Posted by mecca in ABUSHARIF, Culture, Politics, THEMES.
Caring about language is not an egghead sport. Nothing exists outside of its reach. Why would “revelation” itself be entrusted to words if there wasn’t something special or supernal about them? Like air and water, language can be corrupted, though it’s hard to notice the toxins. Apparently, the struggle for the meaning of words (especially common words) seems to precede the struggle for control, be it political, social, or even religious. The quote below is from a highly recommended book called Death Sentences (by Don Watson), a serious critique of how political- and business-speak are damaging language and its use in public dialogue. I like it for its content, but also because it is the kind of work that helps us decipher meaning from background noise.
And while I’m at it, read this too, please.
Posted by mecca in Spirituality, THEMES.
One thing that a thoughtful Ramadan experience is said to do is reverse 11 months of “professionalizing our existence,” to borrow the phrase from Martin Amis. “Professionalizing” the religious experience means to become rote doers of rites (stiff and perfunctory); with Sunday-school heart; and exposed to pretension and self-righteousness, among the greatest risks of religiosity. If Ramadan were a proofreader’s pen, it would stop at “Muslim” (the professional adherent) and strike it down to “muslim” (a person who believes and remembers why).
Posted by mecca in ABUSHARIF, Culture, Sociology, THEMES.
Salman on retread| Exploit Women and Win a Nobel!