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Category Archives: Modern Living
Fascism and Conspiracy Theories
Most people who have looked at history realize that Fascism(whether Nazism or Communism) goes together with paranoia(think Hitler and Stalin for starters!).So( even this ‘so’ on this post as I write it,is now underlined in red! by the grammarian Fascists lol) we should not at all be surprised by the plethora of conspiracy theories out there.Why is that? Because we are now living in a period of Scientific and Politically Correct Fascism! This Fascism prevents people from expressing views that are different from the social consensus– in the name of science ,experts,political activisms of various sorts.So as long as censorship abounds and alternative views,whether medical or political or moral, are systematically blocked from expression ,the conspiracy theories will continue to accumulate.There is no way to control the symptoms(conspiratorial mind-set) if you don’t control the disease (over-control of information,insensitivity and deafness to peoples’ needs and rigid,blind bureaucratic processes everywhere in our societies!)
Karma is alive and well!
Anyone who doesn’t believe in karma(we call it Divine Justice in Islam) needs to rethink their position in the light of the current pandemic! All the public health experts predicted that the Western countries (U.S.A.,Britain and Europe) would do the best in such a pandemic.THE OPPOSITE turns out to be true! If you think “karma” it is totally unsurprising! These “advanced” countries have been spreading chaos and destruction over the entire globe for the last hundred years- through their wars and their colonialism( think WW1,WW2, Iraq,Afghanistan,drones over Pakistan,French,Belgian and English colonialism in Africa and Asia to name but a few).Did they really think there would be no consequences?! Wa la howla wala quwatta.People really need to rethink their understanding of causation and go deeper than they are accustomed to.The journalists are NOT going to do it for you! lol They are mostly brainwashed by the current agnostic consensus!
The State of the World!
One of the main reasons that this world is on the path of self-destruction is that the current god of Science gives us substantial stable problems like cancer,autism and Alzheimer’s and global warming and only partial and largely unsatisfactory solutions like chemotherapy,ABA therapy, anti-cholinesterase inibitors and carbon mitigation strategies.Religion,so demonized in the modern world, on the other hand, gives us permanent solutions like getting closer to God and developing virtue in our interactions with others and temporary problems like religious wars and sectarianism.So we have it all upside-down! We are betting on the wrong horse!
The Modern “Scientific” Method
Everyone loves science,no?! From politicians to classroom teachers to trendy theologians lol, on a daily basis it is beaten into our heads that we have to worship at the altar of science.But what is really going on?!
In the 16th century Francis Bacon developed,on the basis of certain Aristotelian principles, a powerful and elegant model that is still applicable up to modern times -even in our mundane daily lives.It involves four stages-Observation,Hypothesis,Experimentation and Conclusion.You can use this model in everything from launching a rocket to choosing where you are going to travel next! Very practical-when well-applied and not overdone.
But what has become of this simple model.Simply put,it has become corrupted.Here is what the contemporary scientific model has become.We will use medical research as its exemplar.
1) Strategize your educational process so that your C.V. facilitates your finding a good position in a University, Government Health Institution(think Fauci lol) or for-profit Pharma or Biotech Company company
2) Gather together a team of technical experts in statistical analysis,research design and research project management.
3) Choose a trendy subject-preferably not something too original or unconventional(think Dr. Andrew Wakefield lol)
4) Go through the laborious process of grant applications(ask any university researcher)
5) use your academic and scientific connections to get published in a reputable peer-reviewed journal and
6) always remember to stay within the politically-correct scientific consensus-whatever that may be at a given point in time.
Tell me it ain’t so! No wonder we can’t get a handle on the Covid pandemic!
Covid:”It’s the schools,stupid”.
I am becoming increasingly alarmed about the devastation,on many levels,being caused by this Covid pandemic. I am even more alarmed by the blindness and mismanagement of the crisis by our governments and it’s “experts”. These “experts” are very knowledgeable about their fields and their studies .On the other hand ,they are deaf and blind to the Reality around them! So they often make the wrong recommendations -as they did about the masks at the beginning of this pandemic.And it was SO obvious! Only a wooly-minded academic could have missed that point.”Not enough studies, yet” is their pathetic mantra!
As I and many other ordinary individuals around me observe,the problem is the children! They are still in crowded classrooms and daycares and they are bringing the virus back home to their parents and elders.I just have to walk down the street from my home and observe the day-cares and public schools and the problem is screaming out at me!Just yesterday,I was at the dentist and saw a local high -school student waiting for her appointment.She was wearing the school sweater,so with my usual chutzpah I addressed her saying:”How many children are in your class?’ “Twenty-five she responded.”And how many were in your class before the Covid?” “Twenty-five”. There’s the problem! The classrooms are still overcrowded-in most cases!
And make no mistake about it.This is not simply a Trumpian problem!Much better managers than him- in Quebec, in France, in England,in Italy are having trouble managing this pandemic.But they all have one thing in common.They want to keep the schools open.We know why that is! The schools are also day-cares for the children-more importantly,socially speaking, than centres of education.And the parents don’t know what to do with them!Nor does the government!
