This the most recent from the computer of Andy Borowitz which promised insight into Trump’s Greatest Regret, and as usual, it was hilarious. “Donald J. Trump said on Monday that his “greatest regret” as President was his failure to name his three adult children to the United States Supreme Court. Appearing on Fox News, Trump said that Ivanka, Eric, and Don, Jr., would be “way better judges” than “those three clowns” whom he did name.“Gorsuch, Kavanaugh, and Barrett are the worst people who have ever worked for me,” he said. “And that includes Scaramucci.”
It continues leaving me laughing in my bed where I read and write); “When the Supreme Court was deciding whether New York prosecutors could obtain his tax returns, Trump said, “none of those three boneheads even called to ask me what they should do. No gratitude whatsoever.”He said that “laws needed to be changed” to keep Supreme Court Justices from “thinking for themselves.”“This should never be allowed to happen in our country,” he said. ‘Of course, what makes this so funny is the fact that it is certain that this is how Trump reasons – do not you love reason and Trump standing next to one another. Reason is logic, rationality, logic, logical thought, scientific thinking, reasoning, thought, cognition; the mind, intellect, intelligence, intellectuality. It shows the flawed processes that had held this country and the world in thrall. Thrall: the state of the state of being in someone’s power, or of having great power over someone. Synonyms: power, clutches, hands, control, grip, grasp, yoke; enslavement, bondage, slavery, subjection, subjugation, servitude, tyranny, oppression, domination, hegemony, supremacy. There is no doubt, looking back at the state of our existence pre-Biden that we all were in the clutches, grip, bondage, even slavery of the former President. That man had tyranny, oppression and domination down.
But enough of him and onto an extremely enlightened man, born in India in 1817. Knowledge about this individual was gained by reading- the book purchased at Book Passage, simply titled Islam. It is one of publications of the Norton Anthology of Word Religions. Sayyid Ahmad Khan is featured because he is one of the “founders of Islamic modernism coming from a prestigious family with “well-established ties to India’s Mughal Dynasty (1528-1858). The pages that mention Khan are 597-600, so anyone can see that this book is being read in haphazard fashion. He had a varied career, working for the East India Company and becoming involved in the Indian Rebellion but, at some point he ‘branched’ out, establishing elementary schools in order to text his educational theories and founded the Scientific Society which enabled the translation of European texts on science and humanities for the benefit of Indians. Khan traveled to England in 1868 and was blown away with its technological superiority and educational system. Most of the rest of his life was occupied by urging Muslims to adapt to Western advances. He founded a journal and the essay, which shall be quoted in this blog was published in 1871.
In summary, the article argued that Islamic law elevates the status of women above that of women in ‘developed countries’ however, and lamentably so, “Muslim societies have failed to respond to respect the tenants of their faith” and instead ”have treated women so badly that all of the nations laugh at the condition of Muslim women.” It is tragic to observe that this condition continues to this day, 2021. Now there certainly are exceptions, Qatar comes to mind as a shining example in the Middle East, in marked contrast to Dubai. Pakistan also treats its women in conformance with the faith but Saudi Arabia where, ironically, Mecca is located does not.
This is how the essay The Right of Women begins. “ Developed countries loudly proclaim that men and women are created equal and both hold equal rights……Nevertheless, even today we observe that in no developed country have women been bestowed with the same stature and parity in rights and authority as men as has bestowed upon them in the religion of Islam, England greatly favours the freedom of women yet when its laws relating to women are examined, it is obvious that English consider women quite insignificant, unintelligent and valueless.”
Now, admittedly some things have changed – but it was at great cost – why do they call it the Suffragette Movement, pray tell? But the disparity continues to exist – not only in England (the UK) but here, there and everywhere in the Western world, we ‘developed countries’. The best evidence of that is what has happened during this pandemic when it is women, not men, who are charged with staying home with their children, educating them, socializing with them, attempting to buoy up their spirits. And excuse me, who is it that are, largely in the absence of scientific evidence, making up the rules that have shut down the developed countries – it is boy wonders like Gavin Newsom, with his colour coded system of repression. I, in Marin, apparently live in purple at the moment but I could go back to red (or some other colour) and loose the privilege of having my hair blown dry or receive my mani and pedi so lovingly applied. And who does this shut down apply to – women, of course? My hair stylist is a woman, my mani and pedi wonder is a woman. Some women do get to work from home but with they also have to cook, clean, teach their children. You name the dirty work, and women do it. Their pension rights will be forever affected – women will never catch up in equal pay.
This admittedly had become a rant. The verb rant means to speak or shout at length in an angry, impassioned way. The noun rant has such interesting synonyms: tirade harangue, diatribe, broadside, verbal onslaught. My original intent was to point out the differences, to illustrate the rights of women under the Islamic faith. Oh well, the advantage of blogging every day is that one can put off for today what one can be done tomorrow. Benjamin Franklin once said: Never leave that till tomorrow which you can do today. All I can say is this – blogs were not around when he made this profound statement. However, what until you hear this, the concept is in the Bible. The Bible states, “Boast not thyself of tomorrow… now is the day of salvation” (Proverbs 27:1) Tomorrow – too late, it is the fitting epitaph for many tombstones. If you are in sin, you need to repent and turn to Christ Now; tomorrow may be too late, you can die today. The Bible states, “Boast not thyself of tomorrow… now is the day of salvation” (Proverbs 27:1) Tomorrow – too late, it is the fitting epitaph for many tombstones. If you are in sin, you need to repent and turn to Christ Now; tomorrow may be too late, you can die today.
What do I have to say to these Biblical ‘truths’? Blogs were not around, and about, in Biblical times.
But to end on a humorous note, from the pen of Khan who was describing the debate taking place over an 1870 bill presented the House of Parliament. Upon marriage everything the woman had, money earned before (and after) marriage, inheritance, the right and ability to contract etc. etc.- the husband got it all. “Thus, the effect of marriage upon a woman was like that of a crime whose prescribed punishment was the confiscation of property.” Apparently laughter rang out in the halls of Parliament.
Photograph is symbolic. It is of my bookcase – showing an ancient puppet resting its head upon the briefcase holding the unfinished manuscript of the biography of Uncle Dave. Computer Guru Chris presently has ownership of the old computer with the almost finished manuscript. It was mailed to him – no way anything can be done in this country with its massive lock down and uncooperative, closed Apple stores.
