Tuesday, January 31, 2006

So Whacko Jacko is at it AGAIN!

So Michael Jackson has left Neverland to settle for the time present in Bahrain. With big talks of building a mosque, embracing Islam, contributing his efforts and expertise, being a entertainment consultant, MJ seems to have found life in Bahrain quite hassle-free (no one suing him....yet!) and enjoyable. Some might even say he is planting his roots. I wonder how long it will take him to get the citizenship?? Now I am veering off the topic, I will save this thought to another post. Seems too, he has added cross-dressing to the mix.

Quick information, the average Bahraini may not know about the infamous Michael Jackson:
-Michael Jackson was first accused of child sexual abuse in 1993 by the son of MJ's former dentist. A year later, the MJ settled out of court paying the accuser at least US $23 million. The case was dropped. In 2003, child molestation charges were brought against MJ by Gavin Arvizo who appeared with MJ in the documentary 'Living with Michael Jackson' and a civil suit was brought against him. Also, a criminal case was launched but MJ was acquitted of all 10 charges. However, two jury persons asserted that they believed MJ was guilty of the crime but did not have enough evidence to charge him. In 2006, allegations of sexual assualt were brought on MJ. His vet is suing him (or planning to) for having treated MJ's exotic animals at NeverLand yet never receiving payments. There is alot of speculation of MJ being in financial trouble as he still owes alot of ppl alot of money.

-In 'Living with Michael Jackson' a documentary by Martin Bashir, MJ appeared with a 12 year old boy (later his accuser), holding hands and the boy resting on MJ's shoulder. They both said that they slept on the same bed (platonically) and MJ asserted that he has shared his bed many a times with pre-adolescent boys who need plenty of love and affection. It also showed MJ speaking of being Peter Pan, never growing old. There was also talk of how the parents of the boys stayed in a different building than that which housed MJ's bedroom, while the boys hung out unsupervised with MJ. In response to the show, MJ accused Bashir of distoring MJ's words and images. MJ said a lot of weird stuff in that interview about his likes and dislikes, his family. Very dysfunctional to say the least.

Ppl seem to have mixed feelings about MJ's stay in Bahrain. Some are enthralled with the King of Pop being in their piece of the world, estatic to get a pic of him on their camera phone. Others are disgruntled, ready to rally and who knows, maybe even start a riot. But isn't freedom what we are vying for in Bahrain? So why not allow MJ to be free, without hassling him. Let him talk the big talk (I am convinced this is all it is). Bahrain certainly does not need any favors or mosques from MJ, but if he wishes to do so, well, let him. Let him cross dress if he wishes, he is the one looking like a fool. (which brings in another thought for a later post: what effect does MJ's public cross dressing have on Bahrain's Muslim society?).

So why did I post the above info? Just an FYI to all that may read it. All his antics are just that: antics. In a way, he provides a comical relief in a much tense environment. He is an adult and should be free to do whatever crazy thing that comes to mind, as long as no one is harmed in the process. That's why, keep your kids, esp. boys away from Whacko Jacko and let it be known to him and others in our society, that child molestors and pedophilia will not be tolerated.

PS: It irks me that he is the only reason ppl here in the US know of my Bahrain!

Happy New Year!

Wishing the entire world a happy 1427! For those who do not know what this date signifies, Jan 31, 2006 marks the Hijri (Islamic) New Year.

I can't help but wonder if we Muslims celebrated our new year with the same enthusiasim as we did the gregorian calendar new year ( Jan 1, 2006)? Did we come up new year resolutions for this new hijri year? Did we wish anyone a happy and blessed new year? Did we celebrate or acknowledge this day in any way?

For me, I knew this day was coming.. I even marked it on my calendar so I can remember it. You see, this is not Bahrain and here in the USA, I did not have the day off from work/school to remind me of it. How did people in the Muslim countries celebrate (I am guessing most slept!).

So what did I do? Well I ate at a Mexican restaurant during my lunch break to celebrate the coming of my new year (not very holy I know). I am guilty of not doing anything special. But to my defense, I stayed home and watched TV on the other (more popular) new year.

It would be nice if we could celebrate the hijri new year with something fun and exciting that everyone, especially kids can look forward to. Oh well, me thinks its just me wishful thinking.

