Think or think Not!

No matter how much I write about this subject, or set of related subjects, I can't seem to write enough. A while ago, I was watching a video of Dr. Michio Kaku speaking, and he said that our generation might be the last generation of humans to die of old age, because scientists are so close to finding a way to reverse/stop the aging process.That should be, of course, good news. Even though it might not happen in my life time, and if it happens in my life time, I might not be able to benefit from it, I felt good that, in the future, people will make great scientific achievements that will enable them to defeat death caused by old age, just like they defeated many fatal diseases and still fighting many others. It is good, actually great news. Yet, I saw different reactions to this from different people. When I talked about this with one person who can not make up their mind about religion and God, Their immediate reaction was: "God forbid!" I was shocked. I mean, we say "God forbid" or something like that when we hear about bad things, like death, but to say it about stopping death was strange, really strange. Their explanation when I asked why they think that was that they believe people will "eat each other" if this should happen. Ok, so the solution to some of people's problems is that they die. Very nice!

Another person mocked the news and found it, somewhat, silly. "There will always be death and causes of death. This is nonesense. Now this person is religious and thinks that humans' dreams of immortality are silly because God says we all must die in order to move to the eternal life, whether in heaven or in hell. Now that is not silly, but stopping the aging process or finding a cure to all fatal diseases is silly! I was speechless. You can't argue with that!

I mean we all give our children vaccines that were developed by scientists, to protect them from fatal diseases, like smallpox or TB, but we don't believe that science can do more, just like people that suffered from smallpox didn't believe there will be a vaccine for it one day, just like people 100 years ago couldn't imagine TV, or satellites or the Internet. We all take vaccines and different drugs to keep ourselves and our loved ones healthy, we all use TV and benefit from satellites and Internet, religious or non-religious, we all do. These things are a reality, we see them, we touch them, we feel their effect on our lives, and they are proofs of what science can do, what human ambition can do. Yet, we still don't believe in the future of science, just like our old ancestors. But we believe of an invisible being that will take our invisible, so-called souls to an invisible heaven or hell after we die so we can live an eternal life of happiness or of torture, based on whether we follow the teachings of someone who we never met, and who might or might not have existed some 2, 3 or 5 thousand years ago. Excuse me, but that's a very messed up way of thinking!

قواريركم (Your Fragile Flasks)

تعمل المرأة طيلة حياتها في مجتمعاتنا لتثبت جدارتها بالحياة وبأنها إنسانة منتجة وتستحق الاحترام، وتنضج لتتحمل مسؤولية أسرة، وربما أكثر، ومن جميع الجوانب، بينما يهنأ الرجل بالاطمئنان والراحة إلى أن الفضل في كل ذلك سيُعزا إليه في النهاية، كونه القيّم عليها، وفي نهاية المطاف، إذا فكرت المرأة في يوم من الأيام بأن تعيش يومًا لنفسها، أو تفكر في مصلحتها الذاتية، تُتّهم في عقلها وأخلاقها، لتعود، خوفًا من ثبات التهم عليها في مجتمع يسوده الذكور، إلى مخبأ خلف الكواليس لتتابع تحمل المسؤولية وإدارة أمور حياتها وحياة الآخرين، ولكن دون أن يعلم بذلك أحد، لأن الكشف عن ذلك يطاردها دومًا مهددًا عقلها وأخلاقها، ولتظل بقية عمرها، مجرد قارورة في نظر المجتمع المنافق، ومجرد وسيلة لرعاية الآخرين، في نظر من حولها، بينما لا تهنأ بينها وبين نفسها إلا بأحلام الحرية والانعتاق.

 

 

Women, in our societies, work hard all their lives to prove their worthiness of living and of respect, and grow up to handle the responsibility of taking care of a family, or more than one family, in every way, while men rest assured that all credit will be theirs eventually, since they are the Carers, publicly! And, at the end of the day, if a woman thinks of herself and of living what's left of her life for herself, they question her morals and judgement, pushing her to hide, again, in the background to avoid the verdict of a partiarch society, and she goes on taking care of others and managing other people's lives, in secrecy, because she's always haunted by the risk  threatening her morals and judgement, and remains for the rest of her life looked at as a "fragile flask" in a hypocrite society, and as a means to care for others among those around her, while she's only allowed to dream of freedom and respect.

What is going on?

