Thank you, Segovious.

>>we are all trying to find the truth as we understand it/And we know that - so we are seeking. Some seek through debate or discussion, some through contemplation, some just by thinking and sitting back and observing it all>>

Very interesting point. There is one anecdote of Nasruddin who lost his ring (apologies if this one already been discussed before.) A neighbor saw him one morning, checking every inch of the ground in his front yard, so he asked “What are you looking for, Nasruddin?”. Nasruddin answered “My ring.” So, the neighbor helped him look for it. After awhile they couldn’t find anything, the neighbor asked again “Where exactly did you drop it?” Nasruddin answered, “In my room”. The neighbor was astonished “Then for God sake, why did you look for it here in the yard?” …”Well…”, said Nasruddin “…..because my room is very dark, there is more light out here….”

Like Nasruddin, most of the time, we are looking for “our ring” in the wrong place, just because we thought “that other place” would give us “more light”. . The Truth is supposed to be so near, even closer than our jugular vein…(QS 50:16)

peace,
Matahari
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Sweet, sweet Matahari,

Here is a story especially for you. It is a true story, not a parable.

the twenty thousand faithful (many of them women) left the stands and went down onto the field. Not in a disorderly, raggle-taggle way - no. In an orderly, solemn manner. Slowly they prepared a funeral procession and always in the name of God they walked over the cadavers. Always roaring “Allahu akbar! Allahu akbar!” They destroyed them like New York’s Twin Towers. They reduced them to a blood-oozing carpet of crushed bones.>>

source

I’m glad to hear you are proud of your religion. I know I would not be. A crowd of twenty thousand faithful is not an extremist fringe but the hard core mainstream.

Peace,
Arizona

Trying again, since the full story failed to get through ...

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Dear Arizona

My very good friend and teacher who has long since popped his clogs used to say to me something like “If people spent more time worrying about what they themselves were doing and less time worying about what other people did the world would be a much better place.”

Kind Regards

Paul

To be honest you seem obsessed with convincing us that Islam is an evil religion. Why do you wish to do so? Will the world be a better place if you do? The topic has moved on. Clear your mind of it. Writesomething fresh and cheery please.

Arizona,
who says I have a religion? We are not even talking about religion here. Please, find somebody who likes to amuse you and leave us alone.

peace,
Matahari

Paul, you wrote: “To be honest you seem obsessed with convincing us that Islam is an evil religion. Why do you wish to do so? Will the world be a better place if you do?”

I’m not even convinced that Islam is a religion. It is certainly a war-mongering empire-building ideology, but spiritual? I invited Segovius to debate me on this issue. I had some respect for him as an intelligent soul (and I still have respect for him on other grounds). My final reservations are now over.

I don’t flatter myself that my words alone will convince you. I hope only to open your minds to other possibilities, that’s all.

Yes, I do think the world would be a better place if we stopped appeasing Islam.

Matahari, I took you for a good Muslim lady, an “Islam is a religion of peace” conveyer. Am I wrong in this, then?

Thank you, Arizona. Ok, I’ll amuse you a bit.

In my country, people took me as a Hindu (from highest caste, too!). Here, the last compliment I received at work was “You are a good Christian.” And now I am a good Muslim? Wow… that put me almost the same level as Ibn Arabi. lol

Now I am called the shepherd of the desert gazelles,
Now a Christian monk,
Now a Zoroastrian,
The Beloved is Three, yet One:
Just as the three are in reality one.

And btw, who says I am a lady?

Now, can we talk about something more productive? Please?

peace,
Matahari

From what I remember from being a child often think I was more knowing and understanding intuitively not less, even of the spiritual worlds. Confusion reigned during my teen years because of the pressures of the people around me more powerful than I was able to be, teachers, parents etc. As Ted Hughes says. Your mum and dad they f*** you up etc. Also Hermann Hesse in one of his introductions to his books about the effect of teachers making children lie about every emotion they have. The instilling of so called politeness etc.