Hello my peeps! How y'all doin'? Me? Well, I can't complain I guess. I'm alive and kickin' here in Boise. Yee Haw! I'm just getting myself out there for y'all to inquire about what wonders my life has brought me. I hope everyone is doing well in their old age. I've seen a few of you, and time has been good to them. ok, bye bye, Brandi
Hey Dan! Ok, Dan who? Wonders? Um, I don't know. Her and there with the "wonders." It's been a lot of years, but I would hope every one would have some "wonders" in the last 19 years. ok, mail me back.
Alright, smartass. The years have been hell on my memory, OK? And, no, I'm not high. And riddles are great fun, don't cha think? Also, whatch your "holy cow" language. It's a bit stringent on my virgin eyes. Really, holy cow? Any who, i'm working out at the airport right now. That's about it really. So, are you married? kids? So, tonite I'm going to Quinns to whatch the bag pipers piping. Write back and we can hook up sometime. Have a safe Saint Patty's day. Brandi C.
I am married w/ 3 kids and just relocated back to Idaho. (Sun Valley)
Let's get together next time I am in town.
Chris.
P.S. Are you really going to watch bag pipers? Isn't it better to go listen to them? Watching them sounds like the time I sat around and listened to paint dry (really boring).
No, i'm not interested, just curious. I do have to say, I do love a smart ass, and here you are. I will be more careful about my wording around you. The people around here are far from quick witted, i've witnessed. Boise, go figure. I moved here about a year ago. Really don't care for it much, but I was ending a 9 year relationship in Washington state. Damn, you must have been really high when you watched that paint dry. Ok, I'm going to LISTEN and watch the pipers pipe. Holy cow!!! Smart ass. Ya, when you get into town let me know and we'll get together. Brandi
Brandi...Chris was right...it was me Dan Adams. Sorry for not putting my last name on there.
I would also like to put a request in for folks to help out with the 20yr reunion. Julianne did a ton of work last time and had quite a few of us as supporting cast members. Next year will be on us before we know it. I'm cerain follow up posts and e-mails are soon to the on the way.
The last time I saw Dan Embry was when he applied to work in our reserve program in Garden City. That had to be around 1998 or so. He was doing well from what I could tell.
What do you mean, "I got involved?" What the hell are you talking about? Please, enlighten me. And, what do you mean, "way to go?" Hey, missy chrissy! How the hell are you? Um, I do believe, that I called you last BEEAACH! Call me, I have a hell of a story to tell you. Ok, peace out, yo!
Steve Traverso and I were shoving each other around in Ms. Ramey's class ala fake Pro Wrestling. Steve sort of did a fake out like I threw him into the wall and he crumbled to the floor and started begging me to stop beating him up. I got DT for from Ms. Ramey for 'beating up Steve Traverso'. Probably the most bad ass I've never been. At least Mr. Capper didn't buy it for minute and cut me lose.
I'm all good. I survived a trip to Bangalore India (just got back to the US on Sunday). I've always said I'll go anywhere once. Bangalore is definitley not on my list to go a second time.
Other than that, I'm enjoying the spring thaw in Ketchum. I can see most of the front yard now :)
India is tough - especially the cities. Hippies love it because it makes them smell better by comparison, but it can be a stressful jaunt. Jaipur or anywhere in Rajasthan would be best.
I survived a 4-day trip on Tioman Island with one of my clients. They made us scuba dive and drink loads of beer. F**kers...
It all depends on where you are in SE Asia. My suggestion is to choose your destination and check www.worldweather.org for the outlook. Even monsoon season here has become unpredictable. Rule of thumb is monsoon in SE Asia runs from May - September, but this year it rained like mad nearly every day during dry season. They say it's global warming, but I think it's terrorists - that or Mormons. Anyway, worldweather.org is usually a good reference for these things.
Dan, I have to confess that I have yet to set foot in India. I only mentioned Rajasthan because it sits high on a long list of destinations which I hope we get a chance to visit some day. My wife is Indian-Malaysian, so India is a destination we intend to reach eventually. But it's a long list which gets progressively more difficult to prioritize as time goes on.
