-Caveat Lector- In a message dated 11/12/01 3:42:49 PM Eastern Standard Time, [EMAIL PROTECTED] writes:
<< Anwar Sadat of Egypt launched the Yom Kippur war on Israel during Ramadan, with little respect to his own religion and even less for Israel's. And recently, in 1995, Islamic rebels in Algeria called for increased hostilities during Ramadan. Now this certainly doesn't mean that Muslim nations respect their holy days less than we in the West do. George Washington smacked around the Hessians on Christmas Eve. And, come to think of it, so did General Patton 168 years later. >> Nothing stops for Ramadan. I cannot believe any Moslem would think it should. One of the main points of Ramadan always seemed to be that the individual was required to make all the adjustments his or her faith required for observance without demanding the world around him or her to change at all. In fact I have been told by devout Moslems that those who are not observing Ramadan (those of other faiths or tiny children, military in battle, travelers, the gravely ill) need not change their ways so as not to tempt or discomfort those who are observing the fast. They claimed that such temptation and discomfort were a part of the observance. I was visiting in a Moslem home one evening during Ramadan. The hostess, a somewhat elderly woman had served me coffee when I had arrived earlier. When the sunset drum was sounded (via television in these modern times), she happened to be holding a grandchild in her lap. Her daughter came from the kitchen with a glass of water for her mother to drink. When the woman picked up the glass, the baby reached for it, and she allowed the child to drink several times very unhurriedly before she took any water for herself. That is a very proper attitude for the faithful. I must say that my own occasional observance of Lent was never so remarkable. I admit that Ramadan can be taxing. Those who work out of doors have a difficult time with the heat when the holiday happens to fall during the summer. Going without fluids for such a long time can be brutal. One of my girlfriends (a Catholic) tried to observe Ramadan along with her staff. She gave up after three days. It was going without water that got to her. She and I both smoked heavily at the time, however, and I wrote a little verse about the most difficult problem we had, since smoking in front of a group who could not have one was really mean. RAMADAN (or compassionate observance thereof) The pulsing beat of the sunset drum Tells even the blind that evening's come Allows the faithful to break their fast And infidel me to smoke at last. But the real observance of Ramadan is in the personal conduct of the observer. It is business as usual in other ways. Anyone who calls for a break in battle to observe Ramadan is a very strange soldier indeed. Prudy <A HREF="http://www.ctrl.org/";>www.ctrl.org</A> DECLARATION & DISCLAIMER ========== CTRL is a discussion & informational exchange list. Proselytizing propagandic screeds are unwelcomed. Substance—not soap-boxing—please! These are sordid matters and 'conspiracy theory'—with its many half-truths, mis- directions and outright frauds—is used politically by different groups with major and minor effects spread throughout the spectrum of time and thought. That being said, CTRLgives no endorsement to the validity of posts, and always suggests to readers; be wary of what you read. CTRL gives no credence to Holocaust denial and nazi's need not apply. Let us please be civil and as always, Caveat Lector. ======================================================================== Archives Available at: http://peach.ease.lsoft.com/archives/ctrl.html <A HREF="http://peach.ease.lsoft.com/archives/ctrl.html";>Archives of [EMAIL PROTECTED]</A> http:[EMAIL PROTECTED]/ <A HREF="http:[EMAIL PROTECTED]/";>ctrl</A> ======================================================================== To subscribe to Conspiracy Theory Research List[CTRL] send email: SUBSCRIBE CTRL [to:] [EMAIL PROTECTED] To UNsubscribe to Conspiracy Theory Research List[CTRL] send email: SIGNOFF CTRL [to:] [EMAIL PROTECTED] Om
