The Bombing

Re: Temporal (with a big T, as in Tootsie?)

I thought you were a level-headed, intelligent individual. But this is ludicrous (not to mention too long to hold interest). Being bizarre was the only way you figured you could get on the front page of Chowk?

Actually, I thought the article was an illuminating piece on what a thin string the muslim world dangles on. Also it showed the absurdness of what the end of humanity can come due to (the bombing of Kaabaa, thus the elimination of life due to the elimination of a symbol, but we muslims are good at that).

However, I was ofcourse more interested in what happened after the robe slipped off! Unfortunately that was anti climactic! Keep it up Temporal!

Well, temporal, I had plenty of options to choose from, for the intent of your article.

1. Huntington`ian clash of civilisations, scenario of one end result.

2. Insecurity of the Islamic world due to various reasons including enimity with nuclear-armed countries including Israel(what I initially thought).

3. Fatalistic picture of human catastrophe and the purposelessness of it all, like a physicist describing in detail the death of the sun many million years from now.

4. A possible accidental event leading to long-desired fundamental change required in the Islamic world which is tough to bring by other means, which seems the right guess, isn`t it?

Sadhana

Dear t:

You submission reminds me of an article I read a while back that discussed how prescient fiction was in predicting the fall of communism as opposed to ``factual`` writing. I think you may be on to something although my gut feeling is that these so-called Islamic countries will not need an external impetus rather they`ll implode from within. Iran bears serious watching......

Godot #34

Godot janab, jaisi aapki marzi. Big T, small t all will end in dust or ashes.

Next time, I will write something brief with your short attention span in mind. Please do not consider this a firm commitment on my part. Kal ka kiya bharosa?

And you also write, “Being bizarre was the only way you figured you could get on the front page of Chowk?” Yaar kamal kartay haiN aap. Itni puraani yaari aur sar-e-aam aap nay yeh baat likh di?

ijazat,

t

sac #36:
What do you mean ...”Iran bears serious watching......?”

rgds

t

PS: Your ‘balanced’ comments on “j-fk” and your choice of dietary intake on another thread were very witty.

sadhna #37:

You gave four choices. How many lifelines do I have? Can I call a friend? Poll the audience? Eliminate two wrong answers?

.......hmmmm. You may be onto something. How
about all of them in varying degrees?

And if I have to guess, I’ll go with your guess.

rgds

temporal

Would it have been worth wile,

To have bitten off the matter with a smile,

To have squeezed the universe into a ball

To roll it toward some overwhelming question,

To say:`I am Lazarus, come from the dead,

Come back to tell you all, I shall tell you all`-

temporal, Keep writing!!

Reply #: 29

FARANGI_KUSH

Your reply to OM was great ! You explained your point without bashing his religon despite the fact that he did try to lure you into doing so.

However I will have to disagree with you about the motives of the invaders. Sure a lot of them were after the gold, but they were also interested in destroying the kafirs. For them Hinduism was not insignificant, like the example you used, we were not goats for them, useless and worthy of ignorance.

Ont the contraty, Hindus were a major source of irritation to the muslims. Why else would they insist on building mosques on sites that were considered to be holy by the hindus ?

AD

To temporal,

Great article. Looks like your imagination is running amok. Though as some one else mentioned, the change in track after the brushing of bosoms and dropping of the robe, was a bit disappointing amnd anti climactic. Dropping of the robe, followed by certain predictable but aesthetically desribed incidents would have certainly added some more spice:) Were u tempted to do something on those lines ?

Also, can`t understand why ``Abdullah was born at Surat, India to a family of the former Nawabs of Surat`` . Abdullah could also have been born to some Ashraf Rangwala, a State Bank of India employee and Zubeida Rangwala, 8th grade bilogy teacher at ``St. Some One`` high school in the same Surat. Why the Nawab family ? Elitism..............I dare not say that :)

Again, thanks for a refreshing, thought provoking and a very ``Hatke`` piece. We can only pray that no moron ever does what that Israeli does in this article, because I am sure that something like that would trigger the worst tragedy in the history of humankind. Trust the faith of Muslims for that.

Cheers!

Satyavadi

Temporal writes :

Muslim, well?

That is the 64 million dollar question. When I was innocent, I used to say anybody who recited the Kalima, beginning with the negation --- There is no God but Allah and Muhammed is his prophet ---- is a Muslim. But I was not only innocent, but naive as well. I may think of myself as a Muslim. But that is not relevant.

My question : why is that not relevant ? I would say that in reality, it is the only thing that is relevant.

Temporal continues :

To be a Muslim I have to conform to Zaid’s definition of Muslim. Or Bakr’s. Or Saad’s...or.....or. And short of calling other believers heretics, these pious men with their holy grails -- kashkols and tasbeehs--worry beads freely call anyone but themselves not the real Muslims.

My question is : again, why ? What is it about the existence of Zaid`s, Bakr`s, Saad`s definition of Muslim that coerces you into doing/not-doing or believing/not-believing that you otherwise would not-do/do or not-believe/believe ?

-arun gupta

macgupta #44:

arun:

----My question : why is that not relevant ? I would say that in reality, it is the only thing that is relevant.
---- My question is : again, why ? What is it about the existence of Zaid`s, Bakr`s, Saad`s definition of Muslim that coerces you into doing/not-doing or believing/not-believing that you otherwise would not-do/do or not-believe/believe ?

As usual very thought provoking queries from you.

Wish I had a cut dried answer. In my mind I am a Muslim. In addition to Allah, and Prophet Muhammed I believe in tolerance and respect for everyone else on planet earth.
I hate obsessive excesses be it in the guise of religion, politics or social mores.
I believe in the moderation and goodness of the human spirit.
I believe in living and letting others live.
I believe in being a good neighbour.
I believe in being a good corporate citizen of this earth.
Whether I follow the tenets and rituals of my professed religion is my business.
I hate fundamentalism of any stripe.
I am not devoid of hatred. I am normal. But I hate hatred. It irks me forever.
And I am at peace with myself.

Submit this criteria to those five ‘learned’ Aalims that issued that fatwa against Shabana Azmi, and see them froth with hatred and bigotry. That is why I will politely say it is not relevant.

regards

temporal

What a great read. Hope to see some more.

What a great read. Hope to see some more.

Temporal,

As always witty, succinct, and you know what...Bravo!

If t the bottom line (of this article) is the renaissance of Islam by obliterating Ka`ba then I think (in my humble opinion) wont work because you know the Musalmaan mentality one thing get stuck up there wont come out easily (there will be LOT of bloodshed`s and it will keep going on). I`m in favor of these vested scholars learn it hard way like the Christians did in middle ages. When they will grab the power and try to achieve the lost golden age of Islam they will come to their senses that they just simply can`t deliver (current election in Iran, for e.g).

Sooner or later Muslims have to realized to keep up with the world, they have to be `awaken,` they simply can`t live in the 7th century forever.

And for the distracters, just ignore them. From your other interacts I know you`re a good fella, so buddy keep writing.

Wasalaam,

Moez Momin

Re: Mr. T. [I like this name for you, especially after reading your fiction in which you`re blowing up the world!], #38

I should`ve expected philosophical musing from you. Don`t forget that only our physical beings will turn into dust or ashes. What happens after that, who knows. Some believe that our bodies are akin to shoes; when they get old, you toss them and buy new ones (hopefully, nice and expensive ones!).

It`s true! Years of half-hour sitcoms, sandwich between commercials, have taken a toll on my attention span!

``Itni puraani yaari aur sar-e-aam aap nay yeh baat likh di?``

Well, as they say, with friends like Godot...