Archive for the ‘Thoughts & Scribbles’ Category
Arabs & Camels / Canadians & Penguins
MMM | December 3, 2003 – 4:37 pm |
1 Comment
I just read this on the Where is Raed ? blog, and it made me laugh my ass off, lol…
“One of the restless questions in my head is about camels, why are camels related to Arabs in the western media? (besides the question of why my italiana girlfriend dumped me, this camel thing is really annoying me)
I mean .. it’s just like me having an image in my mind about canadians and penguin .. Hey! are you really Canadian? Cool! Do you have a penguin in your bedroom? Do you eat them?”
It’s totally true, there’s this very wrong stereotype image of arabs in the west. They imagine an arab as a turban-head with a camel, which is so damn wrong !
It bugs me a lot too, and i think that it’s a sign of how uneducated and uninformed the people who think that way are.
Religions
MMM | December 3, 2003 – 3:49 pm | 2 Comments
I think i’ve always been a very open person when it comes to religion, willing to listen and learn more about all religions and beliefs, a topic that truly interests me.
As a muslim, i find Christianity and Judaism very close to Islam, which is only normal as they are all the words of the same God, and as Islam tells us to believe in all the prophets that were sent by God including Jesus and Moses.
The only differences between these religions’ holy books and teachings are the ones that were influenced and changed with time, resulting in a number of versions of the Bible and the Torah.
Thankfully the Quran didn’t go through this versioning problem, and only one version is available, which is the very same one there was when prophet Mohamed was around.
Another religion that really interests me is Buddhism.
I’ve always been really curious about it, and last year when i visited Thailand it got me even more interested in learning more about this religion and it’s ideas and teachings.
So, i started searching online and reading books to get an idea about this religion, and well i found that most of it is very logical.
I say most not all because there are some details like reincarnation that i don’t see logical proof to in the sense of the same spirit living on, i do believe though that life carries on, and that when one life ends, life goes on and another starts, but the spirit for whom life has ended is never reborn.
Anyway back to what i was saying, i found that the main ideas and truths that Buddha reached when he was enlightened are very logical ones.
And what i found even more interesting is that they don’t contrast at all with my beliefs as a muslim, in fact they offer explanations to some of the things God has asked of us.
After all, i believe that any religion has to be logical, and there have to be reasons why we were told to do certain things and avoid others, if that is not the case then the religion just makes no sense, and why would anyone follow something that doesn’t make sense ?
I think that in the end of the day, if we put all these logical religions together, and go deep into their main concepts, ideas and teachings, we’ll find they all rotate around the same principles that point us in the direction of peace, happiness and love of all humans and beings.
So, why is it that we keep fighting among us and sticking it to religion differences, when in fact our religions are not all that different ?!
Knowing Fish
MMM | December 2, 2003 – 8:51 am | No Comments
One day Chuang Tzu and a friend were walking by a river. “Look at the fish swimming about,” said Chuang Tzu, “They are really enjoying themselves.”
“You are not a fish,” replied the friend, “So you can’t truly know that they are enjoying themselves.”
“You are not me,” said Chuang Tzu. “So how do you know that I do not know that the fish are enjoying themselves?”
Happiness & Misery
MMM | November 12, 2003 – 12:24 pm | No Comments
I’ve come to believe that Happiness and Misery in life are a product of the human brain and it’s conception of reality.
It’s all in the way you look at the things around you and how you think of them.
This is not the half-empty or half-full glass idea i’m talking about, that’s more about optimism than happiness, it’s about how you interpret your life and your position in it.
People tend to get carried away by their needs and by their goals, forgetting about the things they’ve already reached and realized, not taking the time to enjoy them or be happy about their successes.
The everlasting need and thirst for more downsizes our successes and makes us feel like we’re still far away from where we want to be.
