How nice. Apparently, army ceremonies in Israel “have become Jewish mirror vision of Hezbollah events.”

Thank you, Dror Ze’evi, for writing this piece.

… what bothered me the most was the blatant religious content. During the brief ceremony, no fewer than three religious figures took the stages, all of them IDF rabbis if I’m not mistaken. They read prayers and biblical verses and spoke about the land being promised to Jewish people.

… The message conveyed in the ceremony, both openly and between the lines, is that the military is an arm of the settlement enterprise. The rabbis, the prayers, the songs, and the texts were almost entirely religious, and we can assume that the ceremony served as a brief reflection of the atmosphere that prevails later on during the service; an atmosphere that the parents don’t see.

… The defense minister and top defense officials must embark on an in-depth examination of the slow process whereby the army’s character is changing. They need to reexamine the way religious figures are integrated in the establishment in general, and in swear-in ceremonies in particular. They should also create a binding text for pledge-of-allegiance ceremonies that would allow for, if we insist, a mention of God, yet avoid altogether blatant religious content.

What really stood for me in the article are these two parts: “the military is an arm of the settlement enterprise” and “spoke about the land being promised to Jewish people.“

Pretty disturbing I must say.

Here’s some late, but rather unexpected significant news that’s gone quite unnoticed.

October 13, 2009 (KHARTOUM) — The Sudanese government downplayed the significance of changes made to the new generation of Sudanese passports that practically allows its bearer to use it to travel to Israel.

… The old Sudanese passport had a stamp on it reading that it is valid for “All Countries Except Israel”. South Africa is the only other country to be covered by this ban in the history of Sudanese passports during the apartheid era.

Major General Adam Daleel assistant police chief for passports and civil registry told the pro-government Al-Rayaam newspaper in an interview that said that removing the ban was a procedural decision relating to the size of the stamp on the passport.

Daleel stressed that people should not read too much into this step stressing that Sudan is committed to Arab embargo on Israel that commenced in 1958.

The Sudanese official said that removing the stamp should not be understood as endorsing trips by its citizens to the Jewish state.

He noted that the Sudanese national assembly at some point objected to the stamp saying it is a recognition of Israel.

Daleel acknowledged that Sudanese citizens can use the passport to travel to Israel if they reside outside the country but that the authorities will not grant an exit visa to anyone intending to head towards the Jewish state.

The fact that this happened around the same time US announced its new Sudan policy is not a coincidence. Long story short, it’s a strong indication that the Southern government is getting more say in matters that affect all Sudanese including Southerners.

Matters that include Southerners being stuck with a passport that forbids them from traveling to a country they’re supportive of, and that has militarily supported them in the past.

Officials at Khartoum can downplay this as much as they want, but there’s no question that it indicates a small - even if only symbolic - concession towards the Southerners and their demands within the context of the CPA.

Cool video from a person who’s ideas have had a massive impact on my journey and intellectual development.

This email from a new accidental reader made my day!

Subject: Thanks for giving me hope

Hi There,

I somehow stumbled onto your blog tonight.

As an ignorant American who travels a lot on business, I started researching Islam during the “cartoon riots” several years ago, and was really shocked at what I found. Reading “The Islamist” by Ed Husain helped make sense of some of it, but the rest - women arrested over naming a teddy bear, the wars over who is practicing the “right” or “most holy” form of Islam, silencing of 800-yr old church bells in Sweden - Well, I began siding with the Geert Wilders of the world - Maybe Islam really can’t exist within the confines of a diplomatic society.

Your blog gives me hope that reason can win out, and that there’s a lot more to Islam that what we read in the papers. Thanks.
Peace,

KLS.

Yay, this is cool, and really encourages me to keep moving forward.

I know blog updates have significantly lessened in recent months and this will probably continue for a few more.

But sometimes, (as much as it sucks), you just need to slow down so you can speed up again, and right now a lot is happening behind the scenes that will bear fruit soon.