I hear it is a cool city. Gurgoan is the 'tech' hub there. I am some folks over to open a lab. One of them is well traveled but the others are 'Idaho Boys' and are in for a shock I fear. If you have any insights on do's/dont's please let me know. We are working with some hosts so I think they will be ok. From looking at lonley planets site it will be monsoon season when they get there. I will probably be going there myself next year.
Pat,
I know what you mean...the travel plans get deeper and the time to do them gets thinner. Bummer...there is a lot to see out there. Good to hear you are doing well.
Speaking louder and over-annunciating is not an effective means of bridging a language barrier.
Here's a tip for India:
When someone gently tilts his head from side to side, it's the same as nodding. It looks like a "no", but it's a yes.
Always shake hands with your right hand. Your left hand is for wiping you ass.
Always give money with your right hand - same reason.
The monkeys look cute and inquisitive. They’re actually little fuckers. Watch out for them.
Indians – especially when speaking in their mother tongue – can be pretty loud. If it sounds like an argument, it probably isn’t. If it is, it’ll blow over before you know what happened.
Indian women are hot. Marry one and bring her home.
Take the usual precautions with respect to health. Bring along some Immodium and Cipro in case you get some bacteria thing with your stomach. It's not a bad idea to bring along some Gatorade powder in case you do get sick and all dehydrated. With Monsoon season upon India, there's probably a lot of mosquitos around as a result so you'll want some bug repellant.
Also, beware of the mosquito fogging trucks. They're quite toxic, one of our employees spent some time in a hospital after getting sprayed by one.
I might be in Hong Kong in a couple of weeks ... looking forward to that trip :)
Oh yeah, and the Monkeys can be little shits. They'll cruise into your hotel room if you let them and take your food. And they can bite.
If a monkey just happened to be in my hotel room....I would crap my pants and cry like a little girl. What the hell? I was fine with the Cipro and the bugs, but, man...MONKEYS? I guess there isn't roomservice to call and get help? When they bite.. did they break the skin? Oh man. Can you smash the monkeys? Oy
You can't smash the monkeys because, in spite of their propensity for causing mayhem, the Hindus do have a monkey god (Hanuman). So smashing them is a no-no. You can, however...
Taunt the monkey? Are you nuts? Yeah, sure. Why not slather yourself in peanut butter and hang some bananas from your genitals while you're at it? Oh, and be sure to make aggressive eye contact with the dominant male.
Honestly Kristi, I really don't know. I would like to, but it isn't worth the trip back to the US unless it's for a couple weeks - minimum. Anything less is just a rush job with crippling jet-lag. I came back for a week once and swore I'd never do it again. I still do swear quite a lot, but mostly at bad drivers.
Anyway, it's just about impossible for me to take 2 weeks off these days. I'm just too busy and I don't see that changing any time soon. Plus, it would have to coincide with our daughter’s school holidays. That said, if I’m able to get everything to fall into place, I’d love to blow all my annual leave and air miles on a trip to Boise.
Dang Pat that sounds outright dangerous but hey...I am not going on this trip. I was just searching for ways to get my troops in trouble. I think you have ordered up what the doctor ordered. 8^]
It was a boiling hot day in the Balinese rainforest. My family and I decided to go to Indonesia for the summer holidays back in 1994 when I was only eight. My shirt was plastered to my back with sweat. Tourists were spilling out of the stalls, where they were buying “Rolllex” watches and fake Quiksilver T-shirts. My family decided to go on a monkey feeding tour. Our guide gave us each a bag of peanuts and directed us to a path leading into a huge, dark rainforest where the canopy of the trees blocked out as much sunlight as possible. We entered the monkey feeding circuit to find the place teeming with monkeys. The path was surrounded by ancient stone walls, and every available vantage point was taken by monkeys trying to spot their next “waiter”. They were everywhere you looked, swinging and jumping from tree to tree.
