One of the reasons religion bothers me so much is the way the same people who react so vehemently about ‘drawing their prophet’ are so silent when their fellow-believers massacre innocent people of another sect mercilessly in broad daylight.
When the priority of being a human-being with active conscience is replaced by the one of being a member of a particular faith... there is something wrong indeed. There has to be something wrong; I always wondered why more people cannot see it. Is there anything really over humanity? Isn’t that the reason religions were created in the first place- simply put- to serve as a guidebook to being a more humane human?
I just wish you’d remove that veil and see where you are taking this world to... it’s time you woke your conscience that’s been sleeping for centuries, it’s time you shook out of that trance, it’s time you looked around... and realize that the brain that you have, it’s for reasoning things out for yourselves...
And who knows, it may even not be too late....
The Third Sex
The society I grew up in, it has a rather aversive attitude towards the eunuchs (and transgenders).
To an extent that they are considered lesser of humans who does not get the social status of a regular man or woman; to an extent when the eunuchs live separately from their families- in ‘eunuch colonies’, don’t get proper education as they are very often abandoned by their families and what they mostly do for a living is prostitution.
The word ‘hijra’ (the Hindi/ Bengali/ Urdu word for eunuch) is derogatory in South Asian languages- something you do not use in ‘sophisticated’ company, more a slang than anything else. Sadly it is not much different in the English-speaking world either. I don’t know about the social statuses of that this less than fortunate group in the context of the more civilized Western society, but if ‘the word’ is used as a derogatory term- there is little chance of anything being different to a vast degree- after all.
While our biologist friends can give us a perfectly reasonable scientific reason of what causes a person to be a man, woman or a member of ‘the third sex’- I am more concerned with the way society treats this group. I find it funny in having to spell it out- but there is more to an individual than what ‘gender’ you can categorize him (or her or whatever) as- it’s time we became aware of it.
Just as sad it is that anyone will find it funny when a group of Indians with a disgusting sense of humour passing through a photograph of Serena and Venus Williams wearing a sari- saying the following-
‘You will die laughing at how ‘hijra’ Venus and Serena looks’.
Here is the picture:
No, I’m not laughing.
I see two American ladies wearing YOUR traditional clothing, I see two ladies belonging to a different racial group than you wearing YOUR traditional clothing- I see these two ladies are trying to embrace your culture. I see nothing funny in that, I think it is nice.
It’s time you stopped laughing too.
To an extent that they are considered lesser of humans who does not get the social status of a regular man or woman; to an extent when the eunuchs live separately from their families- in ‘eunuch colonies’, don’t get proper education as they are very often abandoned by their families and what they mostly do for a living is prostitution.
The word ‘hijra’ (the Hindi/ Bengali/ Urdu word for eunuch) is derogatory in South Asian languages- something you do not use in ‘sophisticated’ company, more a slang than anything else. Sadly it is not much different in the English-speaking world either. I don’t know about the social statuses of that this less than fortunate group in the context of the more civilized Western society, but if ‘the word’ is used as a derogatory term- there is little chance of anything being different to a vast degree- after all.
While our biologist friends can give us a perfectly reasonable scientific reason of what causes a person to be a man, woman or a member of ‘the third sex’- I am more concerned with the way society treats this group. I find it funny in having to spell it out- but there is more to an individual than what ‘gender’ you can categorize him (or her or whatever) as- it’s time we became aware of it.
Just as sad it is that anyone will find it funny when a group of Indians with a disgusting sense of humour passing through a photograph of Serena and Venus Williams wearing a sari- saying the following-
‘You will die laughing at how ‘hijra’ Venus and Serena looks’.
Here is the picture:
No, I’m not laughing.
I see two American ladies wearing YOUR traditional clothing, I see two ladies belonging to a different racial group than you wearing YOUR traditional clothing- I see these two ladies are trying to embrace your culture. I see nothing funny in that, I think it is nice.
It’s time you stopped laughing too.
Honour?
There is something inexplicably sad about honour killings; may be because of its very nature that the murders are carried out by the immediate families of the victims. I'd have thought that families that are supposed to protect, not kill!
Is there no one we can trust and turn to, when the whole world we grew up knowing turns into the faceless enemy? It should not be that way... not a bit, no; it’s such a betrayal of trust, such a violation of human rights.
Take, for example, the incident of Ahmet Yildiz from Turkey, who was killed by his father in an effort to save the family from shame when he came out as a homosexual; or the sister who was stabbed to death by her brother for ‘knowing too many men’; or Tuley Green who was killed by her gambler father because she wanted to marry a man of her own choice, who was not ‘honourable’ enough in his bizarre standards.