Meanwhile, it would be really nice to know what kind of positive impact this blog has had on you, if any. Please share your thoughts below.

Finally, looks like the annoying divisions within the US State Deparment on what to do about Sudan are bye bye. There will be more internal arguing to come for sure but this is a pretty good step.

Here’s the new policy outlined here.

Call me a genius, but long time readers will know that I’ve been calling out for a more balanced approach for a long time, very similar to the one being espoused by the new policy.

Maybe Obama’s people have been secretly reading this blog.

The Save Darfur Coalition’s idiotic promotion of military intervention has been dumb from the start. Same goes for the more recent proposed La La Land appeasement approach of new key Obama people.

However, both combined have produced something in the middle that I believe is much better than anything we’ve ever had before. Tough action and credible real threats are needed, but so are some carrots.

Because, as we can see with terrorism-related stuff, the NCP has been very cooperative in recent years, but that still didn’t get Sudan removed from the US State Department’s list of terrorism-sponsoring countries, which up until now made a lot of people within the NCP reluctant in pursuing further cooperation to resolve things in Darfur.

Anyways, for now, this is all lovely and wonderful, but it’s still ink on paper.

Following up on this is what’s needed, while making sure the whole execrise doesn’t deginrate into mere lame naive appeasement. Don’t think the latter will happen though, with people like John Prendergast keeping a watchful idea.

Here’s to a fruitful new American Sudan policy.

This  is too damn funny! If you understand Arabic, you’re gonna laugh your ass. If you don’t, read the translations, and you’re still going to laugh your ass off.

Don’t you just love these clowns?

That Al-Azhar scholar (the same Al-Azhar Obama spoke at and praised) belongs in an episode of… taraaa… The Holy Room!

Seriously though, the paranoia on this one is staggering. Although, I’m glad this debate is gaining more and more momentum so that the Arab public can get more informed, and hopefully reform the current education system in regards to that important issue.

But beware, most of za bearded ones will fight! Especially in za wahhabi kingdom.

If we have za sexi education, za arab worrrlid iz eegoing to be bigger immorality, and zat is a big broblim.

BROBLIM I TELL YOU!

Za youngi boyz and girrrlz will be, erm, you know, sorry, zat iz dirty word, but you know what zey weel do?

HARAM!

No, no, we musti fight za zionist sexi shops.

LOL.

Yay to baby-making factories!

Let’s have more. LOL.

Yours truly was recently interviewed by Sudan Radio Project, along with Sudanese blogger, Kizzie, and Prof. Suad Badri from Ahfad University.

Enjoy and tell me what you guys think.

First, we hear about a Sudanese woman journalist who was arrested for wearing pants in public–and refused to plead guilty. Listen here.

This is one hell of a courageous piece written by Dr. Farzana Hassan. More of these voices are needed to shake up numerous outdated aspects of the Traditionalist and dominantly accepted interpretations of the Quran today.

Interpretations that keep the Muslim mind locked in shackles and enslaved to dogmatism.

Boohoo, sucks.

Faith need not be like that.

And Dr. Farzana seems to largely agree with me in her piece, except for some small details like the one I discuss below.

RELEVANCE OF QURAN IN THE 21ST CENTURY
by Dr. Farzana Hassan

Ladies and Gentlemen,

I begin by quoting a few verses of the Quran:

“Those who disbelieve from among the people of the book and the idolaters will not desist from disbelief, until there came to them the clear evidence—A messenger from Allah reciting to them the pure Scriptures. Therein are lasting commandments.” (Quran 98: 2—4).

The reference here is to the eternal character of the Quran. It is a claim made by the Quran fourteen centuries ago– a claim which in my opinion is quite extraordinary in the light of more or less established truths. The bulk of humanity has witnessed and attested to these truths over time: that societies perpetually evolve and social norms change, therefore all societies need to reconsider the laws regulating altered ethics. It is also a claim that has not as yet been tested, as undoubtedly scripture is often treated as sacrosanct, demanding abject loyalty from the faithful.

