|
      
     
        
 
|
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
This book is dedicated to all people
It is to give the victims courage
“Lost Soul” is a pen name… It was how I felt for so many years. I didn’t know to whom I belonged or where to turn for help. Sadly, like millions of other women, I had vanished into the thin air, as if I was invisible in the eyes of everyone. I was, indeed, a lost soul.
The logo of Islamic Iran on the cover and title pages is an artistic variation of the Arabic word for God. Hailed by the regime as a symbol of purity and virtue, for Iranians it has, in truth, represented the end of freedom and humanity.
When he died, his last testament was published. For the first time he talked about his Hindi Brother and directed that some money be given to him. Apparently, Khomeini had forgotten to tell people who he really was. When Khomeini returned to Iran , he said he was born to a villager father and never had any money. I am not certain what money he was talking about because his finances and the rest of the government members were never published. Khomeini was born Ruhollah Khomeini Hendi on May 17, 1900 . The last part added to his last name, indicates that his father was from India . He was born in the town of Khomain located In the south of Markazi Province, 323 km from Tehran and 160 km from the city of Qom. In 1930, he changed his name to Ruhollah Mosvi Al-Khomeini . It was years after his death before radio Iran announced his last testimonies referring to his brother. Perhaps it is ironic but many who have paid attention to the flag and the logo of the Islamic Republic of Iran noticed that it is remarkably similar to the Sikh religion logo. The government of Iran has explained that the logo is indeed the name of Allah in Arabic. Nevertheless, the logo similarities, the Hindi brother, his whereabouts for all those years and why Khomeini never divulged anything about his background leave a nagging question in the minds of the cynical. When I was discussing the research about Khomeini with a friend, he asked me if I had any prejudices about Indians? I answered, “Of course not.” For all I care Khomeini could have come from Mars. He was a despicable ogre, whatever planet he came from. What I do have issues with, is that he didn’t share with the people. He led them to believe he was an Iranian. People died for him and deserved to know the truth. In my view, certain character and financial records of a politician who is paid by people’s tax money should be public record. The public who pays has the right to know who the individual eagerly occupying the seat is. In the beginning, people didn’t know what they got themselves into before lofting him onto the revolutionary platform. The answer as to why he didn’t reveal his true identity perhaps is, he didn’t see any reason to reveal his full name or where he had been to the commoners. To him, our lives and values had no meaning. The perception is that Khomeini saw himself as a saint. I heard him say that he had come to finish Prophet Mohammad ’s job. That is why, when people mention his name, they say peace upon him three times, whereas, Muslims around the world say it only once for Prophet Mohammad . Neither Reza Shah nor his late son, the Shah, had any affection for Khomeini . Reza Shah and his son both killed many of their opposition. It almost seemed that God had saved Khomeini . That was not quite so. Years ago, when Khomeini was arrested for the first time by Reza Shah, he was not an Ayatollah but a Hojat-al Islam. An Ayatollah is the purest form of Islamic achievement. For the lack of a better analogy, it is nearly equal to a Pope, except there is only one Pope. It is the highest level of virtue and knowledge that normally can only be achieved by years and years of studying and research. If an Ayatollah is equal to a Pope, a Hojat-al Islam is equal to a bishop. Ayatollah is the fagih; a person who can issue the order of Jihad and not even the Shah could harm a person of that rank. He would have immunity and therefore could be only jailed or sent abroad. Khomeini was simply a Hojat-al Islam and he was in trouble. He was granted the rank of Ayatollah by five sympathetic Ayatollahs. This exception to protocol in promoting a person to such a high rank was done to save his life. Khomeini took full advantage of his new rank. He immediately began issuing orders that were contrary to common sense, the laws of Islam and all political and human standards of any person with a shred of decency. While living in Iran , I met a woman doctor in the post office while mum was sending some gifts to Manoocheher in Canada . The doctor said that when she was studying in India , Khomeini was a poor young man, dressed as a mendicant, singing poetry for money in the street. I had a hard time believing her until after Khomeini died and his poetry was suddenly published. We never knew he was an accomplished poet. Perhaps his softer side did not exactly fit the ruthless image he wanted to project. There is no record of Khomeini ’s whereabouts until he miraculously showed up in Qom in his early twenties and studied religion. In the view of Khomeini and his followers who, sadly, are still in power, people’s lives didn’t mean anything. He also didn’t see any reason to end the war. If he had not been forced by everyone around him to agree to a truce, he was willing to subject Iran to the disaster of the Iraqi chemical weapons. For forty days, there was mandatory national mourning. All business, schools and television was suspended. The nation was paralyzed. His burial ceremony was more of a circus de soleil. His burial chamber is located in Behesht Zahra . 80 Kilogram of pure 24K gold was used to cover the dome built over his grave. I have heard from people who have visited his grave that the mosque built for him is covered with a one-of-a-kind, hand-made, silk Persian carpet and free food is always provided to the visitors or, as the regime calls them, pilgrims. I have never seen a need or had any desire to waste my time visiting his grave. I know he is in trouble in his after life. I had my own opinions about his life, regardless of how the regime tries to portray him. In his testimony, he named as his successor his son, Ahmad Khomeini, who died mysteriously about a month after his father’s death and was buried next to him. Khamani, in order to be eligible to replace Khomeini , with the help of Rafsanjani and Majless, promoted himself from Hojat-al Islam to Ayatollah and announced himself as the new leader.