I started handing my peanuts out to the monkeys. Most of them were very scrawny, little and furry. They were timid and alert, looking out for tourists with their next meal of peanuts. Some of them casually walked up to my family members and reached into their pockets looking for peanuts. I couldn’t believe how human they seemed. We played with them by hiding the peanuts in our clenched fists. It was amazing to watch them gently opening out our fingers one by one.
Before I knew it I was down to my last peanut, so I had to decide which of the scrawny little monkeys deserved it the most. Then I saw a big fat monkey, obviously the “king” of them all, approaching me confidently. He looked like he had already had his fair share of peanuts. Scurrying behind him was a little skinny monkey, who looked very underfed. Like me, he was just a kid so I decided to reserve my last peanut for him.
But the king had other ideas. He wanted my peanut really badly. He approached me, but I held out my arm towards the little one. The king was enraged that I wasn’t offering him the peanut. He smacked me in the stomach, and then sprung up and attached himself to me, facing me at eye level. Then, with his left hand, he grabbed the front of my shirt, and held his right fist threateningly near my face, ready to strike me in anger and revenge. It was so humanlike. I was afraid I was going to get rabies if he bit me, so I didn’t hold out for long. I just gave him the last peanut – the price of my freedom – and watched him victoriously swagger away.
I stood there, white faced and shaking. When I finally came to my senses, I turned around and saw my family watching me and laughing hysterically. They thought it was hilarious that I had been bullied by the king monkey. The king seemed very large and fierce to me, but to them just seemed funny because his aggression looked so humanlike – a hairy little man who didn’t even come up to my waist wanted to beat me up and I was absolutely petrified!
Why can't you do it? Why can't you set your monkey free? Always giving into it - Do you love your monkey or do you love me? Why can't you do it Why do I have to share my baby with a monkey? monkey With a monkey monkey lalala
Oh, I count to ten But I don't know how and I don't know when To open my eyes If you kiss me again Like you did just now, like you did just then Do it again I've had the rest Now it's time I had the best So you tell me that you won't do anymore
Well I'd write your heart a letter But I think you know me better If I keep on askin' baby, maybe I'll get what I'm askin' for
Why can't you do it? Why can't you set your monkey free? Always giving in to it - Do you love your monkey or do you love me? Why can't you do it Why do I have to share my baby with a monkey? monkey with a monkey monkey lalalalala
Oh I hate your friends But I don't know how and I don't know when To open your eyes Yes the monkey's back again Do it again Do you want him now like you did back then? Do it again I tried my best But your head is such a mess So I guess that I don't want you anymore
Well you say you care about me That you just can't do without me But you keep on dancin' baby 'Til that monkey has you on the floor
Why can't you do it? Why can't you set your monkey free? Always giving into it Do you love the monkey or do you love me? Why can't you do it Why do I have to share my baby with a monkey? monkey with a monkey monkey lalalalalalala
Don't look now There's a monkey on your back Don't look now There's a monkey on you... Don't look now There's a monkey on your back Don't look now There's a monkey on you...
So you tell me that you won't do anymore
If I keep on askin' baby, maybe I'll get what I'm askin' for
Why can't you do it? Why can't you set your monkey free? Always giving into it Do you love the monkey or do you love me? Why can't you do it Why do I have to share my baby with a monkey? monkey with a monkey monkey lalalalalalala
Why can't you do it? Why can't you set your monkey free? Always giving into it Do you love the monkey or do you love me? (oh) Why can't you do it Why do I have to share my baby with a monkey? monkey with a monkey monkey lalalalalalala
Pat- I am bummed that you won't be at the frickin' 20 year. ( I hate saying 20 year....that is creepy ) You will be missed horribly. How can it be that we are all so old? That is wrong.
Acutally, Chrissy, I did the math. We really are that old.
What I did was, I took the year I was born (1968) and substracted it from the current year (2006). That gave me a rough idea of exactly how old we are, which, by the way, is around 37 to 38 years old.
Example: 2006 - 1968 = 38
And don't be bummed. I have a feeling that by the time you realize I'm not at the reunion, you'll all be too drunk to care. If you're not, I'll be ashamed to say I was from the class of 1987.