Today I speak as a sceptic. And as a sceptic, I want to examine the validity of such claims, both in the light of modern circumstances, and in the light of the many theological constructs that have thus far attempted to confer some legitimacy to such claims.

Islam discourages critical inquiry of the Quran.

I disagree with that last sentence.

It is the dominant understanding of the Islam today which discourages critical inquiry of the Quran. Not Islam as a whole since its birth, and throughout its history of evolution until today.

Nope. Not Islam as a complete whole.

I can tell you from personal experience that making such a claim is unhelpful.

This is because it puts faithful Muslims in a difficult position, wherein they struggle between remaining fully loyal to their faith and valid skeptical doubt.

Such claims make it seem as if critical inquiry of the Quran has no room in Islam, and that if a Muslim does want to engage in such an activity, then it amounts to disloyalty, sinfulness and erosion of faith.

This maybe - and in fact is - the case in the eyes of most Islamic scholars today, and the majority of current Muslims who have been influenced and indoctrinated by them.

However, the bulk of today’s breed of Islamic scholars aren’t representative of all the generations of Islamic scholars that lived before them.

The bulk of today’s breed are a product of the Ash’ariyya’s victory over the Mu’tazila.

A victory that I believe me was one of the main - probably the main #1 reason - why the Islamic Civilization and Golden Age of Islam, fell to its knees.

Seriously, I’ve talked to many like-minded heretical Muslims who value reason, and often, I hear them say “if only the Mu’tazila had won. Islam today would be so different.”

How true.

Heck, you know what, watch the video below just so you can understand the immense contributions made by the Muslim scholars and scientists of yesterday. Contributions made by people who valued reason.

Algebra. Algorithm. And ironically, even alcohol.

LOL, I know, awesome.

But it doesn’t stop there. Like I said, just watch this video now from Neil Tyson, one of my most favorite scientists, to get a good idea.

It’s absolutely pathetic how so many Islamic scholars today love to brag endlessly about the great scientific achievements of the Islamic Civilization, but at the same time despise the philosophical foundations and high emphasis on empiricism that built its very Golden Age.

If you have no idea who the Mu’tazila are, I highly encourage you to learn more about them, starting with this.

And while, you’re at it, continue reading  Dr. Farzana’s awesome piece.

By contrast, Christianity and Judaism, the other two great monotheistic faiths, permit a liberal theology to scrutinize scripture without penalty. Islam rejects the idea entirely. But I wonder. Why must any document, old or new, religious or secular, be exempt from the scrutiny of intellectual processes that could enable an understanding of its true essence?

Such thoughts have inspired me to delve into today’s topic, which seeks to either establish or dismantle the notion that the Quran relates well to modern times.

… For example, does the Quranic injunction enjoining women to wait four months before ramarrying after the passing of their husbands have relevance for modern times? This provision was put in place for seventh century Bedouins to be able to make determinations of paternity and lineage in the absence of medical tests. But now, with all the medical advances that enable such determinations through a simple test, I question the relevance of such a provision to our modern circumstances.

Continue reading here >>

The news is out. Lubna won’t get flogged after all - a victory for Muslim women who stood behind her and supported her, but is the sentence really worthy of our celebration?

Me thinks probably not.

It’s a bittersweet occasion. No to getting flogged, yes to getting fined.

But that’s not the unfortunate part.

The true misfortune is the fact that this new embarrassing episode in Sudan - one of an ongoing series (Teddy Bear Circus anyone?) - doesn’t seem like it’s going to be the last.

Things like this will continue

As long as you have idiots who misunderstand Islam, abuse it for self-serving political purposes, or dogmatically support its orthodox traditionalist interpretation (which in numerous cases is anti-woman), incidents like this will continue.

