Thursday, May 20, 2004
18/5, Tuesday
Good Morning
The weather is beautiful today in Baghdad, the sky is clear, and the weather isn't very hot. Yesterday was a sad day.
In the morning, the head of the governing council was assassinated with a booby-trapped car. I heard the news of the assassination of the general manager of the house of Culture. It was a symbolic assassination. Culture - no relation to political positions.
The streets are filled with black cloth, hung on the walls, to inform every person that somebody has died. They write the name of the deceased, the reason of death, the names of his or her relatives, and the house where he or she will be mourned. This is the habit here.
You see many black cloths, written upon it: Somebody, the son of somebody, assassinated at the hands of a criminal assassination. You become sad for him, and for all of Iraq. Iraq has become a place of assassinations and blood shed, and who benifits?
Do those who blow up booby-trapped cars know that with every explosion of this kind, they give a justification for the Occupation to continue in Iraq?
Are the peopel who blow up these cars honorable Iraqis?
I doubt it, and as it said by those in the Iraqi street like myself: These explosions, targeting the police and Iraqi civilians, are not being done by honorable Iraqis at all. This is being done by the enemies of Iraq, who want us to remain in a lowly state, hidden in the darkness, and the Occupation will remain forever.
In these explosions, there will be found a justification for remaining tens of years in the future. The ignorant understands, when he reads these events every day, that Iraq will rise and be free when it elects leaders from itself, that it loves, respects and represents - and doesn't want foriegn powers to defend it. And when will this happen?
According to the present situation, this dream will not ever become a reality. Explosions will remain, the Occupation wil remain. The dream of a free, independent Iraq will remain a dream, distant. But we believe in God, and His justice, which comes, even after a long time.
Who would have believed that Saddam would fall? He who removed him, will remove others like him, even after a long time
--------
Yesterday I had a lovely time in the American Language Center
We students spoke to the American teachers about different things, including marriage, our opinions of marriage outside of the law, illegitimate children.
I was surprised that our thoughts were so similar. One married American from the south - I think from Alabama - who has children, said that society tries to reassure people that these things are normal, but we don't accept it, because it's against the will of God, and we know in our hearts, what God wants. It's close to us and clear - even if society tries to convince us of the opposite. I didn't ask her who tried to convince them. But today I found the answer.
Most of the news on the internet was talking about how Boston allowed same sex marriages, even though most states don't allow it. Who is imposing their tastes on people over there?
Who wants to disturb people's minds so that they no longer know right from wrong?
Who wants to ruin the reputation of Western societies and its principles?
I remembered an article I wrote before some months, I said that there is media that ruins the picture of the West, and distances ourselves from them.
Isn't this the same press that ruins the reputation of Arabs and makes them enemies?
For whose interests do they work?
And where are they taking us?
Surely it takes us towards hatred and distance. It poisons minds, and brainwashes beautiful truths, and replaces them with ugly truths.
Is it the same that promotes unnatural relationships, corruption and same sex marriages?
The channels here are filled with their pictures, and they are celebrating, and kissing like husbands and wives. The pictures embarrases, disgusts and pains conservative families, who change the channel, or turn off the television in anger.
What do adults say to their small children?
These are the relationships of a developed society? Or the relationships of a society that is destroyed, and slipping away?
The war on Iraq divides the street between those who support, and those who are against. And the media wanders about in some distant place, as if it is trying to annoy and degrade humans.
How many homosexuals are there in society?
And why the outcry over their rights and freedoms?
It's only lies to keep people busy from mistakes & disasters that deserve attention, and require solutions. The media is the source of daily poison, broadcasting day and night. They are the ones who picture events as they like. And try to convince people of these ideas.
Thank God we don't live there. The disaster of war and the harshness of life here is easier than living in a society facing this kind of corruption and destruction. My friend from Boston says that she is sad and feels ashamed, because the name of her city is being ruined with these disgusting actions. I remembered that she told me once before that people there on Sundays go to Church, and the roads are closed because of traffic. Most people go to Church, which means that most of them have religion.
--------
God created us from one soul, and He knows everything, all the truth. We are not different, even if religions are different. The prophets are brothers, God is one, and the teachings are one. The agreement over general principles creates the spirit of togetherness, of community. God is with community. But those who want to destroy the spirit of community, and corrupt society - they are the ones who broadcast these unnatural acts and make them attractive for people, to destroy the power of community.
Because if opinions become different, people fall away from each other, become weaker, and become unable to do anything useful. And if the spirit of individualism and selfishness become widespread, society becomes weak, and honorable people have no power. One neighbor will be a believer, the other one unnatural, and another a drug addict, and another one without religion. Another one will be lost, not knowing what he wants. How will they be gathered against a brutal enemy?
