The Death of Edward Said -- A tribute

tahmed,

....... do you want me to post all the verses that explicitly condemn non-believers? .......and please stop going on pontificating about ed said until you have at least made the effort to read some of his stuff - you are making a royal little horse out of yourself on this one ............

plat #142 I feel the dear departed scholar is smiling down from heaven at you and hamidm and saminasha and the rest of his staunch defenders. Of course, he is being kept under close observation in heaven by the angels to make sure he keeps his promise to the Lord to give up his habit of lying...

Plats 8:

Is your problem with TAhmed calling Said a liar? Or is it with TAhmed`s interpretation of the Koran?

If it is the former, why don`t you address that specific doubt instead of bringing in all the good works the subject may have done but which do not take away from the specific point itself? I have nothing for or against Ed Said since I don`t know shite about him. But I see the way that he is being treated as a demi God and the slightest criticism by otherwise respected interactors leads to their being raked over the coals.

I am not defending TAhmed`s and Fuzair`s views. I am defending those individuals.

If it is the latter, why do you call those particular lines from the Koran regressive? Iif that be so, then the old testament is equally regressive and so is every religious text in the world.

Your problem then may not be with TAHmed, it would be with religion itself.

Tahmed # 141,

You define pomposity and condescension on this particular board. For your information, I have not imagined anything in my head - I am perfectly happy being spectacularly unimaginative. If you have the audacity to criticise Said by reading two newspaper articles he wrote, then I (or anybody else) can pick random regressive lines from the Quran (yes, they do exist) and draw our own uncharitable conclusions about the religion. I would
then be engaging in exactly the same thing as you in this board. Am I being sufficiently clear now ?

That is the sum total of my last post. It has nothing to do with Dost-Mittar, so please
do not bring him in this. Quoting chaptersw and verses from the Quran is useless, because
you see, my mind is made up. By reading 3 lines from the book, I have decided in
smug arrogance that it is worthless.

tahmed,

``I think it is OK to expose him for what he was in life. May God forgive his wrongdoings and his mendacity``

........... and you reached this conclusion after reading two articles on the web?........... don`t you find that rather pompous, conceited and downright silly?.................... and yet when i give you two dozen quotations from the koran, which i have studied all my life, that condemn all non-believers to hell fire you keep on insiting that it is a ``great`` book .............of course you will argue that edward said is a mortal human being who can err, whereas the koran is written by an infallible god .............. right? ..... but as they say what is good for ..........

plat #136 You are assuming that what I wrote about fuzair and sigalph on the issue of Said`s fibbing implies the opposite about dost mittar with whom I exchanged posts below on a totally different subject. Please stick to what I have actually written and not what you think is said between the lines.

In fact, you are also reading too much behind the lines even in dost mittar`s post when you say that those are ``regressive`` lines (which I have cut and paste):

``[36:60] Did I not covenant with you, O Children of Adam, that you shall not worship the devil? That he is your most ardent enemy?``

The devil in islam (and judeo-christianity) represents evil (which includes being dishonest on issues that can lead to violence and deaths, I may add). Nothing regressive here. In fact, as this discussion shows, what we need is a greater sense of right and wrong, rather than trying to hide ``lies`` behind euphemisms as one interactor was saying. A very progressive line indeed, particularly for the corrupt Pakistan elite (I wont comment on the elite of other countries).


``[36:61] And that you shall worship Me alone? This is the right path. ``

Monotheism is not a crime. Nothing regressive here.

``[36:62] He has misled multitudes of you. Did you not possess any understanding? ``

Absolutely. Do not let your desires rule your mind. Try to understand the harm that you can do. No regression here either. Very good advice indeed.

``[36:63] This is the Hell that was promised for you. ``

Yup. Try to be too clever and you get hell. Ask Saddam, hiding like a rat. And wait till he faces the music before the Good Lord.

``[36:64] Today you will burn in it, as a consequence of your disbelief. ``

Ditto.

``[36:65] On that day we will seal their mouths; their hands and feet will bear witness to everything they had done. ``

In other words, actions speak louder than words. And God will hold each individual accountable for his actions.


See? Try to read what is written as I said. Dont comment on stuff that you imagine inside your head.

``Go pose with a tank``

I already did.

Is that what you were waiting for to start posting your own stuff?

Really, Chowk does not need an interactor to do web searches. We can all access Google.

Reposting from Unplugged:

Go pose with a tank.

Reposting from Uunplugged ..

If an interactor`s entire intellect can be replaced with one of Arjun`s spidering software (with key words Negative and Pakistan being replaced by Progressive and Anti-Bush) threads, thereby putting up articles from all over the place without original insight....

..would that speak positively about the wonders of technology or negatively about said individual`s intellect??

Just wondering....

Tahmed #135,

So posts on chowk are good and rational only when they support your stand ?
Hmm....integrity, indeed.

Also, please excuse interactors in the future when they pick and choose the most regressive lines from the Quran and describe Islam in a way that is not too generous.
I hope you realise that it would be very disingenuous of you to ask them to read
the whole book - given your stand on this board.

stuka #127 A jewish colleague once accused (jokingly) us muslims (and christians too) for cheating on their religion. She was closer too the truth than even she realized. Right down to adopting the ``kosher`` food concept.

dost mittar #125 it would indeed be nice if the mullahs and other muslim chauvinists tried to get the Quran through their thick heads. They would then see for themselves that the Quran does not give them special privileges because they are muslims, and a hindu or jew worshipping in his own way is just as fine by God as well.

What the Quran DOES demand of every human being, regardless of religion, is that he/she distinguish between right and wrong (thus the emphasis on the Judgement Day, when all humans will be judged). Honesty being a basic aspect, with a number of verses in the Quran reminding the reader to give fair measure. And not ignore lies on important issues as people have been doing on this board wrt the Said (may God forgive his transgressions).

Saminasha #132 I am not judging his scholarship. I am judging his honesty - and for that I have read enough as I said. Honesty comes before scholarship.

Tahmed,

``Good, rational posts``? Do you actually claim that you can judge the credibility of a scholar without
a. having read his/her primary text
b. extrapolating a disputed quote that is incidental when compared to this scholar`s life work of humanistic theory?


This has been unbelievable. And I am extremely disappointed in your lack of inquiry.

Fuzair,

Not worth wasting your time?

WHERE IS THE POST WHERE YOU ACTUALLY EXPLAINED THE TENETS OF SAID`S INTERPRETATIVE LENS?

Lets see if the Iraqi invasion apologists have anything to say lately...keeping in mind, reading comprehension is apparently a challenge for them...one of them especially...