Infinite Shades

Perhaps some people in the world need to learn the difference between white and black, light and dark in the real figurative sense ... those with light in their hearts will be able to distinguish between the nuances of light in the hearts of those they meet and learn to appreciate the light in every soul they come across including their own.
Sadly not only the ignorant who do not even know what ‘racism’ is and who just echo weird stigmas of society are the only ones who have a tainted soul ... for that’s what racism is, subjugation of another human which only a tainted soul can inflict upon another.

What astounds me most of all is how, for ever so many, the slightest nuance of skin colour difference can all too often appear to be crucial in contributing to or diminishing the physical beauty of anyone in question, not to mention affect acceptability itself.

Racism is rife in far too many forms, in far too many places, in far too many hearts. It is despised in all religions so that those religious who believe white is good and black is bad need to read the holy books with their hearts rather than their physical perceptions.

We are all partial to what appeals to us personally, be it features, hair or skin colour and there seems to be nothing wrong with that and i do not believe there is anything wrong with it at all. What is very wrong however is when a seemingly socially accepted criteria of beauty and acceptability with reference to skin colour appears to set itself in, more apparent in some countries than in others.

Sadly, there will always be those who seem to unwittingly carry negativity around with them. Regardless of how the PC world keeps evolving there is a constant to adhere to: no one is fairer or darker than anyone else except by comparison and every skin colour, every nuance of difference, just like every place in the whole wide world, has its own beauty.

The tree in the forest

The proverbial tree that falls in a forest with no one around. Does it make a sound? 

Many would say this question cannot be answered since the event has not been witnessed by anyone and therefore if there was a sound it could not be heard by anyone. Only the presence of acumen of a kind, be it one based upon scienctific, philosophical or spiritual aspects of the event can allow us to probe further. 

Now here I use little other than intuitive rationale: Our thoughts are unlimited and in essence free from restriction but only of use to us if rooted in aspiration towards eventually arriving at a conclusion, a destination. 

Ultimately however, the conclusion stands firmly alone, independent of our perceptions. 

So, although no one could indeed convince anyone else that the tree did or did not make a sound, the truth of it being one or the other is that which holds supremacy. We do not need to be personally subjected to it in order for it to be so, we do not need to be individually involved in a situation  in order for it to exist. 

Our humility is in accepting an answer does exist, whether we are around to witness it or not and above all to have the capacity to distinguish between the finite and the infinite, the latter being one we can only ever conceptually aspire to understand. 

Truth is only Truth if it is seen to withstand all confusion and falsehood; in order for it to remain a constant it needs us not. 

However, it is us who in all matters affiliated to this world need it. 

It is us who can only ever hope to reach up towards it through our complex, changeable, indecisive and ever-aspiring natures. 

Whether we look deep into ever-expanding realms of galaxies or ever-diminishing nuclei of atoms we are always left in awe of the unsurmountable evidence of the infinte, of design, of His presence. 

There is therefore a paradox involved when saying that we believe in One God and therefore One Truth and yet profess not to believe in the supremacy of Truth itself. 
We are all free to choose what we believe in and infinite nuances of infinite beliefs are there for the picking however to declare that nothing has supremacy is to declare that this declaration itself is supreme which detracts substantially from our humility and suggests our subjectivity is beyond all else. 

When we serve our Maker we do not rid ourselves of our entitlement to think, reason and deliberate, we truly serve when we in fact do so rather than not. 
We serve when we reach out towards understanding our own perspective and with necessity encounter that of so many others along the way; when we believe there is indeed free will and therefore freedom in choosing. 

We serve when we abide by an inherent wish to be guided. We can but respect scholarly wisdom which comes with notability, with responsibility, with tolerance, with love, together with an awareness that although guidance comes in many different forms, ultimately, we are guided by Him alone. 