The spirit of community is destroyed, and its power is lost, and evil becomes victorious. The hand of God is with community, with togetherness, that's what the Qur'an says. That's also what we learn when we read our history.
The prophet Mohammd was a poor man, weak among his people. He stood against oppression and evil. Against the clan of Quraysh and the rich, oppressive powers, and their leaders. How did he become victorious and allow the religion of God to exist on earth?
He allowed justice and equality between people; mercy for the weak and the poor, and respect for ones elders and relations. And honesty in human relationships, and the fear of God at all times. How did he allow these beautiful qualities to become implanted in society, instead of values of corruption and oppression?
In the Arabian peninsula, power was to oppress the power. Tribes use to go to war over sheep. And baby girls were buried alive. The powerful were wealty, while the rest languished in poverty, hunger and slavery. Who helped him except God, the power that loves truth, and makes victorious those who defend Him. He makes them strong, and destroys their enemies, who think they are strong, because of their wealth and power and arrogance.
---------
There are many sayings of the Prophet Mohammad, Peace be Upon Him. His miracle was not only the Qur'an. No, he also spoke about daily life, about things that happened and things that will happen. He says in one of his sayings, "Ask your heart, and it will answer, it will answer, it will answer." That is, three times. Ask your heart, and it will have a truthful answer. And if people tell you otherwise, don't believe it.
He talks here about the person with a clean heart, which isn't tarnished by sins and mistakes. Or the one that did sin, but remained seeking forgiveness and remembering his Lord, so that his heart would remain clean, knowing the truth from lies.
The Prophet Mohammad says in another saying: "All the sons of Adam make mistakes. And the best of those who make mistakes are those who repent." That is, those who repeatedly seek repentance from God.
The Prophet Mohammad says that God once sent an angel to destroy a village, filled with sinners. But the angel said, "But in this village is a man who sits in the mosque and prays. Will you send down punishment on him?
God says, Begin with him, because he did not order good, and did not prevent vice.
----------
What is the value of life, if we live it without values, without principles? I always say, there will be day when truth will be victorious on earth. Maybe I won't be there then. But I will die with a clean concience. When God asks me on the day of Judgement, on what I did in a time when oppression and corruption ruled. Were you quiet, afraid?
Or did you participate in, encourage oppression?
Or selfishness?
Every work has its value with God. He is merciful, forgives, punishes, who he wills. Perhaps we will be among those who deserve his mercy on that day.
Translated by Diaa Hadid
Good Morning
The weather is beautiful today in Baghdad, the sky is clear, and the weather isn't very hot. Yesterday was a sad day.
In the morning, the head of the governing council was assassinated with a booby-trapped car. I heard the news of the assassination of the general manager of the house of Culture. It was a symbolic assassination. Culture - no relation to political positions.
The streets are filled with black cloth, hung on the walls, to inform every person that somebody has died. They write the name of the deceased, the reason of death, the names of his or her relatives, and the house where he or she will be mourned. This is the habit here.
You see many black cloths, written upon it: Somebody, the son of somebody, assassinated at the hands of a criminal assassination. You become sad for him, and for all of Iraq. Iraq has become a place of assassinations and blood shed, and who benifits?
Do those who blow up booby-trapped cars know that with every explosion of this kind, they give a justification for the Occupation to continue in Iraq?
Are the peopel who blow up these cars honorable Iraqis?
I doubt it, and as it said by those in the Iraqi street like myself: These explosions, targeting the police and Iraqi civilians, are not being done by honorable Iraqis at all. This is being done by the enemies of Iraq, who want us to remain in a lowly state, hidden in the darkness, and the Occupation will remain forever.
In these explosions, there will be found a justification for remaining tens of years in the future. The ignorant understands, when he reads these events every day, that Iraq will rise and be free when it elects leaders from itself, that it loves, respects and represents - and doesn't want foriegn powers to defend it. And when will this happen?
According to the present situation, this dream will not ever become a reality. Explosions will remain, the Occupation wil remain. The dream of a free, independent Iraq will remain a dream, distant. But we believe in God, and His justice, which comes, even after a long time.
Who would have believed that Saddam would fall? He who removed him, will remove others like him, even after a long time
--------
Yesterday I had a lovely time in the American Language Center
We students spoke to the American teachers about different things, including marriage, our opinions of marriage outside of the law, illegitimate children.
I was surprised that our thoughts were so similar. One married American from the south - I think from Alabama - who has children, said that society tries to reassure people that these things are normal, but we don't accept it, because it's against the will of God, and we know in our hearts, what God wants. It's close to us and clear - even if society tries to convince us of the opposite. I didn't ask her who tried to convince them. But today I found the answer.
Most of the news on the internet was talking about how Boston allowed same sex marriages, even though most states don't allow it. Who is imposing their tastes on people over there?
Who wants to disturb people's minds so that they no longer know right from wrong?