When will the whole group of brain-washed people start thinking with their brain and heart, and use logic other than what they perceive their religion and customs tell them... and those the crazy voices inside their heads?
I am not sure anymore that the day will ever come.
Is there no one we can trust and turn to, when the whole world we grew up knowing turns into the faceless enemy? It should not be that way... not a bit, no; it’s such a betrayal of trust, such a violation of human rights.
Take, for example, the incident of Ahmet Yildiz from Turkey, who was killed by his father in an effort to save the family from shame when he came out as a homosexual; or the sister who was stabbed to death by her brother for ‘knowing too many men’; or Tuley Green who was killed by her gambler father because she wanted to marry a man of her own choice, who was not ‘honourable’ enough in his bizarre standards.
When will the whole group of brain-washed people start thinking with their brain and heart, and use logic other than what they perceive their religion and customs tell them... and those the crazy voices inside their heads?
I am not sure anymore that the day will ever come.
Lines, Borders and Human Rights
Natural Growth.
Well, what is natural growth? If you ask me however- I’d say it’s the way a child grows, or plants do... or kittens...It’s the way your life grows.... you grow- from child to teenager, teenager to adult, young to old. It’s the way your hair grows, thins and greys.
It’s also the way cities grow... the way they get more crowded, the way there are more roads, more cars, more sound... less trees. It’s the way they grow upwards, houses keep getting smaller and playgrounds less in number. It’s the way we are a little closer to the skies to make room for all of us.
Yes, that is natural growth; not what happens in West Bank, Gaza. Because only in West Bank, there exists a ‘unique’ phenomenon of uprooting the local Palestinians off the area because the ‘ever-growing Israeli population would need more room’ as a consequence of their ‘natural growth’.
Can you imagine India making room into Pakistan, Bangladesh making room into India, Iran into Afghanistan, or France into Germany, Spain into France, Italy into Austria... it does not work this way. This is not how it’s done, this is simply not fair.
You don’t grow naturally into another’s place, and much less in a place that’s not yours in any sense but religious. You believe that’s your place because some holy book says so.... you don’t move natural inhabitants off a land because the land you’ve taken from them needs to expand.... if anything, this is a blatant violation of human rights; don’t let any ‘holy’ book tell you anything different.
Well, what is natural growth? If you ask me however- I’d say it’s the way a child grows, or plants do... or kittens...It’s the way your life grows.... you grow- from child to teenager, teenager to adult, young to old. It’s the way your hair grows, thins and greys.
It’s also the way cities grow... the way they get more crowded, the way there are more roads, more cars, more sound... less trees. It’s the way they grow upwards, houses keep getting smaller and playgrounds less in number. It’s the way we are a little closer to the skies to make room for all of us.
Yes, that is natural growth; not what happens in West Bank, Gaza. Because only in West Bank, there exists a ‘unique’ phenomenon of uprooting the local Palestinians off the area because the ‘ever-growing Israeli population would need more room’ as a consequence of their ‘natural growth’.
Can you imagine India making room into Pakistan, Bangladesh making room into India, Iran into Afghanistan, or France into Germany, Spain into France, Italy into Austria... it does not work this way. This is not how it’s done, this is simply not fair.
You don’t grow naturally into another’s place, and much less in a place that’s not yours in any sense but religious. You believe that’s your place because some holy book says so.... you don’t move natural inhabitants off a land because the land you’ve taken from them needs to expand.... if anything, this is a blatant violation of human rights; don’t let any ‘holy’ book tell you anything different.
beep the beepers and honk the honkers
6:15am wake-up alarm goes off...
I force myself out of bed, brush my teeth and get my things ready for a dreadful drive to work....its not toooooo far but the insanely drivers around me make it a never ending journey, And a difficult one.
I don't have a clue why our side of the world hasn't learnt how to drive yet...oh no they know how to start a car, put it into gear and race off but do they know there are other people doing the same on the same route? All morality and ethic lessons are locked in the car boot, refusing to come out as I see the most educated(looking) people doing as bad on the roads as any other wagon driver, khota gaari wala and our very great motorcyslists...whoa I bow to them! If you have ever driven on these roads, you'd know the feeling AND its not a good one.
I struggle everyday amongst the never ending trail of insanely traffic honking the horns for no valid reason and my 5 years old asks everyday, why do they blow the horns too much!?!
We talk about changing the system but who is going to change it...these effing drivers who don't even want to drive in one lane!!!!
pardon me, if Ive stopped making sense...these are just the after effects!
I force myself out of bed, brush my teeth and get my things ready for a dreadful drive to work....its not toooooo far but the insanely drivers around me make it a never ending journey, And a difficult one.