I knew of a lady that hosted a huge dinner party (clean and fun) to mark the occasion. Would that I be more like her.

Wednesday, January 25, 2006

Tolerance and Respect

Found this article online while looking up information on diversity. It was posted for teens (in high schools) on a kids website. You would think adults would know to tolerate diversity, respect others' rights and not be prejudices. Unfortunately, they do not and in most cases, young ones learn to hate and discriminate from their family. So I post this article, to remind everyone what respect and tolerance are. Once you're done with the article, ask yourself, are we as a society tolerant and respect diversity? More importantly, examine yourself and answer if you are indeed tolerant.
Diversity, Prejudice, Tolerance, and Respect
Terri sat nervously waiting for the bell to ring, signaling the beginning of her first class. She looked around. The room was full of all kinds of faces: faces with freckles like hers, darker-skinned faces, faces of many colors. She was looking forward to getting to know the people behind the faces and making some friends. "I guess I'll be less nervous when I get to know people," she thought. She looked down at her smaller left hand, which had been injured years ago in a car accident. "I hope they'll like me when they get to know me."
Yusef's father was a diplomat from Tunisia, and his family had just moved to the United States. At first, Yusef missed his friends and school back home, but he was curious about all the new things he would see and learn - and the new friends he would make. He wondered, though, whether the traditional knit skullcap that he wore, like many Muslims, would set him apart from his new classmates.
Diversity means variety - and it doesn't take much looking around to see that America is a diverse land, with many people, religions, beliefs, and languages. You can see that in a classroom, at the mall, on TV, or just walking down some streets. That diversity has been part of American culture since its very beginning as a nation - and even before with the hundreds of Native American groups who lived across the land. In fact, much of America's strength, creativity, and energy comes from this diversity.
What Is Prejudice?
Have you ever felt that someone judged you before even taking the opportunity to get to know you? The word prejudice is the noun form of prejudge, which means making judgments or forming negative opinions before getting all the facts. Terri and Yusef both worried that other students would form negative opinions of them before getting to know them.
There are many examples of prejudice in the world, some of which you may encounter through news reports, at school, at work, or in your home. It's unfair - and often sad - but prejudice exists so widely. You may have heard others saying things about whole groups like, "All Italians are . . . ," or "Jews always . . . ," or "Girls can't . . . ," or "Gays always . . . ," or "Old people are . . . ," or, well, you get the point. The list just goes on.
Maybe you've heard people call others nasty names. Sometimes, people who say these things say them out of fear or because they just don't know better. If people hear prejudiced comments while growing up, it may seem hard to resist repeating them. Some people who feel unimportant or bad about themselves think they can feel better by picking on or bullying others.
Sometimes, people who say these things are angry or upset, and they want to lash out at others. When prejudice against certain groups leads to an act of violence, it's called a hate crime. The laws for defining and punishing hate crimes vary from state to state.
Respecting Differences
No two people in the world are exactly alike. All people, even identical twins, have their own experiences and their own viewpoints. Do you have to agree with people to respect their right to have an opinion? No. But people with differing views and opinions can respect each other's right to differ.
You don't have to like the same food, sports, or music as your friends or practice the same religion. But you're probably open to learning about their differences. An important part of growing is being willing to learn new things. Being open to seeing new things and learning about other people without negatively prejudging them is a form of tolerance.
But does tolerance mean that all behaviors have to be accepted?
No, of course not. Behaviors that disrespect or hurt others, like being mean or bullying, or behaviors that break social rules, like lying or stealing, should not be tolerated. Respect is about accepting people for who they are, for their best selves - not about accepting bad behavior.
Tolerance also means treating others the way you'd like to be treated.
Here are a few ways to do this:
Don't judge a person on your first impression, which is usually based solely on the way he or she looks. Take the time to learn more about that person than what's on the surface.
Keep an open mind. It may be easier to spend time with people who seem just like you, but you can miss out on a lot of interesting experiences - conversations, foods, books, music and art, sports, religious ceremonies, and more. Getting to know people who seem different can be difficult at first, but you'll probably find that you have much more in common than you think.
Be informed about what's happening in America and the world and find out what you can contribute. You might volunteer at a social services or human rights organization. You might want to learn more about how you can combat hate. If you like to play music or write, you might try using those skills to express and share your feelings.
You probably know many people who have something that sets them apart from the norm. All of these people have feelings and deserve to feel accepted for who they are. Everyone has something to offer, even if it's something unexpected, like a new idea or a new way of looking at something. The more we learn about people, the more likely we are to realize that the myths and stereotypes we hear are unfair or incorrect.
When we learn about - and respect - differences, we not only get to experience more of the world, we also open ourselves up to more opportunities. That's because great jobs and career opportunities are going to the people who are comfortable working in a world that is becoming increasingly diverse. The ease of global travel, communications, and trade make it more important than ever to learn to respect and appreciate others.

