Innocent photo - Grave consequences

Here is a puzzle for you.

The first picture you see below: what kind of emotions does it trigger?

Want to guess what the story behind the photo is? Give it a shot, but do not peek at the text under the picture.

Let me help you a bit. Two women, one of them dressed in a white uniform taking a close look at the other woman's eye. Are you closer to a good guess?

The women look European. The hair style, dress and white uniform seem old fashioned. The colors of the photo look like faded old technicolor pictures. Got it?

If you are as ignorant as I am, you would guess this is a nurse in an eye clinic somewhere in Europe, 60 years or so ago. the nurse was probably doing some basic evaluation before the doctor comes in to examined the patient.

And, you would be close, yet very wrong.


Take a look at the full photo below. Notice the shiny metal instruments on the desk.

Give up on guessing? OK, here is the answer.

It sure was a clinic. And the 'angel of mercy' is a German nurse taking some measurements of the 'patient'. Measurements like color of the eyes, tone of the skin, and few skull dimensions.

The clinical question is 'Will the patient live or die?'

And the treatment plan? It all depends on the diagnosis, and it was one of two diagnoses.

If the measurements were 'right', the patient was deemed Aryan. And if so, they will be sent home and have a good long happy life among 'look-alike' fellow Aryans in a society where every one shared the same pure gene pool.

If the skull measurements and eye color suggested that the 'patient' was a Jew, Gypsy or Roma, then they would be sent where living was a bit less happy, and life was likely to be a lot shorter than for their Aryan fellows, such as in a slave labor camp and eventually in a concentration camp.

And, by the way, a simple identifying tattoo on the forearm of the 'impure' citizen was required, just to avoid any future confusion about what they are, and to avoid the need for future re-testing.

Now, do you still have the same feeling you had about the photo before you knew the truth?

I came across this photo in the Wikimedia Commons collection donated by the German historic archives about Germany in prewar times. I remember how neutral I was toward the photo till I read the description, then I suddenly had a knot in my stomach, and truly felt nauseous.

I guess the thought that a simple physical measurement can decide if a human must live or die, is hard to stomach.

Put yourself in that poor woman's seat. Think of your daughter's height or the shape of her skull, or your son's skin tone, and how curly his hair is. Think if any of these simple things was the major determinant of their stature in the society, the kind of school they can attend, or worse: if they must be removed from the society's gene pool for 'the benefit of the rest of us'.

Pretty easy to get nauseated and physically sick at the thought. Yet, millions have endured that: Gypsies, Jews, Roma in the 1930s and 1940s Germany, and Tutsi and Huto in 1990 Rowanda. And much more millions knew about it, and did nothing for so long.

I saw photo above for the first time about 2 months ago. I was not sure how to make a post out of it, but I knew I want to post how it made me feel, so I saved it. And just today, a Jewish friend emailed me the cartoon below, and I felt it was time to write this posting.

As for the cartoon, it speaks for itself.


Khaled

Original description of the photo (translated from German)
"Crime Rassehygienische and Biological Research Center of the National Health .- woman with a white gown (nurse Eva Justin?) In determining the color of eyes of a young woman (Gypsies / Roma?)"

"Please God: can You make sure the others go to hell."

I cannot claim to be a theologian. But I do not have to be one to express how I feel about God, and about my own faith.

There are different ways to look at one's faith, and why we need to do what God wants, and stay away from what God tells you not to do.

For example, one can look at being a believer as being an employee: if you do what your boss wants, you will get promoted (= go to heaven). If you keep doing what you were instructed not to do, you will get fired (= go to hell). Another approach, and a better one, is to think how we behave in the company of people we love (family, friends, etc). In this case, we will do what makes them happy and we try to avoid what makes then not happy.

In the 'employee scenario', you want your boss to be less happy with others than with you - a typical competitive market approach with a zero-sum mentality logic. In the 'loving family scenario', you should not feel that your loved ones must dislike everybody else to make you content. And if you feel that way, it is jealousy, and it is not healthy.

All major religions have groups where the approach to 'salvation' (= being loved by God, and eventually going to Heaven) takes either the 'employee-employer' path, or the 'loving family' path. For some Christian, if you do not believe in God exclusively through Jesus as a savior, you are doomed to Hell, no matter how holy you live your life. Other Christian groups feel differently and think that you may be saved if you live your life the righteous way, even if you do not believe in Jesus as a divine figure and a savior.

As a Muslim, born and raised in an Arab and a predominantly Muslim country, I do not recall that the idea of 'all the others are going to hell' was prominent in our early religious education. The focus was on how we can get a good chance of going to heaven. And even though other Muslims may have had different experiences growing up, that topic is not of major prominence in religious Muslim discussions.

