Comments on: Collective depression

By: Tololy’s Box » Blog Archive » How Times Change

Tololy’s Box » Blog Archive » How Times Change — Wed, 18 Jul 2007 03:37:18 +0000

[...] Around the same time last year I was sinking in a state of deep depression because of the July War between Israel and Lebanon. It was one of the darkest periods of my life. I was also juggling two jobs, one I was not the least bit interested in and the other I hated with all my heart. It was pure hell. [...]

By: Tololy

Tololy — Thu, 03 Aug 2006 06:06:15 +0000

It was difficult writing this post, thank you everyone for your support. I appreciate it.

Dusty, welcome back. "Ummah" is an Arabic word that simply means "Nation". Some people fear the word when it is used by Arabs, I am not sure why since most of us do consider all Arabs brothers and one nation. I thank you for your familiar kindness, and I still remember your thoughtfulness last November. There are still good people out there, thank you for restoring bits of my faith.

By: Dusty

Dusty — Wed, 02 Aug 2006 18:21:28 +0000

I was struck by your post.

I have no understanding of an Ummah and how it affects your view of the world. It must be tremendously horrific to be so close to such carnage. I hope you and your family are safe.

By: kinzi

kinzi — Tue, 01 Aug 2006 14:03:31 +0000

Tololy, I join you in that mourning. I wish I was in Jordan now, as you can imagine most Americans I am around just don’t get it. It’s hardest in Sundays at church because Christian friends REALLY don’t get it…but the good news is people always ask our opinion and we always give the other side of the story. It’s satisfying to see the light go ‘on’…but life is going on for most folks here and their greatest concern is that we are going back to teh region. Hope to see you in a month

By: Black Cats

Black Cats — Tue, 01 Aug 2006 12:19:54 +0000

Holy Quran, Chapter 17
Al-Isra (Isra’, The Night
Journey, Children Of Israel)

“And
We had made known to the children of Israel in the Book: Most certainly you
will make mischief in the land twice, and most certainly you will behave insolently
with great insolence (4) So when the promise for the first of the two came, We
sent over you Our servants, of mighty prowess, so they went to and fro among
the houses, and it was a promise to be accomplished (5) Then We gave you back
the turn to prevail against them, and aided you with wealth and children and
made you a numerous band (6) If you do good, you will do good for your own
souls, and if you do evil, it shall be for them. So when the second promise
came (We raised another people) that they may bring you to grief and that they
may enter the mosque as they entered it the first time, and that they might
destroy whatever they gained ascendancy over with utter destruction (7) It may
be that your Lord will have mercy on you, and if you again return (to
disobedience) We too will return (to punishment), and We have made hell a
prison for the unbelievers (8)”

In
Arabic:

"وَقَضَيْنَا
إِلَى بَنِي إسْرائِيلَ فِي الْكِتَابِ لَتُفْسِدُنَّ فِي الأَرْضِ
مَرَّتَيْنِ وَلَتَعْلُنَّ عُلُوًّا كَبِيرًا(4)فَإِذَا جَاءَ وَعْدُ أُولاهُمَا بَعَثْنَا عَلَيْكُمْ عِبَادًا لَنَا أُولِي
بَأْسٍ شَدِيدٍ فَجَاسُواخِلالَ الدِّيَارِ وَكَانَ
وَعْدًا مَفْعُولاً(5)ثُمَّ رَدَدْنَا لَكُمْ الْكَرَّةَ
عَلَيْهِمْ وَأَمْدَدْنَاكُمْ بِأَمْوَالٍ وَبَنِينَ وَجَعَلْنَاكُمْ أَكْثَرَ نَفِيرًا(6)إِنْ أَحْسَنتُمْ أَحْسَنتُمْ
لأَنفُسِكُمْ وَإِنْ أَسَأْتُمْفَلَهَا فَإِذَا جَاءَ وَعْدُ
الآخِرَةِ لِيَسُئوا وُجُوهَكُمْ وَلِيَدْخُلُوا الْمَسْجِدَ
كَمَا دَخَلُوهُ أَوَّلَ مَرَّةٍ وَلِيُتَبِّرُوا مَا عَلَوْا تَتْبِيرًا(7)عَسَى رَبُّكُمْ أَنْ يَرْحَمَكُمْ وَإِنْ
عُدْتُمْ عُدْنَاوَجَعَلْنَا جَهَنَّمَ
لِلْكَافِرِينَ حَصِيرًا(8)"

قال المفسرون: إن بني إسرائيل لما استحلوا المحارم وسفكوا الدماء سلَّط الله عليهم بُخْتنَصَّر ملك بابل فقتل منهم سبعين ألفاً حتى كاد
يفنيهم هو وجنوده، وذلك أولالفسادين.
وأما الثاني سيكون على أيدي المسلمين، ولم يحصل بعد.

By: Black Cats

Black Cats — Tue, 01 Aug 2006 05:20:01 +0000

John Bolton United States’ ambassador to the United Nations says that a one died Lebanese is not equal a wounded Israeli!!!

"I think it’s important that we not fall into the trap of moral equivalency here," Ambassador John Bolton told CNN’s "Late Edition with Wolf Blitzer."

"What Hezbollah has done is kidnap Israeli soldiers and rain rockets and mortar shells on innocent Israeli civilians. What Israel has done in response is act in self-defense. And I don’t quite know what the argument about proportionate force means here. Is Israel entitled only to kidnap two Hezbollah operatives and fire a couple of rockets aimlessly into Lebanon?"

"The situation is that Israel has lived under the terrorist threat of Hezbollah for years, and these most recent attacks have given it the legitimate right, the same right America would have if we were attacked, to deal with the problem. And that’s what they’re doing."

You know, if they’re chasing Hezbollah, you go for Hezbollah. You don’t go for the entire Lebanese nation, and that’s the difference.

By: Digital Nomad

Digital Nomad — Mon, 31 Jul 2006 20:52:25 +0000

Your post is so valuable on many levels. It really helps to explain to those who do see Arabs/Muslims as unfeeling with regards to what is happening in the Arab world. Its not a question of not feeling the pain–its a matter of surviving so that one day we may be of service to them. If we go crazy with grief, and we surely can, it helps nobody. Does that make sense? You cannot eliminate the guilt that comes with going about your life <i>as though nothing is happening,</i> but we can give thanks to Allah for allowing us to appreciate a relative sense of peace, and pray to Allah to give us the strength and will to help those in suffering.
And for sure, no injustice goes unpunished, and no oppression lasts forever.
Thanks for the wonderful post once again.