Reviewed by: Neil Izenberg, MDDate reviewed: June 2004
Source:
http://kidshealth.org

Tuesday, January 24, 2006

Outsourcing Torture in the Land of the Free and the Home of the Proud

Read an interesting article on Reuter's website concerning the outsourcing torture allegations directed at the US governments. If true, which me humble self thinks it is, then the land of the free just got a whole less freer and a whole lot scarier, and the proud have one less thing to be proud of. Below is the article:


US "outsourced" torture: investigatorTue Jan 24, 2006 4:55 PM ET
By Jon Boyle
STRASBOURG, France (Reuters) - The United States flew detainees to countries where they would be tortured and European governments probably knew about it, the head of a European human rights investigation said on Tuesday.
But Swiss senator Dick Marty said in a preliminary report for the Council of Europe human rights watchdog that he had found no irrefutable evidence to confirm allegations that the CIA operated secret detention centers in Europe.
His report kept pressure on the U.S. Central Intelligence Agency over the charges that it flew prisoners through European airports to jails in third countries, but Washington denied any wrongdoing and critics said the report contained nothing new.
"There is a great deal of coherent, convergent evidence pointing to the existence of a system of 'relocation' or 'outsourcing of torture'," Marty told the 46-nation Council, based in the eastern French city of Strasbourg.
"It is highly unlikely that European governments, or at least their intelligence services, were unaware."
At the State Department in Washington, spokesman Sean McCormack dismissed the report as "same old reports wrapped up in some new rhetoric. There's nothing new here."
The September 11 attacks on U.S. landmarks sparked a U.S. global war on terrorism against al Qaeda and led to the invasion of Iraq. Public opinion has hardened in Europe since deadly bomb attacks in London last July and in Madrid in March, 2004.
But the allegations about the CIA, first made by newspapers and human rights groups late last year, have put pressure on the United States and European governments to explain their actions and those of their secret services.
Marty said it had been proved that "individuals have been abducted, deprived of their liberty and transported to different destinations in Europe, to be handed over to countries in which they have suffered degrading treatment and torture."
He estimated more than 100 people had been subject to the process known as "rendition."
NO "SMOKING GUN" ON SECRET JAILS
Romania, Poland, Ukraine, Kosovo, Macedonia and Bulgaria have faced accusations that the CIA used detention centers on their soil.
Marty acknowledged there was no firm evidence of detention centers in Europe similar to the one at Guantanamo Bay in Cuba, where hundreds of people judged by the U.S. military to be illegal combatants are held without charge.
But he said U.S. media had faced government pressure not to publish further accusations, and he expected newly received European satellite and flight data to boost his investigation.
The United States has not denied or confirmed the existence of secret detention centers.
U.S. Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff told reporters in Paris he had not seen Marty's report but "the government acts in accordance with the law and with respect to the sovereignty of host countries in which it operates."
"The authorities are free to investigate what they want to investigate but we should not allow ourselves to be distracted from the need to identify, prevent and protect against terrorist acts of violence," he added.
The State Department's McCormack insisted the United States "does not torture," respects the sovereignty of European allies and does not transfer suspects to countries where there is reasonable expectation they might be subjected to torture without first seeking assurances they will not be tortured.
There may be differences between Europe and America on these issues, but "we are fighting the same fight, we share the same core values. And what we need is discussion and dialogue about how to deal with the issues that confront us," McCormack told a news briefing.
He said if Europeans had more questions on this issue, the United States would try to answer them.
Denis MacShane, a British member of parliament and former minister for Europe, told reporters Marty's report "has more holes than a Swiss cheese." A British government spokesman said there seemed to be no new facts.
European Security Commissioner Franco Frattini urged EU members to cooperate fully with Marty's probe but said it was too early to draw conclusions.
Poland said the report left no "basis for thinking such camps or prisons existed on Polish territory."
(Additional reporting by Ingrid Melander in Brussels, Kate Baldwin in London and Paul Carrel in Paris)
© Reuters 2006.


