Omar seems to have a softer version of Islam going for him. The Koran was here to finish up the other two
prophecies which had been contaminated by humans and therefore inaccurate. It is the only book that has not changed since
it was written and this is seen as a good thing. However, Omar did say that Islam is not a
religion that will change.
He recalled a humorous video where
two gay men tell the straight men that if they cannot marry each other, they will marry women. The next scenes show happy male/female
couples cooking, shopping, interior design and the like. Similarly two woman tell straight women that
since they cannot marry each other so they will now marry men. The scene shifts to a male/female couple
fixing the car, doing Xbox(?) and watching sports. Omar got
the joke and laughed and laughed. It is refreshing to talk with an Arab who is easy on the issue.
As
for hell, etc. Jews/Christians will
follow their prophets into heaven, not go to hell as is the misconception. This is news to me. I don't see it in the Koran.
Omar agrees that the Koran is fear based to motivate good behavior like a law
that threatens to punish. The Koran was
written “in this part of the world” and was addressing Jews and Arabs, who he
sees as the same people. Then he notes
that Middle Easterners are more…
hypocritical (I'm not sure of the word here)?
Omar wants something in life he feels passion about and this is Aikido. His Zen Buddhist teacher (who liked him because
he saw himself in this fine Kuwaiti lad) was cremated. He is sorry that he was cremated and doesn’t
know if the teacher is in heaven or not.
Omar studied under him for about 5 years.
Yes,
women in Kuwait may have a line of males following them, especially the good
looking and perhaps not covered as much (which seems allowable if not somewhat
risky). One female told him of her good
looking friend when a Rolls Royce stopped and a man got out. She brushed him off, not knowing he was member
of the Kuwaiti royal family. Only in Kuwait, right?
How
did he compare Kuwait to the US. In
Kuwait – since Arabs don’t like to be stared at, he looks down. He liked the US where people see each other
and say hi. Arabs in DC were very happy
to meet a fellow Muslim. He likes the
mingling of the sexes in the US and notes gender segregation in Kuwait schools
creates a misunderstanding of females by the males.
As
a non Muslim, you are not breaking the rules by being gay. If I were a Muslim and told him I was gay, he
would say I am a hypocrite because you can’t really be both by “law”. But he wouldn’t not talk to the
hypocrite. Maybe perhaps just feel this
person is not being honest to the religion.
(We didn’t talk about what a gay Muslim should do.) He thinks gay Kuwaitis leave the country if
they can.
Busy
guy, classes, taking care of the house he and his father own, Aikido – gives
him a full day most days. Work week on
average is 5 days. I’m not sure how
Kuwaiti’s treat non Kuwaitis. He notes
the nationals all want upper class jobs and positions and paychecks. Lower jobs go to immigrants. Omar sees the dependence on oil as a bad thing
in this regard.
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