good ideas

Submitted by susan meyers (United States), Jun 9, 2004 at 09:52

Having studied Sufiism with a shiek in the Balata camp on the west bank and having learned the shadiha and at the least the opening i believe that this is a good idea.

i also think that it couldn't hurt if these corporations that send americans and other westerners into harms way would also instruct them in some of the finer points of islam. I once "won" an argument with a very aggressive "professor" from al Najar university because i had studied the hadith of the prophet mohammed (out of genuine interest) and was able to counter his posturing with some well chosen answers.

The good thing about these guys is that they are very literal minded and a little bit of knowledge goes a long way but I also think that it requires some level of refinement to get to that place where you can successfully answer them.

Of course what you are suggesting is a form of dissembling. something perfected by many sufies and their students since they were originally persecuted by the authorities as they were regarded in some places as heretics. (they are still persecuted where ever fundamentalist islam rears it's head, and sometimes they are even killed)

also a little knowledge of koran can't hurt...

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