I don't have a clue why our side of the world hasn't learnt how to drive yet...oh no they know how to start a car, put it into gear and race off but do they know there are other people doing the same on the same route? All morality and ethic lessons are locked in the car boot, refusing to come out as I see the most educated(looking) people doing as bad on the roads as any other wagon driver, khota gaari wala and our very great motorcyslists...whoa I bow to them! If you have ever driven on these roads, you'd know the feeling AND its not a good one.
I struggle everyday amongst the never ending trail of insanely traffic honking the horns for no valid reason and my 5 years old asks everyday, why do they blow the horns too much!?!
We talk about changing the system but who is going to change it...these effing drivers who don't even want to drive in one lane!!!!
pardon me, if Ive stopped making sense...these are just the after effects!
No Greys, please!
Racism. I’d have thought we’ve come a long way, and this world is a better place now than it was about a decade back when it comes to human rights (unless, of course, you are a woman living in Mogadishu , or something similar to that somewhere else), that racism is predominantly a thing of the past- and whatever of it exists today is mostly limited to a disillusioned, uneducated, closed-minded minority.
In a way, it’s right. We humans have come a long way. We are now more aware and, I’d say, more sensitive- too; or so I thought- that was yesterday.
Today I’m asking the question- are we really much different now? A news has surfaced recently and I cannot help but wonder if I was giving these modern-day humans too much credit.
You see- when in this ‘modern’ times a Louisiana justice of peace in Tangipahoa Parish, Keith Bardwell, denies to marry interracial couples on the grounds of... well... race- all I could successfully do is ‘gulp’.
To quote a few lines from the article:
Shocking!
Those children suffer, eh? Are you sure you did not mean that they become US Presidents when they grow up, Mr. Bardwell? You do seem like one of those who will not like a ‘mixed race’ president running your country!
Also… does he even ‘hear’ himself say those things?! Dude- first it was ‘inter-religion marriage, now you go ‘inter-race’?! Helloooo… Brotherhood! Where have YOU gone now?
To elaborate a little further- as if that wasn’t enough, he then goes:
That sounds ‘racist’ to me, Mr. Bardwell... ‘very racist’, actually.
Apparently, Mr Bardwell, you seem very smug about the things you ‘let them do’! Seems like you are keeping a list, too. Eh?
Well... all I can say on a positive note is that at least, what he was doing is considered ‘illegal’ in these modern times.
In a way, it’s right. We humans have come a long way. We are now more aware and, I’d say, more sensitive- too; or so I thought- that was yesterday.
Today I’m asking the question- are we really much different now? A news has surfaced recently and I cannot help but wonder if I was giving these modern-day humans too much credit.
You see- when in this ‘modern’ times a Louisiana justice of peace in Tangipahoa Parish, Keith Bardwell, denies to marry interracial couples on the grounds of... well... race- all I could successfully do is ‘gulp’.
To quote a few lines from the article:
Bardwell said he asks everyone who calls about marriage if they are a mixed race couple. If they are, he does not marry them, he said.
"There is a problem with both groups accepting a child from such a marriage," Bardwell said. "I think those children suffer and I won't help put them through it."
"I try to treat everyone equally," he said.
Shocking!
Those children suffer, eh? Are you sure you did not mean that they become US Presidents when they grow up, Mr. Bardwell? You do seem like one of those who will not like a ‘mixed race’ president running your country!
Also… does he even ‘hear’ himself say those things?! Dude- first it was ‘inter-religion marriage, now you go ‘inter-race’?! Helloooo… Brotherhood! Where have YOU gone now?
To elaborate a little further- as if that wasn’t enough, he then goes:
“I’m not a racist. I just don’t believe in mixing the races that way,” Bardwell told the Associated Press on Thursday. “I have piles and piles of black friends. They come to my home, I marry them, they use my bathroom. I treat them just like everyone else.”
That sounds ‘racist’ to me, Mr. Bardwell... ‘very racist’, actually.
Apparently, Mr Bardwell, you seem very smug about the things you ‘let them do’! Seems like you are keeping a list, too. Eh?
Well... all I can say on a positive note is that at least, what he was doing is considered ‘illegal’ in these modern times.
The Bra Boys of Islamic Extremism
Islamist hardliners have always gone out of their way to dictate how women should live, eat, drink, sleep and 'most importantly', how they should dress up; or dress down or wait, dress is for humans, women should just cover, yes, cover, cover, cover… head to toe, left to right, diagonally, horizontally, vertically… cover, cover, cover, cover… how dare they even be a three dimensional figure…
No wonder, pretty soon the cavemen were bound to be hit by boredom with their utterly monotonous and vapid vogue that is known as burqa, the sole outer garment option for women in their stone age. And yes, they have apparently gone bored… The next 'logical' step for them was to dictate undergarments and that's what they are doing now in Somalia.