As I mentioned in an earlier part of the book, when mum and I visited my grandfather for the last time, during the short period of time he had left, he wanted to give something to my mother. Unfortunately, my grandmother didn’t let her have anything but among his possessions was a book that he had purchased in his youth when he started to read and write. The name of the book was Shah Nematolah Vali Prophecies. My uncle Asgar, my mother, grandpa and I were sitting on the patio. He asked my mother to read it for him. I jumped in and asked if I could read it. By coincidence, I opened the page describing the Shah and his destiny. I kept reading, while they listened. As a child, the great poets and prophecies mesmerized me. The prophecy was written by this great poet mystic who had an amazing insight about the history of Iran . He was also a direct descendent of Ali . Shah Nematolah Vali was born in the province of Shiraz nearly seven hundred years ago in the year 731 Hijra by the Muslim calendar. Today’s calendar is 1425. His poetry prophecy goes back to the time of the Sassanids in 224 A.D. Every historical event he mentioned and predicted has occurred and with the same details he wrote in his book. In his book, the poet identified Khomeini as a distant member of Hussein ’s family, a descendent of Prophet Mohammad , as evidence by the black turban that Khomeini wore. The poet wrote about Khomeini ’s time in detail. He wrote about a long war, lack of security and hunger and difficulty all across Iran . He concluded the regime would stay in power for 30 years. I recall that when I read that passage, I calculated my age to find out how old I would be when that happened. I was eight at the time; the year Khomeini’s regime would lose power was predicted as 2008. The regime knows about this book, as well as other Persian literature advocates. This book gave them the exact month and year of the end of the Shah’s reign. While coming to power, the regime used the book to diminish the Shah’s self esteem and to manipulate people’s confidence in him and fan their suspicion into a flame. The regime also had such fear of this book that it was one of the first books burned in the post-revolutionary cleansing process. New editions were altered to prophecy that the regime would stay in power until the end of eternity, portraying Khomeini and his successors as the Messiah. The poet also predicted that after this regime, a king named Reza would come to power. In his time, there would be problems and a harsh life but he didn’t refer to war as he did during this regime. During Reza’s time, the poet predicted there will also be difficulties and his Kingdom would last 15 years. After Reza, there would be another mullah in power. The poet did not mention his name but said he is a descendent from Hassan , the first Son of Ali. And, he is the genuine ambassador of Mahdi, the Messiah of Muslims. He predicted that in his time, people would find peace and prosperity all over Iran . After this mullah, the poet predicted something else, which is in line with the Bible but not suitable to mention in this book.
