#('not about' me as in 'I'm not a Muslim' not as in 'I've never done this' bc I've made a ton of mistakes in ignorance in my life)

[some-teeth-in-a-trench-coat]

I am begging people to be normal about religions and cultures they're not part of

Telling us not to wear a scarf is oppression you fucking fools let us wear whatever we want

[reasonsforhope]

Btw, if anyone cares to know, my position on Biden and the 2024 election is this:

Starting September* 1, 2024, I will be doing whatever I can to make sure that Trump does not get a second term as president

Until that day, I'm going to be doing whatever I can to push for an end to the genocide in Gaza and an immediate ceasefire, and that includes criticizing, protesting, and lambasting Biden for funding and providing weapons for Israel's genocide

ETA: I will still be posting about significant good things the Biden administration has done, though, because some of it is a really big deal that people deserve to know about

ETA: But I will not be defending Biden from any criticism around Palestine/Israel/war crimes

*This originally said October 1st but someone pointed out to me that there are a few states where early voting starts in late September, including a couple swing states, so I changed it because that's a very good point

I don't plan to tell anyone not to vote for Biden in the meantime, myself, because shitty two party system and I'm really serious about Trump not getting reelected

But I'm also not going to do anything to discourage people who are seriously rallying against Biden, because he is, you know, literally bypassing Congress to make sure he can fund crimes against humanity

I never want to diminish that reality.

And more than that: If we want genocide to actually be a dealbreaker for politicians and presidents... then we need to start acting like it could be.

--

Details/related thoughts:

I will still be posting about good things Biden and his administration are doing, because they are the ones running the US government and Congress is super deadlocked, so a lot of the national-level good news in the US has been done by his administration, and I'm not going to stop posting about that good news

Shout-out to the anon who accused me of being a US government propagandist with a whole PR team bc I posted about Biden a few days in a row. I promise you I'm blogging from my bed in my pjs and do not have a PR team lol

Also, for people who don't think we should be spreading serious criticism about Biden, for fear of Trump winning in 2024: I hear you--that's an incredibly valid fear. I've struggled with that myself, in the process of coming to this(/these) decision(s). But consider this: it's better that we really pile on the criticism and pressure now, because a) people are dying, and b) Biden's chances will be much worse if Israel is still bombing/decimating Gaza on election day

Relatedly, for anyone who's tempted to think Trump would be better when it comes to the Gaza genocide, again, it's really understandable to want to put your hope in any viable alternative. However, I promise you that is not going to happen. Joe Biden at least conditionally gives a couple shits about human life. Trump doesn't. Remember Trump's Muslim ban? In all likelihood, Trump would just tell Israel to bomb Gaza harder and ban Palestinian refugees from entering the US

Last thing on Trump: maybe this is naive of me, but for a lot of reasons, I'm not actually particularly worried about Trump winning in 2024. If I was, I might have made some different calls here. I have a few asks about this in my inbox and will probably make a post at some point about the reasons why, but yeah, Democrats have mostly been wanting to run against Trump instead of DeSantis or Haley or whoever for some very real reasons

You're welcome to disagree with me/this post in any direction, btw

Seriously, I'm just a random person who doesn't speak for anyone besides myself and my own blog. I'm not saying these are categorically the right answers, or that any of this is what everyone should be doing. This is simply the system I have settled on (right now) for how I personally want to handle all of this

You're welcome to disagree with me but please don't send me any angry asks about any of it. Not that I in any way get a lot of those, thankfully! But yeah, this isn't something I'm interested in debating, this is mostly for notification/explanation purposes

[xclowniex]

Ok I have a lot to say and no way to say it so first off hi, anyways I would like to say a few things. Firstly, I’m a Palestinian, currently in Lebanon but raised my whole life in Jordan. over 60% of Jordanians are Palestinian but Israel is at peace with Jordan. I mean I think Jordan and Israel’s relationship is a kind of window into what I think a Palestinian and Israeli relationship could look like if both governments were torn down. Now I ideally my wet dream is for the land to just be called the holy land and everyone to have equal rights and be treated equally. But I know that’s a delusional way of thinking. Secondly, I wanna say that as Muslims, as in the religion, we respect Jews and their religion. You are known as اهل الكتاب (people of the book) because Judaism is an abrahamic religion. This means that we must extend respect to you. It’s not always done (frankly it’s never done) but it’s the way things should be done and I am personally trying to improve myself because I grew up in a very secular and religious and intolerant household. And I think that if I am able to do it with the family I grew up with, a lot of people should be able to too especially non-Arabs, non-Muslims who have genuinely no connection to this conflict. It is still a work in progress because I do still feel like I have hate programmed into me but that’s why I like to start random conversations with people. I hope I’m not in anyway intruding or making you uncomfortable with this and honestly if I am you can just block me. But I do genuinely love having convos with people and it’s my own way of proving that even if we don’t agree on certain points peace can still be found and respect can still stand.Anyways I’m rambling at this point, have a good day.

