There are times when I enjoy listening to Christian preachers on the television. The sincere Christians have’taqwa’(God-consciousness)What they don’t have is Shariah(an understanding of Divine Law). Historically that is because Paul introduced ( probably with the good intention of making Christianity acceptable to the pagan Roman and Greeks) a deviation into the religion by declaring that it was enough to Love Jesus. It is certainly a good thing to love Prophets and saints. But it is not enough! One needs to follow the rules laId down in Sacred Law. That is your Comparative Religion course for Xmas day lol. Btw Christmas was not celebrated by the early Christians until it was decreed by the Bishop of Rome in 354 AD.It was throughout history seen as a secular festival and was frequently banned by the Church itself for being too licentious!In Scotland it was banned for 250 years until 1953!(reference Judith Flanders “ A biography of Xmas”)
All posts by jebrahim2@gmail.com
Climate Change?
The obsession with”climate change” and “global warming” has seriously obscured the environmental debate. The issue is not really “climate change” ! The real issue is human health, not global warming.
I’ll give you a couple of simple examples of what I mean. If you insulate your home in order to save energy, you are inevitably increasing the concentration of toxins in your home.(And for the more sophisticated nay-sayers amongst the readers,heat distribution units ,as recommended by certain construction norms,most often add in a new level of problems concerned with what grows in their ducts) Given that the concentration of toxins in indoor air is already ten times that in outdoor air, you can see that the potential for impacting human health is enormous.
Example two. If you install laminate floors now cleverly marketed as “ floating floors”( how comfy!)you have used much less wood than if you had installed proper hardwood floors. So you saved a few trees. And trees are good for the environment. They absorb CO2 and they produce O2. Great. But the laminate floors have a high quantity of glues and chemicals including formaldehyde! Formaldehyde is a known cancerogenic product and it off-gasses for years! So you have decreased the carbon emissions but you have contributed a serious hazard to human health!
Did you also know that those great solutions of solar and wind energy produce “dirty electricity” because of the intermittent currents generated? Dirty electricity is far more detrimental to human health than regular electricity! Oops!Thought we had the answer!
And that other great environmental solution-electrical cars- produce high levels of EMFs( electromagnetic fields) that are also known health risks. The last time I tested one with my Trifield meter , there was a reading off 100 Milligaus in the back sest! Above 3 milligaus there are known biological effects. Btw That specific spot in the back seat is exactly where your toddler would be sitting! And we wonder why there is so much cancer in children?!
PS If we seriously addressed human health,global warming would take care of itself as most of the carbon imprint is generated by toxic, cancerogenic chemicals like the byproducts of fossil fuel emissions.So beware! Most of the news you are getting is very partial and biased. It may not be “fake news”. But it is certainly “spun and filtered news”
Artificial Intelligence
Artificial intelligence: Ever had the experience of spinning your wheels trying to get something done on a website?It can be as simple as an address change or a request for information. Then you reach a person, admittedly after a substantial wait -no fault of your own-and the person at the other end of the line after a few annoying and mostly unnecessary security questions, resolved your problem in short order. Does that say anything to you about the infamous A. I. that will soon be taking over the world if it hasn’t already?! It’s s disaster! But who relies on experience and empirical evidence when they can rely on concepts and “tendences” as the French call it. The difference between concept and reality is THE most important factor of disturbance in the world. And nobody seems to be getting it!
Social Niceties-Perspective
(This represents the summary conclusion of an online discussion with a good friend) The”adabists”(fervent believers in social étiquette) have it all wrong.Although social niceties have their place in our daily lives they are no substitute for real virtue-like generosity,not bearing grudges and learning to set aside our emotional reactions and not be constantly acting them out.For the Muslims who may be reading this ,they should look at the meaning of the Prophet’s “sublime character”(akhlaq al atheem) mentionned in the Quran. He manifested much ,much more than superficial politeness.He demonstrated ALL of the virtues mentioned above.May Allah send His blessings down upon him sal and all of us through his transmission.Salaams,Ibrahim
The Concrete and the Subtle
The most common mistake people make in managing their lives is that they get stuck on the material plane. Whether it is about money, or the qualities of their houses and cars or even about personal health, it is all in some way part of the illusion that what is important is what is concrete. A powerful illusion, indeed!
