Paris is still burning

[ayoub]

And now there will be curfews.

But at least there has been a lull.

I fail to see how curfews and raiding powers will help though. You have to have people listen when you tell them to go home, and I'm pretty sure what weapons they have are with them when they're out rioting.

But I guess the government has to be seen to be doing something.

I had an interesting chat with hypovex yesterday, regarding Iraq, it was educational... but before I share it, I'll have to talk to him about it again.

If there were no governments, who would be left to fight?

Comments

[garyg.livejournal.com]

i wish abolishing government would actually bring peace. governments, economies, religions - these are all just philosophies which define the values of the people who subscribe to them. as long as there is more than one philosophy there will probably always be war. as long as things (money, "the word of god") are put in a place of value greater than that of human life there will probably always be murder.

i believe tears for fears said it most simply when they said "everyone wants to rule the world". everyone wants to make everyone believe exactly as they do, and lots of people seem to think that doing so by force is ok too.

i'm looking forward to hearing about your conversation with hypovex :)

[ayoub.livejournal.com]

Have you read Emma Goldman's Essay?

[garyg.livejournal.com]

i'm working through that link but i'm at work so it's going slow and it's quite an engaging essay.

[ayoub.livejournal.com]

It's very good.

[hypovex.livejournal.com]

Basically it involved a lecture I had heard from a local congressman (Jim Mcdermott), who was lambasted by the whitehouse for a trip to the middle east he made prior to the invasion in 2003 (and other subsequent visits to the middle east). He gave a perspective to the war that is not being presented. Most Americans in their ignorance of the muslim world are being presented this view of THE EVIL SUNNIS vs. The kind, benevelont, and we're-all-just-trying-to-get-along-ma-pa-and-kids Shi'ites.

As I understand it, the Shia are basically a persian/Iranian sect of islam, in fact, one of the chief shi'ite clerics (his name was given, though I do not recall) in Iraq is not even eligible to vote as his cititzenship is Iranian. Sunni muslims though the minority in Iraq, represents the largest majority in the muslim world, hence why fighers are pouring in from all over the muslim world to support the insurgency (The shia is rejected by most other branches of islam). Basically the insurgency is the conflict of Arab vs. Persian, which would makes sense of why the sunnis received favorable treatment by Saddam Hussein (an Arab Nationalist). The conflict now being the fear that a Shi'ite rule of Iraq would given the clergy in Iran a distinct influence in Iraqi affairs.

Rep Mcdermott and Mike Honda (D, California) met with various leaders throughout the middle east: Jordan, Egypt, Syria, and some others, all who said that

1. This constitution would only bring about a long and bloody civil war
2. The only way there can be hope for peace in the region would be for the u.s. military to withdraw, gather leading members of all parties involved and to call for an "utwa", an Arab tradition of negotiating and let them settle manners in their own way, on their own terms.

[ayoub.livejournal.com]

See now, the Shi'ites are, if you follow the strict guidelines of the religion, the ones who have made changes.

also:
Practical Differences
On a practical daily level, Shias have a different call to prayer, they perform wudu and salat differently including placing the forehead onto a piece of hardened clay from Karbala, not directly onto the prayer mat when prostrating. They also tend to combine prayers, sometimes worshipping three times per day instead of five. The Shias also have some different ahadith and prefer those narrated by Ali and Fatima to those related by other companions of the Prophet (pbuh). Because of her opposition to Ali, those narrated by Aisha count among the least favored. Shia Islam also permits muttah - fixed-term temporary marriage - which is now banned by the Sunnis. Muttah was originally permitted at the time of the Prophet (pbuh) and is now being promoted in Iran by an unlikely alliance of conservative clerics and feminists, the latter group seeking to downplay the obsession with female virginity which is prevalent in both forms of Islam, pointing out that only one of the Prophet's thirteen wives was a virgin when he married them.

Shias Today
Iran is overwhelmingly Shia. Shias also form a majority of the population in Yemen and Azerbaijan and 40 to 50% of the population of Iraq. There are also sizeable Shia communities in Bahrain, the east coast of Saudi Arabia and in the Lebanon. The well known guerilla organization Hizbollah, which forced the Israelis out of southern Lebanon in 2000, is Shia. Worldwide, Shias constitute ten to fifteen percent of the overall Muslim population.

Within Shia Islam there are different sects. Most Shias are "Twelvers", i.e. they recognize the 12 Imams. There are also Sevener and Fiver Shias who don't recognize the later Imams.

From http://www.islamfortoday.com/shia.htm