What do you think?

Thursday, January 05, 2006

How to Create a Terrorist in Six Steps.

I came across this article while surfing the net checking out the different bloggers out there. It was posted on "The Joker" blog, where it was quoted from "The Lands of Sands" another blog! It really is a avery powerful and insightful article that gives the reader great food for thought.

It is in arabic, but I intend to translate it in English so more people can read it. What interested me in the article, was the it relates so well not only to terrorism, ( esp. religious terrorism that unfortunately plagues the Muslim nations), but also to any form of fanatacism and extremism. I have to say the analysis lends itself well and goes a long way to shed light on the inner workings of extremist religious groups, be they of a pacifist or militaristic nature.

I myself have witnessed such brainwashing tactics and how individuals become part of fanatic (albeit peaceful) organizations. From personal experience, I have found individuals who become members of world-renouncing organizations to be lacking something in their life in some sort, with an inability to overcome a certain failure, or a weakness and a desire not to take responsibility for the present and future course of one's life. Needless to say, this article moved me.

As usual, I rambled on and on, so without further ado, I post this article.
كيف تصنع ارهابيا في ستة خطوات؟
عندما غادرت البيت صباح اليوم، خيل لي ان هاتفا من السماء قال لي \" توكل على الله\". أرجو المعذره لقد كان صوتا و ليس تخيلا، ظننت ربما كان المطوع خميس يلعب بمايكرفون المسجد يجرب قدراته الصوتيه الفاشله..ولكن الصوت الذي همس اليّ لم يكن يشبه صوت مطوع خميس العور...كان اشبه بصوت الببغاء الذي يرافق علاء الدين في كارتون ديزنى الشهيرحدث نفس الشيء مرة اخري ، عندما عدت للبيت ، الصوت الببغاوي يقول لي شيئا مثل سبحان الله...قلت لأمي التي كانت في الصاله هل سمعت هذا الصوت..أهو المسجد؟ فتبسمت و اشارت الي علبه بيضاء من البلاستيك ملصقه بأعلى باب الصاله..جربت فتح و اغلاق الباب، وكل مره يصدر من العلبه صوت يقول لك سبحان الله او توكل علي الله...العلبه * الشريره هذه مصنّعة في الصينهل تعرفون ان الصينيين و الكوريين مارسوا شيئا يسمى زن تزان و هو عباره عن غسيل دماغ منظم ضد اسرى الحرب خلال الحرب الكوريه في الخمسينيات من القرن الماضي..أكتشف الامريكان ان كثيرا من اسرى الحرب بعد تحريرهم قد تغيرت طرق تفكيرهم و بدوا و كأنهم يتعاطفون مع الشيوعيه و منهم من كان يهرب ليعود الي الكوريينأدي هذا الي ظهور عدة دراسات أهتمت بهذه الظاهره النفسيه و التى استمر الشيوعيون السوفييت بالقيام بها لأقناع اكبر عدد من الشباب حول العالم بالفكر الشيوعي. اتضح من الدراسات ان الكوريين كانوا يعرضون اسراهم الي عمليات غسيل مخ تعتمد على التخويف و العزله و تقليل الوجبات و ترديد الكلام و لعب تسجيلات صوتيه من خلال مكبرات الصوت تلقن الفكر الشيوعي، مما ادى الي انفصال ذهنى لدي الاسرى عن الحقيقه و الطريقه التى تربوا بها و تحولوا الى عقول مغسوله لا تدرك ماذا تفعل..كان الامر يسّهل على الكوريين توفير اعداد اكبر من الرجال للقتال في جبهة المعركه و اقل عدد ممكن من الحراس للسيطره على اسرى الحرب لديهمأثناء الستينات كثر استخدام الرسائل الخفيه في الاعلانات التجاريه و الاغاني والمسلسلات بحيث تبث رساله سريعه تسمعها الاذن و يلتقطها الاحساس و لكن لايسنح الوقت للجزء التحليلي من الدماغ باكتشافها..