On the Road

the next few days; i will be traveling to my home town. it will be a short trip, but a good one. it will the first, in a little over a year, that i will be driving on my own. i've had company the last several times, but i am looking forward to ten hours of solitude. it will be the perfect way to begin a busy summer.

between the books i will be reading and commentating on, travels here and there-it will be time to plan, rest, think, and pray.

i love driving. i love the thrill of conquering a distance, rolling down my window and feeling the light breeze as i pass new scenery. and if it's dark or the scenery is boring, i can just blast my favorite tunes and sing my loudest in my little "sanctuary."

as i travel this summer- the posts that follow will certainly be a little bit more personal, simply because traveling and changing routine is such a personal love of mine.

more musings to come.

A Muslim Woman's View

"There are those who claim to speak for Islam who denigrate democracy and human rights, arguing that these values are Western values and thus inconsistent with Islam. These are the same people who would deny basic education to girls, blatantly discriminate against women and minorities, ridicule other cultures and religions, rant against science and technology, and endorse brutal totalitarianism to enforce their medieval views. These people have no more legitimate relationship to Islam than the people who bomb women's health centers in America have to Christianity or the madmen who massacre innocent Arab children at the tomb of Abraham in Palestine have to Judaism."~Benazir Bhutto

I do not know that I could have said it better. Reading Bhutto's Reconciliation; I have been thoroughly impressed with her attempt to not only educate western peoples on the truth about Islam, but also, openly criticize Islamic groups for being ignorant of their own Holy Book, the Quaran.

So far; she has also pointed out that how sad it is when Muslim people groups will disparage the war in Iraq, particularly the role of American troops but will fall silent when it comes time to address sectarian violence. Bhutto notes that western nations cannot be blamed for all middle eastern problems and that the people, themselves, need to re-evaluate where they have come from and how they treat their own.

In the west, the U.S. and Europe, we often have a perception of Islam that is given to us by terrorists and governments of unfriendly nature. This is a tragedy. Because from that stems security systems, sermons, policies, and opposing radical views deaming the Muslim world unworthy and the help we offer is not always to their need, but a way that would convert them to our likeness and force them to our thinking rather than practicing true tolerance. Both sides are at fault for being unwelcoming to the other. And anyone, Muslim, Christian or Jew who would desecrate in the name of God is not true to their faith.

As I continue to learn from the late Benazir Bhutto, I hope to have a greater understanding of the world she came from as she educated herself on the world I come from.

Slicing Through Time

I've never read much from the fantasy or sci-fi genre, but my boyfriend does and recently I decided I would commit to reading a couple of books by his favorite author, Terry Pratchett. After some collaboration and review, I chose Thief of Time for my first experience and was thoroughly impressed. I certainly appreciate good writing and Pratchett is brilliant.

Tick

The force in the universe, the Auditors, cannot make sense of the world's complexities. As such, they seek to stop Time altogether to create an orderly universe- where life will serve as only a function of survival. To their collective mind, it will all make sense. But who will be able to stop the atrocity? None other than a monk, his awkward apprentice and a school teacher hold the keys to discovering the mystery clockmaker that could make time stop and history fall apart.

Tick

Besides his grand use of satire about society and culture, one point he makes clear: people will personify the ideas they fear the most, and in turn make them into their gods. It is probably one of the most true ideas he sets up.

Tick

Pratchett's character development is also very well written and each character plays an unforgettable role. As a reader, I never knew more than my characters which made it fun to uncover the mysteries with them. In all honesty, after reading it, I don't know that I could really consider it just fantasy, rather it meets an element of allegory and parody that make someone like me look forward to reading more of his work.