, obscured or unknown and ignorance has taken precedence. As a practicing Muslim, I feel its my duty to not only condemn these attacks but explain how distant their reaction is to the prophetic model of patience and forgiveness in the face of bigotry, hatred, insults, and personal injury.

The Qur'an states: "Be quick in the race for forgiveness from your Lord and for a Garden whose width is that (of the whole) of the Heavens and of the Earth, prepared for the righteous - those who spend (freely) whether in prosperity or adversity; who restrain anger and pardon all men; for Allah loves those who do good." [3:133-4] further it states, "You shall certainly be tried and tested in your possessions and in your [personal] selves; and you shall certainly hear much that will grieve you, from those who have received the Book (i.e-scripture) before you and from those who worship many gods. But if you persevere patiently, and guard against evil- then that will be a determining factor in all affairs." [3:186]

The Prophet Muhammad (S) endured countless insults, mockery, and injury at the hands of unbelievers but did not resort to violence over attacks on his person. [See Quran 15:6, 16:103, 25:4-5, 38:4, 68:51, etc.] One of the Prophet's own uncles and enemy (Abu Lahab) would torment him by way of insult and injuries: Tariq bin 'Abdullah al-Muharabi narrated that he wouldn't stop at simply insulting the Prophet (S) but would throw stones at him until his ankles bled. Abu Lahab's wife would tie bundles of thorns with ropes of twisted palm-leaf fiber and scatter them in the paths which the Prophet (S) was expected to take. One day when the Prophet noticed there wasn't any thorns in his way he went to go inquire about the health of his aunt to see if she was feeling ok. Abu Lahab's and Abu Jahl's households would even throw the womb of a sheep and entrails of camel upon his back while he prayed but he still did not retaliate and only removed the animal parts with a stick and continued with his business. At Ta'if he was mocked and pelted with stones again until he bled and had to leave the city. Still all he did was pray to God for their forgiveness even though the angels offered to punish them for their rebellion. (The Sealed Nectar 87-9, 124-5) We can also see from the following hadith how tolerant the Prophet (S) was in the face of seemingly blatant disrespect in a place of worship:

 Anas b. Malik (may Allah be pleased with him) reported: "While we were in the mosque with Allah’s Messenger (may peace be upon him), a desert Arab came and stood up and began to urinate in the mosque. The Companions of Allah’s Messenger (may peace be upon him) said: "Stop, stop!" but the Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him) said: "Don’t interrupt him; leave him alone." They left him alone, and when he finished urinating, Allah’s Messenger (may peace be upon him) called him and said to him: "These mosques are not the places meant for urine and filth, but are only for the remembrance of Allah, prayer and the recitation of the Qur’an," or Allah’s Messenger said something like that. He (the narrator) said that he (the Holy Prophet) then gave orders to one of the people who brought a bucket of water and poured it over.” [Sahih Muslim Book 2, #559]

These are only a few examples in the life of the Prophet (S) of how he dealt kindly and justly with those who attempted to belittle him and how he always returned good for evil. [23:96, 41:34] If you read his full biography and life story you will find much more. There have been extremists in every faith who taint the image of the community for every faith-based group and Islam is no exception. The kharijites (an early extremist group) killed the Prophet's own cousin 'Ali ibn Abu Talib (ra) and were responsible for much discord in early Islamic history but that didn't stop the majority of peaceful followers from acting kindly and righteous, especially toward non-muslims [60:8] The Quran includes the People of the Book (Jews, Christians, Sabians) as those who will attain God's reward in the Hereafter: "Those who believe (in the Quran) and those who follow the Jewish (scriptures), and the Christians and the Sabians- any who believe in Allah and the Last Day, and work righteousness, shall have their reward with their Lord; on them shall be no fear nor shall they grieve." [2:62, 5:69] God is not careless with words. This is stated twice in the Quran and those who argue it is an abrogated verse need to reflect on this point.

Prophet Muhammad (S) has stated: "Whoever hurts a Non-Muslim citizen of a Muslim state hurts me, and he who hurts me annoys God." (Sahih Bukhari) In a historic document known as the Charter of Privileges (Achtiname of Muhammad) with the monks of St. Catherine Monastery, the Prophet (S) explains further the depth of care for non-Muslim citizens:

This is a message from Muhammad ibn Abdullah, as a covenant to those who adopt Christianity, near and far, we are with them.
Verily I, the servants, the helpers, and my followers defend them, because Christians are my citizens; and by Allah! I hold out against anything that displeases them.
No compulsion is to be on them.
Neither are their judges to be removed from their jobs nor their monks from their monasteries.
No one is to destroy a house of their religion, to damage it, or to carry anything from it to the Muslims' houses.
Should anyone take any of these, he would spoil God's covenant and disobey His Prophet. Verily, they are my allies and have my secure charter against all that they hate.
No one is to force them to travel or to oblige them to fight.
The Muslims are to fight for them.
If a female Christian is married to a Muslim, it is not to take place without her approval. She is not to be prevented from visiting her church to pray.
Their churches are to be respected. They are neither to be prevented from repairing them nor the sacredness of their covenants.
No one of the nation (Muslims) is to disobey the covenant till the Last Day (end of the world).

This is the Prophet of mercy we Muslims believe was sent as the "Mercy to the Worlds" [21:107] One who was peaceful with all who wanted peace and forgave offenses to his own self but fought to defend his community only when it was absolutely necessary after enduring 13 long and difficult years of persecution and misery in Mecca. So I say to those who claim to "defend" the Prophet's honor- there is no need, for God has already honored him above the creation. [68:4] I also say to them to remember our Prophet's love and commitment to all who sought peaceful relations, for they will be held accountable by God for killing those who do not kill and make war with them. If it were not for the U.S help in removing Ghadafi, Libya would still be under his boots. I also say to them that if they do hear anything distasteful - so what? Its not anything that hasn't been said or done before. Let them say what they will, its between them and God. And lastly, I quote the Quran, "So lose not heart nor fall into despair for you must gain mastery if you are true in Faith" [3:139]  

Notes

- Holy Quran

- Sahih Bukhari, Sahih Muslim

- The Sealed Nectar: Biography of the Noble Prophet (Ar-Raheeq al-Makthum) by Safiur Rahman Al-Mubarakpuri

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.

A Message To Give

We each have our own role to fill in the communications of life- some of us will be the epics & dramas, some will be the allegories, fables & fairy-tales, some will be the comedic jokes, some will be the tragedies, some will be the serious "real talk," some will be the nonsense & gibberish, some will be postcards & memos, some will be statuses & tweets, some will be the apology notes, some will be jealous gossip, some will be the egoistical vain-talk, some will be the cold-hard facts, some will be the legal & instructional manuals, some will be the arguments & debates, some will be diplomacy & negotiations, some will be the revelation & scriptures, some will be prayers & mantras, some will be the poems, songs & sonnets, some will be the aphorisms, cliches, & inspirational quotes, some will be the sermons & motivational speeches, some will be the monologues & soliloquies, some will be sign & body language, some will be meta-communication & some will be miscommunication, some will be the questions & some will be the answers, and yet some will be silence. Each of us has a powerful message to give to the world, and all of us contribute to the dialogue of life and society in this way.

