There have been days when I have been unhappy in Yemen but today I was absolutely stoked to be here. I riding on a high of loving the language and loving my classes and loving how cheaply I am able to live here for. I had been walking around Sana'a because everything I want to go to is quite close and I wanted to save the taxi money and get exercise. But now after meeting Ryan, a fellow blogger and student in Sana'a, I now know that the mini buses only cost 20 riyals to go on a predefined route. This translates to 13 cents for journeys around 5kms. Where in the world can you get value that good? A taxi for the same trip cost me 300 riyals which is only 2 dollars and I estimate that would cost probably 10 times that for the same length journey in Australia. At times I have been feeling a bit of hostility from the stares of the locals but I'm beginning to see this is just general wariness and curiousity before Yemenis get to know you. For example tonight the taxi driver didn't have too much to say when I first hoped in the taxi but then I asked him if he'd had dinner yet and, since today was the first day of Ramadan, he enthusiatastically replied yes and went on to describe the food he'd had. Then he asked me where I was from and if I was a Muslim. The conversation was great fun and I can feel my ability and confidence in the language growing. I really felt welcomed tonight.
After dinner I was walking along Hadda St and a semi-senior soldier made eye contact with me and asked me to come over. It wasn't until he used hand signals that I understood that was what he wanted me. The soldier asked me if I understood much Arabic to which I replied a little. Then he demanded to see my to see my passport and I guiltily replied it was at my school. I was a bit worried because I knew I should always be carrying my student ID with me, if not my passport. Then *snap* his power-trip mood changed to a smile and he said I could go. Call me crazy because I even enjoyed that part of the experience.
The other was I was with a friend in Tahrir Square where there was a performance of 4 guys jambiya dancing with a crowd of men watching. And it occurred to me, how often do men enjoy each others company like that in Australia? Aside from a music concert and watching sport where there is money involved, this sort of thing does not happen at home. This was just men socialising with each other and there was no women to pick up and no alcohol.
My other recent musing lately is how influencial Australia actually is. We have 20 million people compared to say Egypt's or the UK's 60 but for a third of the size of both of those countries, Australia has its name in quite a few fields. On satellite tv I have heard several Australian accents in situations such as selling make-up on informercials in Dubai to naratting in documentaries. Down at the supermarket most of the western style cheese they have there is Kraft and Bega from Australia. Although, prior to the cartoons, perhaps the Danes had more of their cheese at the supermarket. But in spite of these areas of participation, fortunately for me, Yemenis don't seem to know the extent of Australia's involvement in Iraq and Afghanistan. Peter Costello commented recently on the right of the Pope to have freedom of speech to talk about other religions and, how some in the Muslim world want to insulted and respond in a disprotional way. It was a really well put speech. Let's suppose for a minute, even if you are a Muslim, that Islam is a false religion. Let's suppose it was spread in a major way through violence and forced conversion by the founder of the religion - Mohammed. And now, as is the case with Islam as we know it, Islam is beyond any kind of criticism or questioning, how could this hypothetically false religion ever be disproven? In Islam now there is a forced situation of not ever questioning the religion. Yesterday I was told about the Sufis in Yemen and apparently they teach that democracy is bad and it is used by the US to undermine Islam or something like that. Sufis did not vote in the recent presidential election.
I have an open mind toward Islam and would honestly love for there not to be a linking of violence with Islam. The first step of this would be for criticism of Islam to be responded to with only words and protests and never violence. But I can't see how this will ever be the case when the example Muslims live by is recorded to have called for the deaths of those who criticised the religion. It is one thing for followers to misinterpret the teachings of a religion or use a religion as an excuse for violence and it is another for the model in the religion to be violent. Overtime it seems the picture of Mohammed has been softened to a non-violent, peace loving, wouldn't hurt a fly ie. Jesus-like man. I wonder if we are just fortunate that we can see how the image of Mohammed has been altered overtime because the religion is quite young whereas if the same diluting of Jesus' image occured we can no longer see proof of it now. Unfortunately it seems that with time the divide between the secular western world / the Christian world will only continue to further divide with the Muslim world. If Islam is the truth then why not develop a thicker skin and not fear cristicism and questioning.
Recently the head of Hezbollah and appeared to 'celebrate' Hezbollah's victory over Israel. Now seriously, do Lebanese actually believe this crazy propaganda? I fully think Israel were wrong to attack and it's inexcuseable how many civilians were needlessly killed but let's just look at the score if we want to choose a winner. 1000 dead in Lebanon, huge sections flattened and 3 billion dollars worth of damage versus 100 or so Israelis and not nearly as much collateral damage. The ceasefire was not because Israel had seen enough of its own killed, it was because the international community wanted Israel to stop picking on little Lebanon. What crazy denial or ignorance by the Lebanese if they think they forced Israel into a cease fire. I thought one of the conditions of the cease-fire was the return of abducted soldiers? Now it seems because the soldiers haven't been returned Hezbollah can call themselves victorious. I wish Hezbollah would return the soliders if they're still in one piece and take some responsibility for the fire they drew toward civilians through their choice of attacking positions against Israel. Hezbollah ought to be doing EVERYTHING it can to prevent Israel attacking again, including good will gestures like returning captured soldiers. Unfortunately I suspect this conflict will recommence in the not too distant future - I guess we can hope that the international force that's going to the south can prevent that.
