Originally posted by Czarina_Czarina
so they trained you in your youth to be an extremest, please do tell, how and what caused you the change your mind?you probably have every other person asking you what you think of the book "the kite runner", they are going to make a movie of this GREAT IDEA!!!!!!!!!! (i know it's about Afganie culture, but still wanted to know if this is a book that reflects Arab culture or just that region)?
http://www.amazon.com/Kite-Runner-Khaled-Hosseini/dp/1594480001
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0419887/
are you still a Muslim?
Pakistan was under the British system (education, etc), how do you view Britain now? how do you feel about India? Hindus? Will Hindus and Muslims really ever get along (as I know this conflict is blamed on the British division of Northern India, aka, Pakistan?
do you feel your income or class helped you in educating yourself and therefor, separating yourself from the extremist? are most anti-extremist educated? is there a consensus on what age or philosophy that caused the change of heart? (is it mostly in teen years that there tends to be a change, or is it mostly later in life, is it usually after college or during college)?
thanks in advance, i am truly interested and again, i think the American production of the book "the kite runner" is really going to help American movie goers to discuss Muslim culture, i am probably thinking too soon, but i think it's a BRILANT IDEA on the part of hollywood.
if you don't mind me asking, which extremist group were you part of (if you think it's ok to answer that question) and did they threaten your life b/c your thinking changed?
extremist, YES, my parents were and are extremists. i was taught the quran{in arabic so until recently i didnt even directly read it in a language i understood}, infact until 2002, i was taught and knew the entire arabic quran by heart{hifz= memorizing the quran} and was taught how to act/dress etc. beside there a lot of manipulative curriculum at all pakistani schools{even though its radically decreased now with the current government, and the reason, ironically, is cause its publically known to be on america's parole} and we were taught islamic history{manipulated to make every 1 else seems like the enemy, and it mostly just comprised of the areas limited to THE ISLAMIC EMPIRE}, quranic teachings{the bad plus good ones, manipulated to also be like the bad} etc. also, the society was until very recently{still is in most rural aread, which comprise over 75% of the population} very VERY much closed and narrow minded, so much so that even the better part of islamic teaching is hypocrytically avoided in favour of ancient, more evil traditions. and i wasnt, until i was 12{and only cause the family wanted to seem more modern, and was patriarchal} in an all boys school, and with a stroke of luck, went to a co ed one{my sisters, not until recently, ever had that oppurtunity}. and well, after, quite a lot of psychological crap happened to me{mostly cause of my dad, which i later found out was facilitated by the culture and relegion} and before, i really only relied on my faith in god, but slowly, i became disillusioned with the whole thing and started to look at it from outside and found out just how evil the whole enterprise was.{actually, aided by the fact that we got cable tv a little while before, and i found a dusted old compy of bertrand russel's "conquest of happiness" somewhere in the house}. but then {at the time about 7 months after 911} i hated the whole thing SO much, that i became biased against the country and way of life, more than is reasonable. blindly started supporting bush{not knowig then that much about the history, his allegiances/america's role etc} and anything that wud destroy the relegion/way of life that i was encaged by. but slowly, as i grew older, read more, saw more, from all viewpoints, i came to understand just how bad even the other side was and to what extent they{i mean other relegions like chrisytianity in america etc, media} were similar to what i had grown to hate. and well, here i am today{i did fast forward through most stuff, but hey, cant expect me to tell my entire life history can you 😛 } seeing lots, and understanding it in a much more unbiased position than any time before in my life. i do distinctly remember that until 11 years of age, by one and only wish was really to become a relegious martyr as that implied that i was directly going to heaven{n i didnt know too much about heaven either, nor about sex 😱 }. i wasnt handed an AK, but if i were a little poorer, a little more independant, no doubt, i wudv had one.
in so far as the kite runner, no most people dont ask me about it. in so far as i think. these books, do tell many about the human toll, on innocence etc, of the region/relegion, but my experience of most of these goes a bit different from others, they seem the characters, seem too much like victims{i.e. women etc} and theyr right for many, but wrong for others whpo are active followers and perpetraters of the ideologies/dogma etc and are not as innocent and helpless as they seem. also, they demonize the bad parts overly, in a way, inwhich makes many people believe in the evil of the specific relegion/culture, while its not specifically any more evil than most western ideologies/cultures. basically, most of these are propaganda books{wudnt say kite runner is completely, but partially it does show ignorance of the basic issues and reasons for their existance. actually, it more manipulation{under the guise of good storytelling}. but yea, the book is correct in the FACTS{without interpreting} of life in afghanistan for a lot of people, but not true on their hopes/dreams and how many are realised/get out, as the majority do not, nor have the freedom to think about those things.
hmmm, how do i view britian, as it was then, it was ag ignorant, arrogant tyrrany which committed unspeakable atrocities and breaches of morality by divinding the peole, making them fight, and ruling the weakened country. as it is now.......... lol, not too big, not to influential{having to kiss america's ass- fact}, still trying to somehow exert their will on others as they were in their prime, but forgetting it holds almost no wait, and collapsing from within due to degeneration of the next generation on all things that are humanistic/responsible.
hindus: hate the relegion, very repressive, segregatory, narrow minded. the people, got absolutely nothing against em{except indian movies, which SUCK as even the most respected stars and celebrities COMPLETELY copy hollywood movies upto the wardrobe, dialoge, story, scenes etc. lol}, the government, hate it, its anti muslim and actively promotes riots against em and does nothing to safeguard them like the hindus{and im not a fan of islam}. also hate it cause of the absolutely TERRIBLE atrocities its army is commiting in kashmir{which PALE in comparison to what the pakistani army is doing} over 700000 killed, most women raped, terrorism, etc. its crazy. theyve turned heaven on earth into hell. pakistani army is too busy eating up 89% of all the countriy's funds{yea REALLY, 89 percent of ALL money is used up by the army in this country and they just buy personal luxuries with it as opposed to using it for defence} to care much about the region or committing any great vile acts{although they have a fair few}. oddly enough the world blames muslim TERRORIST for worsening the situation{compliments of western brainwashing}, even though theyr there, its due to frustration and not really motivated by a desire to kill infidels, kashmiris are wierd that way.
i suppose the income /class played a part, in that i was able to bearuond people who werent so frustrated that they blamed everythign on deviance from islam, but not more than that. education...............erm, maybe, it was able to give me the ability to understand things to an extent, but then again, islamic studies was more detrimental than the good stuff. also i wudnt say FORMAL education{other than the ability to read} helped at all. and honestly, its probably in the teen years that you have a CHANCE, cause later, if ur not muslim, this society wont let u breath. even now, my family denies that im not muslim and most peiple other than some of my friends{who are also free thinkers courtsey of being born in EXTREMELY rich EXTREMELY corrupt and EXTREMELY modern families who cont car about anything other than their own pleasure and no1 can touch em, nor do they really advocate anti islamic views. theyr hypocrites who say they believe to get political support then do what suits em} actually know. and yea ive been beaten UP pretty badly twice by some guys from school. if the bloody average man knew i was anti islamic, theyd tear me apart{although my mother seems to ratehr enjoy that idea}
actually, if u ask me a single question in private posts, i might be able to give u a more satisfactory answer, which does justice to the subject, this place is just too different for me to explain to sum1 who lives in a liberal less troubled country. peace out{too long i know, srry}