Imagine

I prefer to use the word embrace rather than convert, for when we truly believe we include, not exclude. I once woke up with the glorious peal of church bells ringing in one ear and the mystical 'athan' call to prayer in the other. I don't know how relevant it is for anyone reading this but in that half-wakeful moment I was standing in a town square, a piazza somewhere, no one else was there but it was far from deserted in feel. I will not attempt to describe how that felt, the aural bliss is one best left to any one willing to imagine it.
It appals me no end to see and hear people judge someone negatively for embracing Islam. Lindsay Logan has come under such attack in an article, not worth sharing, published in Cairo scene magazine. An article so base and ignorant it beggars belief.
Anyone who know anything, knows Islam knows no colour, no country, no culture, for  its own intrinsic values envelop all such things as they are, and so much more.
I liked Lindsay Logan right from the first time I watched her in 'The Parent Trap' and have felt for her through all the gruelling ups and downs of her acting career and celeb lifestyle. I have always reiterated 'but i like her' to myself upon coming across salacious media reports.
Anyone who knows anything about Islam knows He may forgive the worst of sins if there is true repentance and the will to reach out to Him. In fact, anyone who feels love through awe, knows it surpasses all else we give worldly value to. Sitting in judgement and revelling in complacency about the personal awakenings of another is nothing better than a vain pastime.
Faith of any kind is not only beyond understanding but in order to stand constant by it we cannot remain static but are unwittingly in constant motion. It exists regardless of comfort zones, a struggle both challenged and eased continuously; moreover any spiritual awakening is so miraculously and individually tailored when accompanied by His Guidance.
We all like and dislike much, but to judge the personal developments of a soul is never our prerogative.

The main course: Persecution and Bullying

I know it is bad to be intolerant of other people's views if they clash with our own but I will say this: if a view is based on dehumanising others, if it promotes selfishness and allows racism and bigotry to prevail then I do not believe it is bad to oppose it.
I would go a step further and say it is probably better to oppose it than to slip into the shadows lest our silence becomes complicit with all we find so abhorrent.

~It is not true that if we disagree with something that is inherently twisted that our are disapproval is on a par with intolerance.
~I believe that any type of persecution should find empathy in those who believe that persecution is inherently wrong. In all walks of life it is the primary attacker who must be confronted and seriously addressed, not the innocent and persecuted.
~The new order appears to disregard this and charge full-steam ahead .. pushing all morality and even humanity off a precipice into an abyss. Persecution and bullying appear to be the main course and some are making a meal of it.
Sadly, people's lives hang in the balance while our feelings of helplessness become more and more tangible. Our frustration escalates and all we appear to have is the need to vent over and over again.
If only the pen were indeed mightier than the sword..
If only.

Shaken by what we see, people, who through no fault of their own, are figuratively and literally flung about with no place to call their home; all the result of power games and greed ... we are traumatised to witness too many who lead such comfortable lives blame these very people rather than offer a helping hand or at the very least some basic understanding.
I find it impossible to be so bereft of compassion.. I find it inhuman.

NO hint of a death threat.

A phrase such as ALLAH AKBAR is one that in today's atmosphere may need its definition bolstered especially for people who are unfamiliar with what it alludes to and are therefore unable to comprehend everyday usage of it.
Allah Akbar everyone knows means God is great; greater than anything, everything, anyone and everyone. There is no awe greater than that inspired by Him.
What SOME MAY NOT REALISE is that the phrase, in essence, bears no link whatsoever with suicidal or murderous attempts. Quite the contrary. It's simply just one of so many phrases that primarily confirm our surrender to Him and Him alone and our trust in our belief that nothing and no one can ever override His will and His plan for each and every one of us on this earth.
With our daily lives so often being underlined with overwhelming and bewildering uncertainties, it follows on quite naturally that only through our reflection upon Him, within and without, is how we may ultimately find comfort.
 Phrases such as Allah Akbar don't only cancel out all uncertainty as we know it but also shine a light on the frailty of all our foreplanning which though necessary to some extent, is essentially only necessary in order for us to get by. What we do all need however, regardless of what faith we practice, are not plans but aspirations, not empty nihilistic notions but deeds guided by conscience; words and thoughts capable of inspiring peace and serenity; all such that are able to filter through to our inner being.
With reference to our limitations, for those of us with faith in His light and His light alone in whatever form it shines forth to us for it cannot be too direct lest we get blinded by its indescribable force,  it once again follows on quite naturally that only through our reflection upon Him, within and without is how and when we may feel blessed in finding inner peace.
Such is what Allah Akbar points to ... a reassurance, both consolation and inspiration from Him through dedication in our lives to make good of ourselves in whatever way we can.

Here, to round off, is that much reiterated and soothing phrase in its original form:
الَّذِينَ آَمَنُوا وَتَطْمَئِنُّ قُلُوبُهُمْ بِذِكْرِ اللَّهِ أَلَا بِذِكْرِ اللَّهِ تَطْمَئِنُّ الْقُلُوبُ   (Verse 28 of Surat el Ra'ad, THUNDER)
(Those who believe, and whose hearts find satisfaction and comfort in the remembrance of Allah; for without doubt, in that reflection do hearts find comfort and satisfaction.')