Hi! Sorry this has been sitting in my inbox for a day or two. I've wanted to properly answer this but have been tired from work.

You are not bothering me at all!

We need more jewish/Palestinian solidarity.

I'm in a similar thought track to you. My ideal is a land for all, where there is one land where jews and Palestinians coexist and both have self determination. However realistically a two state solution needs to happen first and likely won't move to a land for all solution at least within my lifetime.

I too grew up in an intolerant household. The shit my father as said, is very bad. I usually don't talk about his internalized anti arab comments much as A) I would get blasted with asks about why I call myself an arab jew (not directed at you, but anyone else reading his and is curious, I have answered this question before, you can use the search function on my blog), B) antisemites use it as an excuse to say that all jews hate arabs, which yes, some do and it's bad that some do, but it's not like the majority of jews hate arabs, and vice versa. And lastly C) it's a lot to unpack as a lot of his internalized anti arab sentiment is due to being radicalized by antisemites. When he first moved to NZ, he was very left wing, then he was betrayed by the left here and ended up going far right, to finally settling on centre right.

Shit now I'm rambling lol

[stealth-liberal]

Anyone who reblogs and adds antisemitic rhetoric to my posts about what's going on in Israel will be reported and blocked. Anyone who comments on my posts about what's going on in Israel with antisemitic rhetoric will be reported and blocked. It's already started happening, and the reporting and blocking have begun. I will not engage with a single one of you. I don't give turds with a pulse what they want.

And if you're too stupid to realize that saying that indiscriminate killing of civilian targets, of running down fleeing on foot and unarmed civilians at a picnic in trucks and shooting them like fish in a barrel and laughing about it, of abducting civilians (including CHILDREN) to bring them back to Gaza and then release videos of their mistreatment, of parading captured women in various states of undress (videos of that too) and lastly of sexually desecrateing female Jewish corpses (video of a naked Jewish female corpse being desecrated in an act of NECEOPHILIA), if you think that all of that is ok, then you're guilty of Jew hatred. You are a Jew hater pure and simple.

Don't deny it. SAY IT WITH YOUR FULL CHESTS YOU MOTHERFUCKING COWARDS!!! Don't hide behind Palestinians as your shield, grab your tiny balls or your dried up tits and be public with your bigotry and hatred of the Jewish people.

If this was happening in ANY other country but Israel, in ANY other country but the only one on Earth that's run by Jews, you'd be decrying the actions of the war criminals doing this. Because guess what? What Hamas* is doing right now is classified by the United Nations as war crimes. But that's OK when you hate Jews, all Jews, any Jews, and the thought of dead Jews gets you off.

*I am wise enough to know that Hamas is not synonymous with all Palestinians. I've done the work to educate myself on the extremely varied worldwide Palestinian community. And unlike Jew haters, I don't assume every Palestinian I meet wants me dead because I'm a Jew. As an aside, I have also never once thought that about any Muslim dominant group. Unlike the violence as for pleasure seeking Hamas and other Jew Haters (like many over privileged white Europeans, Canadians, and Americans on here) I don't cheer when Palestinian civilians are killed or mistreated. Because I'm not a monster.

[teleportzz]

i think i need to start making something very clear, as i should have done a long time ago.

Ukraine hasn't stopped needing your help and listening to our voices hasn't stopped being important

i think i've been way too patient and understanding with non-ukrainians following me. but i'm tired and angry and hurting and i've been carrying this burden, as all ukrainians have, for a very long time.

i am officially completely done with all those posts fucking "comparing" ukraine and palestine. i've tried to be understanding. i know you're trying to say that ukrainians get slightly better press coverage in the west due to white privilege, but our press coverage in the west is still dogshit. our genocide and colonization is still reduced to a "war" ukraine is still described as a "post-soviet state" and ethnic minorities in ukraine are still never mentioned. crimean tatars, koryo-saram, romani-ukrainians, jewish ukrainians, muslim-ukrainians, and many other communities have been disproportionately targeted by ruzzia's relentless violence and you still say nothing of their unique struggles and experiences. not to even mention how, although ukrainian diaspora in north america, like myself, have white privilege, ukrainians in europe face discrimination from both ruzzia and western europeans. they are not privileged

we are called slurs and subjected to other ethnically and culturally motivated violence by ruzzians very frequently when we try to tell our stories. ukrainian diaspora try to use our privilege and knowledge of english to advocate, but we are always shut down by ruzzians because we are always somehow either "too western" or "too ukrainian" to know what we are talking about.