(Note: There are things that are supported and backed by Islam which don’t treat women equally and that do indeed deserve critique, for example the amount of inheritance allocated for women within Islamic law. However, most Islamic scholars will agree that Lubna’s arrest was un-Islamic, and was either carried out by idiots who don’t have a proper understanding of Islamic law, or who are using Islam as a political tool to further their own self-serving agendas.)

But anyways, back to what I was saying.

Again, yes, things like this will continue not just in Sudan, but throughout the Muslim world, because most of it suffers from the same serious common illness: a knowledge crisis.

And this latest case, the Teddy Bear Circus, and other similar ones are merely symptoms of this disease, so don’t expect them to go away as long as this disease remains.

The cures?

Mainly free inquiry and free enterprise.

Oh, and lots of work, time and patience, but it’s okay because we’ve got to start somewhere, and it’s people like Lubna who inspire the needed soldiers to march forward with boldness and courage.

Bittersweet indeed, but maybe the sentence is worthy of just a little celebration.

So I guess this post is mine.

Hate him, or love him, but this message is greatly appreciated by yours truly and very cleverly crafted by the Obama administration.

I know quite a number of staunch anti-US friends who softened down their stance significantly after Obama’s speech in Cairo.

It worked.

And this without a doubt will go even further in softening more Muslim peoples’ stubborn sentiments.

Here’s the full video:

And to all my Muslim readers, Ramadan Kareem.

Yes, even naughty heretics can appreciate this spiritual and introspective time of the year.

Have a good one!

Yup, I know what the passionately religious amongst you are probably thinking. “How dare he! Blasphemy! Arrogance! Somebody should teach this damn heretic a lesson.”

Well, not so fast.

Because my statement doesn’t necessarily deny the existence of God or belief in Him.

Have a glass of cold water, hear me out first, and I’d be more than happy to hear your thoughts in the comments section below.

Holy Books: Awww Verses Vs Yikes Verses

Holy books and sacred texts like the Bible, the Hadith collections and even the Quran contain commandments and stories that can either make you go Awww, or Yikes!

That is if you read those verses and sections literally.

Now, I’m not going to get into examples in details. You can explore different verses on your own if you like. The resources are plentiful and online.

Still, let’s get into this matter briefly.

Taking the Quran for instance, you have many, many beautiful verses encouraging good deeds such as being kind to orphans,  giving charity, and so on aka, Awww verses.

You also have a number of verses that can be morally repulsive and scientifically retarded when read and understood literally.

The same goes for the Bible.

Leviticus anyone?

“Don’t read those verses literally you dumbass! You need to interpret them correctly!”

Ok, fair enough.

In fact, that’s exactly the type of thinking I held on to and valued, and from a functional perspective, it’s actually a good thing, but it doesn’t mean it leads to truth, and in many cases, it needs some serious mental gymnastics.

Interpretation and Cherry Picking

Anyone who’s actually read the Bible or the Quran knows that there are plenty of verses that will make any sane or moral person today go yikes!

Stoning people to death? Killing non-believers?

Hitting your wife to discipline her?

Ah, well here comes the “beauty” of interpretation and cherry picking.

Demonstrating the Problem With
the Palestinian-Israeli Conflict

Let’s take an imaginary character and call him Ahmad.

Ahmad is a Palestinian Muslim kid whose parents got killed in an Israeli bombing raid on Gaza. He grows up with rage in his heart and contempt for Jews.

As time passes, Ahmad finds himself influenced by Quranic verses and stories in Islam that characterize Jews as infidels, and Islam’s sworn-enemies.

At the age of 28, Ahmad ends his life by blowing up himself at an Israeli checkpoint.

On the other hand, you have another imaginary character called Muhammad.

Muhammad is a Palestinian father who lost his children in an Israeli bombing raid on Gaza. He continues living his life still believing in peace and brotherhood with his Jewish neighbors.

In many ways, he’s just like the honorable Palestinian Dr. Ezzeldeen Abu al-Aish.