Whenever the locals in my region of Quebec give me greetings on New Year saying” I wish you good health.!Health is the most important thing , if I feel they can handle it I respond”If health is the most important variable , we are all scr—-d, since we are all condemned to bad health and death at the end of the process.” No, health as vital as it may be, is not the end goal. In fact, God often tests people with bad health. What really counts is our relationship with Him, not our relationship with our body.But health and longevity has become a new form of idolatry in obvious opposition to the inevitable experience of deteriorating health with age. This doesn’t mean we shouldn’t try to maintain a healthy lifestyle. It just means it shouldn’t become our religion!
Testing and Learning
Don’t be fooled by outer appearances into thinking things should not have happened that way.You will not only be tested, as Allah promises in the Quran. But this testing will be targeted , specific and evolutive. That is , it will teach you something you could not learn otherwise! Reflect on it. Salaams, Ibrahim
Borderline Personality explored Further
As most psychiatrists I have often been dismissive of the “borderline” appelation. It seemed to be mostly a creation of the psychoanalysts eager to confirm their model separating the neuroses from the psychoses and justifying their initial lack of success with this category of patients.
However,over time,with considerable observation of these people in both my professional and personal life,I now understand better how close they can be to this “border”.In fact, much of the literature on this subject makes short shrift of the psychotic aspects involved.Yes,there is mention of the “brief psychotic episodes” in DSM5 and the psychopharmacologists recommend using atypical antipsychotic meds in some cases.But generally the psychotic aspects are minimized in favour of the “interpersonal sensitivity” and “emotional dysregulation”.
In fact,I believe that, in most cases, there is a wellspring of “paranoia’ lying under the surface which may well be responsible for much of the symptomatology and it is usually not being addressed properly in treatment.So even the best of therapies like DBT(Dialectical Behavioural Therapy) may be ignoring the depth and instead focusing on surface symptoms such as emotional intensity and dysregulation.Although DBT has definite benefits for this form of psychopathology this feature may ,in fact,be limiting its effectiveness.
Now “paranoia’ itself is no easy matter to treat.The key to its detoxification is to be aware of the illusory character of its affect and thought content but again this is no simple task.However, awareness of its presence by both the patient and the people around them should be a vital tool in its management.A judicious and temporary use of low-dose anti-psychotics may be a viable option in some cases.Let us explore together where this new perspective can take us.
Adab (continued)
I am once again forced to question the cultures of Adab and politeness. When people don’t tell you what they are feeling and thinking it often leads to bad communication and increased conflict. So neither the”always be polite” nor the”say it all like it is” mottos work universally. Each situation needs to be assessed on its own merits and specificities. The ”one size fits all” reflexes simply don’t work in the world of reality!
Aspergers ( cont’d)
Aspergers disease is a very subtle phenomenon. Having practiced psychiatry for over fourty years when I evaluated a new patient I often knew what the diagnosis was within a few minutes! However almost every time I didn’t know what it was, it turned out to be Aspergers. That’s because they appear so normal , people assume they are acting in bad faith. Actually there is a neurophysiological pathology involved, one that is not easy to spot and even more difficult to treat. The essential symptom is that “they don’t get it” especially when it involves other people. So we need to adapt to them rather than chastise them. Salaams
Yunus Emre
From the story of Yunus Emre:”On my head is the crown of state(?hal),on my forehead the prostration of obedience, in my blood the victory of power, in my eye the light of sainthood,in my ear the prayer of Mohammed , in my nose the fragrance of love, in my mouth the faith of testimony,in my breast the Quran of wisdom, in my hand the hand of sainthood, at my waist the belt of guidance,at my knee the point of service, at my foot the rules of the way, behind me the appointed time, before me destiny!”Wow. I could so go for that!