But if we just took the time and stopped every once in a while, looked around us and savoured the taste of the successes we reached, the little things in life that we have, the beauty of the smallest and simplest things surrounding us, and even the tiny steps that we’ve taken we’d truly feel a lot better about ourselves and our lives. And then we’d look at our other goals as ones that are reachable and doable, and as a life that extends ahead of us full of promise.
It’s great to have a great ambition and to always look into the future, but we shouldn’t get too obsessed with the future and too engulfed in our goals that we forget to live our present and enjoy it.
Keep your eyes on the future, but keep your feet on the ground and enjoy the present for what it’s worth.
Arab Unity
MMM | October 30, 2003 – 10:38 am | 8 Comments
For ages and ages and ages, there’s been this one big beautiful marvellous dream all us Arabs have had in common and wished for: Arab Unity.
And again and again i hear the same old talk about how we Arabs are united in language, history, religion, culture and so much more that it’s only normal for us to be united.
But unless we Arabs actually do something, it’ll never become anything more than a dream.
I think it’s true that we are united by language, history, religion, culture and all those other things, but we’re also divided by politics, exterior intervention, greed and stupidity.
I mean, when i just think of it and imagine how it could be, i’m left totally speechless in front of it’s greatness and advantages.
I mean we could reach self-fulfilment so easily through unity as complementary resources (natural, human, industrial, …etc.) are distributed throughout all the Arab countries.
The Arab world has been in a steep fall for a long time now, and day after day, we’re being ignored, mocked and humiliated more and more, why should we accept that when we can turn things around totally ?
Even the countries of the European Union who basically have nothing in common are pulling together and going on a path towards unity, because they understand that it’s for their own good. Why can’t we realize the same thing ?
Just thinking of it pops up a billion and one questions in my head about why we don’t unite, and i guess the only answer is that: if our leaders want it to happen it will, and if they don’t it’ll never be anything more than a dream…
So it seems we’ll just have to keep on dreaming…
I hope it’s not for too long…
SYNTAX
MMM | October 29, 2003 – 7:34 am | No Comments
SYNTAX: The company i used to work for in Jordan, before taking the decision to leave and come home to Tunisia, have launched their new corporate website and dropped the word “Digital” from their name (they were previously called: SYNTAX Digital, but everyone called them SYNTAX anyways).
I like this new design better than the old one, it’s really true to the SYNTAX style of design and portrays them a lot better.
These guys are truly the best design company in Jordan, and it makes me proud that i once worked there.
To check it out click here.
Ramadhan: Before & After
MMM | October 22, 2003 – 10:11 am | 4 Comments
The holy month of Ramadhan is on the doorstep, just a few days till it starts, with all it’s beauty and it’s unique atmosphere, bringing along with it the prayers and fasting, as well as the traditional sweets (Zlabia, Mkhariq, Maqroudh), the long dinner tables, the new TV series, and lots more.
What’s so incredible though is how what once was a month of worship, prayer and fasting has now become (for a big number of people) the month of concerts, tv series and feasts with a secondary focus on the worship side of it.
When i think of it, i’m never able to draw a logical line of events that could have led to this huge change.
I mean, in the old days, people would be sitting around in a circle in a mosque learning about their religion, reading Quran and worshipping God, when nowadays they are sitting around a TV, watching TV series, listening to songs and eating.
What’s even more weird is how in the old days, people would use Ramadhan and their fasting as a way to control their tempers, be more friendly and clean their mouths of foul language, when nowadays it’s the total opposite, people use the fact that they’re fasting as an easy pretext to launch into hysterical anger and the use of violent language.
I’m not truly complaining though as i love the way of life in Ramadhan even as it is now, but it was just a thought that crossed my mind how such a big change in concept has occurred.
Plus, Thank God, it’s not that bad, the mosques still do fill up in Ramadhan with worshippers, and even those people at home do remember their God and pray between meals or series 
I know that people who know me will be thinking “Look who’s talking”, as i’m not known to be a religious person at all, lol…
Anyway, i do fast all of Ramadhan, and well i’ll try to start praying this Ramadhan, so help me God 