As time passes, Muhammad finds strength and inspiration from the Quran, and continues to focus on the verses which encourage kindness and tolerance towards Jews and Christians, referred to in the Quran numerous times as “the people of the book.”

Now…

The truth is obvious from the examples above which aren’t really all that imaginary.

In both cases, Ahmad and Muhammad did not derive their morality from the Quran.

Their ethical intuitions came from within themselves.

Their ethical intutions directed their attention to verses they chose to focus on and be inspired by, whether knowingly or uknowingly.

Their ethical intuitions influenced their choice of interpretation.

And hence, their morals did not come from the Quran itself.

Their morals ultimately came from within themselves thanks to their own ethical intuitions about what’s right and wrong, and were influenced by their near social context.

And in case you’re still clinging on to the idea that our morality comes from Holy Books, here’s another example that demonstrates otherwise.

Demonstrating the Problem With Wife
“Beating” as “Instructed” In the Quran

This one requires no writing.

Just watch this fun, hilarious video that clearly shows a serious heinous problem in some parts of the Muslim world.

Observe how Mr. Chauvinist appeals to the authority of the Quran and his traditionalist (and sadly widespread) understanding of the “wife beating” verse.

Ah, interpretation, interpretation.

I mean seriously, on whose authority does one decide which verses to take literally, and which to take as metaphor?

Like I said, morality does not come from Holy Books themselves.

Metaphorical interpretation becomes a necessity and the process of choosing the morally right interpretation comes down to the individual’s ethical intuitions on which interpretation seems right, and which one seems wrong.

Wife beating? Yikes! That’s just wrong. Probably metaphorical. God is loving and merciful. He can’t support this type of lunacy.

Wife beating? Yeah, beat the crap out of her. Some women need discipline, and discipline is important. Without it, you will just have immoral anarchy and disobedience. God doesn’t like disobedience.

Oh, and guess what?

I didn’t make up those two responses to the wife beating question.

Those are roughly the responses I got from two pious Muslim friends I personally know, who both appeal to the interpretation of the Quran they believe is right… out of their own ethical intuitions.

See what I mean?

Now, If Morality Comes from Within Us
and Our Own Ethical Intuitions…

… then that begs the question… where did we come from?

Jesus? The Big Bang? Allah? Evolution?

Baba Ganoush?

Zeus? Osiris?

Xenu?

Leave your answer in the comments section below now.

I’m dying to hear it.

Gosh, where do I even start. Lots of fun stuff happened in the last few recent days and weeks. Work, while still enjoyable, has piled up, and updates have slowed down. But that aside though, let’s look at the real fun that took place recently.

1. Sudanese Women Flogged for So-Called Indecent Clothing

Oh, how wonderful. Let’s see...

Lubna Hussein, a journalist and a public information officer at the UN Mission in Sudan (UNMIS) was one of nine girls taken by the Public Order Police (POP) on Sunday from a ballroom in an area east of Khartoum.

Poor Lubna. The POP idiots won’t leave her alone.

… The arrests took place under the Criminal Penal Code which states that anyone wearing “grossly clothing” shall be punished with no more than 40 lashes or a fine or both.

Grossly clothing? What the hell is that even supposed to mean? What qualifies as grossly? Because seriously, those POP boys can probably get erections merely by looking at goats! That Penal Code needs to get revised, yesterday.

The Sudanese journalist said that the application of this section of the criminal penal code is damaging to a girl’s reputation in the Sudanese society.

Maybe it’s about time we cut the bullshit obsession with honor, reputation, and gossip.

Unfortunately, it is mostly true. A lot of things about life in Sudan are centered around honor and reputation, as if they’re holier than Islam itself.

Anyways, moving on, before those medieval horny POP monkeys make my head pop.

2. Stabbed 18 Times for Being Muslim Inside… a Courtroom

I can’t believe I missed this one. I only found out about it from a Facebook Group invite.