As an Iranian woman, I was brought up to take the pain and keep quiet because that is how society would accept me. I am sick and tired of this game. I do not care how others judge me for telling the truth. I can no longer take the pain or bear to watch others in pain while I mask my emotions with a smile or stay passive. I cannot meekly obey anymore and I will break down any walls that keep me from telling the true story of women in Iran who have been suffering too long. For a long time, I avoided looking in a mirror. I detested that God had created me as a woman. Being a woman in Iran meant being weak and second class and I detested that idea. I convinced myself that God granted my mother’s wish to have a baby girl or maybe the last wish of my dead uncle. During the war, I justified my creation as perhaps God spared my life by making me a woman so I would not have to fight in a terrifying war. But, deep down, I wasn’t sure of any of the explanations and motives. I finally got the courage to stare at myself in the mirror and question me. I realized God created me as a woman, not because I was the leftover of Adam ’s rib and not because I was powerless and ought to be saved but because God loves beauty and loves creatures who can share love with others. I know now, that God loved me to create me as a woman. Women can give love by becoming a wife, a mother, a grandmother, a teacher and a leader to the generations to come. It has taken me a long time but I am now aware that I was wrong to feel ashamed of whom I was. No one should ever feel the pain and sorrow that someone else forces upon him or her. Like many women, my mother did what she thought was best, trying to protect me in her own way. I have forgiven her for the abuse she unknowingly put me through. She didn’t know any better and although she hurt me, from time to time, by praising her son, this is how she was brought up and she subconsciously followed the example set by her mother. Also, it is part of the Persian male dominated culture that unliberated women accept and follow. Nearly nine years have passed since the day I stepped on the soil of Canada . Now, unlike the day that I arrived, I know where to go, who to talk to and how to speak. I am no longer penniless and alone. I have tackled, with mixed results, several professions. I like to think I have become wise enough to recognize that I don’t need others to validate me. I need my self worth and my inner peace. I am successful and I have made a commitment to use my research and experiences to write and conduct seminars across the country; to speak to people in order to aid them in their dark days. I know that if I keep concentrating on my horrible past, I jeopardize my future. Someone else ruined my past; only I can ruin my future. My life story is more a drama than a fairy tale. My childhood was robbed from me. My teen years and youth never existed. I fought all the evils but they are still here. I simply deal with them differently. I hope no one else has to repeat my experiences and I hope they can use my life and book as a reference. I realize, today, that events happened to me for a reason. Perhaps, if it weren’t like this, I would not be who I am today. I understand, now, that my pain was unavoidable but the suffering that I put myself through was optional. At last, I am free. But there are millions of other women like me that have not been able to free themselves. I have come to realize that the worst demons are not the exterior ones but the one within I have proved to my siblings that I am neither a revolving door nor a stepladder. To find my own place in this world, I must love and respect me before I could be there for anyone else. This is not just a personal lesson. It can be used on a much larger stage. As a Persian proverb says, ‘No one will scratch my back, except my own thumb.’ I believe if all of Iran stood united, there would be a change. Otherwise, it will take another four years before someone comes to the rescue. My heart goes out to my fellow countrymen. I mourn each unsuccessful attempt to get rid of the current regime. Countries that close their eyes to the injustice mystify me; especially those that have endured similar sufferings and repression from dictators throughout history. Yet, they choose to do business with Iranian dictators who have no shame in brutally suffocating every breath of freedom and brand every hero a traitor. It doesn’t take much to fulfill our duties as countrymen, brothers, neighbors, humans or even strangers. If only we understand and respect each other’s boundaries. If we are not capable of loving, we don’t need to love one another but we do need to respect one another, whether it is color, culture, religion or something else that makes an individual and is close to the heart of the person we are dealing with. If we follow our mind, instead of our heart, ultimately it will allow us all to live in a more tranquil world. Unfortunately, that is not how it is. We can write pages of history, not with blood and bullets but with honor, respect and freedom. It sounds pretty simple and