Crazy Nut Job

What’s up?

               I read two reports today on my pone’s news app that many people which I have talked to immediately relate to the Islamic religion. This relationship is made in a way that looks negatively on the religion, with statements such as, “only those crazy Islamic nut jobs.” I must say that at first this was my initial thought as well, until I thought about it for a minute. As I began to think a bit more deeply about this association, the thoughts in my head became a mess.

               The first report that I read was about the Canadian court finding guilty an Afghan man, his wife, and his son of an honor killing of the man’s two daughters and second (unreported for reasons of deportation) wife. This happened in Canada’s capital city of Ottawa. The second report that I read was about an Afghan man, this time in Afghanistan, strangling his wife to death, because she gave birth to another girl instead of a boy.

               After reading these world reports, many immediately think about the religion that is associated with Afghans and attribute these horrible events to them. But, the fact is that these acts really do not have anything to do with the Islamic religion. These acts can only be associated with the culture of these particular people. To judge a religion based upon the culture of one particular group that may interpret this religion in a certain way is unfair and not right.

               After speaking to one of my Stevenson University professors about this, he gave an example of different cultures, interoperating their religious scriptures in different ways. An example of this that he gave was about the way in which many females are made to dress in Middle Eastern countries; covering their entire bodies, with only the eyes showing. He then told me that the Koran only states something about men and women should dress conservatively or moderately, not to have themselves covered from head to toe. This way of interpretation has to do with that particular culture and perhaps the way that culture interprets that portion of the Koran.  

Once I thought about the cultural aspect, I could relate this to many things. I don’t believe that it is fair or right to associate every person that follows a certain religion with being a “crazy nut job” because, of the “crazy nut job” culture of many that follow that certain religion.    

Latter,

Jason       

Intro

Hi Everyone,

Okay, as this is my first post I want to begin this blog by explaining the title "everyday mess," which will introduce what I will be talking about over the next couple of weeks.

The title that I came up with might, by you all, be initially related to the kind of mess that one finds in a teenager’s room or an unattended storage shed at the back end of someone’s piece land. But, that is not the type mess that I am referring to! The mess that I want to talk about is the mess that goes on in my mind, which is likely to go on in your minds as well. This mess is made up of sometimes little thoughts that are not really important but float around in your heads. Sometimes this mess has a more significant importance and can cause other thoughts or feelings to be put in a back seat. These little thought messes are created everywhere.  You can hear a comment made during a radio broadcast; see a bumper sticker on the car in front of you while stopped at a red light; or overhear two people talking at a restaurant. All these are examples of how the mess can begin.

Just like this morning, while getting a cup of hot but awful coffee at Seven Eleven, a mess of thoughts began. The cashier was having a conversation with her co-worker about President Obama’s State of the Union Address. I could clearly hear the discontent and cynicism in her tone of voice. Although, I did not really pay attention to what they were actually talking about, I did not think too much about this because I generally share a cynical view of politicians, especially when they are in campaign mode. But, as I walked up to the counter, ready to pay for my coffee, the cashier ended her conversation with her coworker by saying, “…land of the free and home of the brave! Huh, the freedom to make something of yourself and get rich. But that only works so long as you’re foreign, we, the ones born here have to suffer!” This caused an immediate thought jumble in my head and I truly wanted to tell her that she is an idiot. But, I decided to keep my mouth shut, pay for my coffee, and leave.

Now, normally what I want to do in this blog is to brake this episode at Seven Eleven down and share my messy thoughts with you; however, as this is only an introduction I will let this one go.

I hope that you all have an understanding of why I picked this title and will enjoy the upcoming little messes with me.

Later,

Jason