Dark Ages, But Not Forgotten Civilization

Past glories, we all should be proud of our past glories. I am not only referring to the glories of one's country, but it also can be related to a family honorable achievements, take the Kennedy family, for example, and the line of political figures around the years. It can be the opposite and one would be ashamed of his or her family's doing - does families of former dictators ring a bell?








However, there is a big difference between the word "past" and the word "present", adding to that the word "future". We will never honor the glory of the past if we don't do something similar to that.




No one can challenge the facts and history of what beautifully shown in the above video. No one dare to say that Muslim civilization had golden era where it was a portal for the whole world to learn science, literature, business, and many other related aspects of life.

However, anyone can challenge Arab and Muslim countries today and say: what are you achieving now to honor the glory of your past?

I am sure that there are people today, in our time who thought like me and did something. I can mention with honor people like Mustafa Al Aqad, Farouk El-Baz, Naseer Shamma, among many others?

But is this enough for someone to honor his heritage or the legacy of the country he is coming from?

Or is it that people must work harder, prove to themselves first they are unique then to others?

I think that for many a past golden age can be considered now as something else: living through dark ages, and in the hands of its people this civilization would flourish or let it be roaming in such dark times.


The video is uploaded by kbelk85. - Discover more scientific and hi-tech videos.

Wake Up!

Today I read (and received emails) related to a lot of clatter about whether George Wassouf became a Muslim!

I am going to echo a lot of people's comments: to start with, it doesn't matter if Wassouf Christian or Muslim, what matters to me (and to any reasonable person) is the music. So... for those still arguing, please stop this nonsense.

If you like George Wassouf's music get the album then from any record store (not only download it because buying the new album is the least any fan would do as a gesture and appreciation to this great artist).

If you don't like George Wassouf music, then give it a try, you won't regret, take my word for that. If you didn't like it, its up to you, its all a matter of taste, BUT don't waste any people time by preaching about religion or faith, because faith and belief is very personal and private matter, do don't play God's role and make judgments on other because you are from different faith.

Second thing, something which I already pointed put on Al Wassouf facebook page, I grew up and around me friends from different ethnic and religious backgrounds, and among them there were Christians. They call God's name "Allah", like Muslims; they swear in Allah's name, like Muslims do when they want to confirm something. This is common and nothing new to the culture in Iraq. I have seen the same thing when I went abroad: I have seen Chrisitians from Lebanon, Jordan and Syria, all of them say "Allah" like Muslim do when they refer to God. This is part of the culture of the people living in the Middle East.

Thus, for those educated people who have their eyes wide open for seeing the word "Allah" (printed out with an Islamic font) on the cover of the latest album of a Christian artist like George Wassouf I have two advices:

1. Go and get some home work done about the historic facts about the different societies living in the Middle East.

2. Check out past interviews with George Wassouf. The way I see his belief, his love and his obedience for God is much better than many people call themselves Muslims or call themselves a better believers from any other religion.

Having said that, I don't believe that George Kurdahi or Nishan Dirharotyan (I am sure the spelling is wrong) were courteous or seeking the blessing of Muslims when calling God "Allah" or when they say "Salla Allah Aleehi We Sellem", means (Peace and blessings of Allah be upon him), when mentioning the Prophet Mohammed on their talk shows.

This is part of the culture of millions of people living together for hundreds of years.

Wake up people!

Contrast or Harmony

This image from Panamanga

Halal Media

I opened my Facebook page and found an invitation to join the Halal-TV! What is that? It is a Swedish TV talk-show presented by three young women wearing colorful headscarf (or Hijab). The show, according to its makers, is meant to show how the three women view their Swedish homeland through the lens of their Muslim beliefs. Halal, by the way, is an Arabic term meaning permissible and mostly used to refer to food, but some extend that to include other things. The first episode of that show broadcast has already created a lot of controversy among Swedes.