straightforward. Yet, everywhere we look, we see bloodshed in the name of country, race and too often, inexplicably, in the name of God. We need to remember that whoever suffers is part of us. We are all traveling the same road. I cannot be Noah and save women from drowning in the ocean of their abusive lives. I cannot walk through fire like Abraham or part the Red Sea like Moses. I cannot be Messiah and revive the glory of the empire of women in Persia. I cannot be Mohammad and create a new religion that forces men to respect women and protects individuals from false reassurances. But, I can be a voice for those who cannot freely express their frustration toward the inequality and barbaric rules and abuse. We can join our voices and hand in hand grow on the repressive government like weeds on a wall and tear apart the walls of ignorance. Like a river, we will find a way to the sea of freedom. We can create equality and look forward to a better world as free individuals. No matter where we come from, regardless of our nationality, language, religion, and culture—we are all brothers and sisters. Help others to help you, and help us to build a better, peaceful world. “So long and God bless.“
“The only thing necessary for the triumph Edmond Burke
Under any dictatorship many people, good people I might add, choose to remain silent and passive because they wrongly assume that is the best solution. Unhappy and unsatisfied, they do not speak up, thinking someone else will. Many fall victim, waiting on a hero to appear to save them, not realizing the hero they are waiting for is one of their own. He too remains silent because he is waiting for someone else. Sadly, no hero emerges. I strongly resent the idea of needing a hero to save me. As I mentioned earlier, I believe there is a hero in everyone one of us. What we need is to believe in ourselves. In the 21 st century, our minds are still set on humiliation, taking lives and retaining power. In Afghanistan , Al Qaeda paralyzed justice and subjugated women rendering them invisible and powerless with no rights. Terrorists killed thousands of innocent souls on 9/11 and created a negative image of Islam in the eyes of the world. In Iraq , Sadam Hussein killed millions of his countrymen in order to stay in power for more than three decades. To the world’s betterment and relief, Sadam is, at last, deposed. We all saw his capture; hiding like a rat at the bottom of an earthen spider hole, a stark contrast to his marble palaces a few miles away. He no longer rules Iraq but his shadow still darkens the land, delaying freedom and threatening the new government. The continued malaise, warring factions with an agenda and resistance by remnants of the regime prolong reaping the fruits of liberation. It is a horrendous task but the civilized world must cooperate and persevere until the mass of the Iraqi citizens understand and appreciate the meaning of freedom. I believe, we can’t fight a problem if we don’t recognize its existence. The world must change this violent attitude before it carries into future generations. I believe no one can cure a person that doesn’t recognize that he is sick. The majority of the population in Iraq do not appreciate the meaning and advantages of freedom because they have never had it. For Westerners to understand how terrorism starts they need to look deeper than a person with a gun in his hand; and to get personal with the terrorist culture. From an early age, I recognized the significance and potential end result of political actions. I lived most of my life in a turbulent, war-torn country. I believe my political/religious studies have made me a fairly astute political observer. To help the reader understand current issues that have an enormous impact on our daily lives, this Afterword provides a glimpse into the mystique of a culture that seems, somehow, to have become a greenhouse for cultivating terrorists. It is for curious minded individuals who seek honest answers to their questions about the controversial issues that affect our lives. The questions and answers will provide an insider’s reaction and rebuttal to the never-ending post 9/11 rumors that we hear as facts about Islam.
God or Allah is a name for the Lord. If you are referring to the God of Abraham, creator of heaven and earth, we are on the same page. The Lord has many names. He is called differently in different languages. In French it is Le Dieu, in English it is God, in Arabic it is Allah, in Farsi it is Khoda. Names shouldn’t separate us. There can only be one God, Allah, or Le Dieu . The two sects of Islam, Shiah and Sunni, are divided by their respective concept of Imams but the orders of God are still common to both sects and must be followed as they have been for thousands of years.