يسمى ذلك ب: السابلايم و ان لم تثبت حقيقة تأثيره حتى الان في خضم الكم الهائل من نظريات المؤامره حول هذا الموضوعكنت اشاهد الانتحاريه العراقيه ساجده عتروس و التى لم ينفجر حزامها الناسف في مجزرة عمّان الدمويه تعترف على شاشة التلفزيون و ربما تسائل الكثيرون عن الكيفيه التى يتمكن بها اسامه بلادين و أبومصعب الدموي و غيرهم من الارهابيين بأقناع هؤلاء بالانتحار..كيف تتمكن هذه المنظمات الارهابيه من السيطرة على العقول و كيف تستغلهم و تتحكم بهم ليقوموا بقتل الابرياء انتحارا؟لنلقي بعض الضوء على ذلكان عمليات غسيل الدماغ للسيطره على العقول ليست جديده على البشريه، فالبشر منذ عهد الكهوف عرفوا ان بقائهم يعتمد على حياتهم في مجموعات تحمى نفسها من الحيوانات المفترسه و للصيد و العمل معا، ذلك خلق الحاجه للقياده و السيطره على المجموعه و استخدامها. أكثر من استعمل اساليب السيطرة على العقول هما الحكومات و الاديان على مر التاريخ، في بلاد الرمال و حتى سقوط الدوله العثمانيه التى كانت تعتبر نفسها خلافة على المسلمين كان الحكام و السلاطين يستغلون الدين و يستعملونه للسيطرة على الجماهير و كان رجال الدين يخضعون لهم يؤلفون لهم الاحاديث و يستنبطون لهم الاحكام من مثل وأطيعوا اولي الامر منكم، و لكن بعد سقوطها قام رجال الدين المسلمين بمحاولات مستمره للاستيلاء على الحكم و الاستئثار به من خلال تأسيس جماعات دينيه مثل الاخوان و السلفيه والتحكم في مناهج المدارس و عقول الناشئه و استغلال حالة الفقر السائد و الفشل للدكتاتوريات العربيه المتساقطه، ليأسسوا حكومة دينيه، و هذا ما يفسر حالة الصمت الدائم من رجال الدين الذين مهما فعل الزرقاويين و البلادينون في اراقة دماء الطفوله و الابرياء من البشر..فلا يكفروهم او ربما يداعبونهم بعبارات لينه..انهم ينتظرون نصيبهم من الكعكهمن الاديان التي تمارس عملية التحول الديني بصورة منظمه و التي ربما اسست قواعد غسل الدماغ و التي استفاد منها الصينيون و الكوريون الشيوعيون ، الدين التاوي و هو احد اديان الصين. يستعمل التاويون اساليب العزله و الصيام و ترديد الاناشيد الببغاويه و اشعار الشخص بأنه لاشيء مقابل الجماعه و انهم الوحيدون الذين معه، لأفراغ عقل الانسان من محتواه و معتقداته ليصبح صفحة بيضاء..يزرعون فيها افكارهم، فيحدث التحول العجيب في فكر هذا الشخص..جماعات الهارى كريشنا و السيانتولوجي تقوم بنفس الاجراء و تسمى هذه الخطوات الست للتحولالجيوش تمارس عملية غسيل المخ خلال عملية التجنيد و التدريب بالطقوس المتعارف عليها: القصد هو نزع الانسان او الرجل من بيئته، و أقلمته و تغييره الي كائن جديد، كائن مطيع، ينفذ الاوامر، بلا تفكيرأول شيء يتم عمله في جيوش العالم عندما تنضم اليهم هو: حلق شعرك و جعلك تحس بأنك تفقد كل شيء تحبه او تعودت عليه، الجيش يخرجك من حياتك و يغير عقلك، ياتي مدرب الجيش الغبي الفاشل في الدراسه و الخدمه العسكريه ايضا، ليصرخ بك بأن ايام الدلع و الراحه انتهت و هنا مافيش ماما و لا بابا، و يبدأ بالمارشات و الترديد الغبي و الصراخ، و العقاب بالعزله و الحرمان من المجتمع و الحياة التي تعودت عليها، حتى عند الخروج من المعسكر يجب ان تلتزم بلباس معين.. يتوقف عندك التدبير و التفكير تصبح متلقى اوامر و منفذا فقط.. و عند التخرج ..تخرج الي الحياة كشخص مختلف في التفكير و المعتقدات و التصرفات..عسكري