An Update & Apology

Hi everyone, Prisoner here. First, I want to apologize to those on my personal contacts list for my old Yahoo! account. I recently learned its been hacked and many of you have received spam from the account. No, I'm not trying to sell you products or improve your sex life or show you a new way to make money online, just so you know. I hardly ever use that account anymore but I did change the password so hopefully no more spam for you all. Yay.

Second, I just finished a week long intensive course on bereavement counseling for loss & grief. If I get the chance I would like to share some of my insights with you all on the many things I learned from the class. It was particularly hard for me since mom died and going to class brought back a lot of the initial anxiety and uncertainty that was felt in those months following. Its true, life is only considered precious if we remember death just as much as we focus on life. My thoughts on all this, soon to come iA. :)

Third, its the 2nd week of Ramadan and fasting is not as difficult as one would expect. We are in the 2nd 3rd of the month, which means these days are for forgiveness (hey I guess apologizing for the spam fits in right?) I've fallen behind on my Quran a bit this week but I intend to catch up iA and by the way, the iQuran app - amazing. May Allah bless the app-maker(s) and may He forgive us all this month, ameen. Some friends and I are partaking in a fun 'Quran race' competition this month, the one who reads the most will receive a prize at the end (though I most likely will not be among the finalists, I will decline my prize in-advance if I am.) Will I finish the Quran this month? It's about 16 days too soon to say! ;-P Insha'Allah (God-willing) ::engines reving:: Here. We. Go!

* A note on Somalia - During this month of generosity, please think about the suffering that is going on over there, they are facing intense famine and drought and men, women, and children are dying by the thousands. Please make dua for them and better yet, donate to charities that are working on the ground and providing relief. What will we say to God on the Day of Judgment if we do not help? If we break our own fasts and not theirs?

Fourth, when I'm tired from all else, I like to pick up my Rurouni Kenshin manga, (of which I'm delighted to say, I have now acquired in full) and read the full original story for the first time. So far, I've read the entire 'Legend of Kyoto' Arc and am currently midway "Jinchuu" Arc. Since my volumes 1 & 2 VizBig editions just arrived I will be reading the "Tales from the Meiji" arc (aka Season 1) last. I will say that it is definitely awesome, as great as the TV series if not more. All-in-all I enjoy both equally and prefer some elements of the manga to the TV series and vice-versa. I was soooo going to post an awesome philosophical piece on the differences between the world-views of Kenshin & Shishio, but then Ramadan came and redirected my attention elsewhere. Maybe when I have the time and motivation I will get to it. Also, I find it interesting how reading Kenshin has coincided with my bereavement class. Kenshin's philosophy (of life being the strongest motivation to endure) fits in nicely with the same lessons I learned in class. Anyways, in other Kenshin news, I am uber excited about the new series Watsuki-san is rumored to be working on (actually its not a rumor) and its my hope, along with the hopes of many fans that he produces the Jinchuu arc for TV. Even though we get it in piecemeal via the "Trust & Betrayal" and "Reminiscence" OVAs, it would still be nice to see it in its entirety all-together. Either that or a story revolving around the 10 years of wandering Kenshin did following the end of the Bakumatsu (prior to meeting up with the RuroKen cast.) OR(o) if neither of these is in the works, it would be great to have another spin off series like "Yahiko no Sakabato," perhaps one revolving around Himura Kenji?? (O'kudasai Watsuki-san! ::wink wink::) I'm also excited about the live-action film expected to be released sometime soon. The world of Kenshin will remain "so long as this one wields this sakabato."

^_^


P.S- Shop at the Borders bookstore ASAP before it shuts down! Some really good deals, and let's all build up our libraries and be erudite future awesomers! Also, in-case you were wondering, no - the title "Prisoner786" has absolutely NOTHING to do with the film 'VeerZara' (God no, but I'm sure I've already commented on this before) and yes, the Elric brothers atop are making dua. :)

Blog humbug?

Hey everyone, Prisoner here. So I'm writing to you because I realized that my last several posts have all been music posts with no verbal content. That was actually an experiment of mine where I was trying to communicate entirely through music..(I guess it didnt go as well as I thought it would lol.) Anyway, I'm writing to you because I want you all to know I haven't dropped off the planet, but I've spent my energies elsewhere. I plan to update my blog more frequently now while I have the time, so please continue visiting & checking up on the site.
And while on the subject of blogs, I would like all of you to check out a new blog hosted by a very dear friend of mine who goes by the online moniker "WrenDaWise." Check it out here:

http://www.wrendawise.blogspot.com

Thank you to my fans/followers. Stay-tuned for more goodies soon to come. <3

So Much Trouble in the World...

Mohamed Bouazizi (RIP) really set the Middle East (and the world) ablaze when he lit himself on fire in rage against all the injustice he faced in his life; ultimately dying from his wounds. It's as if his life's story mirrored the average Middle Eastern Arab living under a despotic regime where it was common to have their voices unheard or neglected. His sacrificial act became the ignition for revolutions in Tunisia, Egypt, and Libya with protests occurring in a dozen countries, each trying to bring about change from the bottom-up. Currently uprisings in Algeria, Bahrain, Yemen, and Libya are taking news headlines but the situation in Libya in particular is most alarming. Col. Muammar Gaddafi and sons have waged a war against their own people, effectively telling the world and the Libyan people that their position in power is more important than anything to them. How these people can consider themselves public servants is beyond me, but then again -more often than not- rulers have trashed the noble ideal of public service for purely self-gain at the cost of their peoples' prosperity.

What I find most alarming is that these dictators think that if they just take out a few tanks, and deploy some air bombers and raid masses of innocent, peaceful demonstrators everything will be fine and go back to normal, right? Wrong. If anything has been shown through these demonstrations is that once the state uses violence to quell resistance, more people show up in protest and it now becomes an uprising, and when more are killed, jailed, and beat it turns into a revolution and as Malcolm X once said, revolutions are never without blood.

