Various statements from Tahir...

7/4/14

Here is a potpourri selection of statements from Tahir. I may elaborate here and there, paraphrase and use actual quotes…

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I have had the benefit of learning of Islam from Tahir and he is sad that I have not taken in the message.  “All the rest are sleeping.”  Meaning those who have not bothered to look into Islam.  He is sad that I have not heard his message.

You are in the dark.  The worst thing.  You are doing the bad thing (I think this is being gay) and not picking the thing which gives immortal relief by picking way of Allah, teachings of Islam.

There is no reward in this world – home, money, popularity.  This is not reward, yes it is nice for now, thank God.  But it is proof to everyone that these things are perishable.

We begin as fetus, then we crawl, walk, but our time on planet is temporary.  You leave with an empty hand.  (this is very true!)

The game is not ended here on earth, this is not the end of the movie; the  real movie starts when you are in the grave… two angels come to you!  “Oh my god I got this message!”  The angels will ask who are you?  But in fact they already know, they do know you.  Your soul will answer what was your religion and who is your prophet.  But you are too late to make any changes. (Koran refers to this a great deal.)

“Keep this in mind… start your homework from today.  Nobody knows when he is leaving.  This is my message to you.  Don’t relate to community who don’t know, or don’t say I am doing what all people are doing.”

“Good that you are doing homework but be in Islam.  I am worried for you.  Believe me and believe in almighty god, you will enjoy every second of your life I assure you.”

Whether you are good or bad - no matter.  Qu’ran for all creatures, even invisible creatures (Jinn, made from fire); some (Jinn) are Muslim and some are non Muslim.  No proof for this thing.

“Indulge in what god like for you.  God knows his creature (humans)”  But clearly the need to be afraid of the resurrection is part of the  pact with Allah.  It is a problem if God’s creature is not afraid of the penalty on disbelieving.

God to man:  "Live like this, be my beloved."

In this life, there are limits. And this is good…

“Can’t claim I’m a good Muslim – part of corrector is me and God knows.” 

The Atomic Bomb – keep it unless you need it.  It’s a good thing (per the Pakistani view!)  The US has no right to remove the weapon of others since they have them for self protection.  The US used it and then tells other to give them up!

United Nation is bullshit.  It only supports the West.

“Life is an open book exam in practical.  You will be rewarded.”   (If you follow Allah!)

Eating with your hands is healthier and will give you more taste.

God loves you MORE than your mother.

Every leaf recites the praise of my Lord.

Islam practical logical rational.

Your faith in God is beyond your mind.  The mind can’t comprehend the presence of God

Sponsorship Conflict with Tahir

Tahir wants me to sponsor his Visa to the U.S.  It is hard for Pakistani’s to get a Visa.

I actually looked into the matter without much enthusiasm.  It isn’t that I don’t want to meet Tahir, it’s that I don’t really want to bring in another homophobe into the US, nor into my home.   You see, as a Pakistani, it is normal to invite you into their home and he tells me he would willingly invite me into his home and serve me as a guest.   So I feel sorta guilty.  He seems to want to continue to talk to me.

Actually, sponsorship requires a great deal.  I need to write a letter stating that I want him to visit.  It appears to me that we need a rather strong connection in order to do this – family connection or business reasons.  Secondly, they need an affidavit that justifies that I can financially support this person.  I am not that rich, nor do I really want my financials in his hands.

I have told him about needing a solid reason.  He suggests with a smile that we are to be married.  He’s joking, or so I believe.  I am amused either way.

I do tell him that having someone with his anti-gay feelings is not something I want to sponsor.  He tells me we are friends and that he is not against gay people.  In a funny way, I think this is true.  My statement is more philosophic.  People who make statements like “Allah will punish those who are violating his laws against homosexuality and will be punished in hell forever” are handing violent and ignorant people all they need to victimize gay people.  This concept seems beyond his thinking.  If/when this comes up again, I’ll add to this report.

