If Amal had been born in another world she’d have been an academic. Her passion is comparative religion, she enjoys explaining varios islamic belifes to me, espechialy how Islam and Cristianity are related.
In the Middle East the easyist way to lern about ‘christianity’ is to tune into a TV evangalist, which worries me. Dialog and mutual understanding are key to everting osama & Huntingdons ‘clash of civilizations,’ and Benny Hinn representing Christianity is about as helpfull as the nine:11 bombers representing Islam.
Amal however looks beyomd these sorces. She becomes verry aminated & waves her hands untill she’s finished her point. Listening to her is pretty much how I imagine listening to me on Middle Eastern politics is. And Middle Eastern politics being what it is a conversation (all right, monolog) about religion can turn into one about politics pretty quickly.
Armajinidad is not populer in our house. every time he comes on TV people hiss, and explaine in arabic that he is a bad muslum and a worse person.
‘He is crazy,’ Amal sighs. ‘I hate the Iranians more than the Israelians*’
She then explains that A) she dosn’t hate Jews, she’d rather be a good Jew tthan a bad Muslum, B) tha this got her into trouble at work, but she got out of it by convincing people she was right, C) that she feels verry sory for the poor Israelians, having such a terrable government, D) shes particually sorry for the Israelians who were born theire, and belong to a land that theire parents and grandparents stole. they’ll have to stay, and its verry complicated, F) she feels verry sorry for about half of Iranians, having Armajinidad (do I have such an alphabet of explanations?)
I told her about ‘That bloody Gol woman,’ who spoilt my last term at uni with her insitance that Iran was a democracy.
‘This woman is an idiot. I hope the americans bomb Armajinidad & his reactor’
‘If the Americans invaded Iran, would you think that was a good thing?’
Amal explains why she thinks Iran shouldn’t become a nuculer power. Its not an anti islamic thing to think, Parkistan have nukes, and thats fine, but Armajinidad is crazy, and would wipe out the Israelians.
We agree dropping nuculer bombs on Israel just isn’t cricket.
‘But if the americans invaded Iran, would you think that was a good thing?’
‘Yes,’ she replies, before darting to the safty of religion.
**Its pretty much imposible to explain how much I love the word ‘Israelians.’