Before relating the historical events that define the schism between Shiah and Sunni, I want to assure my Muslim readers that I do not intend to offend anyone. I have no desire to intensify the volatile relationship between Shiah and Sunni. In fact, to do that purposely is a sin that I do not intend to commit. I am Shiah but I would rather pray behind a sincere Sunni religious leader who has the interest of humankind in his heart than a devious Shiah Sheikh who is willing to destroy and slaughter anyone who doesn’t share his beliefs. I am not here to judge anyone’s beliefs or morals. I am simply describing the events without personal opinion. God does not need my defense. He is fully capable of taking care of Himself. The foundation and origin of Shiah and Sunni are the same. Both are Muslims, read the same holy book of Koran, believe in the same God or Allah, pray in the same direction and are forbidden the same foods and pleasures. Their differences, relatively minor compared to the differences in Islam and other religions, revolve around who has authority to rule Islam. Two events have caused a schism among Muslims since the Prophet’s departure; the origin of the argument goes back nearly 1,400 years. The first major difference between Shiah and Sunni is: Shiah believe the legitimate leader of Islam must be a direct descendant of Prophet Mohammad whereas Sunni believe a Khalifeh may be selected from tribal leaders. On the Prophet Mohammad ’s last Hajj, he told the people this was his last year and he would soon die. He picked Ali up by his belt and said, “Whoever believes in me, would believe in Ali after me.” When Prophet died, 11 A.H./632 C.E., his close companions, Abu Bakr, Umar and Uthman protested naming Ali as Imam. Instead, they chose as Khalifeh Prophet’s father-in-law, AbuBakr, who was succeeded by Umar and he in turn by Uthman, who did not honor the rules of Islam. Disappointed by the dissolute third Khalifeh, Uthman, the people killed him, took his bloody shirt to Ali’s house and asked him to guide them. In 35 A.H./656 C.E., twenty-four years after the death of Prophet Mohammad, Ali was chosen as leader. Sunni respected him as the Forth Khalifeh but Shiah considered him the first Imam. Ali was assassinated in Kufa Mosque on the 19 th of Ramadan, year 40 A.H./661 C.E. While reciting morning prayers, he was hit on the head by a poisonous sword. He died three days later on the 21 st. As a saint, Ali knew he was going to be killed but even he wasn’t allowed to postpone his own death. On the morning of his assassination, he saw his slayer sleeping. Ali woke the man and told him “Get up and do your prayers and do whatever you are here to do.” Ayesheh, one of the Prophet Mohammad wives, recruited this man. She was a daughter of Abu Baker , who forced the prophet to marry her when she was very young. The Prophet was not willing to marry the young girl but was forced to by the Arab Sheikhs who threatened him. In those times, a marriage between tribes was usually a contract for peace. His marriage to this young girl caused quite a bit of heartache for him and controversy among historians throughout history. Ayesheh wanted to be queen. After Ali was chosen leader, she declared war on him, leading to the historic battle of Jamal. Ali had to order Jihad for the protection of his followers but told them to only defend in the event she attacked. Imam Ali , the first Imam of Shiah, ordered the last legal holy war. It was invoked to stop Khavarej, a self proclaimed dominant group of Arabs, from ostracizing and killing innocent people who had accepted Ali as their leader. She lost the battle but didn’t contain her anger and hate toward Ali . Next, Ayasheh seduced a man and told him if he killed Ali she would marry him. Ebne Moljam was part of a group of Khavarej, which translates as ‘the outsiders.’ To compare this group and current Muslims, Bin Laden is an outsider because he makes his own rules and follows not true Islam but his perception of Islam. So it was with this group, at the time. They were the fanatics who followed nobody and made up rules as they went along. So much so, they would beat one of their own if he picked a date off the ground that had fallen from a tree but had no hesitation to kill a family passing by; a man, his pregnant wife, his infant and their unborn baby whose only sin was that, in answer to their question, he said he thought Ali was innocent of the frauds of which he was accused. After a long period of animosity, Shiah and Sunni alike revered Ali but after his death the selection of his successor was contentious. Shiah considered Ali ’s son Hassan to be the second Imam. Sunni appointed Muawiya, governor and ruler of the time, as Khalifeh. To avoid bloodshed Hassan abdicated, signing a peace treat to guarantee his family’s safety. When Hassan also was killed in 49 A.H./669 C.E. his younger brother, Hossain, became leader of Prophet’s household and, for Shiah, the third Imam. Muawiya broke with tradition and nominated his son, Yazid, to succeed him as Khalifeh, thereby establishing the first Islamic monarchy, the Umayyad . The succession of Yazid, instead of Prophet’s progeny, offended pious Muslims because Yazid was a drunkard who flouted the laws of Islam. The second major event that caused even more differences between
the two sects, occurred when, as opposition to Yazid, son of Muawiya
grew, a call went out to Hossain to come to Kufa and assume leadership.