Who wants to ruin the reputation of Western societies and its principles?
I remembered an article I wrote before some months, I said that there is media that ruins the picture of the West, and distances ourselves from them.
Isn't this the same press that ruins the reputation of Arabs and makes them enemies?
For whose interests do they work?
And where are they taking us?
Surely it takes us towards hatred and distance. It poisons minds, and brainwashes beautiful truths, and replaces them with ugly truths.
Is it the same that promotes unnatural relationships, corruption and same sex marriages?
The channels here are filled with their pictures, and they are celebrating, and kissing like husbands and wives. The pictures embarrases, disgusts and pains conservative families, who change the channel, or turn off the television in anger.
What do adults say to their small children?
These are the relationships of a developed society? Or the relationships of a society that is destroyed, and slipping away?
The war on Iraq divides the street between those who support, and those who are against. And the media wanders about in some distant place, as if it is trying to annoy and degrade humans.
How many homosexuals are there in society?
And why the outcry over their rights and freedoms?
It's only lies to keep people busy from mistakes & disasters that deserve attention, and require solutions. The media is the source of daily poison, broadcasting day and night. They are the ones who picture events as they like. And try to convince people of these ideas.
Thank God we don't live there. The disaster of war and the harshness of life here is easier than living in a society facing this kind of corruption and destruction. My friend from Boston says that she is sad and feels ashamed, because the name of her city is being ruined with these disgusting actions. I remembered that she told me once before that people there on Sundays go to Church, and the roads are closed because of traffic. Most people go to Church, which means that most of them have religion.
--------
God created us from one soul, and He knows everything, all the truth. We are not different, even if religions are different. The prophets are brothers, God is one, and the teachings are one. The agreement over general principles creates the spirit of togetherness, of community. God is with community. But those who want to destroy the spirit of community, and corrupt society - they are the ones who broadcast these unnatural acts and make them attractive for people, to destroy the power of community.
Because if opinions become different, people fall away from each other, become weaker, and become unable to do anything useful. And if the spirit of individualism and selfishness become widespread, society becomes weak, and honorable people have no power. One neighbor will be a believer, the other one unnatural, and another a drug addict, and another one without religion. Another one will be lost, not knowing what he wants. How will they be gathered against a brutal enemy?
The spirit of community is destroyed, and its power is lost, and evil becomes victorious. The hand of God is with community, with togetherness, that's what the Qur'an says. That's also what we learn when we read our history.
The prophet Mohammd was a poor man, weak among his people. He stood against oppression and evil. Against the clan of Quraysh and the rich, oppressive powers, and their leaders. How did he become victorious and allow the religion of God to exist on earth?
He allowed justice and equality between people; mercy for the weak and the poor, and respect for ones elders and relations. And honesty in human relationships, and the fear of God at all times. How did he allow these beautiful qualities to become implanted in society, instead of values of corruption and oppression?
In the Arabian peninsula, power was to oppress the power. Tribes use to go to war over sheep. And baby girls were buried alive. The powerful were wealty, while the rest languished in poverty, hunger and slavery. Who helped him except God, the power that loves truth, and makes victorious those who defend Him. He makes them strong, and destroys their enemies, who think they are strong, because of their wealth and power and arrogance.
---------
There are many sayings of the Prophet Mohammad, Peace be Upon Him. His miracle was not only the Qur'an. No, he also spoke about daily life, about things that happened and things that will happen. He says in one of his sayings, "Ask your heart, and it will answer, it will answer, it will answer." That is, three times. Ask your heart, and it will have a truthful answer. And if people tell you otherwise, don't believe it.
He talks here about the person with a clean heart, which isn't tarnished by sins and mistakes. Or the one that did sin, but remained seeking forgiveness and remembering his Lord, so that his heart would remain clean, knowing the truth from lies.
The Prophet Mohammad says in another saying: "All the sons of Adam make mistakes. And the best of those who make mistakes are those who repent." That is, those who repeatedly seek repentance from God.
The Prophet Mohammad says that God once sent an angel to destroy a village, filled with sinners. But the angel said, "But in this village is a man who sits in the mosque and prays. Will you send down punishment on him?
God says, Begin with him, because he did not order good, and did not prevent vice.
----------
What is the value of life, if we live it without values, without principles? I always say, there will be day when truth will be victorious on earth. Maybe I won't be there then. But I will die with a clean concience. When God asks me on the day of Judgement, on what I did in a time when oppression and corruption ruled. Were you quiet, afraid?
Or did you participate in, encourage oppression?
Or selfishness?
Every work has its value with God. He is merciful, forgives, punishes, who he wills. Perhaps we will be among those who deserve his mercy on that day.
Translated by Diaa Hadid
# posted by Faiza Al-Araji @ 6:39 pm 