When I saw the picture of the three young women from Halal TV, I thought immediately of our own experience in the Netherlands with this type of media: Last year there was a similar show called Halal Maiden, which also presented by three young women (of Moroccan origin) in colorful headscarf, discussing many issues, but mainly its all about the integration of Muslims in Dutch society.

I don’t know if it is the same production company is behind both shows!

I am not against headscarf. In fact I consider headscarf as a matter of self-expression; I see it as a social symbol rather than religious. I perceive the headscarf or the hijab the same way as I see a Nigerian woman wearing her gele or an Indian young woman putting saris on. I don't judge someone’s belief by the way they dress: It happened to me that I meet a person on a certain social occasion, and that person is wearing a very elegant suit or dressed so nicely that make all around keep looking at him, but after a few minutes of conversation with that person I excuse him and go to the toilet, throw up my lungs out because of disgust. Having said that, my objection against having a TV show with three beautiful young woman wearing hijab is not meant to be against hijab as it is against the concept of making specific program or talk-show that target certain people or certain social community under the name of “ the effort to address the issue of integration” . The definition of integration is “ The bringing of people of different racial or ethnic groups into unrestricted and equal association, as in society or an organization “. Would a weekly TV show like the Halal girls help to achieve the definition of integration? In my opinion it would achieve the opposite: a Dutch woman would watch the show and either she like it or not. Exactly like watching any local TV show, Dutch or Swedish, or even American spoken.

Before I continue, again, I don’t want to be misunderstood, I don’t mean to offend any of the two shows or say that the six girls are bad. On the contrary, I enjoyed the Dutch version, especially their argument and the way they approach the different aspects in society – some of them are very funny and I compliment the young ladies for their talent.

There are specific programs for specific communities, such as the Nederlandse Muslim Omroep or the Joodse Omrope, both are broadcast once a week on Dutch TV. What is the purpose of such TV programs? they were made to address different issues related to specific communities living and working in the Netherlands based on their religious belief. It also bring awareness the non-Muslim and non-Jewish. The Halal ladies show can be put in the same category. They are nothing but an introduction to another culture and their activities. Nothing more, nothing less. Bring people of different racial or ethnic background can be achieved the other way around: I have to meet people from another culture, I have to talk to men and women from different ethnic group, and I have to learn about their habits, rituals, and the things they like and dislike. With this, acceptance will be easier, and rejection would not be a barrier in the development of society. I didn’t watch Kurdish or Assyrian talk shows, for example, to learn how to go along with them and to deal with the way they see things. I made contact; talked Christians and Turkmans on the street, in shops, in social occasions, at school, in the neighborhood next to mine. From there I made friendship with men and women, families and individuals, by becoming more selective.

Those who say that there are problems coming from immigrants because they don’t understand the values and principles of the country they live in, for that reason there is a lot of focus on displaying how those immigrants live is part of the solution to integrate those people into Dutch society. By the way, it is known that Dutch society is one of the most tolerant societies in the whole world. This is entirely true, it is less than years ago, yet, it still exist in wide range around the country, and that has its reasons, mainly fear. For that reason people like Geert Wilders took that opportunity successfully and managed to get more than one million votes in the last elections.

I love colors, nowadays every single society consists of colors formed and shaped by its different ethnic groups and cultural backgrounds. However, it is like a painting, there are some colors for some is conceived as being out of shape and context, but the smart artist can adjust this. How? many Dutch ask how? many immigrants ask how? the answer consists of: first to focus more on how to accept each other, as long as there is acceptance from both sides, the mixture of colors will definitely be easier and the end result will be a master-piece. The second is to focus less, much less, on negativity in dealing with problems here and there caused by immigrants (not saying ignore them, but deal with them differently). The media is not the ultimate solution to bring people together in reality. The media will make the concept of acceptance harder to be digested by many, because the media will be the only means to know about that culture or ethnic group – the media topics are a series of messages addresses certain consumers at a certain time of the day and the night, and like any sort of messages, there are the bad and the good ones. Unless the Halal-maiden can be seen in office and universities as colleagues; Partners in one club or on a trip somewhere; in hospitals as doctors; or onsite as engineers, the media will be the only means to form the nature of relationship among citizens. It is not difficult to achieve this, especially if we forget that behind that headscarf or saris or gele there might be a great mind / personality able to contribute in making the neighborhood, school, workplace, and the whole society a better place to live in.