I am hopeful for change in the Middle East. I would like to see new democracies with governments by the people and for the people taking root over there because I believe this is the best thing for both the people there and Americans (& Israelis) since freedom is the core ingredient to a society's prosperity. In fact, one of the contributing factors of the rise of terrorism has been precisely because people didn't have their freedoms to assemble and express dissent in many of these countries. That doesn't make it right -- but it doesn't help it either. My fear is that the powers-that-be would rather drag out the situation in Libya so that this rapid gust of change finally dwindles down and stops spreading these flames of oppressed rage. If you think about it, 2-3 dictators over the course of two months is extremely fast and all this change is not good for the status quo (or rather for the people who benefit from it) so they will play up the 'stability' card and say this is not good for the region. This is exactly what we're seeing as tanks and airplanes shoot and bomb masses of innocent Libyans and the death toll rises well above 1,000, the world mostly sits back and watches, making the token idle threat to Gaddafi every now and then. Afterall, who wants their government to be next, right?

In any case, I sincerely hope the people get what they want and evil dictators meet the justice they deserve and a new understanding and perception of the Middle East is born out of this; one that helps Westerners see that freedom is everyone's right and not something only we "can handle" or the ridiculous notion that the Arabs "hate" our freedoms here when they're literally fighting and dying for it as I type these very words. Freedom is not a Western or Eastern concept, it is a human concept and right, and only when societies have free rights can they make healthy and responsible choices. I hope the world begins to realize this for the sake of one of the world's most oppressed peoples (i.e- the Palestinians) and an act of God brings much needed reform to that region and elsewhere in the world. If the Egyptian revolution proved anything, it proved that every media stereotype about Arabs being disunited, enraged, disorganized, and hateful was utterly a lie, and that the commoner and well-to-do, the majority and minority, the religious and secular, men and women - all can get together to affect change and be civil, and even clean up after themselves! So I hope the world can see that Muslims are peaceful and freedom loving people too, just like the rest of the world. Down with evil despots and viva people power!

Thoughts on so-called 'Ground Zero' Mosque

I've left myself out of this issue for the most part until now but I feel like I need to say something. When the anniversary of 9/11 is being declared as "Burn the Quran day" by a Florida Church, that's when I need to speak up; as well as all those who see the potential for a chaotic future if such actions and sentiments go unchecked. The issue of the mosque has become a national controversy when it really shouldn't be. In the words of Obama, "let's be clear" - the core of the issue really isn't about the mosque & location, (although it started out as that,) it's about peoples' fear that this is seen as some kind of "victory over our enemies." The truth of this lies in the controversy over the name of the center itself (which was first called "Cordoba House" and is now being called "Park 51.") Mosque opponents say Cordoba House was intentionally named so to further rub this 'victory' in the wound, as they say the historical Cordoba was an emblem of Muslim sovereignty over a non-Muslim populace [hence the so-called 'victory.'] In the words of Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich, "'Cordoba House" is a deliberately insulting term. It refers to Cordoba, Spain–the capital of Muslim conquerors, who symbolized their victory over the Christian Spaniards by transforming a church there into the world's third-largest mosque complex... every Islamist in the world recognizes Cordoba as a symbol of Islamic conquest."** On the other-hand, the Mosque developers say Cordoba was historically known for its multiculturalism and pluralism, where people of different faiths created a rich culture together. This dichotomy over interpretation of what the Islamic center really signifies has polarized both camps into seeing it no longer as just an issue of a mosque in a particularly sensitive location, but grown the picture into fear of conquest versus the right to practice religion in this country. Let's take a look at this statement: "victory over our enemies" a bit further.

"Victory?" Who's victory? Victory is a word used in a context of a battle or contest. American Muslims are not contesting nor battling anything of the American establishment, but foreign extremists are. As for the extremists, their goal is to alienate the U.S indigenous population against the Muslims and vice-versa so as to further their political agenda. Segregation is actually what they - the extremists - want, because if Muslims were dis-integrated in American society then the extremists would gain sympathetic support from that faction in the West. By integrating & accepting American Muslims into the mainstream, America essentially thwarts the extremists' goals of creating disenfranchised Muslims, who could potentially become home-grown terrorists. So with the way the debate is dividing people on both sides, the only victory here would sadly be for the terrorists. As for the American Muslims, a common need for a bustling community is being fulfilled here, nothing more.

"Enemy?" Who's the enemy? America probably has more religious freedom than any other country in the world. Islamophobia is more open in Europe. Just look at France's ban on hijabs, hell even two Muslim nations [Turkey & Syria] have banned (or proposed bans on) the burka in some form or another. America has always welcomed Muslims, just like any other peaceful migrating community, and what we're seeing is the natural result of immigration, not the result of a war or contest. And that's just concerning immigration, but what about America's long shared history with Islam and Muslims dating back since before Malcom X? Muslims have long been loyal citizens of America and 9/11 hasn't changed that. Building an Islamic center on privately owned property is perfectly within Constitutional rights and is a reflection of a need for that community. There are lots of Muslims in the city, and even many Muslims died on 9/11. Guess what? They all need a place to pray. Lower Manhattan already houses another mosque that has been there longer than the Twin Towers and without any controversy. And to make a further point, there is a mosque right by another 9/11 site at the Pentagon. How come there is no controversy there?

My point is, if America sees us as an enemy, then they should focus on curbing immigration and not limiting Constitutional civil liberties to those who are already here legitimately; who should enjoy the rights of other American citizens. If Muslims saw America as an enemy then how come we don't see the kind of radical anti-Western sentiment here? Because if it does exist, it doesn't reflect the mainstream American Muslims at large but perhaps the fringe (and even that has more to do with opinions on foreign policy rather than the principles America stands for.) Lastly if any American Muslims do see America as an enemy, then they need to take a long hard look and ask themselves, why are they even living here? America is founded on the principles of equity for all, it welcomes all peaceful nations & communities and as such there is a natural compromise that comes with being a citizen here when everyone has to be accounted for. Therefore, they cannot expect every single law to comply with their beliefs or views. America expands our tolerance at first, then breeds acceptance. If you are not prepared to accept let alone tolerate other people, then you need to seriously consider leaving this country. So the question of who the enemy is really has to do more with our own views of tolerance and acceptance, as well as genuine misinformation and ignorance. Knowledge brings understanding and understanding brings unity, ignorance only breeds fear and apprehension. In sum, America is not the enemy of American Muslims. For those who see America as an enemy, they either do not live here and are sympathetic to the extremist cause or need to consider moving out if they do live here. This mosque has no place for their kind anyway.

At first I was opposed to this proposed mosque as well because I knew it would stir the controversy it has. I knew the issue really had to do with integration more than anything else because American Muslims are not yet seen as fully integrated in American society. If a crazy person shares the same background as a normal person, and the crazy person does something crazy, in an integrated society that accepts people of their background, the crazy person is seen as crazy and the normal person as normal without any infringements on the normal person's rights. But when both crazy and normal are seen as a team or that they have hidden agendas, then mistrust will lead that society to believe the normal person is also crazy. This mistrust is exactly what we are seeing as each day brings out more nay-sayers and supporters until hopefully we see the day when American Muslims can be trusted and welcomed into mainstream American culture. Hopefully this Islamic center can play its role in that service.

**Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ground_Zero_Mosque

Omnivorous Stupidity

So I've been thinking, it's great being an omnivore and all, but if you really think about it, some of the stuff we eat is kinda...gross, weird, and stupid or some combination of these. The reason I say 'stupid' is because many of the things we eat, most other animals (omnivore or not) would likely pass up. I use the standard example of animals in nature to demonstrate whether or not something is safe or natural to eat since their instincts are sometimes more keen than ours [but only sometimes damnit!! grrrrr...] Anyways, granted, different species can digest and process different foods, but still, you have to wonder about some of the stuff we eat. Leaving aside some of the more questionable animals/bugs [and parts thereof,]  let's take a look at some things we eat more typically but tend not to reflect on. Personally, I love many of the things I'm listing below, but they're still weird things to consume. For example...

• Mushrooms - Mushrooms are fungi people [insert 'fun-guy' joke here.] As fungi, mushrooms represent a living organism whose primary function is to decompose organic matter. They play an important role in the ecosystem but at the same time, their life is dependent upon some decaying organic matter (with the possible exception of some subspecies.) There is another word for this kind of organism - saprophytes. A saprophyte is an organism that feeds off of decomposing organic matter and therefore contributes to the decomposition. Similar to a parasite but with a different function. It's important to note that mushrooms' nutritional values vary considerably (from very little to decent) but careful cultivation is necessary to grow the 'right kind' of mushroom edible for human consumption, otherwise we could be poisoning ourselves unknowingly, even fatally. Still, among these edible types, they are sometimes known to cause allergic reactions in certain people and may even be a significant source of carcinogens! [*fn- wikipedia]
• Milk - All hail the wonderful product of milk! I have to say I'm a big fan of dairy products. We all love milk and sure it's great but before it became a commercialized product we came to customize in all sorts of ways, we must not forget (and this is easier for women) that it was first produced in the mammary gland of mothers with fresh offspring. Milk is a nutrient-rich food that is easy on digestion for infants due to their increased levels of lactase enzyme. Once we mature, lactase enzymes naturally decline as milk is no longer needed [hint hint] as we begin digesting more complex foods. In other words, nature set a cut off point for milk consumption. But why? Perhaps because of the high-fat content? Or perhaps because of the duration of the mothers' elevated hormone levels necessary for milk production? The fact that we continue to drink milk means we could be subjecting our bodies to unnatural amounts of fat-rich nutrients and/or prolonged hormone elevation (if we were to consume human milk the way we do animal-milk.) We must remember that although we live with technology that allows us to reduce the fat in milk, by itself it was intended to be a fat-rich food, which means that the mother will have to sacrifice her comfort and body to produce such a powerful food (i.e- elevated fat-percentage in her own body is required to make the product & not to mention the pain and discomfort from swollen mammaries.) To subject humans to that sort of treatment for commercial consumption would be considered inhumane but we pay no mind to it since its coming from an animal (cow, goat, or sheep, etc.) Which raises the other interesting question: Why do we drink animal milk when non-human milk was not intended for our use? And what sort of problems arise with the question of drinking human milk in the same manner? The more you think about it, the more unsettling the reality of it becomes.
• Yeasts, yogurt, cheese, and other decayed [fermented] foods - Now I don't drink alcohol, but yeast are a common fungi used in many foods to help preserve/cultivate them (i.e- leavened bread and certain yogurts/cheese etc. The dairy products were first produced from milk, later aged/cultured to make into other food products. Sometimes they contain molds/spores on them as well (e.g- blue cheese.) Sure most of this stuff tastes good but it all sounds kinda disgusting...I mean, when was eating semi-rotten/aged/culture-treated food considered smart? Are we really sure the presence of these bacteria and fungi aren't affecting our health in other obscure ways?
• Honey - Honey is seriously awesome, but the way its made is semi-gross. The bee takes nectar, pollen, and tree sap from flowers and processes it inside its abdomen (it has a separate sack for honey) then regurgitates it and other bees chew on it until it becomes more syrup-like and this process of chewing-regurgitation continues until we have the delicious honey we've all come to love - yup, but its true, its bee barf! Honey is not suited for infants because of the dormant spores that occasionally grow within it, since infantile immune systems cannot destroy the spores. Honey is also the only food made by insects that humans eat, interesting no?
• Toxins, poisons, peppers and other natural defense deterrents - The uses of alcohol are many but the fact that it is an aged/decayed organic matter makes it weird enough to consume, let alone what it does to your body (liver.) Drugs like cannabis and opium are inhaled/injected/smoked for medicinal and recreational drug-use but were originally created as defense deterrents in the wild to prevent animals from eating these herbs, the same goes for chillies and peppers (hence pepper-spray.) I'm South-Asian and we loooove spices and chilly peppers but technically its bad for us, as it can cause ulcers. The fact that we consume these things is kind of hilarious knowing that in nature they acted as deterrents for consumption. Another example is the Japanese blowfish which has toxins in its gills strong enough to kill someone if not removed properly. Still sushi-lovers consider blowfish a delicacy..its certainly a delicate matter playing with sushi, life and death!

Anyways I'm falling asleep as I'm writing this and the last few paragraphs probably didn't make a whole lot of sense but that's ok since its a rant! My point is that being an omnivore is a privilege that's weird..!! :) ok, maybe i'll be back to edit this thing..or maybe...not zzzzz

My thoughts on the Gaza Floatilla Massacre

Til now I've been mostly quiet about this incident, not because I haven't been reading the news, but for a number of other reasons. During the Israeli offensive "Operation Cast Lead" last year, I was blogging, posting news reports and videos about the massacre as actively as I could. My main motive was to spread the awareness of the dire situation of life - or what remains of it - for Palestinians spread across the occupied territories. I felt at the time that enough is enough; I didn't care what the cost to me would be, if any. As far as I was concerned, the 3rd Semite holocaust had been created by the descendants of the first two, and I was determined to do my small part in bringing some type of justice to the situation. Afterall, what discomfort can we face that compares with the utter suffering and despair of the millions living in the hell of Gaza and the West Bank?

But justice has yet to be seen. Following last year's massacre, I was slightly hopeful when I heard of Obama's "toughening" stance on Israel's policies on the illegal occupation and settlements that continue to spread in the West Bank and other places, even against UN Resolutions. But in reality, Obama's stance was only a PR tactic; a ploy to appease a growing audience of angry justice-demanders. Today, Obama's silence on this issue, has proven this. The message I think is clear: "We don't care." And though Hillary and Biden have said a few words here and there, and Obama showed "cold shoulders" to the Israeli cabinet during their last recent visit, it was really all just to get us to think, "finally, Washington has awoken and turned a critical eye to its ally because of her actions." Now we see that's not true at all.