and it really doesn't help that SOMEHOW none of you seem capable of caring about more than one genocide at a time. those posts comparing ukraine to palestine is all you have to say about us as our printing houses are being destroyed and our babies are being taken away and raised as ruzzians. weird! i don't seem to have this problem! caring about multiple genocides at a time and advocating for the liberty and power of all oppressed people is second nature to me. maybe because i don't have the privilege of only caring about one genocide at a time.

like sorry but i'm officially done. comparing which genocide is """""worse""""" is such a horrible and incomprehensibly evil thing to do. victims of genocide are standing together in solidarity. westerners with no connection to these issues do not have a seat at this table

[khizuo]

PP: THATCOPTICWEIRDO

VM: Marteeneee

CA: $Iamphara3na

(capital i)

EMERGENCY!!!

PLEASE HELP ME IF YOU'RE ABLE TO EVEN A DOLLAR HELPS

I've been wrongfully forced out of the abusive transitionary home called Sakina House in Hamtramck, MI under Muslim Family Services and ICNA RELIEF. They are extremely abusive, threatening, and cruel. I have tons of emails, audios, videos, etc documenting their abuses towards me and the other women in that house. It's genuinely terrifying that they claim being Muslim while actively doing everything against the Quran.

They are even threatening a homeless woman there who just need someone to pay to renew her greencard, and they're threatening to kick her out if she doesn't get that done. So that's 4 homeless women at minimum abused and threatened by this organization that made us believe we were getting help and safety which was a lie.

She's literally the sweetest, kindest nurse, and if they do kick her out and I'm able to raise money to stay past Tuesday in this motel room, I'll ask her to stay with me because that's how much I care about these women in comparison to this "Muslim nonprofit". She would literally be on the streets in below freezing temperatures in Michigan. That's the depth of their cruelty. It's unfathomable.

She told me that as I was crying trying to get my belongings out of that house. In their document kicking me out, it states that I have an entire week to get my belongings out. But when I showed up to get the rest of it yesterday, they changed the code to get into building and CHANGED THE LOCK TO MY ROOM DOOR ULTIMATELY TAKING HOSTAGE OF MY OWN NECESSARY BELONGINGS. It's absolutely cruel and insane. I was not informed of any of this, and as far as I'm told, it has never been done before.

I just wanted to get my belongings and never deal with speaking to or with these demons at this organization ever again, but their cruelty and abuses won't even allow me that sort of peace.

I have literally no money left. THANK YOU IMMENSELY TO ISABELLE WHO HAS BEEN THE MOST KIND D0NAR ON HERE AND THE ONLY REASON I WAS ABLE TO GET THIS MOTEL ROOM ON THE 27TH WHEN I GOT KICKED OUT. All day, I called every where I could to get help, but because they purposely kicked me out the night before Thanksgiving, all the already strained community resources and nonprofits have not been available to help me at all. I looked at my P4y.Pal at 1 am and saw that Isabelle donated to me $200 and I burst into tears because that's exactly what I needed I used all I had to get this motel room until Wednesday morning.

I don't even have money for food, water, hygiene products, gas, phone and internet bills, let alone another week in this motel room. I need to raise at minimum 375 for another week in this room and then if I can pay for that, whatever is left will go to those other life essentials. PLEASE I'M BEGGING YOU ALL IF YOU'RE ABLE TO HELP OR KNOW SOMEONE THAT CAN HELP ME, PLS EVEN A DOLLAR HELPS SO MUCH

Please support them on tiktok!! @/theworldindigenousrevolt

[matan4il]

Hi I read your post about the fallen victims and I had to stop at 5 year old Ido Avigal and just cry. If he was still with us he would've been my nephew's age today (and my nephew is my entire world). And his adorable smile looks like my nephew's so it's even more painful. I can't imagine what his family feels or his friends. Poor thing. I hate all of the pain and suffering in the world I truly hate it.

I'm not Jewish but I will pray for these people and their loved ones. I hope their loved ones have a strong support system and that pain will probably never go away but I hope their loved ones find strength and peace and courage to continue living.

Idk I'm rambly and emotional.

Sending you hugs too. 🫂

Hi Nonnie!

