league of nations

Few westerners realize that in the 7th Century, Islam liberated attitudes towards women and granted them specific social, political and economic rights long before they gained them in the West, such as the equal right to education, to conduct business, to vote, to own and inherit property, and to enter freely into marriage, protected by a marriage contract. Islam forbade the widespread practice of female infanticide, and the Prophet said: "Whosoever hath a daughter, and doth not prefer his male child to her, may God bring him into Paradise."

Male and female equality is enshrined in numerous places in Islamic scripture, and many traditions in Muslim countries that are now considered coercive by the West are not mandated in the Quran, but are holdovers from pre-Islamic cultures.

Women the world over, including in the Muslim world, have had to struggle with the limitations placed on them by less enlightened members of their societies. Islam fought against this from the beginning, and today, restrictive and distorted interpretations of tradition and scripture do not reflect the beliefs of the majority of Muslims or the intentions of the Prophet himself. The reality is much more diverse.

In the same way, modern Islam is a vibrant, multifaceted faith, worlds away from the distorted and angry picture that has been so tragically flashed across the world’s television screens. Like any religion, it has divergent sects, historically forged in response to external threats and internal power struggles, and some spawn aberrant fanatics ready to twist the fundamental tenets of the faith to their own political ends.

Sadly, current circumstances in our region, and a sense that the rest of the world doesn’t understand or care, have the voices and influence of a militant minority. As the technologies and strategies of Western-driven globalization ever widen their reach, many local communities are feeling more marginalized than ever before. (..more..)

i listened to her this morning. and what can i say, she is absolutely wonderful.

last evening while browsing through shelves in the library instead of engaging in studious endevours, i stumbled (?) into a book by thich nhat hanh. i first got introducted to him through a bell hooks in ">all about love. so i open the book and voila i read this. very timely with world being the way it is. the book was published cira 2001.

'punishing the other person is self punishment.that is true in every circumstance.every time in the united states army tries to punish iraq,not only does iraq suffer, but the u.s also suffers. everytime iraq tries to punish the u.s, the u.s suffers, but iraq also suffers. the same is true everywhere; between israel and palestinian, between muslim and hindu, between you and the other person. it has always been like that. so, let us wake up; let us be aware that punishing the other person is not an intelligent strategy.'

forgive me while i digress.

i live in the other side of the tracks. my aparment complex is filled with an abundance of flora and fauna. + this is not counting the mendes that make our crib their happy abode. we have called the bug people repeatedly to no avail. i swear the insects here are of another species. i tell you. aii. these ones not related to those found in the motherland. these ones are more huger. more scareier and uugghh.+ then to add salt to the injury, just the other day, it was not even long ago, i saw some two ducks swimming in our swimming pool.eu. i thought, nah must be the eyes doing tricks on me. these tu-ducks were wadding away so contendely with no duck care in the world. so, when i went to the shops in the morning, there they were.swimming away. i was like ..my pacha was like nah. at least there are ducks. what if someone was susing inside. im like wtf.

i live in an interesting part of town. it cracks me up that right across the road from my happy abode. is an electrical fenced. a couple of jacquzis. free cable. and costs a hundred or so dollars more $ of what i pay. they charge for water also. the land of the mausa.as we say in zimbabwe. i dont mind were we live. there is water. free water. not like the time back home when there was severe water shortages and electricity rationing. which is an illustration of how run down the institutions of governance have become considering in kenya for instance, there are natural water catchement areas.

the diversity in the neighbourhood epitomizes what nikki giovanni says ' not a bad country in fact most likely the best possible hope of human beings..to exemplify differences' (..more..).there is the vibrance of africa. the sensualness of sub indian continent. la familia of brotherhood.the idealism of which this country is founded upon.