RE: [Futurework] Throwing rocks doesn't work any more

[Harry Pollard]

Ed,   This really is very good.   Thanks!   Harry   ******************************* Henry George School of Social Science of Los Angeles Box 655  Tujunga  CA 91042 818 352-4141 *******************************     From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On Behalf Of Ed Weick Sent: Sunday, July 24, 2005 12:50 PM To: futurework@fes.uwaterloo.ca Subject: Fw: [Futurework] Throwing rocks doesn't work any more   The following response to my posting on the futility of throwing rocks is from a very good Muslim friend, Dr. M. Husain Saddar.   Ed   As a Canadian of Islamic faith, I can say without any hesitation that the followers of Islam have done no better than followers of other faith in understanding and following the true message of Islam.     As a matter of fact, Muslims have done much worse at least during the recent past. After all, it is only the Muslims who are engaged in attacking and destroying places of worship ( mosques ) and brutal killings, kidnapping and torturing of other people and especially Muslims in Iraq, Afghanistan and many other countries.     Quran says that Islam is basically an updated version of what was preached by Prophets Abraham, Moses, Jacob, Jesus etc. Hence Muslims are instructed to believe in all prophets and their teachings.     I have said in the past that as far as I know, there is an unbridgeable gap between what Muslims proclaim Islam is - peacful, tolerant and comprehensive way of life,  and what they actually practice in their own daily lives.     Soon after the death of Prophet Mohammad, vested interests took over the interpretation of the teachings of Islam. This led to a systematic use and also abuse of the Quranic messagge. These so called Islamic teachings were carefully tailored for pushing their own specific agendas namely tribal supermacies, male domination of the house hold and control of the community life style and assets.   Taking advantage of the wide spread illiteracy, poverty and ignorance, a handful of educated Arab elite primarily from the Arabian peninsula spanning from from Mecca to Cairo and Baghdad, developed and implemented what in my opinion, is a totally irrelevant and outdated interpretations of Quranic teachings.     The controllers of what I like to call " THE MOSQUE MODEL " of Islamic teaching entered into an unholy alliance with powerful tribes in the Arab world and military establishment in most if not all non-Arab Muslim countries.     Hence weather it is Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Pakistan or Indonesia, mosques around the world including in Canada, UK, USA etc. keep on repeating the same interpretation cooked by a handful of Arab males. Part of their output is also commonly known as the "Shariyya Law".     Unfortunately, Arab governments and their institutions backed by oil money, keep on taking the lead in spreading the so called " message of Islam" which is essentially set in the rigid frame of Arab culture of more than thousand years ago.     Since population in most if not all non-Arab Islamic countries is poor and illiterate and cannot even read or write their own local language, they accept whatever versions ( fatwas ) are issued by their so called " more knowledgeable" Arab brethren tell them during the congregational prayers in the mosques around the world..     During my travels in the numerous Arab countries, I was told time and again that without knowing Arabic well, one cannot understand Quran.     The implications are that those with Arabic as their mother tongue, somehow are designated by God as better followers of Islam.     About a year, I wrote in the Ottawa Citizen, that although the Arabic speaking Muslims are no more than 15 percent of the total population of Muslims around the world, those who claim to be leading authorities on Islam and even those who lead prayers in any mosque including the Ottawa mosque are always, from an Arab country.     This is one of the key factors why Osama Bin Laden keeps on recruting new faces. The other reason is the enormous amount of oil money in the hands of few Arab countries namely Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and Qatar. Incidentally, the total population of all these countries is less that thirty million.     By taking full advantage of deep rooted poverty and ignorance in the general population of large Muslim countries and the absolutely corrupt governments in such large Islamic countries as Egypt, Pakistan, Indonesia, Nigeria, Bangladesh etc. etc. I am afraid that Osma Bin Laden will have little difficulty in buying more and more " martyres " suicide bombers.     On the other side are the so called Western leaders who preaches democracy but keep on doing every thing undemocratic to gain power, oil and easy money.     All one has to do is to look at what we in the West call our allies such as Saudi Arabia, Pakistan, Kuwait, Indonesia, Kazakistan, Egypt etc. etc.   May God help us all.     Husain. ----- Original Message ----- From: Ed Weick To: futurework@fes.uwaterloo.ca ; 'M.Blackmore' ; Lawrence deBivort Sent: Saturday, July 23, 2005 10:34 AM Subject: Re: [Futurework] Throwing rocks doesn't work any more   I'd suggest that one of the main problems since time immemorial has been the placement of belief systems -- ideologies, theologies and theoretical constructs -- above human needs.  We do not innocently ask the poor, those abroad or in our own backyard, how we might help them improve their lives.  We impose solutions on them.  Communists imposed solutions derived from Marxist economics and the glorification of the working class.  Neoconservatives impose solutions based on the economic and moral superiority of American capitalism, freedom and democracy.  Christians offer the love of Jesus Christ, but only to those who convert.  Not being any of them, I can't speak for Jews, Muslims, Hindus or Buddhists, but I'm pretty certain they all hold views on how people should "be".  It is part of the human condition that we can't just let people "be", we are forever trying to make them into something we think they should be and convince them of the superiority of our cause.  And when pushed too long and too hard, they start throwing rocks or planting bombs.  Those who are with us become heros or martyrs.  Those who are against us are fanatics or terrorists.   Ed   ----- Original Message ----- From: "Lawrence deBivort" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: "'M.Blackmore'" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>; <futurework@fes.uwaterloo.ca> Sent: Friday, July 22, 2005 3:00 PM Subject: RE: [Futurework] Throwing rocks doesn't work any more   > Where people and their governments don't 'get' that 1) oppression is no > longer welcome in the world, and where people, no matter how poor, abused, > or dark skinned will fight back. > > I would add other things that too many peoples and their governments still > don't 'get': > > 2) That it is now the ability to learn and the discipline to work > productively and constructively with others that will determine which > societies prosper and which don't, rather than military might and > belligerence. > > 3) That mutual respect and cooperation are the currencies that will measure > success, rather than disdain for others and arrogance. > > These, and there are certainly more, are the 'new rules', and I do believe > that they are better ones, morally and pragmatically, than those that have > prevailed since the birth of the colonial era. > > Those that don't 'get' these ideas will continue to battle these ideas with > threats, invasions, and occupation, but they will lose. I think the writing > is on the wall. > > What other things might we include in the 'new rules'? > > Cheers, > Lawry > > -----Original Message----- > From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] > [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On Behalf Of M.Blackmore > Sent: Friday, July 22, 2005 3:56 PM > To: futurework@fes.uwaterloo.ca > Subject: Re: [Futurework] Throwing rocks doesn't work any more > > Lawrence deBivort wrote: > > > in every other country whose government and people don't 'get it.' > > > I'm not sure what "it" is. Perhaps someone could enlighten me? > _______________________________________________ > Futurework mailing list > Futurework@fes.uwaterloo.ca > http://fes.uwaterloo.ca/mailman/listinfo/futurework > > > _______________________________________________ > Futurework mailing list > Futurework@fes.uwaterloo.ca > http://fes.uwaterloo.ca/mailman/listinfo/futurework

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