Time for Eid
5 Comments Published by Tom Gara on Wednesday, January 19 at Wednesday, January 19, 2005.
Starting today, Egypt is on a 4 day holiday, celebrating Eid El-Adha. There are two Eid's each year, one at the end of Ramadan, and one about three months later. While the first Eid is a celebration of the end of Ramadan, and the revelation of the Koran to Mohammed, the second Eid is a more...sacrificial affair.
As the story goes, God, being the self secure, peaceful, non-interventionist man that he is, decided that he needs to test how faithful Abraham (Ibrahim) is. So, he tells old Abe', if you really love me, if you really want to prove it, take that lovely little son of yours (Ishmael), take him up to the top of a mountain, and slit his throat? Cool?
Obviously Abe is a buit dissapointed - being, you know, attached to his lovely son and not really planning on killing the kid. But as everyone was well aware back then, when the big guy issued an order, you better obey it, othewise all sorts of fucked up things might happen. So Abraham takes his son to the top of the mountain, and, adter a teary goodbye and some prepatory knife sharpening, is ready to slice up his beloved son. Just as he puts the knife to the childs throat however, God interrupts.
You see, God was only messing. "Abraham dude, I was just playing with you. You were really going to kill the kid? Shit you're crazier than I thought. Anyhow, we still need to kill something. Here, kill that sheep like a good little sycophant. And go rape your mother.........haha, just kidding. Get me a Coke".
So, relieved that he no longer has to kill his kid, he happily slaughers the sheep instead.
There is, as far as I can tell, no moral to this story. "When someone powerful tells you to do something stupid, cruel, illegal and immoral, then do it" is about as much as I can uunderstand from it. It took us another 3000+ years to realise that the Nuremberg defense was bullshit. Progress is slow.
Anyhow, this weekend is Eid El-Adha. It is in celebration of this event that all Muslim families (who can afford to) will slaughter a sheep in their backyard. They will give half the meat to the poor and needy, and keep half to give away to family and to fuel the feasting that will take place over the weekend. Eid El-Adha is also the time of the great Hajj, or Pilgrimage, when over 2 million Muslims from across the world will make their way to Mecca and Medina, in Saudi Arabia.
Being an infidel, I will not be slaughtering a sheep, nor will I be making my way to Mecca. Instead, me and our gang will make our way to Bahhiriya, an oasis in the desert, similar to Siwa. I can't wait to get there, and be out in the great sandy deserts again. Many photos and reports will come on my return.
Happy Eid to everyone. Kill something, wherever you are, and think of me. I'm sure that will boost my Karma immensely.
As the story goes, God, being the self secure, peaceful, non-interventionist man that he is, decided that he needs to test how faithful Abraham (Ibrahim) is. So, he tells old Abe', if you really love me, if you really want to prove it, take that lovely little son of yours (Ishmael), take him up to the top of a mountain, and slit his throat? Cool?
Obviously Abe is a buit dissapointed - being, you know, attached to his lovely son and not really planning on killing the kid. But as everyone was well aware back then, when the big guy issued an order, you better obey it, othewise all sorts of fucked up things might happen. So Abraham takes his son to the top of the mountain, and, adter a teary goodbye and some prepatory knife sharpening, is ready to slice up his beloved son. Just as he puts the knife to the childs throat however, God interrupts.
You see, God was only messing. "Abraham dude, I was just playing with you. You were really going to kill the kid? Shit you're crazier than I thought. Anyhow, we still need to kill something. Here, kill that sheep like a good little sycophant. And go rape your mother.........haha, just kidding. Get me a Coke".
So, relieved that he no longer has to kill his kid, he happily slaughers the sheep instead.
There is, as far as I can tell, no moral to this story. "When someone powerful tells you to do something stupid, cruel, illegal and immoral, then do it" is about as much as I can uunderstand from it. It took us another 3000+ years to realise that the Nuremberg defense was bullshit. Progress is slow.
Anyhow, this weekend is Eid El-Adha. It is in celebration of this event that all Muslim families (who can afford to) will slaughter a sheep in their backyard. They will give half the meat to the poor and needy, and keep half to give away to family and to fuel the feasting that will take place over the weekend. Eid El-Adha is also the time of the great Hajj, or Pilgrimage, when over 2 million Muslims from across the world will make their way to Mecca and Medina, in Saudi Arabia.
Being an infidel, I will not be slaughtering a sheep, nor will I be making my way to Mecca. Instead, me and our gang will make our way to Bahhiriya, an oasis in the desert, similar to Siwa. I can't wait to get there, and be out in the great sandy deserts again. Many photos and reports will come on my return.
Happy Eid to everyone. Kill something, wherever you are, and think of me. I'm sure that will boost my Karma immensely.
I'm sorry, all I heard was blah blah blah blah... I get a day off from work... blah blah blah. :)
Blasphemy.
I am suspose to kill a sheep according to my Mum since i am meant to be the man of house. Apparently i can just give money to charity instead or some such wackiness. Probably won't be killing anything, i probably need a permit or something.
Any other secular humanists out there think that Abraham was probably schizophrenic? Anyway, anyone who hasn't read the Abraham portion of the bible, I definitely recommend it: It reads like a Marquis de Sade novella.
the moral of the storey is that Abraham followed what God told him eventhough it is not something he really wants to do. He was willing to give up someone who he loved and adored, just to please his creator, who gave him this kid, who gave him life, and who gave us everything we have.
To reward him for his obedience and his loyalty and his utter belief in god's wisdom, he decided to pardon the life of his son, and let him kill a sheep instead.
the moral is that god has greater wisdom that any man could ever posess, and if you love and follow him truly, you will get your reward if not in life, then after life.
i think it is great story.