Bra is the latest enemy in their egregious quest for male supremacy. But this time it is not about covering, it is rather about removing. They want all the bras gone. Bra is the latest tool of devil in their pea brains as those apparently 'violate Islam by constituting a deception' (yes it is confirmed, pea brains also produce signals, very weak nonetheless). Or it might be the case that the Captain Caveman got his lice infested beard stuck in a bra clip while trying to 'covet' one of his wives and hence the sudden rage against the brassiere.
Nevertheless, they had to do something to rid the society of this 'evil'. As usual, an age old proven idea does the trick even with this 'nouveau overture': lets harass some women…
Yes, they are now monitoring the firmness and movements of women's breasts in the streets. If those appear to be 'firmer' then those women are whipped by masked men. Then they are told to remove their bras and shake their breasts.
No, I am not talking about a fictional sadomasochistic porn flick, it is indeed happening in Mogadishu. Gone are the days when bra burning used to be a part of feminist movement. The boneheaded zealots have snatched it too from their utmost adversaries.
No wonder, pretty soon the cavemen were bound to be hit by boredom with their utterly monotonous and vapid vogue that is known as burqa, the sole outer garment option for women in their stone age. And yes, they have apparently gone bored… The next 'logical' step for them was to dictate undergarments and that's what they are doing now in Somalia.
Bra is the latest enemy in their egregious quest for male supremacy. But this time it is not about covering, it is rather about removing. They want all the bras gone. Bra is the latest tool of devil in their pea brains as those apparently 'violate Islam by constituting a deception' (yes it is confirmed, pea brains also produce signals, very weak nonetheless). Or it might be the case that the Captain Caveman got his lice infested beard stuck in a bra clip while trying to 'covet' one of his wives and hence the sudden rage against the brassiere.
Nevertheless, they had to do something to rid the society of this 'evil'. As usual, an age old proven idea does the trick even with this 'nouveau overture': lets harass some women…
Yes, they are now monitoring the firmness and movements of women's breasts in the streets. If those appear to be 'firmer' then those women are whipped by masked men. Then they are told to remove their bras and shake their breasts.
No, I am not talking about a fictional sadomasochistic porn flick, it is indeed happening in Mogadishu. Gone are the days when bra burning used to be a part of feminist movement. The boneheaded zealots have snatched it too from their utmost adversaries.
The donkey in convict’s suit
In a zoo in Gaza, two donkeys were given a dye job... ummm... to make them look like zebras. Well, look here for details, if you’d need some kind of proof.
Believe me now? You just can’t make this stuff up, can you?
What may be the reason for all this... err... fuss, you ask?
They wanted to show their children how a zebra looks like. You cannot get the animal in Asia, which is found mostly, if not only, in Africa. On top of that, they are expensive and Gaza’s Palestinians are impoverished. A genuine zebra would have been too expensive to bring into the Israel-blockaded Gaza via smuggling tunnels under the border with Egypt.
Rather sad, if you look at it this way, but- if you ask me- it STILL does not make it right.
Poverty is cruel and sad.... but I would still prefer you to not take the path of deceit. I understand that for the children, it was fun of sort sorts, but playing with their trust, saying that it was a zebra they were looking at while it was actually a donkey, is something I just could not justify.... maybe it’s just me.
And also did you think what those zebras went through being taped all over in masking tapes and dyed with a paint brush using women’s hair colour?
I think that there are some things that should be left to only the willing humans. Please spare the animals, will you?
What do you think?
Believe me now? You just can’t make this stuff up, can you?
What may be the reason for all this... err... fuss, you ask?
They wanted to show their children how a zebra looks like. You cannot get the animal in Asia, which is found mostly, if not only, in Africa. On top of that, they are expensive and Gaza’s Palestinians are impoverished. A genuine zebra would have been too expensive to bring into the Israel-blockaded Gaza via smuggling tunnels under the border with Egypt.
Rather sad, if you look at it this way, but- if you ask me- it STILL does not make it right.
Poverty is cruel and sad.... but I would still prefer you to not take the path of deceit. I understand that for the children, it was fun of sort sorts, but playing with their trust, saying that it was a zebra they were looking at while it was actually a donkey, is something I just could not justify.... maybe it’s just me.
And also did you think what those zebras went through being taped all over in masking tapes and dyed with a paint brush using women’s hair colour?
I think that there are some things that should be left to only the willing humans. Please spare the animals, will you?
What do you think?