Try the metric system. 100 kilos doesn't sound like much to most Americans since we haven't gone to the trouble of adopting the metric system like the rest of the world. In fact, they might even think it's less than 100 pounds! Try it and see how it goes.
At any rate, our insistence on sticking with ounces and pounds, inches and feet works out well in this case. It does not, however, work out too well when describing one's waste size. Stick with inches for that one or, if you like, feet.
Also, club soda is not as good for removing stains as it is for drinking with lemon and vodka.
Pat, are you making some sort of political, anti-american, obesity, wastefull inuendo about Single minded, fat, wasteful, anti immigration, go home if you don't speak english, Brittany Spears lovin' AMERICANS?
Pat, are you making some sort of political, anti-american, obesity, wastefull inuendo about Single minded, fat, wasteful, anti immigration, go home if you don't speak english, Brittany Spears lovin' AMERICANS?
The tentative dates for the reunion are as follows:
Between January 1 and Dec 31st of 2007.
We wanted to have it earlier, but Idaho laws constitute that it must actually be 20 years since graduation. Leap years in the past 20 do not apply in the Gem state.
On a good note: The reunion will still be held in Boise.
Pat....for the love of God...leave the wife and kids.......yes...job- even....if you don't show......WHY SHOULD WE??????? You are the man....and you missed the last one...asswhipe. No guilt.
Look - I'll see what I can do, but no promises. I don't want to get anyone's hopes up (not that they would be) because it's a hike to LesBois, but I'll look into it.
Even so, I heard Riverfest was permanently flushed, so I really see no reason to come back. No Riverfest? What's the point? F**k it! This sucks...
I e-mailed this about a week ago - if you did not get it - you need to get on my list! Send me a note at russelljc@earthlink.net - and I will add you. Mark your calendars! John Mangum was foud - but he's lost agin... John? get me your info!!! And Pat- my hopes are up and I WILL BE disappointed if you don't find a way to come to the 20 year. I actually want to have it in senior hall so you and I can stand as locker mates once again and maybe bitch about anything and everything. It won't be the same without you -
Hello all - I have received several requests for a date for our 20 year as people would like to be sure they can take the time off. So could everyone mark their calendars for the first weekend of August 2007? We will (most likely) have a weekend very similar to the last reunion - Friday night barbeque - Saturday night dinner and Sunday morning breakfast. Obviously - the details are not worked out yet- but I think having a firm date is probably the most important part. So - be sure to keep open the dates : August 3 - 5 , 2007. I will be keeping you notified as we begin to plan the details. Thanks - Julianne ps - please forward this on to any other classmates I have missed and please continue to send me your updated information, if necessary.
POJO's? No, I'm afraid that won't sweeten the deal.
The Wave is gone too? Please tell me it wasn't replaced by a Starbuck's. Man, what the hell is going on over there? That was the last bastion of classic, American fast food left on Broadway. No more half-pound fries. No more Wave Double-bacon Deluxe. My heart aches; more that it normally would after eating a half-pound of fries and a Wave Double-bacon Deluxe.
Is the College In & Out still around? Fanci Freeze? What was the one on State Street, near Albertson's and across from the 7-11? How about Big Bun on Overland (I think it was Overland...maybe Orchard…)? Maria's La Fiesta on Boise? Is it true that the Hollywood Market is gone too?
The Cactus? The Interlude? Are they still alive? 10th Street Station? Moon's? Jim's? Please - FOR THE LOVE OF GOD AND ALL THAT IS SACRED ON THIS EARTH - WHAT HAVE YOU PEOPLE DONE?!
Is the city being run by talking apes that walk upright and keep human prisoners in bamboo cages? Should I expect to come home to the fallen Statue of Liberty, washed up on a beach with Charlton Heston beside it, pounding his fist in the sand and shouting, "Damn you! Damn you straight to hell!"?
Is the College In & Out still around? Yes, I do believe it is
Fanci Freeze? Yes, they even have a new electric sign out there and they are always busy. I used to work around there and the chance of them closing is very slim.
What was the one on State Street, near Albertson's and across from the 7-11? There is no longer a 7-11 on State by Albertsons, it might now be the Chevron. I don't think it is there anymore, sorry.
