Israel

[2342]

Dawood, I understand the basic definition of Shari'ah law- I was hoping though you would go into a bit of detail regarding the specific laws you live by.

 

I have lived in many places where Shari'ah law is enforced but it seems to differentiate a lot depending on the country- and the education given to locals regarding which of the Madrassas they have been educated at- or even which local Imam they follow. It seems too to be based a lot on how the Qur'an is translated and also who is doing the translating.

 

I have seen the Shari'ah differentiate from when I was living in Iran which is predominately obviously Shi’a and then again when I was living in Iraq it changed to Sunni- then when I was living in Saudi Arabia there was also a huge difference. Traveling through all countries ending in STAN I faced an entirely different set of rules. Northern Africa- again- yet another set of different rules. A lot of rules one must follow and keep up with to play the chess game correctly. Chechnya by far had to be one of the most dangerous places to stumble and not obey the rules.

 

Having lived in so many countries- yet always respecting their religious traditions- I have stumbled a few times and spent some time in some really dilapidated prisons- that I am sure the crew of “Trading Places” would have had much fun with. For some valid reasons too- purposely losing my minder. (A minder is someone who is assigned to watch over another person, usually to observe their actions and keep them in line. This typically happens to visitors in totalitarian countries.)

 

If you should happen to loose your minder and wind up filming, phtographing or speaking to people freely – that you should not be- and get caught- usually you can typically buy your way out- but again- it depends on where you are. Normally the Minder and the local police will be sitting in your hotel room waiting for you upon your return- and always with happy faces, and handcuffs. And too yet again- sometimes you can buy your way out of this situation- but it all seems to depend on how many people are involved in knowing about your escape out of the bounds of your minder- the more people that are involved (i.e. Saudi Arabia for intence has groups of Islamic Police that really inforce the law) it is less likely you will be able to buy your way out- and you may find yourself in prison for a while.

 

These are obviously my experiences and I do not mean to demean the importance or role of Shar’iah in any country with which I lived or spent time in. I am simply curious about the laws you persoanly live by. Why is Shari’iah imporatnt to you?

[Dawood]

well, firstly, I live in America. I live according to the laws here. When I mention Shariah, I'm talking about the pure Islamic law which is too comprehensive for us to go over right here, right now.

I understand that countries that Identify themselves as muslim countries these days can definately be corrupt and the laws will change from place to place, but that is also because Islam has become sectarian and the laws will change according to the understanding of the people. Of course , this is wrong, but people are people and we can only hope for the best.

 

The Shariah is important to me because it is the law that the creator has revealed and sent to man to work in conjunction with beleif in Allah (God) and in the last day.

If a person had no religion or fear of God, then there would need to be some sort of laws to protect themselves and others from their mischief. Here in America the laws are secular becuase in truth, even though most people in America (or a lot of them) call themselves Christian, they are really secular, so they govern themselves according to what suits their desires.

Muslims recognise God as being the only one whol has the right to legislate and govern the people since he is the one who created them. Let me ask you though, you said you were in Saudi Arabia and in my opinion from what I've seen in todays world, Saudi Arabia is closer to the pure shariah than others. Tell me about your experiences in Saudi Arabia. Good, Bad, whatever. Don't compare it to America, just out of curiousity I'd be interested to hear what you thought of the set up there.

[2342]

I am just going to write -not typically through my eyes as a journalist but instead- a very honest and bias account of what life was like living in Saudi.

 

Saudi through my eyes during the three years I lived there was rich in tradition, culture, strong in ethic, morals, beauty, and especially mystery.

 

I purposely chose not to live in one of the too, too many American- European built compounds that are built throughout Saudi - so the American- Europeans never have to feel as if they’ve actually left the comforts of their soul-numbing, seizure-inducing, hope-curdling Wal-Marts.

 

Once I got settled and became “a local fixture” – the locals began to except me.

 

I always found it astonishingly exciting that one moment you could be sitting down with a Saudi family having the an intense discussion regarding politics, prayer .i.e. religion, education and what they feel is important to be taught in their society to their kids- their school systems- etc. then in the next moment the husbands cell phone rings- and the for the next 20 minutes he is bartering with his stock advisor over the price of rice in China and how much he should or should not invest- sell or not sell.

 

Obviously this is one experience- with one family- there are too many to go into- but in and overview:

 

You suddenly realize this place called Saudi Arabia is on the one hand is immensely fragile in history but at the same time- so far ahead of itself when it comes to technology and business it’s rather scary.

 

Praying with my close friends and those who became family over time was always a beautiful experience, watching their kids celebrate Ramadan for their first time was beautiful. Being able to share in what they considered important was something I will never exploit or take for granted.

