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, September 13, 2012

Wild Swans


Three Pagodas
As we explore the three pagodas and their successive Buddhist temples on the hillside overlooking Erthai Lake in Dali, I ask Mei, “Have you read the book, ‘Wild Swans’ by Jung Chang?” “No, I haven’t. Other tourists have told me about the book, so I’ve looked for it at the library and the bookstore, but haven’t been able to find it”. Later in town, I notice a bookstore. “Maybe they have the ‘Wild Swans’?” “Yes, maybe, that bookstore is mostly for tourists.” Mei asks the clerk. She takes us to the second floor where they keep a fairly large selection of English language books and goes straight to the book and pulls it from the shelf. As Mei translates, I ask the clerk, “Do many people buy this book?” “Yes, it’s our best selling book.” “Who buys it?” “Tourists.” “How about Chinese?” “No. Never.” “Is it available in Chinese?” “No, only English.” “Do you want to buy it, Mei?” “No, it costs too much. Now that I know that it’s available, I know where to get it.” “Ask the clerk if they have the ‘Rape of Nanking’ by Iris Chang?” Mei translates, “No, they don’t, not in English or Chinese.” As we leave the bookstore, Mei comments, “I’ve heard about this book. I want to read it. The Japanese did terrible things and still don’t admit to it. The Japanese children are taught lies about what happened. I participate in an online chat forum where we talk about the Japanese problem and everybody hates them. But we’re no longer afraid of them. They say Diaoyu islands belong to them. They belong to us. Everyone on the forum thinks we’re going to war with Japan. Nobody thinks the United States will help the Japanese. They are our worst enemies. We shouldn’t do business with them at all.
Posted by at

No comments:

Post a Comment

Subscribe to: Post Comments (Atom)