After dinner I was walking along Hadda St and a semi-senior soldier made eye contact with me and asked me to come over. It wasn't until he used hand signals that I understood that was what he wanted me. The soldier asked me if I understood much Arabic to which I replied a little. Then he demanded to see my to see my passport and I guiltily replied it was at my school. I was a bit worried because I knew I should always be carrying my student ID with me, if not my passport. Then *snap* his power-trip mood changed to a smile and he said I could go. Call me crazy because I even enjoyed that part of the experience.
The other was I was with a friend in Tahrir Square where there was a performance of 4 guys jambiya dancing with a crowd of men watching. And it occurred to me, how often do men enjoy each others company like that in Australia? Aside from a music concert and watching sport where there is money involved, this sort of thing does not happen at home. This was just men socialising with each other and there was no women to pick up and no alcohol.
My other recent musing lately is how influencial Australia actually is. We have 20 million people compared to say Egypt's or the UK's 60 but for a third of the size of both of those countries, Australia has its name in quite a few fields. On satellite tv I have heard several Australian accents in situations such as selling make-up on informercials in Dubai to naratting in documentaries. Down at the supermarket most of the western style cheese they have there is Kraft and Bega from Australia. Although, prior to the cartoons, perhaps the Danes had more of their cheese at the supermarket. But in spite of these areas of participation, fortunately for me, Yemenis don't seem to know the extent of Australia's involvement in Iraq and Afghanistan. Peter Costello commented recently on the right of the Pope to have freedom of speech to talk about other religions and, how some in the Muslim world want to insulted and respond in a disprotional way. It was a really well put speech. Let's suppose for a minute, even if you are a Muslim, that Islam is a false religion. Let's suppose it was spread in a major way through violence and forced conversion by the founder of the religion - Mohammed. And now, as is the case with Islam as we know it, Islam is beyond any kind of criticism or questioning, how could this hypothetically false religion ever be disproven? In Islam now there is a forced situation of not ever questioning the religion. Yesterday I was told about the Sufis in Yemen and apparently they teach that democracy is bad and it is used by the US to undermine Islam or something like that. Sufis did not vote in the recent presidential election.
I have an open mind toward Islam and would honestly love for there not to be a linking of violence with Islam. The first step of this would be for criticism of Islam to be responded to with only words and protests and never violence. But I can't see how this will ever be the case when the example Muslims live by is recorded to have called for the deaths of those who criticised the religion. It is one thing for followers to misinterpret the teachings of a religion or use a religion as an excuse for violence and it is another for the model in the religion to be violent. Overtime it seems the picture of Mohammed has been softened to a non-violent, peace loving, wouldn't hurt a fly ie. Jesus-like man. I wonder if we are just fortunate that we can see how the image of Mohammed has been altered overtime because the religion is quite young whereas if the same diluting of Jesus' image occured we can no longer see proof of it now. Unfortunately it seems that with time the divide between the secular western world / the Christian world will only continue to further divide with the Muslim world. If Islam is the truth then why not develop a thicker skin and not fear cristicism and questioning.
Recently the head of Hezbollah and appeared to 'celebrate' Hezbollah's victory over Israel. Now seriously, do Lebanese actually believe this crazy propaganda? I fully think Israel were wrong to attack and it's inexcuseable how many civilians were needlessly killed but let's just look at the score if we want to choose a winner. 1000 dead in Lebanon, huge sections flattened and 3 billion dollars worth of damage versus 100 or so Israelis and not nearly as much collateral damage. The ceasefire was not because Israel had seen enough of its own killed, it was because the international community wanted Israel to stop picking on little Lebanon. What crazy denial or ignorance by the Lebanese if they think they forced Israel into a cease fire. I thought one of the conditions of the cease-fire was the return of abducted soldiers? Now it seems because the soldiers haven't been returned Hezbollah can call themselves victorious. I wish Hezbollah would return the soliders if they're still in one piece and take some responsibility for the fire they drew toward civilians through their choice of attacking positions against Israel. Hezbollah ought to be doing EVERYTHING it can to prevent Israel attacking again, including good will gestures like returning captured soldiers. Unfortunately I suspect this conflict will recommence in the not too distant future - I guess we can hope that the international force that's going to the south can prevent that.
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