Interrupting his Hajj, he set out from Mecca with an army of fifty
men, along with a larger number of women and children, perhaps as
many The defining event for the separation of Shiah and Sunni was the battle at Karbala in the month of Moharam, 680 A.D. The night before the battle, he spoke to his followers and told them they could return to their hometowns if they so chose because he and his family were going to be killed. Under cover of night, nearly everyone left him. The next morning, Hossain and seventy-one other males, including his six-month-old baby boy, Asgar, faced Yazid’s troops in the desert. They fought bravely but their water supply was soon exhausted and all were killed. A cousin of Hossain, Abo-Al-Fasel, or based on Persian pronunciation, Ob-Al–Fasel, which in Arabic means ‘generous father,’ tried to bring water from the nearby Euphrates River, which was controlled by Yazid’s troops. He lost both arms and then was beheaded as he tried to carry the water sack in his teeth. Due to his heroic sacrifice, he is known as the ‘Giving Father.’ He is greatly honored among Shiah and has a special place in the hearts of Persians. Hossian and his family were beheaded because he refused to accept the decadent behavior he witnessed. He protested slavery and the selling and degradation of women. When he was killed, his body was buried in Karbala , where it is today. His head was sent along with the women but was later returned and buried alongside his body. Most of his children were killed on the way to their home and are buried in different locations from Karbala to Syria . Yazid’s fighters set fire to the family’s tent where a nephew lay sick and was nearly burned to death. His sister, Zainab, saved his life, picked up the fight and started the crusade to spread the word of the Ashora incident at Karbala . On the way to Damascus , Yazid removed the scarves from the heads of the women of Prophet Mohammad ’s family, baring their hair to insult them. Because of their fair skin and light hair, they were introduced as foreigners. As they passed through the streets, women of the Arab fighters gathered around Zainab and gave her and the children, bread, cheese and dates, the traditional food for mourners on observation days. Arab men, who had fought them, threw stones at her. At each stop, Zainab spoke to those who gathered around her. By the time she reached Damascus , people had learned what happened at Karbala . They turned on Yazid and revenged Zainab and her family. Since Hossain’s death, Shiah have observed two days of mourning annually in his remembrance. The month of Moharam, the first month of the Arabic calendar, formerly a month of celebration, is now a period of mourning for Shiah and called Ashora. This unjust war divided the two sectors of Islam. Subsequently, Sunni have recognized as Imam individuals who are not direct descendants of Prophet Mohammad but are chosen by the Sheikh or religious leaders. Shiah follow only those they consider true Imams, individuals who are direct descendants of Prophet Mohammad , chosen by God and in contact with God through the Angel Gabriel An Imam must be a spiritual leader, which means he has the ability to interpret the message of God and mysteries of the Koran as the Twelver did. An Imam, although able to sin, must stay sinless, free of human error and choose God over all earthly pleasures. Only Ali and his descendents lived such a life. In true Shiah, the role of Imam is completely separate from politics, although, when ordered by God, he could qualify as a political leader. The last Imam, also known as Mahdy or the Messiah of Muslims, is equally respected among all Muslims. Although, the Ashora incident has divided Shiah from Sunni Muslims for nearly 1,400 years, Muslims from different countries and backgrounds that I have come to know, are united in the Shiah belief about Mahdy; in his existence, his temporary absence and that he is the savoir.
What is sainthood in Islam? Who is a saint? How can we tell if someone is a saint? I mean no disrespect toward any religion that believes sainthood is a title that one individual can award to another but according to Islam, in particular Shiah; sainthood is a gift from God Himself. Saints are sinless but, unlike angels, they are capable of committing a sin if they so choose. Saints are capable of performing miracles and communicate with God though the Angel Gabriel . Moses was the only prophet able to communicate with God directly. An example of this ideology comes from the Holy Koran. God calls upon believers and tells them that if someone claims to be a saint, you must ask him to perform a miracle. A prayer is not a miracle. One test of a miracle is if the claimant can immediately solve a proverb that would not otherwise be scientifically possible. A miracle is an act that everyone agrees would be impossible to achieve under normal circumstances. Such an act is a guarantee of individual sainthood. To prove his sainthood, God permitted a prophet to perform a miracle. Saints have performed a variety of miracles. For Noah , it was his ark and saving his followers and animals from the rising water. For Abraham, it was the fire that turned into a garden when he was thrown into it. For Moses it was his cane turning into a gigantic snake upon meeting Pharaoh and his parting the Red Sea , which closed in on his pursuers after he and his followers crossed safely. In recent years, scientists have offered natural geologic explanations for the Red Sea incident but the Koran has written that it was indeed a miracle. Jesus brought the dead back to life forty days after their departure, restored vision to the blind and performed other healing miracles on the sick. Mohammad performed other miracles but his defining miracle was the gift of the Koran. Although illiterate, he read the chapters from his heart. Readers of Arabic marvel at the poetic language of the Koran which even scholars are unable to duplicate. Also, in one of his trips, a Sunni Muslim, who later became one of his followers, stopped the Prophet on his way to Mecca under a full moon and ordered him to perform a miracle or he would be beheaded. The Prophet smiled at his ignorance and asked the man what miracle he wanted. His captor said, “I want you to cut the moon in half and lay each half horizontally, side by side.” The Prophet prayed, pointed his finger at the moon and cut it into two pieces like a watermelon, side by side. People located on the same geographic belt that observed the miracle recorded this historical event in Arabic and other Middle East languages. The Koran says that since man appeared on earth, 124,000 Prophets have come and gone. Adam was the first prophet and Mohammad the last. Some brought new religions; others delivered the same message as their predecessors down through the generations. All left us with guidance to follow. A candidate for sainthood in current times could be a man or woman who could give us a definite, comprehensible solution to universal problems, such as a cure for AIDS or cancer or answer our persistent questions, such as whether there is other intelligent life in the universe. For a saint there is no time limit, no language difficulty or distance limitation. A saint can understand anyone from any culture that speaks any language. Eligible saints in Shiah Islam are recognized as Noah, Abraham, Moses, Jesus, Mohammad, the Twelvers of Shiah, and the Fatimeh, sole surviving daughter of Prophet Mohammad. Another example of a saint is the tenth Imam of Shiah when he wrote, in the Roman language, to a Roman princess, inviting her to Samara and asking her to marry his son. He amazed his court with his fluency in a language he had not studied. The Roman princess accepted the invitation and became the mother of the twelfth Imam of Shiah.