Whom Do You Follow?

First, Happy Eid to all Muslims all over the world, and special wishes to our beloved ones in Iraq. May this Eid mark the end of sorrow and pain put upon us and on them and that Iraq and Iraqis regain good and prosper life, forever.

As its always the case on every year, not all Muslim countries announced today as the first day of the Eid. Some countries are celebrating that today, though, such as Saudi Arabia, Qatar, United Arab Emirates, Libya, and Muslims in non-Arab countries such as those in China, Afghanistan and Philippine followed along. While Egypt, Syria and Oman announced that Saturday is the first day of the Eid! It has been the case for years, and every year I see on TV the endless discussions about how to put an end to such a dilemma. However, there is none and it seems that even if one muslim climb the roof of his house in the middle of the night and see the sign in the sky (a crescent), he will not be able to celebrate the joyful days because the country did not announce through its official religious channels!

The chaotic situation, in my opinion, is when someone like me living in Europe, do I have to celebrate the Eid on the same as in Iraq, because I am an Iraqi? The Sunnis are celebrating today and it looks like the Shiite are going to do that tomorrow! But I don’t believe in this Sunni and Shiite concept! I have no option but to celebrate for four days instead of the three days in this case, but that against the rules, right? A little bit of simple thinking provided me with more than one solution, in fact: we should count the days of the month of Ramadan and accordingly decide which day to start celebrating the Eid. The other solution is to follow suit on a one religious figure in the Netherlands (for sure there is one, or not?) who would watch the sky at night for a clear sigting of the crescent then declare the next day as the first day of the Eid. Simple, especially if we take into the consideration that Ramadan rituals (fasting) is based on the local time in the country where I live i.e. The Netherlands, not local time in Jakarta!

Yet, there are some here who decided to reject such simplcitiy: the mother of a friend of mine met yesterday with her neighbor, and during conversation she asked her about the first day of the Eid. The woman neighbor looked confidence and replied “whom do you follow?” She meant Sunni or Shiite??

Quran in the Heart of Amsterdam

Paying for public transport in the Netherlands is a little bit different than some other countries. Instead of paying cash money or with a bank card directly to the bus or tram or metro driver, you have to buy from any stationary or cigarette shops, or station what is called a "strippenkaart". It is a sort of a ticket with numbers from 1 to 15 (some are to 32), depends on the distance these numbers will be stamped on by the driver, and can be used for a certain time and not limited to certain type of transport.

Around 10am today I had to go to work using public transport, which means that I should buy a “strippenkaart”. I passed by a shop that sells souvenirs for tourists (among other things like sweets, cigarettes, or drinks). I did not believe what I was hearing first, but when I was inside the shop and stood near one of the speakers handing above the entrance of the shop I was certain that Quran verses were recited, played from a CD or a cassette player somewhere in that shop. Then I saw a young man with a glasses standing in the middle of the shop, turning around and organizing goods quietly, while holding a white/colored mug (morning coffee or tea). His Egyptian or North African looks encouraged me to ask in Arabic instead of Dutch. With an apology he told me that another shop sell “strippenkaart” on the other bloke, so I thanked him and left the shop.

The picture of the young man, drinking his morning coffee or tea, with the Quran heard through the speakers reminded me of the old days in Baghdad when taxis, small buses traveling between provinces, and sometimes bakeries used to put a cassette of Quran in the very early morning, around dawn time.

