...Ramadan mubarak (As we say in Canada, LOL)! On behalf of our blog, I wish you all a lovely month filled to the brim with love, happiness and good times. We are all so blessed, so I just wanted to *gently* remind you to remember what Ramadan is also about: thinking of and understanding what life is like for people in need. I hope this month gets everyone pumped to be a more active part of their local and global community.
Thinking of and appreciating all my blessings (our followers/readers are on that list),
**If you check out the post before this one, you will see how my unbelievably sage friend defended her point in such an eloquent and peaceful manner that the imbecile who was arguing with her had nothing to reply with. It goes without saying that this pleased me to no end**
I'm a person that struggles with the issue of faith on a daily basis. No, scratch that; I struggle with faith on an hourly basis. I discuss religion with my friends, teachers and peers. I listen, I argue and I frequently offend. Sometimes I come to some great conclusions backed up by solid points, and other times I just make noise. Either way, the reason I like talking about faith is because it is my way of understanding, and ultimately, accepting the concept of religion. However, I do try to limit my offensive musings to the domain of my own faith. Care to know why that is? Well, simply put:
1) I don't know what teachings are in the holy books that I have not studied
2) Even if I had somewhat of an idea as to what was in there, I would not have the background and understanding of that faith to understand the contextual meaning.
3) It is just plain ignorant.
Newsflash: not all Muslims are terrorist, nor do they care to be one. Terrorism is such a lengthy and complex topic to delve into, that I won't even attempt to have at it. Also, that's not the real reason as to why I am writing this post. I'm writing this post in an attempts to tell the three of you who will read this that we are all human. We use religion as a compass, a crutch and a blanket to comfort us during those dark times when we just need something to believe in. Everyday, I see how a variety a religions usher peace and acceptance into the hearts of the people around me. I must admit I often find myself envying them, because I still grapple with my own grasp on faith. There seems to be something about religion that helps people find the strength to work through their problems. Despite the fact it doesn't impact me in that way, I still admire that quality in religion. Why anyone would attempt to take this away is beyond me. There is enough hate and anger in the world to last through an extended screening of the Lord of the Rings Trilogy, and then some. We don't need to go around creating more animosity (ahem, Denmark).
I'll be honest, I've said my share of infuriating sacrilegious things and frequently mock what I often fail to understand. However, I do try to listen to what people say (read: yell) to me in regards to these situations, and I think about them more often than they would imagine. To some, it's natural to feel some subconscious urge to disagree with a notion held sacred by a large amount of people. There are ways of going about this and voicing your opinion, but there is a line and even I'll admit that. At the end of the day, we are all entitled whatever it is we want to be entitled to, and we can challenge and debate the things we don't agree with or understand. However, a clean fight is a fair fight for a reason. It is one rule, DON'T DRAW THE PROPHET. I have no idea why some cartoonists can not just accept it as a limitation. If it was ever meant to be funny or insightful, well let me tell you that it is neither of those things.
The premise is simple: Don't draw the Prophet. How hard is that? Discuss the teachings, argue the fundamentals or even question the approach; everything is all "fair game". I like to think we have reached a stage in our global society that allows for discussion, debate and even questioning. Throughout history, progress has often been the result of pushing the boundaries of what is acceptable. However, it is noteworthy to pay attention to the pushing part of that last sentence. Not to burst your bubble, but never has ignorance and crude behavior lead to anything worthwhile, not even for one as great as myself.
Over and out,
S.
Leave comments and tell me what you think. Rock my world with your opinions on this matter.