Stabbed 18 times inside a damn courtroom, can you believe that?

CAIRO — Thousands of Egyptian mourners marched behind the coffin of the “martyr of the head scarf” on Monday _ a pregnant Muslim woman who was stabbed to death in a German courtroom as her young son watched.

… Her husband was critically wounded in the attack Wednesday in Dresden when he tried to intervene and was stabbed by the attacker and accidentally shot by court security.

Nice work, court security. Maybe you should all get fired. Incompetent retards.

… Al-Sherbini, who was about four months pregnant and wore the Islamic head scarf, was involved in a court case against her neighbor for calling her a terrorist and was set to testify against him when he stabbed her 18 times inside the courtroom in front of her 3-year-old son.

I hope that poor kid grows up to be normal and recovers from this deeply tragic event. Nobody should ever have to go through stuff like this.

Oh, and I think this part is spot on.

… Egyptian commentators said the incident was an example of how hate crimes against Muslims are overlooked in comparison to those committed by Muslims against Westerners. Many commentators pointed to the uproar that followed the 2004 murder of filmmaker Theo van Gogh by a Dutch-born Islamic fundamentalist angry over one of his films criticizing the treatment of Muslim women.

Very true. Where on earth is the outrage over this on CNN? Where are the typical repeated reports with the big headlines?

This is beyond sickening.

But at least this part is positive:

Officials from a German Muslim group and the country’s main Jewish group made a joint visit Monday to the Dresden hospital where the victim’s husband is being treated.

“You don’t have to be a Muslim to act against anti-Muslim behavior, and you don’t have to be a Jew to act against anti-Semitism,” said Stephan Kramer, the general secretary of the Central Council of Jews.

Oh well, RIP.

3. Jakarta Bombings

Here we go again. I thought Obama is president now and he’s pulling US troops out of Iraq? Right, like that’s going to work. Eh, this is probably about local Indonesian politics.

Guess it’s time for me to watch a comedy movie or something. Maybe a Reason Vs Faith YouTube debate.

You’re probably tired of seeing the news everywhere, but he deserves to be remembered. He certainly will always be remembered and immortalized by the amazing music he created.

All my life, I’ve always found it weird to see fans crying when their favorite celebrity dies. Now, I didn’t cry when I heard the news, but I was pretty saddened.

In a lot of ways Michael Jackson was my childhood. His music filled it with lots of joy and beautiful memories. It uplifted me when I was down. It made me happy when I was sad.

And as awkward and flawed as he was, I will dearly miss him and his talents.

RIP Michael.

Say hello to today’s vomit-inducing video. Watching this depraved garbage boiled my blood, because I know firsthand the serious damage it can do.

I still remember singing similar crap during my primary school days in Qatar. Only years later did I come to realize the negative effects it had on my thinking.

The video has over a million views on YouTube, and the show is apparently becoming very popular in the Arab world.

For all of you non-Arabic speakers, the girl is singing:

When we seek martyrdom, we go to heaven.

You tell us we’re small, but from this way of life we have become big.

Without Palestine, what does childhood mean?

I’m glad many Arab writers have written articles condemning the sickening dangerous nature of this show.

The people responsible for producing it and broadcasting it should be exposed and condemned. Shame on them. Shame on all of them.

It’s disgusting.

And it reinforces the notion that the Palestinian issue (while an important and worthy cause) is somehow the main source of the many problems of the Muslim world, when it’s clearly not.

I mean seriously, how the hell are we supposed to build healthy functioning societies, when we teach our children to value death more than life? Heck, why study? Why become entrepreneurs and create employment? Why engage in something constructive?

Naaa, too hard. It’s too much work. Might as well just blow up ourselves, skip judgment day, and go straight to heaven. Lots of candy. So much of it there in paradise, it’s actually better than Disney Land.

Screw life. Yeah, screw it.

Death baby, oh yeah.

Here I come, wooohoooo!