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.

Saturday, August 11, 2012

Tashkent, Uzbekistan

A Nice Apartment
The front entrance looked like a poorly maintained apartment in the projects. “Most of the windows are barred up. Is there a lot of crime here?” I asked Kamilla. “No, not at all, this is a nice neighborhood with a good location. People just like to be careful. People who live here are mostly doctors and lawyers. Their apartments are typically 70 square meters and consist of a bedroom, kitchen, sitting room, and bathroom — sufficient for a family of three, maybe four. The apartments have a dishwasher and a wash machine, but no driers. They cost around $40,000 — to rent, around $500. Since the average salary is around $200 per month, only the better off can rent or own a place like this. But people here are very happy with their lives. We don’t have the turmoil they have in Kzrgyzstan. A lot of this is due to president, Islam Karimov, whom everybody likes. We understand him and his policies. Young people even call him grandfather. He’s been our president since our independence from Soviet rule in 1991. He doesn’t have any opposition. My mother though says life was even better under the Soviet Union. Everybody worked together and was happy then. I don’t know if that’s true. I just know that I’m happy with my situation now. The fact that I’m Russian Orthodox and the Government’s official religion is Islam hasn’t had any affect on me. I don’t feel my civil rights have in anyway been violated.
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