Questions on Talking Religion

So the Dutch anti-Islam film Fitna got leaked online creating an outcry from Muslims manywhere. The Danish cartoons continue to infuriate Muslims, and the Muslim world diverts enormous attention to these one-off distractions, ignoring Islam's ailing public image, and misunderstanding by many.

None of this sensationalized human behavior and reaction to do I understand properly.

So here are my questions:

1. What would Hans Christian Andersen have said in his children's stories about Islam in the wake of the cartoons?

2. What would a Muslim family do if their 4 year old kid drew a picture of God or the Prophet Mohammad (PBUH)?

3. How would a middle school teacher react if a kid in class drew a picture God or the Prophet Mohammad (PBUH)?

4. What could the image of Islam be if Muslims invested in communicating progressively as a massive force, and got less distracted being on the defensive?

5. Why do I remember joyfully my Sunday school Bible stories while a five year old in Delhi, and why am I still scarred and confused about my Ammani middle school experience of separating Christians and Muslims during religion class, while I continue being enlightened by my high school social studies classes in Rome on Hinduism, Buddhism, Taoism, Judaism, Islam, Christianity, Zoroastrianism, Shintoism?

6. What if we believe that God is the collective positiveness and amazingness of humans on earth, and what if we believed this and behaved accordingly, what kind of world would this be?

7. What if there were more quality films and so many more powerful artistic creations based on enlightenment, finding common ground and a more positive/progressive way to share different and opposing points of view?

8. What if....

Eco-Visualization @ Mediamatic

Mediamatic in Amsterdam asks, "What are innovative artists and designers doing to promote conservation of resources using innovative technology and creative thinking?"..... "Can art increase our ability to analyze and relate spiritually and emotionally to the natural world we live in?"

A day full of creative speakers address these and other questions on March 2oth. Click here for details.

And they lived happily ever after.

At 5:47am the front page headline read: Common Sense Showers Jordan

Karma is a Bitch!

A few nights ago I bumped into a few current and former ATV people. And yes, of course I had a go at them. Employees on payroll doing absolutely nothing since August 2007. It's sad to talk to people still employed there who believe the station will actually emerge as per their dream some day! Seriously, what part of the fiasco since last summer are you guys not getting?! This is month #8!! When something wrecks so badly before it has a chance to stand up, I really believe there's slim hope for the initial plan to reemerge and move forward. A whole new solution is needed to give this country a new broadcast media project that does it justice.

But I suppose it's good to dream.

And in the meantime, the whole saga continues to be food for the mockingbird in me.
Earlier that day I read about The Inquirer Award for investigative journalism, and the 2nd prize in audiovisual journalism went to Murad Btoush for an ATV piece he produced on medical malpractice in Jordan.

So, not only were the people working there actually doing something in prep for their launch last year (contrary to rumors that they had nothing to show for their year of planning), but now they get professional recognition for the quality of their work - which their country never allowed them to air. Work, some of which briefly showed up on ikbis.com and then with the changing of the guard was taken offline immediately.

Oh what a twisted web they weave, when the invisible forces' initiative was intended to deceive!

March 12th - Blog About Jordan Day

This is an initiative to start something that will hopefully last for years to come. March 12th of every year will be Blog about Jordan day.

Feel free to write whatever you want and in any language of course. Just dedicate one post on March 12th to be about Jordan.

Thanks for this Qwaider & Qwaider Planet!