An Iranian mullah who has been insulted says:
…This must be understood in this country. They must in practice pull out their tongues. What reason is there I am walking and they must insult me, a clergyman; why insult the sacred? In an Islamic society at that.
Whilst this brings us back to the importance of free expression particularly for those living under and resisting Islamism, it also raises another issue, which is that Iran isn’t an Islamic society.
As Mansoor Hekmat has said:
…The image of an Islamic society prevalent in the West is one of pious believers of Islam who abide by its rules, pray and fast, and whose opinions are formed by religious texts or sources. In fact, it imagines that a citizen of a society like Iran is a follower of Mr Khomeini, is really offended if someone ventures onto the streets unveiled, does not like Western music, does not drink alcohol nor eat pork, etc.
Given this definition, however, we all know that Iran is not an Islamic society. This is a stereotypical and clichéd image that the West itself has created of societies out of reach of its citizens; it is not an independent and exact yardstick. Islam in Iran, like Christianity in for example Italy or Ireland, definitely influences the thought and temperament of some people. Undoubtedly, religious culture and its thousands of years old dreadful legacy influences peoples’ behaviours, prejudices and even the way they view each other. But this also applies to Italy, Ireland and France with all their secularism; after all, one could say those countries are also Christian. A French person, however, would certainly assert that France is not a Christian society, although Christianity is part of its past and has some bearing. In this manner, Islam has some bearing in Iran. For example, when you read the writings of Iranian poets, writers and intellectuals, the images you are given on women is Islam’s legacy of women. The images you are given of pleasure and sorrow, the fascination with misery, death and martyrdom in culture are extracted from Islam. But when the West speaks of an Islamic society, it suggests a society in which Islamic rules and regulations have been internalised and become inherent for people. We, on the other hand, argue that Islam has been imposed on the people of Iran in a political process through prisons, massacres, arrests and herds of Hezbollah thugs. Iran is not an Islamic society because it wasn’t one before they arrived. And since they have arrived, people have withstood them and defended themselves…
Strictly, by stopping his medication, your grandfather did not “commit suicide” but “let nature take its course”. Most Christians take that view, so I guess your grandfather is in Heaven.
Oh wait…
My grandfather was not stupid. He knew that if he stopped taking his heart medication he would die, probably from another heart attack. He died of heart failure. He committed suicide plain and simple. He was not that stupid.
Who decides what is sacred? IMHO, a moo-la is no more sacred than anyone or anything else. Many Xian commit Bibliolatry, but yet deny they do, esp when they insist their book is sacred, yet another Xian will say that it is a sin to worship the Bile and accuse other Xians of doing so. By the same token, being a vegetarian and a lover of animals and our only home, the earth, I get accused of worshiping the animals and the earth, but to me, life is “sacred”, if we must use that word. The needless slaughter of humans and other animals is an abomination, as well as a lack of respect for life, in my view. Anti-abortion is the exact opposite, IMO, in that it disrespects, dehumanizes, and degrades those already living in this world. Be that as it may, who decides what is sacred? IMHO, religion is not sacred, because it has a blatant disregard for life. Many religions, esp the Abrahamic ones, are nothing more than death cults.
On that note, why is it that suicide (with some twisted bizarre exceptions) is a sin in Xianity, but yet a suicide bomber, who kills in the name of Ah-yah/Islam, goes to heaven and not hell? According to the Xians, that person goes to hell, but yet in Islam, that person goes to heaven with “praises to Ah-yah”? That is sacred? Meanwhile, my grandfather, who died from a depressive psychosis, accused drs and psychologists of being of the devil, trying to steal his soul, insisting that God was calling him “home”, and went off his heart meds. Incidentally, he died within a few days of doing that, yet my relatives refuse to call it suicide, wanting to believe he is in heaven. :rolleyes: I’m not sure what Islamics would call that- suicide or not- but the point remains, such religions, who attempt to label this or that sacred, only end up with blood and death on their hands, in one form or another.
Clergy are not sacred and contribute just as much to these death cults as do the practicianers of said religions. I am surprised more children who are sexually abused by clergy and others within a religion don’t commit suicide, and/or have an eating disorder, and/or worse- totally lose their minds.
But I rant and ramble on about all of this. I’m sure most get what I am trying to say.
Suicide is also a a major sin in Islam, but those who die in battle go to heaven. Thus attacks against the infidels are justified as part of the jihad, and heavenworthy, regardless of the inevitable deadly outcome of the attack.
Thus I’ve seen it justified at least.
He’s a non-Iranian rat from Lebanon living in our society who spits on our nation and culture. These ragheads need to be sent back to the Arab desert. I truly despise all Arabs.
On a semi-related note, great video made by Maryam a while back:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7nE10adZLRo
What part of fuck off don’t you understand, persianpower88?
Thank you, Maryam, for stating what I was thinking.
Does the 88 stand for what I think it does?
It is interesting that the interviewers says “insults are not acceptable under any circumstances”. Seriously? Isn’t she the spokesperson for a regime that systematically denies the holodcaust? How many millions find that insulting?
When did Hezbollah move from Lebanon to Iran?
in 1979. The arrival of khomein brought with it the hezzbollah mentality.
Hezbollah is the generic term for Islamist – it does not mean Hezbollah, the political party.