How about Big Bun on Overland (I think it was Overland...maybe Orchard…)? Your memory serves you correctly, it is on Overland and I do believe it is still there.
Maria's La Fiesta on Boise? Yes, it is still there, I sometimes drive by it on the way to work and I don't even think the atmosphere has changed.
Is it true that the Hollywood Market is gone too? Nope, it is still around. In fact, the owner is the one who helped oust the last Mayor before Mayor David Bieter was elected. Not the best we have ever had but what can we say??
The Cactus? Yes, it is still here and now has an ATM!! What an improvement!!
The Interlude? Unfortunately that bar gave way to a more sofisticated establishment, one in which we all got together to celebrate Nick's life.
Moon's? Yes, still there. In fact they did a AAA commercial and Pat Shalz (another BK grad) was in the commercial.
Jim's? It is still there and the chicken is still on top!!
I hope that makes your day. In fact, hopefully it will make you so happy that you will have to come up here to go to all those places, just for old times.
Excellent investigative reporting Karen, but I'm afraid missing the story on the In & Out would have you following Dan Rather into journalistic oblivion. Also, no update on 10th Street Station. Any news there?
The drive thru in question on State Street was the Westside Drive-In; perhaps you remember "the only drive-in with a chef"?
Still, the demise of the Interlude is not welcomed news and of all the places mentioned in my rant, it may be the one for which I held the deepest affinity. I had some fantastic times there, post-BK years. Truth be told - and I know I'll be a distinct minority here - I would have been much happier to see the Cactus shut down, given the choice. In fact, I’d been rooting against that place for a long time, in spite of many stumbling forays at the behest of well-intentioned friends into its acrid, smoky bowels.
The problem with the Cactus is that I never cared much for the smell of urine. Plus, I almost got stabbed there by a regular named Oly while doing a story on infamous local bars for the Boise Weekly many years ago. Anybody ever visit the Cactus on a weekday, before 4pm? You’ll see just how charming and kitsch it really is (not very). There is no Tom Waits, friendly and colorful neighborhood pub romanticism to be appreciated there. Word to the wise; don’t take a camera to the Cactus during the afternoon hours. Those people do not want to be photographed, and probably for good reason.
Anyway, I’m glad to hear our walking ape overlords have allowed some semblance of that John Mellencamp, small-town charm to remain in LesBois. Maybe some of you will let my nostalgia for Boise’s long-standing monuments to the great Mom & Pop business serve as inspiration to enjoy a long relaxing breakfast at Jim’s with a friend, a shake from Fanci Freeze on hot summer’s day with the kids, an ice-cold 6’er from the Hollywood Market or a big, greasy burger from Big Bun. And who could forget a bucket of clams at Ben’s Crow Inn after a long, hot day of waterskiing and Budweiser at Lucky Peak? I haven’t. Neither should you.
Purrr, Purrr!!! Of course i need attention, I am a women ya know. We all need LOTS of attention, or have you forgotten, Big Stud you? It goes both ways with the phone, big guy! Gaaa, you're such a smart ass! That's why I love you sooooooo much!
Uh, Brandi? I think you were about 1 "Me love you long time" from sounding pretty much like a Thai hooker in that post. "Big Stud?" Really? And what exactly did you mean by "Gaaa"?
Now stop passing notes in class and turn to page 72 in your text books. Matt, would you start us off?
We interrupt this visit down memory lane for an important announcement:
I have just sent out an e-mail regarding the planning of our 20 year reunion - if you have not received it - I need your e-mail address!! Send me your info :
russelljc@earthlink.net
And now - back to your morning announcements - you medflies and pukes.
While there were some losses, I returned to find some good things - old and new ...
The Botanical Garden is now both botanical and a garden we can be proud of...
Pengilly's can still attract a crowd that is respectable and photogenic even at 4 PM
You can still drive by daily to see if its your day for a free pizza at both Flying Pie's -
A new place serving "Trailer Park Cuisine" - we would not want to get too uppity here, good mac n cheese I hear!
