Or not.
I feel conflicted about Muslim identity politics, the way I usually feel about gay identity politics.
I am not a lesbian, (I am bisexual) but that doesn't mean I would be or should be ashamed of it if I was a lesbian!
I am not religious, (I am of muslim background, and unreligious) but that doesn't mean I would be or should be ashamed of it if I was muslim!
It's strange how things that are so personal, who you fall in love with and who stirs a longing in your loins (yes I actually just wrote that!), or how you connect with your own spirituality, and who you pray to, to make your dreams come true - it is strange that people think they can have opinions and political debate and wars about things that personal and that harmless. And I say harmless, and yet people actually kill eachother over these things. How people think they have a right to decide who other people should love and how they should connect with their deepest desires. Maybe, it is because it is such a personal, sensitive, integral, delicate part of being human. If people question and prod you or judge you or think they can tell you how you should be in love and religion, it makes you feel violated and angry...
And of course, there is the cynical side of it - how else do you control populations, but by claiming to represent the dude in the sky who will make all their dreams come true, but only if they listen to you and do as you say.
4 comments:
This is a very interesting post. I think you'll enjoy my book, the 12-Step Buddhist. I've tried to deal with all of these issues. The book is out March 10, but is available for pre-order now on Amazon.
There are also free articles and podcasts on the site: http://the12stepbuddhist.com
-d
A beautiful and profound post.
Funny how some preach the compassion and generosity of Islam, while others preach punishment and hatred of all those that are different, including other Muslims.
Such a thin line between following your heart (or groin as you put it, ha, I wrote it too) since I do truly believe love has no gender, and yet trying to fight the subconcious (or even concious) urges to beat yourself into a mold so the religion, race, culture, xyz can all better fit. Just how it should have been apparently.
But that was before the dinosaurs died n'est pas..?
I suppose :P
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