>From: "Sukuna, Christine" <[log in to unmask]> >Reply-To: The Gambia and related-issues mailing list <[log in to unmask]> >To: [log in to unmask] >Subject: Re: Celebrating Holidays of the Disbelievers/Ginny_ENOUGH OF THIS. >Date: Fri, 11 Jan 2002 14:24:15 -0600 > >Too all of you who no longer want to read about this subject, please do not >read on. For those of you who wish to continue, please do so but understand >that this is my opinion only. > >I have found these postings to be of great benefit and I have read some >emails and learned some valuable things that perhaps would not have been >possible if I chose not to read them. I think the issue of religion, and >all it's particulars should be further discussed, debated, argued, etc. >(Sometimes when you wade through the muck and mud or perceived muck and mud, >there is a the oasis at the other side.) At least then we have a chance to >know what types of problems we have perhaps a solution may arise. Perhaps >the best show I saw on television happened just a few weeks ago regarding >tolerance between religions/beliefs or rather the lack of. Unfortunately I >can not give you the name of the program nor the station...sorry for >that...but it was basically children under the age of 13 from Israel >discussing their religion and how they felt about one another, one another >meaning jews and muslims(palestinian). On the one side, we gained the >perspective of children following the Jewish faith and their reaction to >their muslim neighbors and vice versa. Now these were children mind you, >who didn't even want to know or speak to a child of the opposite religion >and they firmly believed that the holy land was theirs and theirs only. > >After learning about their feelings and thoughts, the interviewer set up a >meeting between some jewish children and some muslim children and guess >what...they played and had a good time together like normal children do. It >even appeared that they were friends. > >After the fun and playing the interviewer sat down and said, "What do you >think now of each other?" The children honestly stated that although they >were glad to meet, they realized that this was a temporary thing and once >the interviewer was gone, the relationships that they had established would >be disolved and their efforts in vain. Some had tears due to the reality of >their situation. > >Now, religious debate/fighting is a part of everyone's history in every >part of the world. I am still optimistic and hopeful that we as humans can >come up with a way to stop killing each other and co-exist with each other, >keeping our religions intact, because this issue will not go away by itself >and I would rather deal with it now. Now, so that the issues do not keep >going into the next generation and affecting them and their relationships. >But, I prefer to keep discussing things, everything, in hopes that one day, >someone will come up with a brilliant idea to make us be able to live in >harmony, yet keep our religious beliefs intact. I am muslim so I will say >Allah. Allah has created masterpieces, everyone of us is a masterpiece of >art in every fiber of our existence. I don't want to continue to see >communication stop...because that's when we start communicating with guns, >bombs, etc and masterpieces are destroyed. I tend to tolerate things when I >have more knowledge regarding them. I am muslim and I would never judge >someone who was not muslim and didn't believe what I did because it is not >my place to do so. I will leave that up to Allah because I would trust the >judgement of Allah, who has created water, over the likes of me that simply >drinks it. > >Perhaps my emotion is apparent but I feel so strongly about religion as an >important issue of discussion so that we may all learn something from each >other. > >If I have offended anyone, my apologies. If I have not made much sense and >have taken up valuable space and time, my apologies too. > >Thank you, >Halima S. >-----Original Message----- >From: Ablie Njie- lekbi [mailto:[log in to unmask]] >Sent: Friday, January 11, 2002 1:06 PM >To: [log in to unmask] >Subject: Re: Celebrating Holidays of the Disbelievers/Ginny_ENOUGH OF >THIS. > > >To all subcribers, > > >I must first say that like Joe Sambou, I have been observing some of the >postings pertaining to this topic. I have been reluctant to add any >comments due to the fact that I honestly believe that there are more >important issues we should be addressing. > >I must first give a word of cautiion and reiterate that "religion is the >Opium of the Mass", therefore people will always have the tendency to >assert thier beliefs as the one with superiority. > >I am from a family which consist of three surnames namely, Williams, Thomas >and Njie , and we have grown up happily without any regard to which >religion we belong. > >I cannot recall ever having any problems celebrating Koriteh or Christmas >separate from my family. We all lived in harmony and my mom has given us >the liberty and freedom to choose our religion. > >My Kids are named Mary( Not Mariama) and Susana (Not Sosseh)Njie after >my christian part of the family , and they are free to choose their own >religions when they grow up. > > >I think like most people, we are sick and tired of this futile debate. > >Why can't we pay attention to the issues happening at home and try to find >answers to our problems. > > > >Ablie Njie- LEKbi > ><>//\\<>//\\<>//\\<>//\\<> > >To view archives of postings, go to the Gambia-L Web interface >at: http://maelstrom.stjohns.edu/archives/gambia-l.html >To contact the List Management, please send an e-mail to: >[log in to unmask] > ><>//\\<>//\\<>//\\<>//\\<> > ><>//\\<>//\\<>//\\<>//\\<> > >To view archives of postings, go to the Gambia-L Web interface >at: http://maelstrom.stjohns.edu/archives/gambia-l.html >To contact the List Management, please send an e-mail to: >[log in to unmask] > ><>//\\<>//\\<>//\\<>//\\<>