Actually, there is no such thing as a meaningful murder. And unfortunately, these murders keep on occuring in Baghdad.
Today, I found out from my husband that our neighbor, who lives a few short steps from our door, was gunned down at his job in the Jami'a district. Killed for living as the wrong sect in the wrong neighborhood.
This young man was my friend Zahra's brother in law. Zahra comes from a bisectarian family, with a Kurdish father and a Shiite mother. Her older sister married a Shiite, and he was killed today. Inna lillahi wa inna ilayhi raj'ioon. To God we belong and to Him we will return.
On another note, my favorite uncle died Tuesday morning in Cairo, Egypt, of a likely heart attack. He was in his early sixties, a grandfather to two, and a father to three young men, 18-30 years. Ammu Nasr was my paternal aunt's husband, yet he treated us like his own. He opened his home and heart to me, my husband, my brothers and sister, for days and months on end. He gave us the best of his time, wealth and nature. He was charismatic, generous and kind. May God reward him for his good deeds and forgive his shortcomings. And may God give patience to my aunt and my cousins. Rahmatullahi 'alayhi.
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When my father died after a long illness with Dementia. I said this at his funeral.
14. "O SON OF MAN!
Thou art My dominion and My dominion perisheth not; wherefore fearest thou thy perishing? Thou art My light and My light shall never be extinguished; why dost thou dread extinction? Thou art My glory and My glory fadeth not; thou art My robe and My robe shall never be outworn. Abide then in thy love for Me, that thou mayest find Me in the realm of glory."
Recently I found this web site, deathclock.com. And when I go walking in the area across a small river and into a subdivision where rice fields used to be, I have been thinking of that passage I quoted above, and the meaning of deathclock. American culture generally does not pay much attentio n to death compared to Japanese culture. In America after you die, our society would rather forget, unless you are an entertainer, and then because money can be made from you after you die, your memory, like Elvis will live on in the Internet. But...if not, you are quickly forgotten. In Japan, basically the ancient religion, and its later version as Shinto, is ANCESTOR WORSHIP. People like my father in law has an altar in his living room about 1 meter high and .5 meter wide , it is to pray for his ancestors, the wife has to pray to his ancestors too ;-). So this is traditional. Americans, if they put an altar to their ancestors in their living room, would be called "creepy", and worshiping death. Parents would be afraid of such people, warn their children not to go near such strange people.
There is a new animation movie on this topic but I should save it and write on my blog ;-)
Dear Fatima,
I offer you solice for the loss of your uncle and even more for the loss of your country.
If you have the time and the inclination, you might be interested in reading "A History of God" by Karen Armstrong. It essentially deals with the development of monotheism in Islaam, Christianity and Judiasm, and the invention of a god in all three faiths that seems to fit the need of its believers. Take a look at http://frimmin.com/books/historyofgod.html for an excellenter review. The book is available on Amazon.
I'm so sorry for the the passing of your uncle and neighbour! You have such an awfully difficult life in Baghdad ... I wish so much I could do anything to make it easier - to stop this senseless and most horrible slaughtering of innocent people!!
May Allah have mercy with the sould of these two great men ... and take their souls straight to heaven!
Sorry for your loss Fatima, Allah yirhamhin!!
The secterian voilence that is going on is sickening, when will people understand that no matter what religion you are, you bleed the same blood and mothers, children, fathers, etc. are still left to mourn
right on halla, it's extremely sickening.
Fatty, I love this passage about 3mi Nasr. You described what I loved most about him perfectly and very eloquently. Allah yer7amu wa yadkheelaho fasse7a gannateeh wa yakremuhu kama akramna. Ameen.
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