Saturday, August 31, 2013

Ayaan Hirsi Ali / submission

Ayaan Hirsi Ali , author of "Infidel" and  "Nomad" is an amazing person.  Time permitting, I want to watch all her Youtube clips. I have read "Infidel" but not "Nomad".  Her presentation is very calm, reasonable, rational,  on Islam, feminism, the role of Christianity.  She helped me understand, the other day, in her talk on Islam, the role of the central concept of "submission".  "Submission" is what "Islam" means.   Submission to saying your prayers five times a day in prescribed fashion.   Submission to all the rules and regulations handed down is a must for getting into paradise.  And women also must submit to their men.  This is where Ayaan Hirsi Ali's activism kicked in.  

Submission is the way you get to paradise.  It is a hard road.  I am thinking of the young men my son in law has worked with up North.  This year, Ramadan was in the middle of summer.  How long was the day up north during which you could not eat or drink?  And keep working physically on the scaffolding job?  What kind of crew members did these men make?  The co-workers were not happy, but think of it from the young man's point of view.  He is "submitting" to all the rules to get to paradise.  Ayaan Hirsi Ali (AHA) says following all the rules and having everything recorded by your recording angels on either shoulder is very difficult.  A suicide mission to guarantee a place in paradise is an easier route to follow.  She says, forget about the 72 virgins, but see how difficult it is live the life of a Muslim.

My daughter took physiotherapy with a young Muslim man in the class.  She told me about how much he struggled.  Life was very stressful for him.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z3QaLugRjMg

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0RKfPYn1JJM

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/books/7877616/Ayaan-Hirsi-Ali-the-fatwa-victim-who-refuses-to-keep-quiet.html

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