Of course, in Islam (as explicitly cited in the Quran) the ideas of accountability, the Day of Judgment, eternal reward (Paradise) and eternal punishment (Hellfire, Jehannam) are key ideas of Islamic faith, and that is beyond dispute. Actually, denying any of these tenets of faith takes those who deny it outside of the bounds of Islam.

Having said that, I am puzzled by why any believer in any faith would waste energy trying to prove that another faith group is NOT going to heaven, rather than focus exclusively on how he or she ensure that they themselves and their own group are doing everything to establish good life on Earth, and eventually go to Heavens.

Our Muslim community in this city -- as well as all over the world -- is not in good shape. The challenges thrown at us from within and from without are tremendous and I do not see that we, i.e. Muslims, are coping well at all.

A week and a half ago, for example, thirty Shia Muslims were blown into bits and pieces by an Iraqi Sunni suicide bomber woman while they were conducting their religious pilgrimage. Few days ago, a suicide bomber blew himself up at a funeral for a slain Shiite leader in northwest Pakistan, killing another 30 Shia Muslims, wounding more than 60.

Over the last few weeks, Taliban insurgents bombed several girls schools in Afghanistan, and some reports claimed similar event in Taliban dominated areas in Pakistan as well. Reports abound of young girls attacked for going to schools, and of some teachers killed for teaching in girls schools.

In Palestine, the vengeful tit-for-tat incidents between Hamas and non-Hamas organizations keep erupting all the time with loss of life, limb and the little resources Palestinians have. And in the Arab world, the fracture between Shia and Sunna seems in some Arab gulf countries to over-shadow the Israeli Palestinian problem.

On this side of the ocean and less than a week ago, a prominent American Muslim beheaded his wife who had filed for divorce in the recent past. And as if that was not bad enough, that killer was the founder of Bridges TV, to 'improve the perceptions' of Islam in America.

The list goes on, and on, and on.

I know it is not our personal responsibility to solve all those problems. But it is not our responsibility either to decide how God 'should' judge Christians, Jews, Buddhists, or whatever.

So, why when I go to the Friday sermon I find that we are not discussing our Muslim problems, and instead are analyzing other religions ideologies and festival, and whether they can be saved or not?

And even if it is not our personal responsibility to solve other Muslim nations problems, it is our collective duty as believers to try to figure out why there is not a place on earth were one can see Islam implemented in a way that can be a model for Muslims and non-Muslims alike.

It is our duty, personally and collectively, to understand why our Islamic core values-- such as communal brotherhood, social justice, equality, tolerance, peace, freedoms for minorities and undisputed respect for human rights -- are no where to be found in any piece of land under Muslim control.

Understanding why we fail as Muslims to fulfill the basic commitment to our religious core social and behavioral values is a daunting task. And for decades, it seems we have been moving in the wrong direction, and that many of our Muslims communities are slipping deeper and deeper into poverty, authoritarianism, extremism and even lawlessness.

If that is our case, why should we waste anytime trying to prove that others are not going be saved in the afterlife? When our own ship is sinking, why would we be concerned whether or not non-Muslims 'definitely have no chance to experience God's mercy?'.

Listening to recent Friday sermons debating the authenticity of Christmas as a religious occasion, or of the devilish pagan origins of Halloween seems to me and to many fellow Muslims like disputing whether our neighbor's house has proper foundation or not, while our own house is on fire.

I sincerely fail to see the need for these sermons. I am also not convinced that scaring Muslim of the 'deviancy' of other religions is the most effective way to strengthen their dedication to Islam. We definitely would be better off if we use our time to show Muslim faithfuls the way to use the strong points in Islam to build better life for ourselves and for our fellow citizens here.

Moreover, a Muslim's love for God should be the mainstay of their desire to obey Him.

"Say [O Prophet]: 'If you love God, follow me, [and] God will love you and forgive you your sins; for God is much-forgiving, a dispenser of grace.'" (Chapter 3:31)

"And yet there are people who choose to believe in beings that allegedly rival God,* loving them as [only] God should be loved: whereas those who have attained to faith love God more than all else... "(Chapter 2:165)

Something does not sound right about being a believer when you are only afraid of going to hell. It seems more satisfying, not to mention more mentally healthy, if one's dedication to their religion is a result of profound love of God, and the belief in the validity of the commandments of God as a way to live a good life on this earth.