و حتى ، صديقي و صديقتي القارئه، لا تستغربون كثيرا من تصرفات الانتحاريين الاسلاميين و جرأتهم و خلو قلوبهم من اي رحمه، و لتحموا انفسكم و اولادكم و تحرروا عقولكم من سيطرتهم على ادمغتكم يجب ان تعرفوا حقيقة هامه عن البشر ايضاثلثي البشر او ربما اكثر يحملون طبيعه انقياديه، يبحثون عن من يقودهم و ينقذهم، لا يستطيعون عمل ذلك بأنفسهم، لاحظوا عندما يردد العرب خطابهم التقليدي مثل أنتظار صلاح الدين، أو معتصماه، أو جمال عبد الناصر، صدام..و يخرجون بمظاهرات بالروح بالدم نفديك ، انهم يبحثون عن من يريحهم من التفكير و يقدم لهم حلولا ساذجه.. من ابيض و أسودلتتعرف على نماذج من ثلثا البشر هؤلاء، انظر من حولك، سترى انهم الذين يبحثون عن الايمان، عن حقيقة الكون، عن وجود عدالة مطلقه..انهم يحبون الحقائق ناصعة البياض بوضوح الشمس..و هذا لا يعنى انهم ليسوا بأذكياء و لكنهم مثاليين، يضحون بأنفسهم و وقتهم من اجل الغير و يؤمنون بشده بعدالة قضيتهم، انهم متعصبون لفكرتهم، يريدون اصلاح الخطأ و منع الذنوب و تحويل مجتمعهم و بلادهم الي بلاد ملتزمه بالايدولوجيه او الفكره الدينيه التى يؤمنون بها..بحسن نيه لتخليصها من الشرور و تجنيبها غضب اله الرمالهؤلاء هم يقع فريسة للأرهابيين و يسهل تجنيدهم، هذه الظاهره ليست مقصوره على بلاد الرمال فقط و ربها الساخط في السماء، بل تحدث في اماكن عديده، نمور التاميل استخدمت نفس الاسلوب عندما فجّرت منتحره ، راجيف غاندي رئيس وزراء الهند، و في التسعينيات قامت مجموعه دينيه يابانيه اسمها ايوم شينيركيو بنشر غازات بيولوجيه في ميترو طوكيو تسببت بقتل كثير من المارة الابرياء، هذه المنظمه اليابانيه مثل القاعده كانت تسعى للحصول على اسلحة دمار شامل لتحطيم النظام العالمي ، ربما من المستحيل تماما القضاء على ظاهرة التعصب و الارهاب من هذه الجماعات و لكن في اليابان و المجتمع الغربي حيث تتوافر المعلومات تجدها اقل كثيرا و اقل تأثيرا ،على عكس بلاد الرمال و الصحارى..لماذا؟سأشرح ذلك لاحقا
ألخطوه الاولي
تبدأ عملية تحول الانسان الي ارهابي بحادثه او ظاهره، فشل الانسان في الحب او عدم قدرته للتواصل مع فتاة ليحبها، او خيانة صديق او شيء يؤثر في هذا الانسان من قبل العائله فيتركها بحثا عن ملجأ اخر، هذا ماحدث مع اسامه بن لادن الابن الخمسين في بيت خلى من المحبه و العاطفه، و امتلأ بخلافات الاخوة حول السيطره على اموال امبراطورية بن لادن. يتعمق الاحساس بالوحده و يبدأ هذا الشعور بالخيانة و تخلى العائلة و الاصدقاء عنه ، الي تحرير عاطفته من الارتباط بقيمهم و افكارهم
الخطوة الثانيه ان يتعرض الشخص مثل ما حدث اسامه بلا دين الي ايديولوجيه متطرفه يعوض فيها انتمائه و يحس تجاهها بالراحه.الايديولوجيات التى تبحث عن نقاء المجتمع و تجنيبه الذنوب و العقاب مثل السلفيه و الخوارج تهدف الي القيام بتطهير المجتمع مثلهم في هذا مثل البيوريتان في المسيحيه التي تسعي الي الرجوع الي التبسيط الساذج للحياه و لكنها تتلائم مع الفكر المثالي للأنقياديين من ثلثي البشر
الخطوة الثالثه وجود قائد له كاريزما مثل الظواهري الذي يبدأ عملية غسل الدماغ و فيها تقوم الجماعه بعزل الشخص عن المجتمع، عزله عن التلفزيون و الموسيقي الكافره و الكتب، كل شيء غير طاهر الا ادبيات الجماعه، تذهب الجماعات الي اماكن معزوله لتقوم بالدرس و التلقين و حتى في امريكا كثيرا ما تجد الجماعات الدينيه الجديده تستأجر موتيلات بعيده لأجتماعاتها مثلما يقيم الجهاديون و السلفيون معسكراتهم في الصحارى، حيث يعلمون الاطفال \ طريقة ذبح الشاه
الخطوة الرابعه هي بداية اخراج مصطلحات لها دلالات خاصه للجماعه و يبدأ الافراد بالسريه و التحكم بالمعلومات، يستوجب على العضو الان منع نفسه من التفكير في امور معينه و يبنى ايمانه المطلق و يتخلص من اعماله السابقه التى اداها في حياته قبل ان يهبط عليه هذا الايمان الذي فتح الله به قلبه، هذه المرحله يكون الولاء للجماعه فوق كل شيء، فوق الوطن فوق الاهل فوق الاحبه. تستخدم الجماعات الصيام و ترديد الاناشيد و الادعيه بصوره طقوسيه شبيهة بما ذكرته سابقا في التدريب و الاعداد العسكري