I am, of course, saddened by yet another trespass on Palestinian sovereignty, and I am sadly, no longer phased by new fantastic lows achieved by the Israeli military and government. The killing of unarmed, innocent peace activists on board civilian ships in international waters, bringing aid to a besieged population in an illegal blockade, under an illegal occupation - just doesn't shock me anymore. So in that way, I guess Israel's PR tactics of denying the hideous facts, lying outright, and desensitization have worked in some degree; aye, they have worked well upon the sleeping world. But we have seen this before when the world turned a blind eye of denial to the 2nd Semite Holocaust in Nazi Germany, desensitized by all the gruesome images, as it is now during the third. "Never again!" we said, but 'again' is present right before our very eyes.

I am glad that Israelis themselves take a stand against the rogue actions of their government and a number of Israeli organizations and activists have openly condemned the actions of the army and military and have made a genuine case for a reassessment of Israeli policy toward the Palestinians in favor of likely greater safety and prosperity for both. They are not self-hating Jews, as the media would like to portray, nor are any who take a stand against Israel's bizarre violations of international law, but sadly, that is how they are made to come off. I personally have suffered what I consider a loss of good company and friendship from a few of my Jewish friends who, I can only assume, had decided to stop talking to me because they realized my stance on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict was pronounced. To them, I wish to say, I love you all. This has nothing to do with you at all. I don't look at what you are and I am proud of your Jewish identity and I am happy when I see your people embrace your culture because I know my history; I know how much your people have suffered and how much your people have done for the world. All Abrahamic religions stem from the same legacy which your people have left, so profoundly positive has been your impact. This is a complaint against a political situation concerning the bad governance of a country, not the country or the idea of the country itself, and certainly not to those who identify as nationals of that country or any other kind of attachment to it.

I can understand the sentiments you may feel, too often civil discourse on politics turns sour and quickly turns to racism and Jew-bashing. However, that is not within my tolerance, neither is it within our peoples' history either - Muslims and Jews have lived together in harmony for over a thousand years of Islamic history. Jews, Christians, and Muslims are spiritual family and much of this global family is genetically linked together as well, being descendants and relatives of the original Tribes of Israel. When I see Jews, I think of Moses (peace be upon him) and I smile at what he's done for his community. When I see Christians, I think of Jesus (peace be upon him) and I smile at what he's done for his community. And when I see Muslims, I think of Muhammad (peace be upon him) and I smile at what he's done for his community - but, I also weep for how we all have strayed from our prophets' lofty teachings. Moses, Jesus, and Muhammad would surely form a most holy, strong brotherhood and worship Yahweh/Jehovah/the Father/Allah, in unison..so then, where did we - their followers - all go wrong?

Returning to the point, I want my Jewish friends who I treasure to know that a critical stance on Israel is not a rejection of Israel itself. Israel needs a reformation but must not be "taken off the map"  nor should she have to suffer this kind of international humiliation and objection. In an ideal world, Israel and Palestine, Jews and Arabs would let their children play, inter-marry and protect one another instead of what we see today. That is why I am in agreement with the other voices who call for a reform; one that recognizes the pain of both the Palestinians and the Israelis, and I for one feel that in order for mutual reparations to take effect, power must be restored to the powerless first for equality to mean anything. It cannot be justified to keep a populace oppressed simply for the fear that if they were suddenly released they would devour their captors like caged, rabid dogs. Anger is justified, but for peace to work there needs to be careful, international presence and unconditional positive regard to heal wounds as deep as the Earth's surface. It is difficult yes, but God, as we all know and believe, has done far greater than this.

So in my closing thoughts I want to say that I am saddened that my speaking out on controversial topics such as the Israeli-Palestinian conflict has distanced some of my Jewish friends from me. For speaking out against Israel's policies, the media has portrayed our ilk as irrational, bigoted anti-Semites - And as God is my witness, as far as I can speak for myself, that couldn't be further from the truth. It is not about Israeli-Palestinian, nor Jew-Arab, it is about the issue of humanity being enslaved and not free to live. That is the point I feel at heart. Satan, who our faith teaches is ever trying to divide humanity and pit us against each other, must not win. Please, let's all just put aside group-bashing, name-calling, finger-pointing, and all the other devices we use to start a war.

This, in large part, is what has kept me mostly quiet this time around. I know the world over is screaming in condemnation at this recent event, and let them do so. But I choose not to - not because I don't care, but because screaming "injustice!" thus far hasn't done anything of change on the grand scale, and not least on a personal level. Afterall, God watches all and I have yet to hear Him scream. I will end this post on a positive note, because we are all distant relatives. Wishing peace upon Jews, Arabs, Israelis and Palestinians, on Christians and other non-Muslims, and on the nation of Muhammad (p.b.u.h) as well. The song below is not connected directly to the topic but it addresses the "sleeping sons of Jacob," a call to wake up and become the kings our ancestors used to be; the ones we read in our holy books today.

Damian Marley & Nas - "Africa Must Wake-up"

Back from the...Past?

Hey readers,

I apologize for no updates, posts, or reaction comments for the past month. I had been without a computer essentially, and only had limited access to online activities via mobile web. What happened? Well, my laptop screen died..pretty much. Even now I'm managing with an external monitor until I get my laptop fixed or replaced. I just wanted to say that I appreciate everyone's comments and activity here on my blog recently and I ask you [all] to continue visiting. It will take some time before I can respond to all the comments but I will try my best when time allows. Thank you once again.
-Ruhudeen Ali

An Apology to My Readers

Sorry.











Just kidding. Seriously though, I know that for the longest time I've turned my blog into this deposit for my creative writing (poems & raps) and haven't had a "real" blog post in a really long time. Part of that has to do with my being divided on what I should ultimately make this blog. (Well that and because I had actually started up a 2nd blog back in April but that was more for introspective, analytical, personal, and even professional content as compared to this one which is mostly for my creative juices to collect into half-gallon cartons to be sold on the market.

I know in my very first entry (I believe) I said I was going to make this a variety blog with all sorts of topics and surprises and I see how far from that idea I've strayed and I really would just like to apologize to those [few?] who actually [read?] my blog [lol?] or check up every now and then at least to see if I'm still (A:) alive (B:) crazy or (C:) creative. I hope that I can qwell your concerns by saying that I am still all three of these, by the grace of God. Soooo basically I'm writing this as a disclaimer and I guess as a cheezy promo for future posts, rants, and projects to come (once I finish my semester in approx. 3 weeks.) So please continue to stay tuned my loyal loonies! I love you all.
-prisoner #786 (a.k.a Ruhudeen Ali a.k.a -yea right im not writing my real name ;p)

p.s- methinks Rolfina needs to come out for another stroll very soon....

