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 18, 2012

Wonderful Place to Live

Bobo
“What do you think of your president?” I ask my last guide in Uzbekistan. “I’m not going to talk politics. You can ask me other questions.” “Do you have children?” “Yes, a boy and a girl.” “Do they watch TV?” “Yes.” “Do they use the internet?” “Yes.” “Are there websites that are blocked?” “I TOLD YOU I’M NOT GOING TO TALK POLITICS! THAT’S A POLITICAL QUESTION! NO MORE! DO YOU UNDERSTAND!” I give up. There’s no way I’m going to get an honest answer to what life is really like in Uzbekistan. To a person they report, “It’s a wonderful place to live. We have a good government, strong economy, and a president everyone loves.” Can you imagine someone saying this in the United States? I point out some issues that normally would be of concern: the low standard of living, the long lines of cars at the petro stations, when Uzbekistan is an exporter of oil, the fact that the highest denominated bill is 1,000 som with an exchange rate 2,800 som to $1 — imagine buying a car for $10,000 — you would need a trunk to carry the 28 million bills, and then there’s the 33% difference between official rate of exchange for the dollar and the black market rate. “But it doesn’t matter,” they say, “Bobo [grandfather] is an economic genius and because of him we have a strong economy.” For the umpteenth time I am having this conversation before leaving for India. As the young man in the hotel lobby talks about his admiration for Bobo, I decide to Google Islam Karimov, (President Uzbekistan). My worst suspicions are confirmed. Wikipedia paints a horrific picture of this dictator; e.g., “Parade magazine has selected Karimov as one of the world's worst dictators, citing his tactics of torture, media censorship, and fake elections.” I turn my computer over to the young man. “Have you read this?” He starts reading, slowly, occasionally grimacing and mumbling under his breath. It takes a while for him to finish. “We know this,” he whispers, “But we’re not allowed to talk about it — it’s illegal. It’s the way things are and we can’t do anything about it.” 
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