Lily Allen's HIM

Love it.

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Grown Ups and Experiences

Life is kind of a strange thing. I mean.. I was told recently that my friend, (who I thought was a conservative religious girl), has a "favorite swear word": shit. Not that I don't swear.. and that I don't appreciate the word shit. Because seriously, when you say "I have a lot of crap to do" it just doesn't take on the same dramatic effect that "I have a lot of SHIT to do" does.

What's interesting is that I found it surprising. But why can't she have a favorite swear word? Because in High School way back when none of us really swore? And we were all good Seminary (see Mormon dictionary ;) ) goers, and everything? She even said later, "was it even really realistic for us to think none of us would ever swear?" So, as I said Life is strange. I mean, I myself, worked for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints (aka: Mormon) Church for 3 years. Three years! That means I prayed in meetings, at work , that I had to give short talks, and spiritual thoughts, at work , we even sang hymns at work . And do I swear?! Hell yes, you better believe it! And.. do I attend church? Uh, that'd be a negative.

Its just weird the way things change, and the way they stay the same. We still make fun of each other, and laugh too loud.. or when we go to our friend's shower of mixed groups of people, where we don't know everyone, do we make an entrance? Of course we do!

The funny thing is, I think its the fact that we have grown up. We're adults now, not teenagers trying to please.. whoever we were trying to please. There were four of us tonight, Half of us never attend church anymore, and out of the other remaining half, one goes to church every few months, and the other attends church weekly but also has a favorite swear word. It was interesting, someone brought up a few sticky topics, and it almost felt like I was getting to know these old friends over again. These are people I have known for at least 14 years. But, since we don't see each other very often, and have now had our own life experiences, we have different points of view. As one friend said, we discussed what you're not supposed to : Gay Marriage issues, Abortion, Religion, Politics, etc.. and we really didn't necessarily agree, but its not like I was the lone liberal, and they were the hard right conservatives. It was nice. I think sometimes, all of us, including me, tend to put each other in "boxes" of liberal, conservative, religious or not, democrat or republican, and really its our lives and our experiences that make us who we really are.. and we really didn't know who or what that is in middle school.

Side note: I had frogurt tonight for the first time, after hearing TONS of hype about it, mostly from Ms. Bethany Mosley, and I love it!

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Neda

Neda, a woman shown in the video below, was protesting in Iran on Saturday, and was shot in the stomach. She died on the street, the man surrounding her, calling her name is her father. This story is sad. She was just protesting, for her right to vote, for her right to speak, but in Iran, these rights are not rights that are available to all. Her name, Neda, means "The Call" in Farsi, and after the emergence of this video, her name has been the battle cry of many on Twitter and Facebook. Today in Iran, they are planning to have a Mourning vigil for her. Click here for story about Neda from CNN.

The video's not pretty.. and is graphic, so view at your own risk.

This story is very sad, and I feel bad for Neda's family and friends. However, I do think it is pretty awesome that women have been so involved in the Election, and the Fallout afterward. Look at how happy these women were after they had raised their voice, and voted.

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A Poem for Iran's Rooftops

This video is pretty powerful. Its an Iranian woman reading a poem about the people of Iran, as the background is filled with Persians saying Allahu Akbar* into the night. I got this video from this website, which was recommended on Twitter by demi moore (@mrskutcher). There are more videos, that are also pretty awesome, posted onto YouTube by people inside of Iran, click the link above to watch them.

Today has not been a good day in Iran, full of tear gas, fires, police, abuses, and yet it seems the protest will go on. I love the great images coming in from TehranLive.org, in the one above, the woman is covering her face, like many protesters are, in a way of saying she is protesting for the freedom of speech she does not really have, yet.


*Allahu Akbar = literally means "God is great", and is ironic and symbolic because this same sentence (which is used often in Islam, during prayers), was used as a sort of chant during the '79 Revolution.

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MLK Comic, in Arabic

Check out this link: Can a Comic Book about MLK change the Middle East?. Its about a very interesting theory, where they're trying to see if the MLK story of non-violence can affect the Mid East conflicts.

This comes from Dalia Ziada's blog, Human life from a Daliatic Approach, I have been following her for a few months, and I really enjoy it. Its interesting to get such a different point of view on things. She's Egyptian, and a great middle eastern activist. She also suffered from genital mutilation, which is such an awful practice. I'm glad she has the guts to stand up for what she believes in.

