TOLERANCE

ononotagain: I'll ask another time, when I am sober. out of respect.
AYar5: any time onono...just let me know...I appreciate your sincerity and respect
ononotagain: I embrace Islam in Australia. all the muslims I know are better citizens than my fellow yobbos
AYar5: I appreciate that ononot...I'm sure there are good citizens in every corner of the world...muslims and non-muslims....may Allah guide them all on the most righteous path
ononotagain: I put it in text, so you see I am not 2 faced
AYar5: I understand...I would never think that...
AYar5: can I tell you a quick story?
AYar5: real life story
ononotagain: <-beyond religions, sorry.
AYar5: my taught me something important once...
AYar5: I understand...you'll like this one though, promise
AYar5: just trust me, if you please
ononotagain: wisdom trancends religion, and is to be found in many religions. but you need to take the good and discard the bad
AYar5: true...I agree...
ononotagain: ok, if it's a good story, I will publish it,
AYar5: well I will give you a short version
AYar5: so you don't get bored
AYar5: my uncle is a muslim
AYar5: he taught me something important one day
AYar5: he told me a story once...and it starts with him in the park
AYar5: we pray 5 times a day
AYar5: it was late and the sun was falling
AYar5: and so he decided to pray at the park
AYar5: because he didn't have time to go home to pray
AYar5: so he did and there are two so-called "Muslims" who pass by him
AYar5: he is praying in front of a walkway
AYar5: and the two "Muslim" women pass in front of him
AYar5: and they curse at him...he hears them
AYar5: so they pass and then these other two ladies come by
AYar5: they are non-muslim
AYar5: one tells the other...
AYar5: "I think this guy seems to be praying...but I'm not sure...let's wait here till he's done...it might be rude to pass in front of him"
AYar5: so they waited
AYar5: my uncle was done
AYar5: and he thanked them and told them what he was doing and why it is not good to pass in front of someone who is praying
AYar5: moral
AYar5: the world is changing...there are good and bad in every society
AYar5: every religion perhaps
AYar5: whose intentions are good
AYar5: sorry I wasted your time
ononotagain: I wish we were all like that. considerate. thank you.
AYar5: just wanted to share that with you
AYar5: me too...you're welcome
ononotagain: may I publish that in Rattler?
AYar5:
AYar5: sure...if you'de like...sorry, I gave you a very short version
ononotagain: if you want to expand, I would be happy to publish it, in the spirit of reconciliation
AYar5: if everyone listened once in a while...they might understand
ononotagain: you know ratttler, a gossip sheet with punch
AYar5: well I don't feel like I can expand it well...I don't want to distort the truth of the story because I don't remember it well enough...this was told a few months after 9/11
ononotagain: add an explanation of why one shpouldn't pass before a person praying
ononotagain: it is short, punchy, and shows "consideration"...I LIKE it
AYar5: feel free to publish it if you like
AYar5: it taught me a lot about people
AYar5: and muslims are usually very tolerant
AYar5: and those that aren't tolerant...other muslims remind them to be tolerant
ononotagain: I have you added. when I publish , i will leave a link for you offline. thanks for the inspiration.
AYar5: in the Qur'an...there's a passage that warns us about "so-called Muslims"
AYar5: that they will tell you they are muslims
AYar5: but when they are with their friends...they will say they are only mocking muslims
AYar5: I appreciate it
AYar5: and you're welcome
ononotagain: <-atheist...I think all religions are deception, but live and let live
AYar5: I understand...but perhaps asking questions is not such a bad thing either
AYar5: good thing about muslims is that they don't press people to convert
AYar5: completely the choice of the believer
AYar5: atheists come to our room as well...mostly regular guests
ononotagain: well, there are differing perceptions of that. a lot of westeners think the Islam=submission is a threat. they don't "get" it
AYar5: well true...Islam = Submission to The Creator...they're right...but not in the sense that there is a type of control of muslims or brainwashing, etc
AYar5: and Muslim = Submitter
ononotagain: atheists have more chance of getting along with religious people, than people of any other religion.