"As for anyone - be it man or woman - who does righteous deeds, and is a believer withal - him shall We most certainly cause to live a good life..." (Chapter 16:97)

In addition 'playing God' by determining the fate of any individual or group on the Day of Judgment is not something that God asked us to do. It is actually something that God specifically asked us not to do. Many verses of the Quran do just that. So, take a look these:

"The Sovereignty on that day will be God's, He will judge between them. Then those who believed and did good works will be in Gardens of Delight," (Chapter 22:56)

"For behold, unto Us will be their return, and verily, It is for Us to call them to account." (Chapter 88:25-26)

The Quran actually criticized earlier Jews and Christians because each group claimed that they only are exclusively correct and are the most favored by God.

"Furthermore, the Jews assert, 'The Christians have no valid ground for their beliefs,' while the Christians assert, 'The Jews have no valid ground for their beliefs' - and both quote the divine writ! Even thus, like unto what they say, have [always] spoken those who were devoid of knowledge;' but it is God who will judge between them on Resurrection Day with regard to all on which they were wont to differ." (Chapter 2:113)

God also makes it clear that He intended for us to think differently, and believe differently. And that our competition should be about doing good deeds.

"for, every community faces a direction of its own, of which He is the focal point. Vie, therefore, with one another in doing good works. Wherever you may be, God will gather you all unto Himself: for, verily, God has the power to will anything." (Chapter 2:148)

And nothing could be better to conclude with other than this wonderful prayer, that succinctly summarizes all what faith is about:

"O our Sustainer! Grant us good in this world and good in the life to come, and keep us safe from suffering through the fire" (Chapter 2:201)

So, please fellow Muslims: just focus on our success in this life, and our salvation in the life-after.

As for the others, God in His ultimate mercy, fairness and knowledge will know best how to take care of them.

Khaled

Which Jew does the Pope support??

Few weeks ago, Pope Benedict XVI decided to reverse the excommunication that was imposed on several bishops with history of strong conservative inclinations in an attempt, as some reporters suggested, to be more inclusive of conservative groups deemed in the passed as fringe. The excommunication, to my knowledge, was not for their opinions, but rather for accepting appointments as bishops despite the objection of the Vatican at that time.

The world was up in arms over the rehabilitation. All that mattered was that one of the 'rehabilitated' bishops has recently expressed 'unpopular opinions'. He actually disputes the number of Jews killed in the holocaust and denied that gas chambers were used for the killings.

"Bloody murder' shouts started coming from the important parts of the world. Israel's Chief Rabi denounced the act, and severed relations with the Vatican. The paranoid head of the anti-defamation league started foaming at the mouth and the German Chancellor demanded that the Pope correct that horrible mistake.
And despite support from some Orthodox Rabbis for the Pope on the ground that how the Catholic Church runs its business is not for non-Catholics to decide, as much as how the Rabbis run their Jewish affairs is not for Catholics to decide. In other words, let each mind their own business, and stop interfering with other people's business.
The heat was to much, so the Pope had to come out, and denounce denial of the holocaust. The recently rehabilitated bishop was ordered to recant his statements about the number of Jews killed by hitler. I really do not care how this farce ends, but what the Pope said had to catch my attention. And as reported by the Huffington Post:

'Pope Benedict XVI, faced with an uproar over the bishop, said Wednesday he feels "full and indisputable solidarity" with Jews...' (Click here for full article)

WHAT??? What did he just say? "Full and indisputable solidarity with Jews"?

I cannot claim to understand the status of the Pope in Catholicism but as some of my catholic friends mentioned, he is supposed to be infallible on matters of faith and morality. What I failed to figure out is whether that his 'unqualified support for Jews' belongs to any of those categories, faith and morality' of it is an administrative worldly matter where he is not infallible.

I am not trying to belittle the Pope, but his statement does not much sense to me. If it is pure politics, then he is not doing his church any favor by mixing religion and politics. And if it a statement of faith and morality, then it should not be inherently contradictory, which unfortunately it is. And that can be very confusing to any thoughtful follower of his.

When person A says that a certain act is totally correct, while person B says that the same thing is totally immoral, you cannot show "full and indisputable solidarity" with both at the same time.

So, which Jews is the Pope showing full and indisputable solidarity with? Let us explore this a bit further:

Does Yitzhak Rabin who was assassinated for promoting peace with the Palestinians get the papal solidarity, or does his killer Yigal Amir who is treated like a celebrity by many killer-minded Israeli Jews?

Can the Pope pour his love on a scoundrel and thief like Bernard Madoff, or he would be more comfortable holding that out of concern for the feelings of Madoff's victims like the dozens of Jewish charities that invested with Madoff and are now bankrupt?