This is awesome: {quote from her blog, linked above}

Ziada herself is a survivor of female genital mutilation, and has since led reform efforts against the practice. “I used to fight against FGM in my family (with traditional methods) since I was 10 years-old. However, this time, I decided to use the nonviolent method of King.” It worked, and in the morning Ziada’s uncle called saying that he was convinced; his daughter went unscathed.

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Theological Tolerance and Respect.. give a little

Pope Benedict XVI, Fouad Twal, Sheikh Taysir Tamimi
The Notre Dame Center in Jerusalem, May 11, 2009

The tendency to turn human judgements into divine commands makes religion one of the most dangerous forces in the world. ~ Georgia Harkness

This week at an inter-faith meeting held in Jerusalem, Pope Benedict XVI walked out in protest of what Sheikh Tayseer Tamimi, chief Islamic judge in the Palestinian Authority, had said. Apparently, he spoke after the Pope, (unexpectedly) and had prepared a written ten-minute long speech condemning Israel for their attack on Gaza just a few months ago. He called for Palestinian prisoners to be returned, and accused Israel of burning several mosques, killing people who were in their houses when the Israeli army destroyed them, as well as killing many Gaza children.

I'm honestly not sure how I feel about this. I was definitely against the offensive that Israel implemented against Gaza earlier this year but at the same time, that really doesn't have to do with the Pope, and where they were there to try to come to some understanding, some sort of dialogue, I'm not sure that it was appropriate. What I found a little sad about the whole thing was that the Pope did not have simultaneous translation, so they don't think he knew for sure what was being said until he had already shook the Sheikh's hand. So, it will almost look like he approved of what was said. But, another man, Latin Patriarch Fouad Twal who is a Palestinian, did attempt to stop the Sheikh's speech to no avail.

This Pope has already caused a lot of uproar, with comments he has already made about Muslims, especially when he said that Islam was an archaic, violent religion. That is so not okay to say. So, when he walked out of the meeting, I'm not sure what people thought. Its such a hard issue. I have already somewhat decided I don't love the Pope, he shouldn't have said such crazy things about Muslims, and he really shouldn't have allowed for that one Priest to be re instated to his post after he said the Holocaust was made up. Not okay. BUT its also not okay for the Sheikh to say such things at a place where they were trying to form a coming together, not be more pulled apart. BUT ALSO, I wouldn't put it past Israel to do those things he claimed that they did. I just don't get the problems in the Middle East. Argh.

I think we all need to have a little more tolerance..

What is tolerance? -- it is the consequence of humanity. We are all formed of frailty and error; let us pardon reciprocally each other's folly -- that is the first law of nature. ~ Voltaire

What do you think?

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New Designer Brand: Communion

A few days ago, a lady came in asking if we had dresses for a First Communion. THREE employees had no idea what she was talking about! One of them asked her if "communion" was a brand. Awe man.. This is Utah.

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What price would you pay for Peace?

If anyone had been watching me as I watched the news this afternoon, you might have seen smoke fuming from my ears, or my eyes bulging out of my head: I was so angry. This is the headline I saw: Pakistani government does deal with Taliban on sharia law. I wanted to scream WHAT?! back at CNN's Campbell Brown (although I do know that she wouldn't hear me). It still makes me so mad.

First let me explain a little about Sharia law, I got the following information from this website:

Sharia Law - source and definitions:

The term "Sharia" (a.k.a. Shari'a) literally means "the path to a watering hole." The Guardian newspaper in the UK describes Sharia as: "... a religious code for living, in the same way that the Bible offers a moral system for Christians."

Within Sharia law, there are a group of "Haram" offenses which carry severe punishments. These include pre-marital sexual intercourse, sex by divorced persons, post-marital sex, adultery, false accusation of unlawful intercourse, drinking alcohol, theft, and highway robbery. Haram sexual offenses can carry a sentence of stoning to death or severe flogging. An eyewitness account of Soraya M, a woman executed by stoning, can be read on an anti-Iranian web site. Caution: do not read this if you have a weak stomach; it is quite graphic.

London's, The Independent ran an article today about the Pakistani Sharia Law entitled, Sharia law is the price of peace in Pakistan. The price for peace?? I'm not sure I think that Sharia law is a "good price" for peace. Who does this really help?? Does it really outweigh who it hurts?