Existence & Love

Existence is like love. Where in life we suffer, enduring pain and misery, we do the same in love. Love is heartache and perfect thirst, but we would never trade a moment of it for anything in this world. Why? Because even if we do not obtain the object of our love, there is something hidden within the treasure of love that we do not understand but only feel; it out-smarts the intellect but not the heart. It is the pursuit of the beloved that entangles us, it is hope that our beloved gives us a glance. It is a new life and adventure each day in search for our beloved. It is the submission to the beloved that we enjoy serving her in every way. So too is the treasure of life, for although it entails grief and hardships, it is much better than not having existed at all. This is so because we fall in love with what life has to offer. But how much better is it to love the Everlasting, and not the fleeting? Afterall, everything lovable in life is only a mere shadow of God. Therefore, in life we must submit to our Beloved (swt), otherwise life has no love, and love has no life. Who does not love what his beloved loves? How else did Qays become Majnun? By loving God, you will love what He loves, and who loves more than God? It is better to have met the beloved and fallen in love with all the sickness of longing, than never having met her at all. And so they say, "it is better to have loved than to have never loved at all," and I say it is better to have existed than never having existed at all. It is better to have seen God than never having seen Him at all. Because life IS love, and out of love He created life.

May 17th, 2004

Screams for CREAM!

The wise Wu-Tang Clan once said, "Cash Rules Everything Around Me - CREAM get the money, dolla dolla bill y'all." But all jokes aside, one of the sad realizations of growing up is seeing how true this statement is. And although we could all use a bit of extra cash, watching this made me sad. Just how important is money? Putting your life on the line for a few hundreds? Maybe the more important question is: just how important is your life?? But then again, I'm not trying to be "holier than thou." If I put myself in their shoes, I wonder if I would do the same if this happened to me? It's something we should all ask ourselves...why we let constructs of our own minds control us like little pigeons being fed at the park. I suppose even the dollar has become more sacred than human dignity....



Somehow, I'm reminded of Surah Kafirun:

Say : O ye that reject Faith!
I worship not that which ye worship,
Nor will ye worship that which I worship.
And I will not worship that which ye have been want to worship,
Nor will ye worship that which I worship.
To you be your Way, and to me mine.
[Quran:109]

Justice

I get it now. The way society works.

Last week I drove up to a toll plaza without an E-Zpass tag and for the first time in a long time I felt something paying toll. It dawned on me, "wow, I'm paying toll!" This time I felt paying toll. And as I waited my turn in the long line in the Cash Only lane, I was counting a rough tally of how much money the state was making from each car. $5, $10, $15, $20, $25, $30, $50, $65, $80, $150. I quickly lost count. All I knew was that I was somewhere around $150+ and my car had barely moved an inch during that 20 or 30 seconds. My mood quickly went sour. So there I was, inching towards Big Brother, waiting to give him my $5 so that I can get on with my life, only this time it was a woman. Not wanting to say anything about the recent toll hike or make any sort of passing remark, I smile at the lady and say "Thank you," hand over my money and get the hell out. I put my thoughts off to the side until I had a chance to process it all.

Already I was getting a feeling of being cheated somehow. That I smiled and thanked the state for taking my money, seemed a new type of low for me. It's one thing to see that money being put to good use (as it supposedly is being done all the time) its another thing to throw money into an abyss and never see it again. Isn't it funny how the cash-bin at the toll fits the image so well? Sadly though, we're all too aware of the corporate and federal corruption that has run rampant even within a year's span, not counting a history course worth of material. One need not look further than the recent economic collapse and global recession as a result. Still, senators, governors, and mayors have been excused of tax exemption, money laundering, embezzlement and the like. It makes me wonder just how much "state" really is a misnomer for "politician" and how much "politician" a misnomer for "thief, crook." How deep do we, the citizens, have to dig into our pockets not-so-full of hard-earned money and freely give it to "our representatives" in government? The image of the cash-bin and abyss comes to mind again.

Over the weekend I met up with my brother and some friends. We sat down for some "CCC" (that's 'casual coffee chat' in my corny language by the way.) So I tell them about my story at the toll-booth and both my friends don't get it. "What's wrong with saying 'thank you?' It's common courtesy." Apparently I learned its a bunch of other things as well; like a service to me and the community, and how the toll-booth lady had more of a right to that 'thank you' than someone else might have. Fair enough. But what came out of that conversation, or I should say almost came out, was a sense of the essence of trade. I give something, I get something in return. The one I traded with gives something and also gets something in return. Cash signifies trade and so a simple toll-exchange at the booth is also a type of trade. I gave $5 so that I could use the state's roads and bridges and the state would use that money for upkeep on those services. Value for value, right? Well, that's the idea anyway....

But now, calculating how much more money we give during these "trades," it starts to look a little silly - the idea that I'm actually getting something in return. In today's world, we pay for miscellaneous fees and taxes, but we can't call them that so we have to label them as "relevant." Income tax, property tax, school tax, sales tax, business tax (& tariffs,) dine-in tax, food tax (as exemplified through Governor Paterson's tax on sugared soda,) insurance tax, retirement tax, inheritance tax, and even death tax. All these tax "trades" and I'm still left wondering what I got from my side of the transaction but more poverty and no real visible return. Hope none of you is planning on dying anytime soon and if you are, make sure you instruct your people to pay the state for having to deal with your rotting carcass.

Now I know what you're probably thinking. I'm just bitter. Well, I am. However, that doesn't mean that I fail to see the purpose of taxes, after-all "taxation is the price of civilization" according to Oliver Wendell Holmes Jr. And he's right, but what does irk me is the state's creation of miscellaneous fees under a mask of something worth paying, like a "convenience fee" for credit card payments (Hah!) Isn't it strange how America is considered the richest country in the world, with the highest GDP of *$14.3 trillion (roughly 1/5th of the world's total GDP) and yet, we are approaching a national debt of close to $11 trillion that is steadily growing? Even if we unveil the question of whether or not we really are super rich or poor, the fact still remains that we are heavily taxed, perhaps in more ways than other wealthy nations.

Meanwhile, as we're expected to pay these exorbitant taxes, the escalating cost of living (coupled with the proportionate shrink in wages) creeps up upon us all and we're forced to deal with it. At some point, the average middle-class American family is forced to make drastic decisions and life-style changes before hitting rock bottom. But its okay, its the price we have to pay to live this way...isn't it? So now that we accept this, what do we do? To numb us from the harsh reality of debt and misery, we drown ourselves in a search for our "fix" - a "drug" or escape of any kind that helps us forget what we are faced with; a masked slavery. And I'm left to beg the question, where has the justice gone in our society?

