--- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, iranitea <no_reply@...> wrote: > > --- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, turquoiseb no_reply@ wrote: > > > > --- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, turquoiseb <no_reply@> wrote: > > > > > > --- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, iranitea <no_reply@> wrote: > > > > > > > > Now, try to judge for yourself: > > > > http://www.al-islam.org/al-tawhid/default.asp?url=kashkul.htm > > > > (Robin describes his meeting of Khomeini) > > > > > > > > "Indeed I would say that the explosion of ecstasy and power > > > > that greeted the Imam was itself not so much a simple reflex > > > > based upon a fixed idea of the Imam; it was rather the natural > > > > and exuberant hymn of praise, of celebration that was demanded > > > > by the very majesty and overpowering charisma of this man. For > > > > once the door opened for him I experienced a hurricane of energy > > > > surge through the door, and in his brown robes, his black-turbaned > > > > head, his white beard he stirred every molecule in the building > > > > and riveted the attention in a way that made everything else > > > > disappear. He was a flowing mass of light that penetrated into > > > > the consciousness of each person in the hall. He destroyed all > > > > images that one tried to hold before one in sizing him up. He > > > > was so dominant in his presence that I found myself organized in > > > > my sensations by that which took me far beyond my own concepts, > > > > my own way of processing experience. I had expected-no matter > > > > what the apparent stature of the man to find myself scrutinizing > > > > his face, exploring his motivation, wondering about his real > > > > nature. Khomeini's power, grace, and absolute domination destroyed > > > > all my modes of evaluation and I was left to simply experience > > > > the energy and feeling that radiated from his presence on the > > > > stage. A hurricane he was, yet immediately one could see there > > > > was a point of absolute stillness inside that hurricane; while > > > > fierce and commanding, he was yet serene and receptive. Something > > > > was immovable inside him, yet that immovability moved the whole > > > > country of Iran This was no ordinary human being; in fact even > > > > of all the so called saints I had met-the Dalai Lama, Buddhist > > > > monks, Hindu sages-none possessed quite the electrifying presence > > > > of Khomeini. For those who could see (and feel) there could be no > > > > question about his integrity, nor about the claim, however muted > > > > by people like Yazdi, by his people that he had gone beyond the > > > > normal (or abnormal) selfhood of the human being and had taken > > > > residence in something absolute. This absoluteness was declared > > > > in the air, it was declared in the movement of his body, it was > > > > declared in the motion of his hands, it was declared in the fire > > > > of his personality, it was declared in the stillness of his > > > > consciousness. There was no mystery about why he was so loved by > > > > millions of Iranians and Muslims throughout the world and he > > > > demonstrated, to this observer at least, the empirical foundation > > > > for the notion of higher states of consciousness. Yes, the > > > > severity, the humourlessness, the absolutist judgement was > > > > apparent; yet given the circumstances within which he was placed, > > > > there was the affirmation of appropriateness in his every gesture > > > > and aspect. This was the most extraordinary person I had seen." > > > > To further springboard off of this quote, being as it is > > an indicator of the validity of Robin's assessments of > > people, one should point out that the "most extraordinary > > person I [Robin] had seen" is judged by history to be the > > cause of an estimated 30,000 people executed in Iran during > > his regime, for the crimes of heresy or other perceived > > affronts to the glory of Islam. Most are also familiar with > > the fatwa (death sentence) he pronounced against writer > > Salman Rushdie, which has forced him to live most of his > > life in hiding. > > > > But then again, these things might not affect Robin's judg- > > ment of the man. He might, in fact, be comfortable with them. > > > > After all, when the subject of the Inquisition came up on > > FFL, he said, "Jesus, it feels good to align myself with > > Torquemada: I just love the psychology of the Inquisition." > > One of his other quotes on the subject was, "I have read the > > major books on the Inquisition: there is a case to be made > > for this institution." He tried to "balance" this statement > > by saying that "Hell is worse than the Inquisition" and > > suggesting that the Inquisition might not be appropriate > > in today's age, but he went out of his way to defend both > > the institution in its day and his "main man" Aquinas for > > supporting it. > > Unbelievable, disgusting, but I just looked one quote up, and it is true! And > Judy thought I was disgusting in my judgment about him. The truth is I was > even too timid in just naming him borderline. But I think what really upset > her was, that I agreed with YOU. That is the one thing she upsets most about, > and well I do agree with! > > Robin, being smart enough, caught her by his unique gift of flattery, and by > judging you just the same way she does. (She even felt that he was expressing > things about you in a way, she couldn't herself quite put into words, as if he > could anticipate her thoughts. And here she gets into a dangerous zone herself.) > > > I suspect there is much to be learned not only by how > > clinically manic one is when describing the people (and > > institutions) one admires and defends, but in the choice > > of the people (and institutions) themselves. I further > > suspect that one can learn as much from which controversial > > fellow posters on Fairfield Life one admires and defends. > > I know exactly what you are trying to say here. Let me put it this way: There is > an area in her life, where she lives in a world of her own, and she has lost > ground to reality. This you can see, when she discusses here and believes she > has won another battle, and you could see it, when she behaves like a groupie > with Ravi or Robin.
Not gonna go there, except to act as an editor and suggest replacing the word "groupie" with "seventy year old groupie." :-) [http://i104.photobucket.com/albums/m183/akirkley/old-lady-hitit.jpg]
