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The end is near
Sep. 23rd, 2007 07:58 amNo apocalyptic prophecy, it's merely the end of my vacation that looms threateningly. *sighs* I could've used another week...
While I was away, everybody on our side of the Embassy (the Dark Side, of course) caught a virus, which promptly jumped me when I went there on Wednesday to deliver goodies from Vienna. It was a strange virus, though: I woke up at 3 a.m. on Friday, with a sore throat and running nose, which made for a very bad rest of the night. Friday was spent feeling rather poorly, then I had a bit of a temperaure in the afternoon (nothing much, just 37,6), and in the evening it was completely over. Not the most resistent of viruses, but I certainly don't complain.
Exchange fic is growing at an alarming rate, and the protagonists aren't even thinking about getting together yet.
And now to something completely different, i.e. religion:
I was born and raised a Catholic, so I do of course have a better understanding of my own religion than Islam. I don't have a problem getting my head round the concept of fasting, whether it's for purely medical or for religious reasons. I understand - although I reject it - the body-soul dichotomy, and all the feed-the-soul-but-kill-the-flesh bullshit that comes with it. I also understand the - in my opinion much healthier - idea of depriving yourself of something you like and making of that deprivation a present of love to God.
What I absolutely fail to understand is the concept of Ramadan. Ramadan is the month (islamic lunar month) during which the Q'ran was reveiled to Mohammed. So far, so good. That's certainly something to celebrate. But that's exactly where my understanding stops and refuses to go any further. A good muslim is supposed to read the whole Q'ran during Ramadan (OK), he's supposed to be extra charitable, tolerant etc. during Ramadan (OK), and he's supposed to fast (OK).
What I don't get is the sense of getting from sunrise to sunset without a single bite of food or even a sip of water (children, old people, travellers, sick people are exempt), to then stuff yourself to the gills right after sunset. Christian fasting at least has a certain medical aspect, but doing what muslims do during Ramadan is downright dangerous, not to mention that it gives people the most appalling halitosis. It's difficult to concentrate on reading the Holy Scripture when you're famished and dehydrated, and it's certainly not easier to read te Q'ran after eating your fill after 12 hours of empty stomach. I refrain from commenting on the effect 12 hours of food and drink deprivation commonly have on people's tempers, though 'charitable' is not the word I'd use.
Besides, whereas Catholicism has a strong element of sacrifice and mortification, not to mention a very negative attitude towards the human body, Islam lacks both these fundamental concepts. No slur intended, but the idea that, by fasting through Ramadan and another six days in the month following Ramadan, you'll be in God's good books, because the month + the 6 days count as having fasted the whole year, is... medieval is the most inoffensive term that comes to mind.
I really do hope that somebody's going to give me a satisfactory explanation, someday.
While I was away, everybody on our side of the Embassy (the Dark Side, of course) caught a virus, which promptly jumped me when I went there on Wednesday to deliver goodies from Vienna. It was a strange virus, though: I woke up at 3 a.m. on Friday, with a sore throat and running nose, which made for a very bad rest of the night. Friday was spent feeling rather poorly, then I had a bit of a temperaure in the afternoon (nothing much, just 37,6), and in the evening it was completely over. Not the most resistent of viruses, but I certainly don't complain.
Exchange fic is growing at an alarming rate, and the protagonists aren't even thinking about getting together yet.
And now to something completely different, i.e. religion:
I was born and raised a Catholic, so I do of course have a better understanding of my own religion than Islam. I don't have a problem getting my head round the concept of fasting, whether it's for purely medical or for religious reasons. I understand - although I reject it - the body-soul dichotomy, and all the feed-the-soul-but-kill-the-flesh bullshit that comes with it. I also understand the - in my opinion much healthier - idea of depriving yourself of something you like and making of that deprivation a present of love to God.
What I absolutely fail to understand is the concept of Ramadan. Ramadan is the month (islamic lunar month) during which the Q'ran was reveiled to Mohammed. So far, so good. That's certainly something to celebrate. But that's exactly where my understanding stops and refuses to go any further. A good muslim is supposed to read the whole Q'ran during Ramadan (OK), he's supposed to be extra charitable, tolerant etc. during Ramadan (OK), and he's supposed to fast (OK).
What I don't get is the sense of getting from sunrise to sunset without a single bite of food or even a sip of water (children, old people, travellers, sick people are exempt), to then stuff yourself to the gills right after sunset. Christian fasting at least has a certain medical aspect, but doing what muslims do during Ramadan is downright dangerous, not to mention that it gives people the most appalling halitosis. It's difficult to concentrate on reading the Holy Scripture when you're famished and dehydrated, and it's certainly not easier to read te Q'ran after eating your fill after 12 hours of empty stomach. I refrain from commenting on the effect 12 hours of food and drink deprivation commonly have on people's tempers, though 'charitable' is not the word I'd use.
Besides, whereas Catholicism has a strong element of sacrifice and mortification, not to mention a very negative attitude towards the human body, Islam lacks both these fundamental concepts. No slur intended, but the idea that, by fasting through Ramadan and another six days in the month following Ramadan, you'll be in God's good books, because the month + the 6 days count as having fasted the whole year, is... medieval is the most inoffensive term that comes to mind.
I really do hope that somebody's going to give me a satisfactory explanation, someday.
