Arlington. Saint Michael Jackson and Islamic Shari’a
Arlington: it seemed like a good place to visit, or revisit, this year.
It renewed and reinforced my long-held suspicion that freedom is not given, is not bestowed on a people by a potentate like a bag of coins. That real freedom is not bestowed like a favor to a retainer: it is a right that is nurtured by those who fall, like the many thousands we visited this week. And like the many thousands we have not visited in other places from Europe through Asia, and other regions of the world. Some fell in the Middle East as well, on both sides of the various conflicts: in Palestine, in the mountains of Kurdistan, on both sides of Shatt al-Arab, and in 1990-1991.
The bravest of all, especially, were those who fell on the city streets as they faced better armed and more ruthless forces. They fell in Boston, Concord, Paris, Moscow, and Tehran (more than once).
They did not fall for the sake of potentates.
“Sources close to the Jackson family: Michael Jackson funeral Tuesday will by according to Islamic Shari’a…” Alarabiya
This is not the first time Middle East (actually Saudi) media have mentioned this nonsense. I guess maybe they think it shows that we have won something! The untruth that Jackson will be buried as a Muslim will make up for things like the loss of Jerusalem (Urshaleem), all of it, twice through ignominious defeats (can it be that it is just a case of the other side regaining possession of it?). That it will make up for absolute corrupt rule. That it will make up for sectarian and tribal rule. That it will make up for dictators who call themselves ‘presidents’ of ‘republics’ but stay in power for the rest of their lives. By the time the president dies he would have made sure to hand over the country and its people t their sons- a republic that is in reality a feudal fiefdom.
In the moderate New Middle East.
Cheers
mhg
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