الخطوه الخامسه نزع شخصية الفرد و التمّيز الفردي لصالح الجماعه، في هذه المرحله تتم مراقبة سلوك العضو و تقييم انتمائه . من الاساليب المتبعه هي اسلوب القرين و هو ان لا يترك اي عضو لحاله لمدة طويله، فهو دائما برفقة عضو اخر يذكر احدهما الاخر بمباديء الجماعه و لمنع الشخص من العوده الي عاداته الماضيه، و من الاساليب المتبعه كذلك التخلص من اسم الشخص واعطائه كنيه مثل ابومحجن و ابو البراء و ابومهبول او ابوملخبط الثوري، و يسمون تجمعاتهم بأسماء من غابر التاريخ مثل سرية ابي كعب المخّبل و غزوة فندق ساس المباركه و يخاطبون بعضهم بعضا بأسم اخونا في الاسلام اخي في الله لتتميز الجماعه و يكتمل فصلها عن المجتمع ، الشيوعيون مثلا كانوا يستخدمون كنية الرفيق او الزميل المناضل رقم سته و اربعين
الخطوه السادسه أيجاد الشيطان ! او العدو الذي تصب عليه الجماعة جام حقدها، فالعدو يجب ان يمثل العائق الاول لنجاح الجماعه، فكانت الامبرياليه هي عدو الشيوعيه و بعبعها المكروه، مثل الشيطان الاكبر امريكا و الطاغوتيون للجمهوريه الاسلاميه الخمينيه، كذلك اليهود و النصارى لأبن لادن و القاعده و تصل العمليه الي تفسير القرأن الكريم بطرق غرائبيه مثل و لا الضالين في سورة الحمد حيث تفسر الكلمه بأنهم اليهود و النصارى الذين ضلوا سواء السبيل و هكذا و قد يستهدفون اعوان الشيطان هذا عدوهم من الحكومات او البشر الامنين و يجوزون قتلهم على اساس ان المجتمع كله فاسد او انهم متمترسين اي يختفي الشيطان عدوهم و اعوانه خلفهم. في عملية بناء العداوه و الكراهيه و رفض الاخر تماما، تتم عملية غسل الدماغلم يبق لهذا المسكين عضو الجماعه الارهابي خيار سوى ان يقاتل هذا العدو الذي يحول بين جماعته و بين نجاحهم في تحقيق اهدافهم و بناء المجتمع المثالي.. على طريقتهم طبعاان عملية انقاذ او انتشال شخص تم غسل دماغه صعب جدا و هي عمليه تتطلب علاجا نفسيا،من اشهر الدراسات في هذا المجال لعالم النفس الامريكي ستيفن الان حسن، الذي كان نفسه ضحية عملية غسل الدماغ على يد جماعه دينيه مسيحيه متشدده انتمى اليها عندما كان في عشريناته تسمى نفسها الكنيسه التوحيديه و قام ستيفن حسن بدراسات كثيره يساعد فيها الاسر التى تم تجنيد احد ابنائها من قبل جماعات دينيه متطرفهwww.freedomofmind.comالعبره التي اود ان اتركها معكم، هو انك طالما حررت عقلك ..و ربطته بالعقلانيه و الواقع و رفضت تصديق الافكار السحريه عن النمله و الهدهد اللذان يتكلمان، و توقفت عن تخيل العفاريت و الجن الذي يطيرفوق صحارى بلاد الرمال و حروبهم مع جيوش المخلوقات الملائكيه التى تطرفش في السماء لتحرس الله و سقفه الازرق و تقاتل مع نبي الصحراء الكفار في غزواته ، و رفضت تصديق ان هناك شخصا بلعه الحوت و خرج سالما و اخر حمّل حديقة حيوانات ساندياغو على مركب خشبي و ثالث يحمل عصا سحريه يشق بها البحار و يرقص بها الثعابين..و انتبهت الي ما يفعلونه بعقلك من تلقين في المدارس و اجهزة الاعلام و الكتيبات اللامعه و الكاستيات و المساجد ورفضت فتاويهم التى تتحكم بتصرفاتك و سلوكك..فسترحم عقلك، و ستحمى ابنائك و احبابك من ان يتحولوا الي بهائم متفجره...صدقوني ..انهم يكذبون عليكمبن كريشان**خلعت العلبه الشريره من الباب بصعوبه، لا ادرى اي نوع من الصمغ استخدمت امي، و خبطتها على الارض حتى انكسرت، ثم ناديت مارى و قلت لها يبدو ان هذا الشيء قد وقع، أحضرت المكنسه و قالت انها أخبرت أمي انها ستقع لو لم تثبتها بالبراغي