So here is my suggestion;If we want to get a handle on this virus,we need to reconfigure society’s method of childcare.We need to do,at least for the meantime,collective homeschooling-with the help of the teachers.Here is how it would work.Families with children in the same classroom should be grouped in 3’s or 4’s and take care of the children collectively.Preferably this would be families living close together.This collective childcare would allow for people to work 3 out of four or four out of 5 days, and the other days when they would be on call,so to speak ,to monitor their childrens’ educational process.The relevant classroom teachers would then be a resource for these families rather than on-site teachers.All schools unable to socially distance i.e. the vast majority would have to be closed until further notice!
Yes,this would be a major undertaking.However,if we don’t do it,we could lose millions of lives more-until we get to herd immunity-with or without the vaccine..Which is worse?!
On a deeper sociological,humanistic level we should be asking ourselves questions about our current social organization.Have we not gone too far in institutionalizing the care of human beings.The elders are confined to homes! We saw where that led with the Covid. And now it is the institutionalization of childcare,somewhat more subtle in its effects but toxic to the heart and soul nevertheless.Where are we going with all of this?! I don’t see us heading in the right direction i.e. creating more human happiness and satisfaction.Instead we are creating stressed-out robots everywhere.God Help us!
American Politics,Oy Vey!
OK! It’s clear.Trump has lost! Probably best for America.But make no mistake about it.Dishonesty in politics will continue.In fact,one could argue that Trump is more honest than the Democrats! Why is that?! Because Trump speaks his mind.That is not truthful but it is honest.On the other hand,everything that comes out of a Democrats mouth and that has been true for a LONG time(yes,even Obama lol),is calculated and strategized.That is one of the biggest problems! And that is why Americans don’t trust politicians .AND that is why Trump was elected in the first place!
Yes,there is a Clash of Civilizations in American politics! But it is NOT between Democrats and Republicans! It is between honest politicians and calculating,dishonest ones.The honest ones on the Republican side would stand up to Trump’s crimes and misdemeanors.The honest ones on the Democratic side would own up to many of Obama’s serious mistakes and limitations and Biden’s cover-up of his son’s misdeeds.As you can see,the dishonest ones are the HUGE majority lol.Not a good sign for the future!
It’s all in the ‘hal’
Spiritual growth and development is a complex matter.It involves beliefs,practices, ethics and various states of Realization.However,if we wanted to put it in a nutshell,we could say “It’s all in the ‘hal’ i.e that the essence of the process is to get to the best inner state possible.All the great spiritual teachers of the world were in such a ‘hal’.
This is where our so-called “educational system”-at all levels- is so problematic.Because it moves the attention of the participants to a purely cerebral level and also stresses them out with a diverse set of techniques- like excessive homework, assignments, tests, standardized tests,fixed academic goals and fixed curricula etc.etc. All of these actively destroy the ‘hal’ of the students- for a fortunate few only temporarily but for most its a lifelong effect and it is mostly unconscious!
As Chris Martensen (peakprosperity.com) likes to say about the Covid epidemic lol “it didn’t have to be this way” .That is ,it is possible for people to learn and get educated in a much more healthy,natural and organic way.The world had been doing that for thousands of years before our present academic structures were devised! But most people have not even grasped the problem! So keep learning and do that by avoiding educational institutions as much as you can lol.(You may need to dip into that cesspool temporarily in order to get a decent job but get out as quickly as you can and like Lot in the story of Sodom and Gomorrha,don’t look back!) I learnt most of the things of value for myself outside of those structures.
Suffering in Life
Every difficulty in life is both a test and a teaching. Most practicing Muslims are aware of the former.Allah tells us to be patient when we are being tested and to be grateful when we are receiving “niamat” (gifts).But these same Muslims are often unaware of the second part-that these difficulties have meaning(ma’ana).
The meanings ,when we are able to figure them out-which is not always possible,are also in two parts.What have we done wrong to cause the problem and how are we to proceed in a way that is more in line with the will of God.A point of clafication here.If you are undergoing suffering it does not mean necessarily that you have done something wrong.Often,that is the case but it could also be your Lord raising your rank as He has done with his beloved Prophets.In that case it is mostly a test for them although they still have to figure out how best to proceed-something they have in common with all of us!
The answers are not always easy to find.Sometimes ,they are obvious.You ate too much.Now you are having heart problems.You treated your partner badly.Now they have left you.Easy-peasy,right lol? Often it is not so simple.And then the Istikhara practice(see the text on this blog) may be of help to identify the factors that need to change.
What I am trying to underline here is that it is ALL meaningful.We just need to figure it out.Some times it takes a while to do so! May Allah guide us all! Salaams,Ibrahim
Modern Education Revisited
I have listened to and analyzed the reports of many,many students in their experience of academia and have come to the inevitable conclusion that the unconscious intention of almost all schooling is to make students as miserable as possible! This would support the theory which I have, up to now at least, considered conspiratorial that school is designed to prepare people for the workforce.After that painful educational process almost any job,no matter how stressful or boring seems like liberation lol.At least ,at the end of a day of work you are free.And you get paid!At school,you are never free until the semester ends or you get the degree! Welcome to the modern world.But before I leave you on this question,I should mention the cognitive dissonance caused by social conditioning.In this social conditioning,people are taught that school is the best time of your life and the key to happiness. Simply put,that is hogwash!