Tag: religion

The world’s biggest Quran

Interesting story from Syria in the WSJ (look out for a rash of Syria stories as the international press corps exist Lebanon):

DAMASCUS, Syria — During prayers in his neighborhood mosque, Moktaz Obeyeed used to elbow his way through the big, crowded hall to pick up a small copy of the Quran. How great would it be, he thought one day, if you could just lift your eyes and read the holy book from anywhere in the mosque, without bothering other worshippers? He had a vision of giant pages of the Quran covering the walls.

Since that day nearly 10 years ago, Mr. Obeyeed says he has sunk all his savings into bringing his dream of a huge Quran to life. He’s deferred buying a new house despite his wife’s pleas, and tapped an international network of 58 calligraphers to handwrite 120 pages of the holy book — each page measuring six-feet, eight inches high and three-feet, four inches wide.

The size would make it among the world’s largest Qurans. But what really sets it apart is the sheer number of artists involved. Mr. Obeyeed’s calligraphers are scattered across 17 countries, including all of the Middle East’s hot spots: Lebanon, Iraq, Afghanistan and the Palestinian territories. That has complicated an already difficult undertaking; a Lebanese calligrapher, for instance, recently couldn’t be reached for 10 days, prompting a frantic search.

David, Girgis and Hussein… A Horror Film

I received this ad in my inbox about a play to be performed next week.

Horror is the word. Every person has his or her horror, and in our performance we speak out ours: Sectarian violence in Egypt. What if? The one-way street, where you meet nothing but the word…HORROR.

We invite you all to share us the horror by watching our performance, presented within the Independent Theatre Festival.

David, Girgis and Hussein…A Horror Film
Written by: Yasser Allam
Directed by: Sobhy el-Haggar
Maqha 87 Troupe

Sunday, 20th of August
On the Town House stage
At 09:00 pm

NB: To whom it may concern: this performance in the festival will not be the last; we wish to perform the play anywhere and everywhere, with or without money, lest anyone should not share the horror.

Call or email us:
+2 010-286-5169, yasseryallam -at- yahoo -dot- com

No innocents in Qana, say rabbis

I await the worldwide indignation at this form of religious barbarism with trepidation:

Yesha Rabbinical Council: During time of war, enemy has no innocents

The Yesha Rabbinical Council announced in response to an IDF attack in Kfar Qanna that “according to Jewish law, during a time of battle and war, there is no such term as ‘innocents’ of the enemy.”

All of the discussions on Christian morality are weakening the spirit of the army and the nation and are costing us in the blood of our soldiers and civilians,” the statement said.

Maybe they can have a Reformation…

Egypt’s Christians, pro-Hizbullah?

According to an IslamOnline article:

CAIRO — Egypt’s Copts have hailed the Lebanese resistance movement Hizbullah and its chief Hassan Nasrallah as a source of pride to Muslims and the Arab world, and launched a fund-raising campaign to help the Lebanese people in their current trial.

“All Arabs must be proud of Hizbullah’s gallantry,” Bishop Rafiq Gris, the spokesman for the Egyptian Catholic Church, told IslamOnline.net Monday, July 31.

“No matter what the results will be, Hizbullah has proved that the ‘invincible’ Israeli army is too weak and shown that a Frankenstein created by the Arab rulers was brought to his knees by a few number of fighters,” added Yuhana Qaltah, a writer and columnist.

Even Youssef Chahine can’t wait to meet Nasrallah!

Rapture fans “excited” about Lebanon

It’s not only the neocons who are happy about the carnage in Lebanon. The extremist fringe of the American Christian right, which believes conflict in the Middle East heralds the End Times and prepares something called Rapture (essentially the spiriting away of real Christians before the anti-Christ makes a mess of the world), is really excited by what’s happening in Lebanon. Harpers quotes from a Rapture chat room:

Praise God! We are chosen to be in these times and also watch and spread the word. Something inside me is exploding to get out, and I don’t know what it is. Its kind of like I want to do cartwheels around the neighborhood.

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In another thread, someone brought up the fact that the kidnapping of the first Israeli soldier that started this whole thing was on June 25th and if you count from that day to August 3rd…….it is *EXACTLY 40 days!!!!!*

I find that to be a HUGE coincidence.

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A question just popped in my head. Do you think children of around say 7 or 8 (but before the age of accountability) that have been indoctrinated up until that time by their parents religious beliefs will be raptured? . . . For example, would a 7 year old muslim be raptured? I know G-d will do right but I was just wondering everyone’s thoughts. I hate to think of kids being left here.

* * *

Got that dancing feeling on the inside of me.

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This is the busiest I’ve ever seen this website in a few years! I have been having rapture dreams and I can’t believe that this is really it! We are on the edge of eternity!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Just so you know what kind of people are saying this, the series of novels about Rapture have been the best-selling books in America for years.

Note to any aliens reading this: please abduct me from this sick planet.