 

The 30 to 40 year old Saudi’s I encountered seem to have found their happy place when it came to splicing in and dividing their deep beliefs, religion their highly educated lives and deep religious tradition. They seem to have found the right groove between their daily “religious struggle” (which I believe is actually a more accurate description of the word Jihad) and the price of having to work in a corporate world and spending a lot of time away from home. After about 3 months of witnessing this struggle it was normal- and at the same time not normal.

 

Ridding the evening train home- sitting next to people who are completely wired in- Lap top- cell phone- PDA, all Bluetoothed in-to every type of technology you could name- everyone ridding the trains was wired for sound. But- as I was ridding the “tech train” home- I would stop for a moment and zone out all the rings, the beeps and the business chatter around me for a moment to watch was happening out side the train- and there I saw normality in what you might expect to see in Saudi- on your first trip- humans, just trying to survive. Men in their late 40 to 60’s herding animals near the river. No cell phones- no lap top, no Bluetooth. When will these two pictures meet- if ever? And what will happen when they do meet?

 

I also had a chance to visit some traditional Madrasas – which on the one hand I can understand and appreciate, and then there is another side of me that has a lot of questions. I found that the wealthier Saudi kids went to private schools, and the servants who work for those wealthier Saudi families that are imported in from the Philippines, India and Thailand- those are the kids you would normally find attending a traditional Madrasa. And too, I found the teachings a bit bias, only open to the belief that all Jews and Christians are the anti-Christ and they would openly talk about such things by saying to me that they truly believed the saying “Kill all kaffers.” Kaffers= non-believers.

 

Now don’t get me wrong- as long as one never has to leave his or her dessert island and you are living amongst like minded people- this is all well and good- but after speaking to the parents of the kids who were being taught at these Madrasas- they too had their concerns. For one- they were working their ass off so their kids could have a better life than waiting on wealthy people daily- but what is going to happen if that “better” day comes and they find themselves living in Amsterdam for instance- completely surrounded by Kaffers?

 

Why not teach philosophy, French, Math, Science, chemistry – I found the teaching at the Madrasas- frankly – depressing. For the obvious reasons. I believe there can be a balance between religion and book smarts.

 

I found women both wealthy and not wealthy extremely frustrated with their role in society. They wanted their voice- their opinion to heard more in their kingdom. I found many women who knew their husbands cheated on them with their servants and could not have cared less, because as these women told me -they also knew what kinds of things their husbands did with these women- and those things were for whores- not for wives.

 

I also found women who could not be happier with their life, their role and their religion.

 

There is a cast system, and it is stronger and even more overwhelmingly obvious than I had ever imagined.

 

I found hypocrisy as well, outside Hajj and I mean right outside Hajj- you could find alcohol, playboy magazines, and even prostitutes.

 

I guess on my first trip to Saudi after my post graduate schooling in Germany I had expectations- that it would be a place stainless grandeur steeped in mystery- and you know what? It was- but it was also human. Human in the sense that no place on earth is perfect- there are wrinkles in every society and when you try and portray yourself, your country, your people- as such- that is when you will stumble- and stumble far.

 

This is all I will write for now- unless anyone has any other specific questions- I will answer anything you ask. I don’t want to bore anyone by rambling.

[kazhoes]

Hezbollah for life HASSAN NASSRALLAH IS READY FORA SECOND ROUND MOTHERFUCKER

[Dawood]

2342, I just read your story again and found it to be very interesting. I enjoy your posts, mashaAllah. I was just in saudi arabia a few moths ago. From the standpoint of a muslim. Saudi arabia, although not perfect and very human is the best place on earth. it has 2 of Islam's holiest sites there and the peace security you feel (especially in Medina) are unmatched.

I honestly would stay there for the rest of my days if I had the chance to. i loved it there.

To a non muslim who is seeking the life of this world i suppose it would seem sort of boring. There is certainly a cast system and racism that divides people. Saudis have money and not many others do. Just like anywhere else, there's problems and the human condition exists.

I particularly loved that the culture there was based around Islam and people in general were a lot more religious than anywhere else I've ever been.

 

When I say "religious" I don't mean in a stuffy "be quiet in church" kind of way. I mean in a striving to be a decent human being doing good deeds and humble servent of God kind of way. Upright and honest, neither oppressing people nor annoying them. Optimistic and generous, sincere and consistent. A lot of us anre simply not taught how to implement these qualities and Islam encourages all of this and more especially when practiced within a society. I liked that about Saudi arabia. Yes, there are downsides, many, but overall, Id live and die there if I had the chance to.