To understand what the benefit is, we need to understand what terrorism does to people. Terrorism is not about the massacres or the long parallel lines of coffins draped with American flags. Instant death is painless for the one taking the journey. It is not painless for the survivors and that is the terrorist’s intent. Terrorism is about causing pain and fear among the survivors and those who hear their story. Killing one person or one thousand people in six billion is not going to significantly reduce the number of humans on earth. Even so, 9/11 had the desired crippling fear that has disrupted lives worldwide; causing multitudes to avoid flying or vacationing and others to work at home, fearing both the commute and a vulnerable work place. Terrorism is about a minority exercising power over a majority. It is a form of modern mental slavery causing fear that can paralyze an economy. As Persians say, “Fear is the twin brother of death.” Fear of death can immobilize as effectively as a chain. Those who can’t face their fear become a slave of terrorism and that is precisely what the terrorist wants to achieve. Terrorists cause fear for a reason; he becomes the master of his victim. After a terrorist attack, the terrorist owns people’s peace of mind and sense of security. Terrorists call the shots and count on the inability of their targets to predict the next move. They wrap an invisible chain around people’s collar and can move them in any direction they desire. Terrorists come and go but the fundamentals of terrorism stay the same. Today it is Bin Laden, tomorrow someone else. Terrorism will not go away in a month, a year or ten years unless all nations cooperate to isolate and exhaust them into impotence and futility. Terrorism is akin to race hate acts of the skinheads and the KKK. It is a learned behavior, much like that of humans who enslaved other humans for their own pleasure and economic benefit. Slavery has been abolished in most cultures but discrimination and harassment continue. Not so long ago, parents taught their children that black people were created to be the servants of white people because they believed that was what the Bible taught. Obviously this is not what the Bible taught but was the perception of people who taught the Bible to others. Terrorism is nothing new. Looking back at history, terrorism, on a smaller scale, has been carried out by leaders of many different religions. Virtually all have in common one or both of two agendas; establishing and maintaining control over a populace or imposing or destroying a religion. Hundreds of years ago, European nations persecuted minorities and Jews. For four hundred years, from the eleventh to the fourteenth century, the Catholic Church launched eight Crusades against Jews to liberate the Holy Land. Today, it is Muslim extremists following the same path in reverse. Terrorism is almost always an act of defiance, sometimes with a personal agenda. Terrorists do not see their killing as terrorism. They regard themselves as patriots and soldiers of God defending their values. They justify killing as their duty and expect no retribution for their sins. The difference between a psychopath and a terrorist is, terrorists work in large groups. But, they try to justify their heinous actions in pretty much the same way. On first consideration, the act of one person enslaving another to do the house chores and that of another killing a white man enjoying his vacation would seem quite different. However, both are the end result of the same misguided conviction. In the first instance, one class of individuals through indoctrination, intimidation and force is imposing its will on another class. The empowered class enslaves the underclass, whether by chains on their hands and feet or a chain on their mind. In the second instance, it is an act or vengeance for transgressions against their ancestors and is intended, through threat, abuse and violence, to force a majority to bow to the will of the minority and accept and obey the dictates of a man who calls himself, not a terrorist, but a Soldier of God. |
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