Today I saw a man paying off one of his accounts at Sears with a smile on his face. $1000+ dollars and he still had room for a sense of humor about it, I guess that's commendable. But then again I too had a sense of humor, because when it was my turn, I was asked why I was paying, I answered "because I have to. I'm a slave." And we both had a good laugh about it. Only now I'm some dollars poorer than I was before and maybe a few calories slimmer from the chuckles. But what makes me different from this man is that I don't drink or do drugs. I don't have sex even. I don't do any of the other things my culture uses to self-medicate from the woes of a tough life. However, that doesn't mean that I don't have my own escapes. That is the key to the formula I suppose, to live under this maddening system of slave taxation, we have to have our own "drugs" to help us escape the reality of the punishment we accept at the hands of the state. So we lose ourselves in our intoxicants, sex, drugs, entertainment, fashion & fads, music, TV, and the whole litany. Instead of complaining about our legitimate trespasses and eroding civil liberties, we smile to the Big Brother who gives with one palm and snatches even more with the other fist. We are content doing that. Why revolt when we can take our aggressions out elsewhere: we beat our spouses, we kill our neighbor, we steal from the innocent on the street, we rape the young maidens, we watch people beat each other to a bloody pulp and call it "sport," and sometimes, if the pressure gets too high, we kill ourselves, so much so that we can afford a smile at the banks and toll-booths when we accept our role as drones in the system. God forbid we frown in their faces. Governments forcing debt on its people forces them to gain spiritual debts as well through sin, it seems. So in the end all I'm left with is a simple choice - either remain bitter about the injustice being done to us, the citizens of this country, and take the path less traveled to remedy that, or take the drugs of this world to numb myself into accepting this pathetic state and earn my debts and sins like a good little nothing. Because in the end, it really doesn't matter. As long as I get paid, laid, and wasted I should be happy, right?

So this time, on my way to school today, I made sure I smiled and said "thank you" to the toll lady. I don't want to appear disgruntled. I'm a good slave, I wonder what sin I should commit tonight....

FOOTNOTES
* Wikipedia

Monetary Reform

Those of you who know me know that I've discussed this topic many times before, sometimes at the risk of sounding insane, silly, or mistaken. But lack of discussion on the subject to any rational person would seem to be a sign of madness, as it seems to me. Madness however is the world that we live in, and therefore, rational thought is either rightfully labeled as genius or mistakenly as insanity. The fact of the matter is that a discussion of money and monetary reform is of critical importance, worthy of every check and balance to ensure a just system is in place at every interval and era of human existence so long as the welfare of society is concerned. That is the purpose of such a discussion for it is through money and its representative systems, (call them "economies") that man's greater systems of ethics, values, and morals are reflected on the societal level. We as humans will always endorse our beliefs; being that they are sacred to us, they reflect what is of real and ultimate value to us. We therefore endorse these values and beliefs with other valuables and commodities. Just as money was once backed up by gold, we defend our ideas and beliefs with the seduction of commodities that backed them up. Illustrated simply through such things as donating to a cause, a purchase. Trading our sacred ideologies with the resources in our possession in order to spread our views. But every trade is an endorsement and every endorsement itself is a viewpoint. One can argue that the ultimate motive behind trade itself is the exchange of ideas. Power for power, value for value - its the Golden Rule.

Indeed, the question of value is an age-old one and one that will always be asked and answered, re-invented and re-interpreted to suit the times. But if we ask ourselves, what is of real value to us? What will be our answer? Are the ethics we wish to ingrain in our fellow man more important to us or the profits which we gain from "trade?" Do we spread those beliefs of ethics for our own safety or for our own personal good? Is it self-motivated, other-motivated or both? Do we teach these values to ourselves and our children to establish justice and a fair objective system to govern ourselves by or just for fancy? In short, what is the ultimate motive of trade? Are we exchanging ideas or resources? Can it be both? Which is the more prominent? When examining this question further we see the answer becoming more obscure, leading us to perhaps an even more profound question: what is profit? Surely the profit wagered in Matthew 16:26 is not of a material kind nor is the profit analyzed in Forbes magazine of the nature as the former, and yet somehow the two "profits" are connected in some way. With each purchase and trade we make, what profit did we gain? What profit do we give to our fellow man and woman? Is our profit really in gaining or is it in losing? The answers to these questions will vary profoundly based on where one's point of view lies on the spectrum of materialism and spirituality.


Money is the central issue of human function at the macro-level. In other words, society itself (and by extension our world) is run by money which acts as the energy in our world to make things run just as the function of ATP and the Krebs Cycle explain how the cells in our body function and work. Money is the blood that flows through the veins of society, without it society would die. The modern concept of money was originally created to facilitate trade of commodities but the question needs to be asked, what ultimate good has money really served us except crime, slavery (in the form of debt,) and war? Is it worth its own mess? And yet rarely, is the investigation of money taken seriously beyond the recognition of its surface value that it feeds us, clothes us, shelters us, buys comforts and luxuries for us, etc. For this factor alone we are ready and willing to kill our fellow man, war with him, rob him of what was once in his possession, rape our women of their honor and flesh, abandon our parents in pursuit of it, and train our children to follow this path, all for a green sheet of acknowledgment reassuring us that we made some "profit" by our actions. Worse yet, is that this worshipped god was created by our own hands. If ever was there a living cellular tissue within money and drugs, they would claim their rightful place as the rulers of this planet - the dominant species - but being unable to speak on their own, man has time-and-again proven their dominance over him and shown the supremacy of the forces that control him by putting these two on a pedestal at the cost of his own enslavement to them. As fearsome as these two forces may be their commonality is one - they both alter reality and pervert the natural course and they accomplish this by subjugating man to their will. Indeed, they have no will of their own, they are but a green light for man to explore the innermost dark recesses of his ego and the ugly pleasures of his greed, lust, and gluttony. Money and drugs have given the green light, and the traffic of humanity is traveling on the highway to Hell. That is, unless we take a detour.

The video below has shown the clarity of our enslavement to the design of our own hands - money. It explains quite thoroughly how we are all in debt and that this system is self-perpetuating debt, slavery, and misery for everyone except a privileged few. Anyone who questions this as conspiracy needs to ask the simple question: is there more money in the world, or more debt? The current formula of interest-money sees to it that there is more debt than money. And if there is more debt than money, then which part of humanity possesses the money and which part possesses the debt? And you get the answer I gave earlier - the rich and powerful few on the one hand, and the poor, and weak masses on the other. After a few cracks of the whip, the slave no longer feels the sting, the pain, nor hears the barking of the master nor his own panting....

