As many of you have heard, Ramadan-The Month of Fasting for Muslims- is over. It is marked by the Islamic Holiday of Eid. Eid Mubarak!
First off, I would like to send my condolences to the two girls who were brutally tortured during Eid. This is not a condoned behavior of Islam. Like most religions, you have your extremists who think and interpret their religions with a different idealism.
Eid, like the Christian Easter, marks an important day in the Islamic Calendar. I have given you a Brief Introduction to that here:
( http://www.gmanetwork.com/news/story/321212/lifestyle/culture/eidl-fitr-a-new-beginning)
Islam is not a violent religion, like many see in the news and media. Like all religions, there are good and bad people. I live in the Middle East, and have Muslim friends. They are not terrorists. They are good people who love God. Muslims do fully respect people of other religions. Subsequently, the Quran and the Old Testament are heavily related. Both Holy Books condone peace and harmony.
It is easy to blame the Religion that is unknown, as people in fear or anger often do, but as educated people we must open our minds to all the differences and be open to learning and acquiring knowledge. Only then can all of us have respect for one another.
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---Also, I feel inclined to note the other hate-type crimes that seem to be rising all over the world.---
It is easy to blame our leaders for the problems in the world. But remember, we put our leaders in charge. We should not expect our leaders to lead us the way we want after they win the election Instead, we should understand truly what each political aspect entails before we pass judgement.
We may experience a difference in the Obama Regime versus the Clinton Regime, or the JFK Regime. They are all human! We all make mistakes! We only see our leaders' mistakes because they have been Internationally broadcasted for all to know and see. But what about your mistake? Be either Christian or Muslim, we all know what Jesus said, "Let those without sin, cast the first stone."
One can view Egypt as a chaotic political mess. However, through that mess they are evolving! Every country goes through constant evolution. The way we adjust to the change is what makes us either look at the glass as 1/2 full or 1/2 empty. We must accept the change of others. Just because our ideas have changed or the way we live has changed, does not mean we are not the same person.
For example, one may not agree on someone's lifestyle or who they marry. The most important thing we must do is realize that the person that we loved has not changed to hurt us, but has changed because the life has presented that person with different opportunities, challenges, and mistakes that they have made or accepted. When that person feels as if they have made a mistake and tries to change it in their new idealistic approach, it does not mean that it is the wrong way to fix the mistake. Instead the person should be seen as someone who is trying to make better choices in their life in order to sustain stability.
In conclusion, look to yourself before you start to point fingers. We are all leaders in our own lives. We are mothers, fathers, big brothers, big sisters, teachers, lawyers, doctors, sports' stars, etc...Maybe our stories are not in the media or we don't have our mistakes posted all over the newspapers, but we do make them; we do make mistakes. Just learn from them, and when you know you have made a mistake, apologize and try to make your life better. You can search for the root of the mistake, but learn from it and move on.
Those that truly love you and support you, will accept the change and the person that you have become. They are your true family! However, the ones that say they are your friends and family; then forget about you because you are different from who they have become, sadly, are the ones you have to leave behind. What they don't realize is that you will always love them, even though your definition of love is different from theirs. You cannot make someone love you and respect your choices in life, even if they are bad ones. But sometimes it takes the bad choices and the courage to change to make us better people.
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