Last year I trekked into the Moroccan Sahara desert on a very trusty camel named Aszu. In the evening, my guide, Jusef, a sixth grade educated Berber nomad, surprisingly fluent in six languages, fixed me a tantalizing chicken tangine. All that it lacked was a glass of wine, unfortunately verboten for Muslims just days before Ramadan. At night we slept under the incredible desert night skies. Never before had I seen so many stars, stretching from one horizon to the other – the stars so bright and numerous, it was difficult to make out the constellations. That was Morocco, a kaleidoscope of sights, sounds, smells, and experiences. From Morocco I traveled on through much of Europe, Russia, Mongolia, China, and finally concluding my trip in Japan. This year's trip will take me to Romania, Ukraine, Georgia, Central Asia, India, Nepal, Southwest China, and Indochina. At times I hope to report back on my experiences and observations, perhaps posting a few pictures and videos that may be of interest. I've posted below a few pictures and videos from some past trips. For my blog on my travels through East Europe check out my blog at http://tallinntovarna.blogspot.com.

I’ve been asking myself lately, is there a theme to all this? Maybe not, but one thing I can say that piques my interest, is the dangerous nexus between religion and politics that engulfs the world today. In Morocco, where the King is both the head of Mosque and State, a Muslim, during Ramadan, can end up in jail for doing nothing more than drinking a glass of water under the scorching daytime heat – his crime, the thirsty Muslim broke the fast. Imams in Morocco claim that such an abhorrent act defies the teachings of God, infringes on the religious liberties of practicing Muslims, and is deserving of serious sanction. Of course, such a violation of an individual’s personal freedom could never happen in America. Or could it? As I write this, the U.S. Catholic Bishops are ferociously attacking President Obama’s Affordable Care Act for requiring institutions to provide birth control under their insurance policies. Like the Imams, the Bishops consider it not just an affront, but an existential threat, to their religious liberties. A poor woman, without the means to support a family, let alone a brutally raped woman, should not expect any sympathy from these Catholic institutions, as they, like their Muslim brothers, are scripturally bound to impose their beliefs on others. Does it matter that no one is telling Muslims that they cannot fast or Catholics that they cannot abstain from sex?

Now that I think of it, I’d like to dedicate this blog to Americans United, a terrific nonpartisan educational organization dedicated to preserving the principle of church-state separation as the only way to ensure religious freedom. Before I move on though, I’d like to share with you this political satire piece I wrote a few months ago when Senator Rick Santorum had a chance of being the Republican nominee. It pretty much sums up my take on what a large segment of the American population would like to see should their wildest dreams come true. Finally, I begin this blog with three postings from last year’s trip just to give you an idea of who I am and what you may or may not come to expect as I embark on this year's trip. If you have something nice to say, I'd love to hear from you.

Thursday, August 2, 2012

Almaty, Kazakhstan


Cholpon
As we drove from the airport to the hotel, Cholpon, my guide, a Muslim Kyrgyz, briefed me on Kazakhstan. “The Kazak people go back to the fifteenth century when various tribes joined and formed a single people. Neighboring Kyrgyzstan is much older. It dates back to the second century BC. The two countries’ cultures, traditions, and languages are very similar. Both countries speak Russian. Under the Soviet Union, the Russian population was much larger in Kazakhstan. Today it’s only about 13%. The Russians, who live here, consider Kazakhstan to be their home. They’ve been here for three or four generations. They don’t have much interest in becoming a part of Russia again. However, if you ask the older generation of Russians and Kazaks, they will tell you it was better to live in the Soviet Union — everything was provided: free health care, free education, and a job in a plant. On the other hand, the younger generation say it’s better to live independent — to be in charge of one's life. They think, if you’re motivated, you can achieve whatever you want. Competition, they say, brings prosperity. There is a trend though to bring back some of what existed during the Soviet era. Russia, Belarus, and Kazakhstan are making a treaty to create a free trade zone so movement across their borders will become easier. There’s also an effort underway to create a common currency similar to that of Europe’s. However, in this case, each country would also have their own currency. I think Putin is a very smart politician and people here like him — they like him better than the American president. A few years ago, when Putin didn’t change the constitution so that he could remain president, people were very impressed. I think he’s helped to raise the Russian economy and restore Russia’s influence throughout the world.”
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