Are terrorists like Meir Kahana and his militant followers in the United States and in Israel, with their racist hateful rhetoric and acts, worthy of the Pope's compassion or he would rather pray for Army of Peace founder Uri Avnery?

Does the Pope prefer to show support for a murderer like Baruch Goldstein who executed 30 Muslim worshipers while they are performing their prayers in Hebron Mosque andwho is still considered a saint by many settler Israelis, or it would be wiser to save the support for the Jewish children exterminated by Goldstein's Nazi counterparts in Auschwitz?

Does he stand in solidarity with Daniel pipes, hate- and war-mongering icon, that built a career on exaggerations and lies against Muslims and Arabs, or with Gideon Levi and Amira Hass with their tireless effort to promote peace and honesty in reporting?

Would the Pope endorse Abe Foxman, the ADL hyper-paranoid president who behaves as if one who does not love Israel as much as they love God they must be antisemitic, or Richard Silverstein who thinks that Abe Foxman has no morals to speak of?

Does the Pope fend for Crazy rabbis of the West Bank settlements who declared a Jewish fatwa that killing innocent palestinians is Kosher, and rabbis of Shas Party who do think of original inhabitants of Palestine, be they Muslims or Christians, as if they were cockroaches and snakes?

Or would the Pope rather stand in line with the Antizionist rabbis and Rabbis for Human Rigths who denounce the occupation of Palestine, and with rabbis of Naturei Karta who think the whole idea of Israel as a state is a violation of the commandments of God?

I guess the reader gets my drift.

So, of all the Jews I have mentioned above, which group does the Pope support??

The Pope cannot have it both ways. A true Christian may be able to love people on opposing ends of any cause, but even the Pope cannot support opposing arguments simultaneously. And with blanket statements like "full and indisputable solidarity with Jews" he paints himself into a corner.

One has to assume that either he has a profound subliminal meaning that less-than-holy lay people like myself cannot get, or that his statement was founded in pure politics.

What do you think??

Khaled

Selected Links:

• Benedict's plea
• BBC NEWS | Europe | Merkel joins Papal Holocaust row
• Gideon Levy / Does Zionism legitimize every act of violence and injustice? - Haaretz - Israel News
• Think Progress » Foxman: George Mitchell is too ‘fair’ and ‘even-handed’ to serve as Middle East envoy.
• Pope Voices Support for Jews, Rejects Holocaust Denial
• Pope Expresses "Full And Indisputable Solidarity" With Jews
• Cleric ordered to recant Holocaust views
• Prominent Orthodox rabbi backs Pope over lifting SSPX excommunications

Good Charity or Bad Charity: Facing the Charity Challenge

I remember one of my professors over 25 years ago saying: "put a little of your heart into what you do". That way, nothing is "just a job". What you do becomes part of you, becomes more enjoyable, and more likely also gets better done. If you cannot put a little of your self into you job, then you are in the wrong business.

Charity work is also like a job. For some people it is 'just a job' they are supposed to do, they have their orders in the Holy book and they followed orders. But for others, their hearts and souls are part and parcel of the charity they do. The latter group is the really charitable one.

As for the others - I am not sure about. I just do not think they are getting the best of the charity they are doing, but how each group is rewarded is - thankfully - up to God and not to any of us.

Talking about some of this has been on my mind for a couple of weeks after I came across two acts of charity that moved me, then I heard about another 'act of charity' that can hardly qualify as one.

Let me get the 'bad charity' story out of my system first.

It is about someone who volunteers at a food pantry, donating time and effort (and possibly money) to help poor hungry families. 'Nothing can be wrong about that', you say. Unfortunately for that person, charity was just a job. He was just following God's orders. So, he felt the job was done just by being their, donating the time and effort. Still, he could not hide his disrespect for the human beings on the receiving end of his charity, expressing to a friend of mine that 'those people' were not deserving of his charitable deeds.

Example #2 is for a good charity that I was on the receiving end of.

During the last snow storm in St. Louis, my fuel-efficient small car proved so light that it could not get a grip on the road. I could not make it all the way uphill to the subdivision where I live. I let my self roll down in reverse, turned back, and tried another route. I made it most of the way up , then my small car started spinning it wheels while stubbornly remaining where it is. It could not climb another inch.

I got out and started signaling to other cars to go past my stalled car. That was pretty easy for the heavier gas-guzzling SUVs that passed me quickly and drove on without looking back. Then came another canary yellow compact car.

Naturally it got stuck just behind my car. The driver was more persistent, and kept hitting the accelerator and spinning the wheels while the car was swinging right and left. Lucky for the driver, after about over a minute of spinning, the car managed to move forwards about 10 yards to make it to a less steep stretch of the road And from that point on, it was going to be an easy ride home.

