Their intelligence, logic, and perspective on life is just so... educated. That's the nice thing about university: you get to meet truly unique people, truly wise people...
I just had to share this. The author paints exactly what I felt when I decided to leave Islam.
Why I am Agnostic, by Robert Ingersoll
When I became convinced that the Universe is natural -- that all the ghosts and gods are myths, there entered into my brain, into my soul, into every drop of my blood, the sense, the feeling, the joy of freedom. The walls of my prison crumbled and fell, the dungeon was flooded with light and all the bolts, and bars, and manacles became dust. I was no longer a servant, a serf or a slave. There was for me no master in all the wide world -- not even in infinite space. I was free -- free to think, to express my thoughts -- free to live to my own ideal -- free to live for myself and those I loved -- free to use all my faculties, all my senses -- free to spread imagination's wings -- free to investigate, to guess and dream and hope -- free to judge and determine for myself -- free to reject all ignorant and cruel creeds, all the "inspired" books that savages have produced, and all the barbarous legends of the past -- free from popes and priests -- free from all the "called" and "set apart" -- free from sanctified mistakes and holy lies -- free from the fear of eternal pain -- free from the winged monsters of the night -- free from devils, ghosts and gods. For the first time I was free. There were no prohibited places in all the realms of thought -- no air, no space, where fancy could not spread her painted wings -- no chains for my limbs -- no lashes for my back -- no fires for my flesh -- no master's frown or threat -- no following another's steps -- no need to bow, or cringe, or crawl, or utter lying words. I was free. I stood erect and fearlessly, joyously, faced all worlds.
Some people don't understand what a 'child' is. Its heart-breaking, executing a little kid...
Now a lot of Fox-news following Westerners reading this would make the typical comment: "Oh big and evil Iran, bad bad Islam...". The truth is, the West isn't much better.
Take the case of Canadian, Omar al Khadr. Captured in Afghanistan when he was 15 fighting the Americans. Surely, you'll find this picture of him disturbing:
Of course you do. I do. Do I hear the "Terrorist!" alarms ringing?
A photo of him when he was captured...
Lets remember he was 15.
According to the United Nations, anyone under 18 is a minor.
A kid.
Yes, this kid did something "wrong". (Well to me, the US is an occupying force in Afghanistan. I don't see why resisting the occupying power is labeled as terrorism. If the US walked into my country and started invading it, I will surely attempt to defend it. Would you not? Anyway, I still have a lot to learn about Afghanistan, but this is my perspective for now.). But anyway, lets assume that Omar did something wrong... Besides, carrying a mutilated hand and posing for a picture with it is definitely morally disgusting, so for now, lets say Omar is guilty.
Omar is 15.
Omar is a minor.
Omar is in Guantanamo Bay.
Omar is being tortured in Guantanamo Bay.
Guantanamo Bay is run by the "civilized, moral" United States, not by the "Crazy, murderous" Iran.
Omar Killed an American soldier. The Iranian kid in the BBC news article killed another kid.
Surely, you felt sorry for the Iranian kid when you read the news article.
Now I ask you, why don't you feel sorry for Omar? Why do you call him a "Terrorist"? Is he not a child too? Was he not brainwashed by elders?
I ask you, why does the Canadian public feel sorry for African child soldiers, who commit atrocities much much worse than Omar, yet think that Omar deserves to stay in Guantanamo ?
This is ridiculous.
Wake up people.
Omar is a kid. He was 15. He's 21 now. If he wasn't a religious Muslim, I swear I'd give him a hug and a kiss on the cheek, and tell him its okay, he'll get through this, he'll get through the torture, it'll all end...
Some of you are thinking, okay, so what if we get him out of prison and he becomes a terrorist? Is it safe to release him to the public?
First of all, he's a Canadian citizen, he should be tried in Canada, not US. The US has no right to keep him in Guantanamo bay. But anyway, maybe you should look to Saudi Arabia for a solution. For once, Saudi does something that I think is progressive: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/7496375.stm
Basically, if you're really concerned that the kid has messed up ideologies, put him in rehab. Give him a proper education. Show him that the 'West' is not as evil as perhaps his parents taught him it was. Show him how he can help the Afghan society through science and technology. Don't dump him in prison and torture the hell out of him, that would just make him a bigger extremist.
Lets all not forget that Sayid Kutub, the man who wrote the book that Osama Bin Ladin and Ayman al Zarqawi rely on, was subjected to severe torture under the Nasser regime. It was during his torture years that he wrote his book. Torture does not solve the problem.
Lets remember that Omar was 15. Lets remember that the Iranian kid is 15. Lets remember that the African child soldiers are children.
Lets not blame them for their actions.
Lets lend a helping hand.
Lets save them.
Lets prevent them from falling into a deep dark hole where they can never be saved.
Here's a video of Omar at Guantanamo Bay. Please watch.
I was reading Science Daily and decided to look up BPD, just to see whats out there. I came across this article:
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/08/080807144305.htm
The researchers compared the brain activity of controls ( people without BPD ) to that of borderlines when playing a game, and found that their brain activity differs when it comes to perceiving information that comes from an interaction. Basically, borderlines have difficulty perceiving information...
Its like I'm two people in one: The Crazy me, and the normal me. The normal me is able to distinguish between real and not real. The normal me realizes that its illogical to think that everyone hates me just because they said they're sleepy, its illogical to think that no one cares when people ask about me all the time, its illogical to think that I don't have friends when I just went for a movie with a few friends... but for some reason, the normal me just can't stand up to the crazy me. The normal me can't convince the crazy me that its illogical. And the crazy me dominates.
I have my first psychiatrist appointment in a while tommorow. I don't think it'll help.
I wish someone would hug me. Sometimes thats all I want. Most of the time, thats all I want. I want someone to talk to me softly and sweetly, hug me, and tell me I'll get through this...
When you're a borderline, every friendship is harmful but necessary. You breathe through it, you live through it, but it slowly tortures you. Whether you like to admit it or not, you're addicted to chaos...
I feel so lonely, I can't help it... I just want someone to come over, hug me, let me cry in his arms... I wish I had an older brother... I'd call him and ask him to come over... I'd cry, then we'd watch a movie... I wanna watch the movie "Body of Lies"... Its about this CIA guy who's in Jordan to find a terrorist, but he falls in love with an Iranian girl, and his point of view starts to change... I just wish I could watch this with my older brother, if only he existed. I can't trust a friend... I definitely don't trust a boyfriend... Only family stays by your side... But my sisters are too young, too different from me... I don't like talking to my parents... My cousins, we don't have the same beliefs... I'm an outcast... I just wish my brothers were real...
I’m nervous about writing. What if I write something thats not perfect? What if I say something stupid? Why can’t I deal with criticism?
I’m a borderline. I have some OCD symptoms. I have some MPD symptoms. And I’m a perfectionist to say the least. I’m cold and distant, but emotionally fragile. I act tough and unbreakable, but a single word can rip my heart into pieces.
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