I've also included a few links for more information.

http://www.gmlets.u-net.com/explore/problems.html
http://www.worldtrans.org/whole/monetarysystem.html
http://www.monetary.org/
http://www.dollardaze.org/blog/
http://www.moneyreformparty.org.uk/
http://www.comer.org/
http://www.prosperityuk.com/prosperity/prosperity.html

Los Illuminados (The Illuminated)

So after getting my hands on Resident Evil 4 again I remembered why I loved this game when it was first released a few years back. Aside from the usual Resident Evil (Biohazard) checklist of macabre elements and eerie locations, the game offers a plot twist not found in previous titles. Instead of fighting hordes of T/G-virus infected zombies we find ourselves fighting hordes of mind-controlled, parasite-infected villagers and monks this time around. The culprit behind this dubious scheme is the "Los Illuminados" (The Illuminated) - a crazed religious cult that seeks to control the world through use of the plagas' (the mind-controlling parasite) ability to control its host's behavior and spread itself. The leader of the organization is Osmund Saddler, a wacko with plans to hold sway over the United States by having his organization kidnap the president's daughter and inject her with the plagas so that those in the top of government will be infected first; infecting everyone else down through the chain and ultimately using America's influence to spread the plagas across the world.

A bit far-fetched? Maybe. But what makes the game's storyline all the more fascinating is its satire of religious cults, particularly subtle in reference to Al-Qaeda and other extremist groups. One only needs to look at the striking resemblance the ganados' village chief has with Osama bin Laden to see this. When I first played through I saw the connection right away and thought the clever mask was amusing. But now, after watching all the news about the Taliban, Al-Qaeda, and other extremists, I'm really starting to see the satanic connection between these groups and Los Illuminados. In recent months we've witnessed acts of strange character in the "Red Mosque" incident of Lahore in 2007, The Mumbai terrorist attacks of 2008, and the overall environment being created by extremist elements in the region. Whether or not we are being lied to by the media agencies for political reasons is anyone's guess, but based on what we know, the entire region is undergoing radicalization. The mountainous regions of Pakistan, once a very peaceful and serene location is now under-run by local Taliban migrating from the mountains of Afghanistan into the tribal areas of North-West Pakistan. Villagers fearing the Taliban's rule have fled to neighboring towns where they can keep their families safe and send their children to school. The extremists are slowly moving in (a "resident evil" if you will) and destroying schools, keeping women at home and young girls from attending classes. They are forced to veil, men are to grow beards and attend madrasa where fanaticism and hatred for the West is taught. Men and women who oppose their foreign rule are either put to death (capital punishment style) or beaten/flogged, made to walk on burning coals or injured in some other way. Already we have seen local foreigners being kidnapped, beaten and/or killed just for living there and providing the services they offer. This they call "sharia" rule, but in reality is the farthest thing from anything Islamic. Indeed, their war with the West is really a war with the world itself, and the changing of times.

Thinking themselves "illuminated" these extremist illuminados seek to change the landscape of the Muslim lands by taking over a Muslim nuclear nation (Pakistan) and consequently the rest of the world by way of its influence. Sounds familiar in that far-fetched sort of way doesn't it? And if we are being told the truth, then this threat is something that needs to be stopped from within not from without, seeing as how the way things have been going with the West's War on Terror only gives the extremists more credibility in the eyes of sympathizers in the form of a foreign enemy (i.e- the West,) and hence, more recruits. The best solution is to have the West withdraw itself from all internal Muslim-conflicts and let the Muslim nations come together to fight this plague in their midst themselves. This way the extremists cannot claim their governments' hand in supporting a foreign power that is exploiting them. It will also prevent the West to needlessly interfere with the sovereignty of other nations, making the entire world a safer place. But instead we see the war has only spread more terrorism and rather than ending it, has only created further instability. Mindless masses with no means for a real education become disenfranchized easily and can readily be convinced to fight their own mothers if so persuaded, how much easier is it then to convince them to fight a foreign power that they are taught to believe is the primary reason for their suffering? [Insert ganados' yell] Ironically though, it almost seems at times that the extremists' war with the West is almost forgotten as most death and destruction that they bring is now almost entirely directed upon their own people and governments. Their creed has been one of civil war rather than a war against another country.

So like Los Illuminados, the Taliban, Al-Qaeda, and the diaspora extremist factions should realize that their goals are only creating more resentment and enemies rather than allies that they could use for help. Whatever their goals may be, there should be a method to the madness, but by showing the world the acts of terrorism they commit against average, defenseless people only shows us that madness itself is their method. Even by kidnapping the President's daughter they would not meet their goals. And even if they were to do so we've got Leon S. Kennedy to bring her back and kick their ass while he's at it!

Perpetual Terrorism

I was listening to Lupe Fiasco's song "Little Weapon" from the album The Cool [great album by the way] and I was reminded about the conflicts around the world where little children get drawn into the wars started by adults and sadly, often become civilian targets of these conflicts. But what I realized was that the saddest aspect of this is when the children themselves become the foot-soldiers and grow up to become the next generation of monsters and terrorists killing hundreds of more innocents and breeding more of their kind from what remains of the onslaught. These children don't have any childhood, all they see is death and murder all around them so how are they expected to grow up normally? Many of these children are unimaginably poor and have no other way out of their misery than to be slaves of their masters who force them to do whatever.

I immediately drew a parallel to the situation in Gaza and how the Israeli government's argument that Hamas is forcing collective punishment on average Palestinians is totally baseless and erroneous. It's been said by many Palestinian interviewees and commentators that after the Gaza assault, everyone had become Hamas. Terrorism only breeds more terrorism, and when a band of terrorists attack a civilian compound, and the government in return disproportionately kills thousands of more civilians, how is this not seen as a recipe for disaster? So what did Israel accomplish? Only in creating more support for Hamas and radicalization of those who had just enough to live for so they wouldn't have to resort to desperation. When whole families have been wiped out, job facilities and infrastructure are destroyed, mosques and schools are desecrated and the only way for food, energy, water, and medical supplies are being blockaded and consequently bombarded - what else would a sane, rational person do but to fight against the madness that restricts all of their basic human rights?

And that is speaking of the adults alone. Something like 60+% of Gaza's population is below the age of 25! A good portion of that percentage is below 18 clearly and the violence they see around them only fuels in them the rage to continue losing whatever else they have in the fight against their oppressors. And so, when Israel occupies Palestine and angry youth protest, strike back and kill innocent Israelis with Qassam rockets, and when Israel responds by collective bombardment and mass-slaughter, the otherwise innocent child sees his father killed, his brother being humiliated, his sister raped, his mother dying, his classmates dead, his school bombed, his family starving and jobless. We need to ask the question, if these conditions inspire adults to radicalize, how much more so do they affect children? How traumatizing is it for them?

For each terrorist that terrorism creates by indiscriminate killing, the otherwise normal surviving family and friends are given the choice - after losing everything, either die in subjugation or fight with all that's left, even if it is only yourself. What would you do?


And thus, the cycle of violence continues onto the next generation...





"Little Weapon" by Lupe Fiasco