Fr. Faucher returned to St. Mary's and is stirring up some decent intelligent discussion in the diocese and press - in my opinion
The Flick's is still showing great movies and defended their beer and wine license this year
Sadly all this did not retain Ms. Salter as a resident, but I am beginning the campaign to lure her back.....
Did I mention we can attract the big stars now - RH Chili Peppers were here last nght and the Stones are coming to town (may go, just renewed my CPR card)
Hello Everyone, Kurt passed on this page to me. Talk about a blast from the past. I hope everyone is doing well.Hello Everyone, Kurt Lechtenberg passed on this page to me and told me to check it out. Talk about a blast from the past. I hope everyone is doing well. I have been running some martial art schools in Boise since 1995. If interested check out website at www.idahoselfdefense.com and drop me a line. Take care, Dan Embree(Bruce Lee Junior)
this website offers a some powerful food for thought about the status of our country and what type of world our kids may be forced to live in. As leaders in our communities and parents of the next generation, I think it's important to learn as much as we can so that we pass on accurate information to those around us. I wish I had paid better attention in history class. It's making better sense now.
Where did you dig up this "food for thought"? Wow - possibly more frightening than the boogiemen it portrays. This brand of fear-mongering hardly equates to useful information and panders essentially to the same tactics as certain Madrasahs in Pakistan or Islamic schools in Yemen that promise education for the poor, but teach only a myopic view of the West. It preys on base emotions rather than appealing to our intellect. It certainly doesn't breed understanding, tolerance or – most importantly – knowledge (arguably the most valuable weapon in defeating hatred and intolerance). What this site breeds is an insidious, combative, us-against-them mentality through poorly supported conjecture and irresponsible propaganda. We should all be careful about where we get our information and how we process it. Remember: perspective requires depth.
The most effective means of combating domestic radical Islam is to support domestic moderate Islam. Recognizing and supporting moderate Muslims as the voice of their religion will give them the freedom to practice their faith without the fear of being persecuted and will strengthen America's standing in the Islamic community. As the moderate Islamic community becomes a more integrated into American society, the potentially disenfranchised will no longer have a need to embrace radical Islam as a cause. We need to stop depicting gun-toting, masked terrorists as the public face of Islam. This practice is roughly the same as Al Jazeera using images of neo-Nazis in white capes as the face of the average American.
Encouraging our government to support moderate Muslim nations will help to improve the perception of America overseas. Lessening our dependence on foreign oil will allow us to slowly extricate ourselves from the Middle East – particularly those nations which have allowed Islamic radicalism to build a following.
In the end, if you give people a reason to hate you, they will. If you do not, how can they?
I just finished watching Jesus Camp and reading a book by Chris Hedges called American Fascists: The Christian Right and the War On America, and it strikes close to home for me as one of my uncles actually teaches intelligent design rather than real science in a private Twin Falls school. These faith based movements, either here or abroad, engender the same intolerance against gays, atheists, and various religious sects considered by the faithful to be "apostates". They tear apart nations, neighbors, and even families. The faithful are justified in restricting rights and even committing violent acts against the "unclean." If we do not successfully combat militant religious behavior in our own country, how can we expect the Saudi's or Pakistani's to do any better?
Good point, Sherilyn. Faith-based governance in the US has really produced nothing less than its own version of a Taliban-type system; call it “Bushganistan”. OK – maybe “Taliban” is overstating it, but both US foreign and domestic policy has been guided by a pervasive, fundamentalist Christian influence during this administration. That influence, unfortunately, is coming from the highest level of government.
Bruce Bartlett, a domestic policy adviser to Ronald Reagan and a treasury official during the Bush Sr. administration, was quoted in the NY Times in 2004 as saying, “He (George W. Bush) truly believes he's on a mission from God. This is why he is so clear-eyed about Al Qaeda and the Islamic fundamentalist enemy. He believes you have to kill them all, they can't be persuaded; that they're extremists driven by a dark vision. Absolute faith like that overwhelms a need for analysis. This is why he dispenses with people who confront him with inconvenient facts.”