Islam Permits Wife Beating

I came across this video while browsing youtube.com


Instead of spreading a message of granting nobility to wives, mothers, sisters, and daughters, by treating them with love and compassion, by supporting them and strengthen that holy bond between man and his wife. Instead of doing all this, the mufti of Egypt is allowing aggression, permitting shame and pain to be present in the family. Actually, he is even destroying a life-time partnership between married people.

What is the difference between a woman from the west and another from the east? Culture? What culture has to do with how to treat my wife? He is arguing that other cultures consider this act as barbaric or aggressive, therefore Islam will never permit it in these countries, but it is allowed by a man from the middle east or an Islamic country to beat the hell out of his wife! What a mockery!

I don’t believe that the mufti of Egypt still consider it civilized when his sister or daughter comes to him with bruises all over her body because her husband decided one night to check out his muscularity

Whom the pope should talk to?

Today early morning news headlines were focusing on two events: The first event was about Judge Muhammad Oreibi al-Khalifa ordering Saddam Hussain to leave after refusing his request to be let out of his metal cage. This is the second time that Saddam being thrown out of the court room by the new judge. The second event was of Pope Benedict XVI meeting envoys from 20 different Muslim countries where he expressed “total and profound respect for the Islamic faith”, and he emphasized on "strengthening ties between Catholic Christianity and Islam".

After reading the news about the pope meeting with the Muslim envoys, I was wondering about something: among all Muslim countries, whom the pope should talk to?

The pope represents the Catholic church, he is the figure where people and countries from other cultures and various religions all around the world can have a dialogue with. The puzzle is to look the other way around: if the pope want to address the Islamic world, whom he should go to? is there a leader or even a representative of the Islamic nation where he can initiate this "dialogue of civilization"? We all know that in the Muslim world there is no unity among its countries.

There is no single alliance that consists of a number of countries where we can point our fingers and say "ok, this can represent the majority of the Muslims, so the pope can start from there"
Lets not involve the Islamic Conference Organization, because everyone knows that it is just a symbolic gathering of Muslim countries from all over the world.

I might think of Saudi Arabia, with obvious reasons: Mecca. But what about Iran? The strongest and soon to be (if not already) the most powerful Islamic country in the region with its military might. If we start talking about either Saudi Arabia or Iran, then we are drawn into the Sunni / Shiá dilemma, oh no, not again!!! What about Egypt? will be the one who can be symbol for the Muslim country that the pope can have a conversation with? Especially if we take into account its status among the Arab countries! I thought of Morocco, especially that the king still carry the title "Amir Il Mo'meneen". This will give the traditional aspect of Islamic monarch and maybe legitimacy? will that be enough to qualify? What about Turkey? Maybe, considering its ties with Europe and Turkey’s appeal to join the European Union!

Wait a minute, Iraq would be the best candidate, yess!!! I am not joking, really! It is the country where Sunni and Shiá used to live with each other, marry from each other and do not despise each other.... they are the symbol of Islamic unity… but oh no, not anymore! for a fraction of a second I started dreaming of old modern Iraq.

Back to reality, what other country can qualify to be that representative country of the Muslim world that the pope can address in his attempt to "strengthen the ties between Christianity and Islam”??

Lets put the Arab world aside and go to non-Arab Muslim countries: Is Indonesia a candidate? Maybe, especially with its most populous Muslim-majority nation in the World. However, with the atrocities exchanged between Christians and Muslims every now and then, one can have second thoughts. However, will Malaysia or Pakistan be good candidates?

Before answering the question, there is another one, a bigger one, I consider it a very essential, in fact a dangerous one: What is the reaction of other countries when one country has been nominated? Will country A be happy for country B and back it up, or will country A consider it as a competition and will turn its back instead of backing country B up with all sorts of support?

It is either the pope aware of such a situation in the Muslim world and he is just playing it safe, or he is forgetting that the Muslim world is far from being united to let one individual country represent them, especially now.

In second case, I only wish the pope all success because he will really really really hard time, and I doubt that he will initiate this “dialogue of civilization” the way it should be.