As a practicing Muslim, and a strong theist, I see the problem not so much in Islam or any of the other monotheistic religions. Rather, I believe the problem lies with the imperfect individuals practicing such faiths. So in that respect, I disagree with the author's rationale on how to free oneself from the snares of such organizations.
I think that it is every person's right and yes, obligation to use his/her brains and logic. THINK, THINK, THINK! God gave us reasoning abilities for a purpose. Never belong or be part of an entity that deprives you of the right to think for yourself and come up with your own answers. Question everything and accept nothing until you have firmly examined it. Be critical and analytical and most importantly, do not entrust the direction of tha affairs of your life to anyone. Even though it is more comfortable to lift the burden of responsibility away from oneself to a wiser, holier entity, you will lose control of your life and in the end who you truely are. That is my solution.

Wednesday, January 04, 2006

First Post Ever!

Hello, and welcome to my blog or site, or whatever this is! You see, I am new at this and have never really read blogs or had one of my own. So this is the second posting I make at a blog, only this time I am posting on my very own first blog.

I will be the first to admit that I love rambling (I will not publish some of the nicknames I have been called over the years as a result of that!) but I am still unsure if my blog will be a success. I never could keep a diary, too much work! Why write or type when you can talk? So I guess only time will tell how this new experience of mine turns out.

As to people reading my blog or being remotely interested, I don't think this will be the case. Having said that, this is an online site that anyone can see, so I will have to mind my ps and qs.

I think I will just use this blog as an online scrap book where I keep a record of what has caught my interest, both in a positive and negative way. I hope I enjoy this new experience, and I do think I will benefit from it.

Later!