AYar5: Muslims also have free will...just like all human beings
AYar5: yeah I've noticed that actually
ononotagain: ehehehe
AYar5: I'm not sure what your view is between Islam and Christianity...and I'm sorry you didn't get your answer questioned in the right manner
AYar5: perhaps next time you could visit again and I'll put more attention to it in the room
AYar5: and possibly bring in more knowledgable muslims to answer you
AYar5: you're more than welcomed
ononotagain: I do notice the sincere politeness among muslims. that is so comfortable
ononotagain: like you, now
ononotagain: I'm guessing you are muslim?
AYar5: well you're just as polite...not sure how else to react
AYar5: yes I am
ononotagain: I'm pretty lucky, I live in Western Australia, and the muslim community here is a well respected section of the community
AYar5: there are muslims who are tempered too...don't get me wrong...but they need to be reminded to be more tolerant...
ononotagain: but they remain a section
AYar5: do you have many muslim friends?
ononotagain: that takes a generation or two to changeAYar5: true...I prefer a metropolitan type of area where many people are mixed...I love learned about the cultures of other peoples
ononotagain: no, I know a few, none closely, but I eat at their retuarant, lolol
AYar5: lol...I'm guessing you like their food
ononotagain: the muslims here blend in, they are AMONG us, PART of us
AYar5: you can find me at some vietnamese restaurants
ononotagain: we don't wear badges
AYar5: I like that
AYar5: in the ancient times muslims and non-muslims lives amongst one another in peac
AYar5: peace*
AYar5: I wish the same was true today
AYar5: lived* rather
ononotagain: you'd love australia. despite all the bad press, we are pretty good at multiculturism. I have travelled the world, and we do it best
AYar5: yes I know...I have heard...I wish America was more like Australia
AYar5: I am Afghan...there are a lot of Afghans there in Australia
AYar5: I hear a lot about it
ononotagain: I have been to L.A. San Fran and 3 weeks cruising Fla.
AYar5: maybe one day I'll live amongst you as your neighbor
AYar5: what did you think of your visit here?
ononotagain: Afghanis BUILT Australia, they are revered here. without the camel trains, Australia would have foundered. We have museums in honour of Afghanis.
AYar5: lol
AYar5: I didn't know there was that much of a presence of Afghans in Australia...wow...lol
ononotagain: do you know the history? true, Afghanis are Aussie heroes
AYar5: not really...I wish I did
AYar5: tell me a story about Australia
AYar5: if you have the time
ononotagain: easteners see Australians as Englishmen abroad, we are NOT!
AYar5: really? wow
AYar5: well that's what I used to think anyway
AYar5: I know there's a lot of multicultural cities in Australia
ononotagain: In the last 30 years (abandoned the white australia policy) aust. has changed totally. we have absorbed MILLIONS of "other ethnicities" .
ononotagain: most of us LOVE IT... there are a few troublemakers
AYar5: see that's neat...I wish the world would do what Australia did
ononotagain: I LOVE it! .. but, right now that is under threat
AYar5: there used to be a time where there were no borders between countries...no green cards or passports...people came and went where they wanted to work or live
ononotagain: Ayar, are you IN afghanistan? or in exile
AYar5: and this was about maybe a little over 200 years ago I believe
AYar5: no, I am in America...I've been in America since I was 2 years old
ononotagain: george orwell wrote a book about today. "1984"
AYar5: my family escaped the Russian invasion
AYar5: I'm familiar with George Orwell
ononotagain: 2 years... if your parents are still with you, you should record their thoughts and write a book
AYar5: lol why is that?
ononotagain: thanks for the chat, AYar5 nice to meet you. we'll meet again. I'm going back to engage the haters, and undermine them with truth and logic.
ononotagain: everyone has a book in them
ononotagain:
AYar5: thank you for the chat...I enjoyed it onono