As such, George W. Bush is willing to enforce those ideals which, whether in the best interest of the American people as a whole or not, are designed to position him as the great liberator; an enlightened messiah sharing the great gift of democracy with the Arab world.
But, great as Democracy can be, it is seen in the Middle East under the Bush administration as being Christian by association. As such, the Arab world is no hurry to adopt its principles as defined by him. Does this make these Islamic countries less open to new ideas? Are we really superior, more sophisticated?
Ironic then, that Pakistan – the very country known for honor killings and harboring Osama Bin Laden – elected a woman president back in 1988 and again 1993. This is not to suggest that Pakistani society is somehow more progressive than our own. It only illustrates that every country has its own barriers to break. Evidently, we have a fair amount of work to do in order to combat our own demons; be they homophobia, misogyny, racism, free speech or religious discrimination.
I just finished reading "What went wrong" by Bernard Lewis.
This is pretty interesting reading. It describes the history of the Muslim faith and the fundamental reasons that "fundamentalists" are now the face of the Muslim religion. At least to us in the US, especially us in Idaho.
I would suggest that anyone who has an itersest pick it up, it is a quick read and is historical in nature. It is not meant to convert you. You always have the option to convert....or Die!!!
Thanks for the tip, Chris. Unfortunately, I'm pretty sure I won't find that one here.
I'm always curious as to why, when a terrorist act is perpetrated by Islamic extremists, the moderate Muslim community doesn't do more to publicly condemn such acts. Even here, where there are plenty of spokespersons on Islam's behalf, you never hear the moderate Islamic community condemning such acts.
There’s been a rash of violence in southern Thailand close the Malaysian border for the past few years. It’s been particularly bad over the past few months. Buddhist monks and school teachers have been frequent targets of assassinations and beheadings by Islamic extremists. But when something flares up, you never hear moderate Muslims denouncing these acts. Personally, I think it would go a long way towards building bridges between the Muslim and non-Muslim community if moderates would take a decisive, public stance against fundamentalist propaganda or any act of violence committed in the name of Islam.
Chris - Out of curiosity (and since I’ll never find the book you recommended in Malaysia) what’s cited as the primary reason why Islamic fundamentalists have been able to highjack the religion seemingly unopposed?
1. The lack of Organization (the inability to work as a team). Much like the NBA, The Muslim religion is full of local stars, none of which are working on behalf of the common cause.
2. Historically, the Muslim religion has waffled on their commitment to the Muslim religion. Again, historically the leaders of the faith have been playing catch-up with the other dominant religions in the world. While other religions have made advances (both in recruitment and technology) the Muslim faith has waffled on inviting new members into their circle. They also have been forced, against their will to associate themselves with the infidels (mostly to prevent being overtaken in wartime situations)in the past 5000 years.
I would love to send you this book. It is written from a historical prospective-non denominational.
After you recieve it,maybe you can read it in prison :)
Correct me if I'm wrong, but I believe Islam only dates back to the 7th century. Although Muslims will tell you Islam was always there, it was only when the Prophet Muhammad united the Arab tribes under Islamic law to build the Caliphate that Islam actually materialized into a religion.
As for reading the book in prison, it's difficult to concentrate while being lashed across the ass with a giant spear of bamboo. However, I will see if I can get a copy smuggled in from Singapore. I must admit; my interest has been sufficiently stirred and I would like to give it a read.
The observation that there is no central governing body for Islam – no Vatican or Israel – is something that will always cause the religion to be fragmented. Sunnis don’t want Shiites speaking on their behalf and vise-versa. Kurds want nothing to do with either of them. As a result, Islam’s pulpit has always been ripe for exploitation by rogue “believers” who want to spread their own propaganda.
In the end, the historically volatile nature of Arabic tribal governance still corrupts Islam’s ability to be a united religion – even within specific sects. Iraqi and Iranian Shiites, for example, have a long history of in-fighting. I suppose it will always be this way, but at the very least, Shiite Imams could speak for their faithful, as could Sunnis and Kurds. It just doesn’t seem that (with the exception of Ayatollah Ali Sistani in Iraq) any Imam wants to issue public statements denouncing acts of violence.