Israel always boasts that it's the only democracy in the Middle East, and US Governments always say that they support Israel only because it's the only democracy in the Middle East, which makes Israel look like a hero state, living in danger all the time among its barbaric neighbors.

Now, with the so called Arab Spring, and many freedom fighters out on the streets calling for freedom, democracy and human rights, we see the other face of Israel. The face that was so terrified of losing a tyrant like Mubarak, the face that was horrified of the spread of uprisings throughout the Arab countries, although all uprisings are calling for freedom and democracy.

It makes me wonder. Isn't that what Israel was saying it wants in order to feel safe among its neighbors? What is it that's scaring Israel in the democratization of the Arab world? Or is it just that Israel doesn't want competition in its world as the preferred ally of the US?

One of things that scares Israel to death is the emergence of the March 15th uprising and the call to end division among Palestinian fractions. It's a big problem to Israel to see Palestinians stand united against occupation. I wonder why.

Let's also see what Israel has been doing since the Arab Spring started, and the events we saw surrounding Israel and Palestine. They decided to build a new city in Wadi Ara in which Arabs will not be allowed to live. In order to build the city, they will need to take large agricultural lands from their owners. Juliano Mer Khamis was killed. Killed by Arabs or by Israelis, it doesn't matter, whoever killed him targeted the Palestinian cause. Watch his Arna's Children and you will know why he was killed. A family of 5 settlers were killed in the middle of the night, allegedly by two Arabs who were never caught, but the incidence was used as an excuse to arrest everyone in the village of Awarta, more than 5000 persons, for questioning and taking DNA samples. A new law was passed by the Israeli Knesset enabling the court system to revoke citizenship of anyone convicted of espionage or "helping" the enemy. The word "helping" is just too vague. Israel started bombing Gaza again even though Palestinians announced a cease fire. And yesterday, the body of Vittorio Arrigoni was found after he was kidnapped a couple of days ago allegedly to force Hamas to free Salafist prisoners. But he was murdered before the end of the period allowed by kidnappers.

It is strange, isn't it? What is it they want?

A Letter to God

Dear God,

Ok, I am not even sure you're there as I have never seen or heard you. Many people around me say I should believe that you exist, that I must believe the stories about you and your prophets in holy books, but I just can't, it's not that simple.I will tell you why I can't believe you exist, and if you can reply, please do, I will be waiting.

First, holy books tell stories of you taking immediate action to clean the world and eliminate menace. For example, the people of Saleh, as it was told in Quran, were wiped off the face of the earth simply because they killed his camel, showing disbelief in him or his God. If you're a animal rights activist, I am too, but wiping out a whole nation because of a camel is a bit extreme, don't you think? And if the problem was that they expressed disbelief, why didn't you just convince them? I mean I am sure if you came out and talked to them the way you talked to Moses, they would certainly believe you're there. It doesn't make sense, plus it's not fair. The people of Loot also were wiped out because they were homosexuals. Ok, now that's a problem. Wasn't it you who created those people and made them homosexuals? If not then who did? and if yes, why kill them for it? When I hear such stories, I can't but wonder; are those crimes more horrible than the crimes we see committed every day now? Why are you silent now? What is holding you back?

I really want to believe, but you're not helping, at all! Every time I turn the TV on I see news of sick, killed and tortured people everywhere. Tyrants and bad people are controlling the world and causing so much pain and suffering to many, many people around the world. Yet, you're silent. No sign of you anywhere. You, allegedly, exposed yourself and talked to Moses simply to convince him that you are there, but you want billions of people to believe in you now without any evidence that you are there, or that you are still there. Maybe you did exist earlier at the times of Moses, Jesus, Mohammed and others, then you died, or just lost interest in the world and let it go on without intervention.

If you're dead, I understand, then we're on our own and we have to struggle. But if you're still there, only lost interest, I guess that's very irresponsible of you. I mean what kind of a God would create all these people then just feels bored and let them face life alone, a life that, supposedly, you created as well. And if that's the case, if you're there but just bored and careless, why should we worship you?

Many things I keep thinking of and hoping to find answers to, but I will end this letter here now and hope to hear from you before I get the urge for sending you another letter. If you're there, in the sky, in another galaxy, planet, on the net, on Twitter or Facebook or anywhere else, speak to me, tell me you're there and, most importantly, tell me why you're silent. I am waiting.