Friday, June 19, 2009

Lately my head's been kinda funny.

I don't really get why.

Maybe I'm going through like a withdrawal process, where I know I should start detaching myself with certain people;

My family and friends especially.

I've always thought of myself as someone independent. I wasn't especially vulnerable. Spiteful, maybe.

Now I'm not so sure anymore.

Morrie Schwartz told Mitch Albom to give in to emotions fully, let it seep into the soul wholly, and then let go completely. That, he says, is the perfect antidote to combat fear.

But is fear the accurate emotion that I'm feeling right now?

Possibly, possibly.

Or it could just be that time of the month again.

Friday, June 5, 2009

Juncture

I love how he quotes the Qur'an a lot. I like the fact that he knows a lot about our history, about our religion. I like how he put in the Isra' allusion in the speech. I like the fact that he gave the speech in Al-Azhar. That in itself, is a mark of respect. The speech, in its entirety, is in line with my own personal beliefs; I'm glad that the leader of the Free World is beginning to air out all the hostility between the West and Islam, and is willing to work towards a better future.

Some of my favourite excerpts:

"Too many tears have been shed. Too much blood has been shed. All of us have a responsibility to work for the day when the mothers of Israelis and Palestinians can see their children grow up without fear; when the Holy Land of the three great faiths is the place of peace that God intended it to be; when Jerusalem is a secure and lasting home for Jews and Christians and Muslims, and a place for all of the children of Abraham to mingle peacefully together as in the story of Isra -- (applause) -- as in the story of Isra, when Moses, Jesus, and Mohammed, peace be upon them, joined in prayer. "

"I recognize it will be hard to overcome decades of mistrust, but we will proceed with courage, rectitude, and resolve."


"America does not presume to know what is best for everyone, just as we would not presume to pick the outcome of a peaceful election. But I do have an unyielding belief that all people yearn for certain things: the ability to speak your mind and have a say in how you are governed; confidence in the rule of law and the equal administration of justice; government that is transparent and doesn't steal from the people; the freedom to live as you choose."

"I am convinced that our daughters can contribute just as much to society as our sons. " (I absolutely love this line. More people should realize this.)

"The Holy Koran tells us: "O mankind! We have created you male and a female; and we have made you into nations and tribes so that you may know one another."

The Talmud tells us: "The whole of the Torah is for the purpose of promoting peace."

The Holy Bible tells us: "Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God.""

Read the whole thing here.

The speech is pretty long, 55 minutes and the transcript spans around three A4 pages. But it's beautiful. And it is a start. It's a good start.

I completely understand the skepticism and the hostility from Gaza and Islamabad. If my house was torn apart and I lost family members in the hands of Americans, I would take this speech as something more of a political ploy.

But I believe in Obama's sincerity, in his willingness to forge a better relation between our wrongly misunderstood religion and the West. As he said; "I do so recognizing that change cannot happen overnight. I know there's been a lot of publicity about this speech, but no single speech can eradicate years of mistrust..."

But he's willing to take the small baby steps. Are we?