He views my unwelcoming stance as more proof that Americans and Europeans are reserved and not friendly.  They SEEM friendly, but beyond 10 minutes, they will not talk to you.  I think this is probably right, particularly when you compare this to Pakistani hospitality.  The Koran states several times that one must take in “travelers”.

But I really do like Tahir.  He recently added me as a friend on Facebook.   Morally, I’m in the wrong club; culturally, he has taken me in, at least on Facebook!

Adnan and some various statements... on July 4th.

Various statements and my impressions from Adnan:

He cares about Arabic culture.  Many Arabs are English speaking and there are little taxes in Arabic Countries.

UAE wants peace, no killing, and he feels sad for killing.

War hurts small children who then don’t have house, or can eat, and it’s very sad.

He likes countries with princes and kings. In the UAE, you can go to princes and king – like a big family and ask for help.  And all the citizens are like children to the king.  There are no bad kings right now – can you name a bad king?  (I couldn’t because I haven’t really followed the kings of the planet.)

In general, the father is in control of the family.  This despite for the story that when asked who he cared for most, it was his mother – this was asked three times and on the fourth time, it was the father.  Sorta like 75% pro mother, 25% pro father.

In Saudi Arabia, you may not like everything, just like in the US.  They need progress but this takes 300 years in order to change the people.

I needed to use the word “Subtle” and we had a bit of difficulty getting there.  I had one of those sex questions and it went like this: I am not asking if you are attracted to males, but since you don’t see other men naked in the culture, are you at all curious to see another penis.  We could never really clarify my question and I never got an answer.

Adnan is against the legalization of marijuana – it’s not good, like a cancer.  You open the door to the future for worse and worse behavior.  I’m a bit conflicted over the issue myself.  Clearly he is somehow aware of what is going on in the US.
He notes the media manipulates us.

We talked here for one hour thirteen minutes and he was very animated as before.

He is not into music, though his friends are.

As we speak, his father and two sisters were in Mecca.

We hadn’t talked for a while.  He was busy the last few days he tells me and wasn’t free to talk.  Sweet of him to note.  I tell him he is wonderful person and he seemed either shy about this statement or suspicious.  I had a sort of non response.  I’m not sure why.

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Another day we talk for about 5 minutes, the family was gathering in the living room and his father was calling him.  Today it appears that the whole family with spouses of sister/brother and 5 grand children were all together.  Adnan bursts out about how much he loves little children and how much the time just flies when he is around them.  No doubt he will make a sweet father… He asks if I like children and I tell him I really do!  I hadn't noticed the full beard before and he tells me that all young Arabs by the age of 16 have them.

Qu'ran recited. Complete. With translation(s)

http://www.quranexplorer.com/

This website is a superb place to hear the entire Koran recited, by several different reciters (proper name for this?) with several different translations in view in MANY different languages.

So I ask my Muslims what they feel when they hear it recited.  They all say it is intense, and one, Omar, says it can be very emotional.

I find it haunting and piercing.  It is beautiful to listen to even though I don’t sit there and watch the translation go by.

More on Omar, Kuwait

Omar, my Kuwaiti friend 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, he did say that Islam is not a religion that will change.

He seemed to think that gays being able to marry in the US is a good thing.  There is a nuance here.  It seems that if I tell him I am a Muslim and that I am gay, this is hypocritical.  However, being a non-Muslim, it seemed to not bother him much that I am gay.  He recalled a humorous video where two gay men tell the straight men that they cannot marry each other, so 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 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.   He got the joke and laughed and laughed.

As for hell, etc.  Jews/Christians will follow their prophets into heaven, not go to hell as is the misconception. Or at least this seemed to be his conception.  I may not have understood what he meant.

Yes, he 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.  Hence, the Good  Word has to  be threatening.  

Omar wants something in life he feels passion about and this is Aikido.  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.   

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.

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 wold still talk to you even if he felt you were a hypocrite.  He just feels 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.  He sees the dependence on oil as a bad thing in this regard.