Thank you so much for your very humane response! I have a nephew as well, I know exactly what you mean. I've always loved and adored kids, but there was something about accompanying my sister on her motherhood journey that made me realize just how much more it is to be a parent. And in that sense, an uncle or aunt, too. What it means to raise a child, and love them before they're even born, and be so invested in every single second for years, things I might have known as an idea, but have such a more profound impact when you actually experience them...

Ido Avigal specifically is someone who I remembered even before my sis got pregnant. Like you said, that sweet smile! The contrast before the first pic of him that was shared, in which he's seen in a Purim costume (such a joyous occasion, and you take it in while trying to process such a tragedy). The fact that the family did everything right... When Hamas fired their rocket, the warning siren went off, the family heard it in time, they all got into the bomb shelter, they closed the door and the window... they did everything right. And still, the rocket hit the next door building, a splinter of the rocket flew off and hit their window at such an angle, that it went through the shut metal covers on the window. Ido passed away a few hours later, in a hospital, but the family had to watch him get hit with a lethal strike right in front of their eyes.

How did it happen? Because when the decision was made on how thick the metal covers over the windows in every bomb shelter had to be, Hamas' rockets were less advanced than they are now. Even with all of the effort Israel invests in it, it's simply not possible to keep "updating" our bomb shelters at the same speed Hamas get rocket upgrades from Iran. That's the tragedy. That defense systems, no matter how good, are always bound to fail eventually. And we can talk about statistics (Iron Dome did succeed in intercepting 97% of rocket threats in May 2021), for that one family, nothing is going to ever fix what happened, and bring their kid back.

If Israel hadn't left Gaza in 2005, our soldiers could have done more to intercept what Hamas is getting from Iran, to make sure they can't upgrade their rockets, and become more lethal. But we didn't want to rule over Gaza anymore, we wanted to try giving it to the Palestinians, give them autonomy, give them something to develop and invest in, give them something to lose if they choose terrorism, so that hopefully they wouldn't... So here we are, realizing we have to sacrifice our 18 and 19 year old children in order to protect our 5 year old kids, the kind of choice that no nation, that no parent and family, should have to make.

And you know what's even worse? Since Ido was killed, in May 2021, I've seen his pic more than once, used in anti-Israel propaganda, presenting him as if he was a Palestinian kid (along with Nadine Awad, a 14 years old Israeli Arab Muslim Bedouine girl, who was also killed by Hamas during the same time). Ido's mom publicly spoke out against them doing this, BTW. They're literally appropriating our dead, and using them against us, to de-legitimize our self-defense, and bring about more murdered Israelis. I can't understand that kind of moral failure other than in terms of antisemitism.

I can tell you that Ido's dad wrote and published a song in his son's memory, called "measured hope," and an article from two days ago stated that Ido's mom has been giving interview to explain Israelis better to the world, since Oct 7.

Thank you again for the very kind words and hugs! Sending you big hugs and much love right back! xoxox

(for more of my posts regarding Israel, click here)

[honesty-my-policy]

I made a friend online not long ago, she's Jewish and I think she's dead.

I haven't heard from her in over a month, we'd never gone that long without talking and she hasn't been active on here or in our private messaging.

I'm hoping she's just been displaced, lost power, is still alive. But I'm scared because I felt a real connection with her, we were good friends and until now I've not said anything because I've wanted to wait to see if she showed up again but she hasn't.

We met when she sent me a kind message about being thankful to see people standing up against antisemitism. So I've decided to be more vocal, for her, because I wasn't so angry before.

But I am now, because the Jewish population (15m) makes up only 0.75 of the Muslim population (2b) and yet none of the other Muslim majority countries, all of which border Israel, have stepped in for Palestine. In fact they've refused to take refugees from Gaza.

There are almost 7m Jews in Israel, another 6m in America, the rest spread about. Half of the population of Jews are in Israel because it is their homeland and it has been proven through SCIENCE that they are the indigenous people. 1 2 3

Yet, their fellow Muslims have done nothing. Think about that. Meanwhile, I'm going to continue to hope that my friend is alive despite it all and will continue to fight against anti-Semitism and this notion that Jews or Israel are the root of all evil. Because despite the lot of you claiming you'd never fall for Nazi propaganda, you clearly would sell out every Jew you know.

Not me. You are safe here.

[fairuzfan]

It’s “vote blue no matter who” but then you get Dems like Kyrsten Sinema, Joe Manchin, and John Fetterman or people like Tricia Cotham and Jeff Van Drew who switched parties and then it’s every excuse in the book as to why Dems can’t get shit done and just “vote harder.”