But at the top of the hill the car stopped again - parked safely on the side of the road this time. The driver came out and started walking towards me, slowly to avoid slipping on the icy road. Half a minute later, the driver was close enough that i realized it was a small woman trying to put her gloves on. As soon as she came close to me, she said: 'Get in your car, and I will push you'.

I had to laugh. The woman looked like she was a mere 120 pounds at the most, my car was stuck facing uphill, and the tarmac was slippery enough that the tires could not even get a grip on the road surface. Despite that, the woman, rather, than going home and enjoying a cup of hot cocoa, was putting on her gloves and getting ready to push my car uphill on the icy road.

I kid you not - it took me quiet a while to convince her that this was a physical impossibility, and it took even a bit more to convince her to go back to her car and go home promising her that I will find a way out of my problem.

I finally managed to get myself and my car out of trouble, and I drove home the remaining half mile uneventfully. But that encounter with the charitable anonymous woman made me feel really good. Helping a stuck driver is not unusual, but to do that under those circumstances is special enough. And to be persistent trying to offer help that is likely to be a tremendous amount of effort and is practically impossible from a 'physics' point of view is definitely exceptional.

Her knowledge of mechanics and physics is probably limited, but her capability for a random, and selfless act of charity and help to a total stranger is amazing.

My last story goes even further. It is a most inspiring example that a good friend of mine, JS, told me.

JS was planning to travel overseas to visit some family. His good friend asked him if he would be willing to take some money to distribute to needy people back in the old country. Knowing the tight financial situation of his friend, JS was surprised by the amount of money his friend was giving away, and he asked the friend how he could set aside that kind of money. The answer tells you a lot about that friend and his wife.

During last Ramdan, the fasting month for Muslims, most Muslims engage in more religious activities, but most also indulge in socializing as well as in eating traditional foods and sweets, usually in excess. Of course, many are also more charitable in ramdan than during other times of the year.

JS friend and his wife made a decisions this year. The first day of Ramadan was a typical Ramadan day. The family did the usual for that month: cooked and ate a lot of food, and lot of deserts, etc. The good wife kept track of every bit of expense that the typical Fast-breaking meal cost. The second day was a different story. The family ate a good, but modest meal. They were not hungry when they finished their meal, but the luxuries were not their. The cost of that meal was calculated as well.

And for the rest of the month of Ramadan, the family broke their fast on a modest meal, and the difference in cost was set aside. By the end of the month what was saved was passed on to JS to distribute to some needy people.

Now, that is real charity. Can you top that?

Charity in my religion, Islam, and as I imagine in many other religions, is not just about giving things. It is about feeling the gratitude to God, and thanking him by helping his creations, humans or otherwise.

Thanking God would not be sincere if it is done without your heart and soul being into it. Insincere thanks are probably worse than none at all.

Helping with what comes at no cost to you, with what you do not need or value, or with a small some of what you have a tremendous abundance of, does not seem to me like a sincere act of thanksgiving.

I cannot imagine that it will be sincere either if one is giving or helping while harboring ill feelings towards God's creations that he or she is helping as a way of thanking God.

But loving God's creations and helping them just because they are His, and giving from what you tremendously value and from what you cherish the most - that is true giving.

Khaled

I truly cannot finish this without presenting some of the many Quran verses that teach those who listen, what true charity is.

"O you who have attained to faith! Spend on others out of the good things which you may have acquired, and out of that which We bring forth for you from the earth; and choose not for your spending the bad things which you yourselves would not accept without averting your eyes in disdain. And know that God is self-sufficient, ever to be praised." (Quran, 2:267)

"[But as for you, O believers,] never shall you attain to true piety unless you spend on others out of what you cherish yourselves; and whatever you spend - verily, God has full knowledge thereof." (Quran, 3:92)

"BELIEVE in God and His Apostle, and spend on others out of that of which He has made you trustees for, those of you who have attained to faith and who spend freely [in God's cause] shall have a great reward." (Quran 57:7)

"... and who give food - however great be their own want of it - unto the needy, and the orphan, and the captive, [saying, in their hearts,] 'We feed you for the sake of God alone: we desire no recompense from you, nor thanks." (Quran 76:8-9)

And what could make thee conceive what it is, that steep uphill road? [It is] the freeing of human beings from bondage or the feeding, upon a day of [one's own] hunger, of an orphan near of kin, or of a needy [stranger] lying in the dust. (Quran 90:12-16)

I guess that is the point. If it is easy to give away, it must not be that valuable. Khaled