Jihad

My professor told me Osama bin Laden is quote "full of shit!" Dr. Ahmed Ibrahim is one of the best professors I've ever had. "...Jihad this and that," he continues "...what does he know of a Jihad? What he is doing is no Jihad to any Muslim. He is just like his words, no substance whatsoever." I never believed the garbage that American society promoted that all Muslims are scary, violent people. And then I saw this was true first hand while in Oman. It's really a vote of confidence to hear intelligent people such as my professor, Ibrahim, talk about the connection between the history of the Middle East and modern foreign policy in a way that makes young Americans such as myself grasp an understanding of the context with the Arabian conflict. Emirs from Arab and Persian nations have donated millions and millions of dollars to set up degree programs and classes in universities in the U.S. that will help teach Americans about the culture of the Middle East. They are brilliant to do so, because their intention is that the struggles between the West and Middle East can be prevented through an understanding and education of the ways of their peoples. They wish for everlasting peace just as strongly as most, and by doing so people need to learn not to be misled by the out-of-context and biased opinions of the media. Osama bin Laden and his movement are lacking culture. The majority of Muslims condemn terrorism, and are embarrassed by his deeds; think of how that reflects on them? And then then the T.V. and newspapers show nothing but bloodshed and hate that in turn fuels misconceptions and generalizations for the second largest religion in the world. Dr. Ibrahim illustrates the progress of Arab culture and Islam both moving seperately, but in a parallel to each other. As they both keep running along side by side, they eventually diverge; Arabic culture stops and stays the same with it's traditions and values. Islam branches and moves away, and in other cases stays near Arabic culture. Osama bin Laden is one of those branches that gets away from the culture and rationalism of Arabic thought. Islam is identified as far back as Muhammad as being a religious administration that is also a representation of the community. In fact, it is often suggested that it was intended to be a democracy by scholars and thinkers of the Liberal Age of Arabic Thought. It's ridiculous in Christianity, Judaism, and Islam that there are people who follow their 'book' of their religion literally and fanatically. Notice how everytime Al Qaeda makes a video they are constantly quoting directly from the Qu'ran. Lots of traditions of the Muslim peoples are things not mentioned in the book, everything that comes with life, including the globalization of the world, cannot simply be put into it 1400 years ago, especially when it comes to the identities of a culture its traditions. There is a remarkable difference between religious and human traditions. I like an example of an old cultural tradition of the Hindu people who practice Sati, whoupon the death of a husband, have his body is cremated, and with him the wife joins his body and is burned alive. When the British Empire was in control of India, they did not understand this behavior and asked the people why they did it. (Keep in mind the Hindi belief of reincarnation). One time a British officer came upon a woman, crying and hesitating to jump into the flames, he stopped her and asked, "Are you crazy? Why would you do this?" She replied, "It is what I need to do, you do not understand, I want to go with him. If I die with him I will come back as a better being than I am now, and I am ready to accept this and achieve Nirvana." So, here is a religious tradition that is to some sad, to others, glorious. But when the British governor referred to the Vedas, the Hindu holy book, he found no mention of this sacrifice in the Sati, so he made a law banishing the practice completely, denying the people of their traditions, but more importantly, forcing them to practice directly the way their book says if they want to be Hindi. And on that note I think some Christian denominations can be categorized as groups that interpret their book too literally, and have void their faith of many, if not almost all traditions that came with the origin of the faith.