the real martyrs

We, human beings, tend to have a very generalized view of what is remote. This is partly build in. For a white Caucasian all Asian's / Africans / ... look the same (and this works both ways) ... until he or she lives among them. This is partly because our media are biased and - whatever they may say to contradict it - give us a very limited view on what is really going on. And last but not least, this is not limited to the poor and uneducated among us.

Which brings me to the accepted views on Iran. In Europe and North America it is seen as a backward islamic country where the mullahs turned the clock back to the dark Middle Ages (that is, comparable to European dark Middle Ages). It is potentially dangerous because its leaders are bend on getting nuclear weapons and starting their version of Armageddon. In the Middle East it is seen as ... yes ... how exactly is it seen in the Middle East ? As a defender of islam ? As a raised fist against American imperialism ? And the views of the rest of the world ? See how limited our views are ? See how little we really know about Iran ?

Anyhow, surely Iran is a monolithic nation ... or is it not ? Of course not. No nation is, no village is, no family is. The recent elections in Iran have shown that there are - at least - two speeds in the Iran society. There is the god-fearing poorer, mostly rural, mostly older population and there is the more sceptical, richer, mostly city-based, mostly younger population. Again no doubt a major oversimplification, but these two are at this very moment clashing in the streets of Iran. Religion has (for once) little to do with it. Both candidates in the election were approved by the islamic council. Both are no doubt pious (at least in front of the camera) defenders of their true faith.

No, what is happening has more to do with lifestyle and looks more like a generation conflict. Sadly enough it is fought out in the street. Sadly enough people die in the conflict every day. One side uses every modern available medium to organise themselves and to show their protest (and to prove their right) to the world. The other side is supported by the state and uses force to prove their right. Both are wrong. Shouting loudly does not mean you are right and nor does having the superior force.

I have no love for Iran. Religous rule should be world-banned, for it is dangerous and will probably mean the end of our kind. But I do feel sorry for the ones that die there now. They are real martyrs. In my book martyr means : a person that intentionally (nobody else can make you a martyr even though you only become one after you die) sacrifices him-/herself for a cause without getting rewarded or knowing if the sacrifice helped.

No virgins (by the way, what do female martyrs get ?) will be waiting for them in heaven. In fact, no heaven will be waiting. That is what dead means and in that view the definition of martyr has a lot in common with the definition of idiot.

I can not help but wonder what Cyrus would have thought of all this ... He'd probably have lobbed of a couple of thousand heads and continued conquering the world. Those were simpler days.

For those who want to learn (a bit) more about what is really going on in Iran, I suggest this article.

that was the point, you i****

A school in Antwerp, Belgium forbids (any kind of) a headdress for its pupils inside the school. And they should have kept it at that, nobody would have objected, but they are honest and they add that the reason for a complete ban is : "some muslim girls feel pressured by their peers to wear one".

Next day an Imman calls hellfire down on the school. And he does it in an amazing display of religious reasoning :

• The Quran says that women must wear a headdress.

It does, actually (depending on the interpretation) a burka with veil is called for

• Every girl or woman chooses if she wants to wear a headdress.

How very nice of him to say that, the Quran doesn't.

• A girl not wearing the headdress creates a problem.

Suddenly not so nice any more.

• Others may (rightly) create trouble / problems for the girl.

I may be a stupid person, but is that not exactly the very reason for the ban ? If this was brought by a person speaking the native language (Dutch) in a literate manner I'd laugh in his face and point out why his reasoning is flawed. It was not. It was brought by somebody that speaks Dutch as if it was a kafir (yes, I know exactly what that word means) language he only sullies his mouth with when he has no other choice.

In this I follow Mr Nicolas Sarkozy. There are a lot of things he is not. Modest for one. But his comments on the burka are worthy of praise and I can only hope the Antwerp school will stick to its guns as well.