Thursday, January 14, 2010

Go, Team, Go!

Is there ONE absolute truth?
Yeah, I think so.
Is there anyone on earth today that knows the entire absolute truth?
No, I don't think so.
Is there anyone that is close to the truth?
Well that depends which team you're on.
How do you pick a team?
Does it pick you? Do you find it, follow it, look for it?

Hmm...

Wednesday, January 13, 2010

Oprah


Today there was an interesting Oprah show about women in Egypt, Ukraine, and India. I wish the Oprah website still had the entire transcript of the show, however, there were just bits of it as of now. So I'll have to recall my thoughts which is NOT going to be easy here!

The Egyptian women were discussing the use of wearing a scarf, one not wearing it and one wearing it. It was one of those times when I was fascinated and listening to every word, but now as time has passed I feel like it was not that new or special. Okay, maybe a little special. I did enjoy how Oprah asked about the scarf and really attempted to learn about it. The main thing I took away from the show is that people sure like to pick each other apart. The non-hijabi implied that the hijabi was narrow-minded and the hijabi implied that the non-hijabi was not truly religious enough. Each side defended itself pretty well. http://www.oprah.com/oprahshow/What-Marriage-Means-Around-the-World/2
It's really difficult to attempt to illustrate what life is like for someone by generalizing it to an entire country or religion. If you watch the 'After the Show' clips, you'll see that the Ukrainian women in the audience did not agree on the presentation's accuracy, that some of the Muslims disagreed wholeheartedly on the method of Muslim divorce, and there was a lot of self-riteousness floating around.

http://www.oprah.com/oprahshow/Women-Around-the-World-Debate-their-Differences-Video

http://www.oprah.com/relationships/Marriage-Around-the-World-Continues-After-the-Show-Video

BUT STILL, I like shows like this. They can slowly chip away at ignorance, prejudice, and condemnation of others, however cliched that may be.

There was one part in which the hijabi explained that although she does not mind if a man finds her attractive, she does not go out of her way to create lust or sexual desire from men in following Islam. Then Oprah said that most of the women in America try to create that lust and desire from the moment they wake till they go to sleep. I think, in essense, that's a clear description of the secular vs. religious difference right there. Refreshing point.