This so called deal occurred in the North West Frontier Province (aka as SWAT: South Waziristan), where the Taliban have been terrorizing the area, with beheadings, rapes, and out right violence - mostly targeting women, notably girls' schools. I can see how you would want to stop that violence. Stop that terror. No one deserves to live like that. However, isn't anyone reminded of what happened in Afghanistan? I remember when the Taliban was just a group that needed to be appeased in Afghanistan. That didn't exactly end well. And lest we've forgotten, North West Frontier Province, SWAT, oh yeah, that's the province with the sketchy border with Afghanistan. That place that former President Musharraf basically handed over to the Taliban in the area. Isn't that nice?

From the CNN article, this Pakistani professor, Khamid Hussain, makes a good point:

Khadim Hussain, a professor Bahria University in Islamabad who studies Pakistani politics, said the government has effectively surrendered the areas to the Taliban, thereby setting the stage for two contradictory, parallel states in North West Frontier Province.

"If you leave them like that and you give ... a semblance of peace in a particular area, what does that mean?" Hussain said. "It means you're capitulating. It means you're surrendering the state to them. It means your submitting the state authority to them because they are running a parallel state."

He said the government's decision amounts to a marriage of convenience made under duress.

And of course this all happens when President Obama's envoy to the region, Richard Holbrooke, is on his way to Pakistan - he's currently in India. That couldn't be just a simple coincidence. Could it?

Modern countries currently practicing varying forms of Sharia Law:

• India: has a dual system, with both secular and religious courts
• The Philippines: also has a dual system of secular and religious courts
• Saudi Arabia: Religious Police
• Iran: Religious Police
• Libya: National laws predominantly influenced by Sharia
• Sudan*: National laws predominantly influenced by Sharia
• Nigeria: has newly reintroduced harsh punishments, such as:
• amputations of one or both hands for theft
• stoning for adultery and apostasy

* like I needed another reason to hate the Sudanese government. (see here)

Sharia Law is considered barbaric and cruel by the European Court of Human Rights. But sure, the U.S. will still be allies with Pakistan. Giving them money. Weapons. Anything else you'd like? I mean, I am all for keeping the diplomacy door open, but this just makes me want to hurl. Yuck.

One last thing, see this blog: http://womenagainstshariah.blogspot.com/ for an interesting read.

He who sacrifices freedom for security deserves neither.

~ Benjamin Franklin

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SALAM

Salam is the word for peace in Arabic, the language spoken in both Darfur and Gaza.

Finally! At least a little more movement and contribution to relieving the sorrow in Darfur. See article: U.S. begins Darfur supply fights. Click here for a History on the Conflict, and here to find out how you can help.

And then there's Gaza.. I was listening to NPR this morning on the way to class and heard an interesting thought, that somehow had escaped me. The caller said that she saw the Israeli strike on Gaza as "one last chance" because they know that they have President Bush's full support in their efforts to take down Hamas. Therefore they have used the last few weeks of his Presidency as a way to strike at Hamas, because they are unsure of what President Obama's view would be. I think that's interesting. Think its true? It very well could be.

I know that it is a very complicated situation, and I keep wanting to write a blog post fully about it, and come up with a completely 100% " I feel this way " statement, but it is hard. It is a disproportionate offensive, that's for sure. Israel has so much more power than Gaza. Which, in reality, no matter who sent the first rocket of attack, shouldn't Israel realize that by putting up such a large offensive and killing so many CHILDREN, that they are really just doing an injustice to themselves? The Arab world is going to hate them even more now. And the Osama tape that came out, somehow it really just doesn't make a lot of sense to me. He doesn't even really seem all that relevant anymore.

Some disturbing facts from this Conflict:

• UNICEF reports 320 children have died, and 1,500 have been injured. See article here: UNICEF: Children bearing brunt of Gaza war; watching this video (also embedded below) makes me sad.
  
• 1,000 total Palestinians have been killed, with nearly 5,000 wounded.
• 13 Israelis have died: 10 soldiers and 3 civilians.
• Israel won't let any media inside Gaza.. it really BOTHERS me. In this article they somewhat explain why, but I'm not really convinced.

Sigh. If only there could be peace.. Maybe everyone needs to take my Dispute Resolution class, eh?

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I stumbled upon..

The Baptist Version of the Book of Mormon.

It's quite long.. but a very interesting read. For Mormons and Non-Mormons alike.

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