Dems did know that embracing disenchanted conservatives would push the party further right, and that’s precisely why centrists and the upper middle class liberals were all so excited to join ranks with “never Trump” republicans.

The issue is that voting is great and all in theory. Some of my family is residing in a country where you can't vote so like, having a say in your government?! That's great!

But I don't *really* have a say in my government when all the standard forms of calling and emailing are being flat out ignored. Sure I voted. But now what. Fetterman is a racist asshole that pretended to be "on the side of the oppressed" to get his position. Sinema is.... like that. Manchin is annoying as hell. And what, you're telling me "just wait til next election and they'll be gone"? Like at what point will this endless spiral of "it could be worse" honestly start benefiting anyone.

And people are saying "join unions or organize" as some sort of gotcha... Palestinians have been organizing for 75 years. The whole reason people know so much about Palestine is because we've been organizing for YEARS, have been participating in the system for YEARS. Sure I can unionize. Sure I can organize. But when absolutely no one takes you seriously in your government?? Then what are you supposed to do??

I still am an advocate for voting locally, but I honestly don't see the point in voting higher than that. I remember a comment in the "can't vote out fascism" post was saying "actual physical fascism is worse than passive fascism" and I'm like.... yeah for you maybe? I'm disabled and I've been mostly in my house for the past 3 years because I want to avoid COVID at all costs. Disabled people around the states have as well. People have been dying well before the past couple of months. Are you saying you'd rather have silent deaths than loud ones?

And another comment that really annoyed me and felt severely disconnected from reality was "Trump's Foreign Policy is the same if not worse than Biden..." Worse than funding a genocide...? Like I hate Trump so much and would never vote for him. But I also won't ever vote for Biden.

Also something that "Vote Blue" people don't realize.... Biden's already lost. I'm not saying this to be smug or anything. Many Muslims and SWANA immigrants vote PRIMARILY based on foreign policy. Like that's one of our main concerns. Every single election, we consider which person would be "better" for people overseas — this isn't me projecting, we talk amongst ourselves about it to make a decision. And these people live in major cities and swing states like Michigan in Dearborn and Detroit. In fact, I wouldn't be surprised if Illinois turns red next election. Many Palestinian refugees after the Nakba and Naksa settled in Chicago and the greater Chicago area. I've heard that people hate Fetterman so much that they're not voting for him next election or wanting anything to do with democrats anymore. Dems have completely neglected the Muslim and SWANA community and that will come back to bite them in the butt.

Like at this point, you should be thinking of what to do when Trump becomes president lol. Actually think about it. Because honestly, you can yell at me all you want and call me stupid or an idiot for not voting/doing a write in — but I'm 10000% sure that Trump is going to win next election. What more are you going to do other than vote?

[moonlayl]

This...got super long and to be clear nothing I have experienced nor will ever experience will come close to the horrors that Palestinians are facing right now. I just need to say that and make that clear, but these are just things I've been wanting to say for a while now.

Just a thought that came to my head, but I remember arguing with lots of liberals before about how I don't really support the idea that people shouldn't be able to say anything they want (except obviously spreading misinformation especially if you're in certain professions), even hate speech not because I ever want to hear hate speech, but because I can't trust any government to decide what hate speech is, and I was told to give an example

I remember at the time saying "what if one day, me speaking about Palestine starts to become classified as antisemitism or terrorism?"

I was told that was silly and would "obviously never happen" (I didn't believe them and called them naive at the time)

well....looking at certain countries right now, trying to ban Palestinian flags, ban common Palestinian/muslim sayings, ban any peaceful protest in favour of Palestine, even looking at imprisoning/fining people etc.... is kind of just proving my point.

Like most of us don't feel included or part of any western communities even if we're lived here our whole lives for so many reasons and it almost always boils down to us being Arabs/muslim.

can't speak for non Arabs and non muslims, but a lot of us feel this way.

seeing how fighting for the people who need it the most (2000+ Palestinians have been killed. 800 of them being children. 45 families completely wiped out, entire bloodlines, parents, grandparents, aunts, uncles, siblings, cousins, children, nephews, nieces, grandchildren, etc....like this is actual genocide. their entire family tree has been completely wiped form existence) is being banned or branded as "terrorism", or we're losing our jobs, or we're being silenced, like it says a lot about theses countries and the governments that run them.

They tried to suspend humanitarian aid to innocent people of Gaza for the love of God!! Thank God there were 5 decent countries who voted no!

Israel gets away with every goddamn crime and ANY "condemnation" of any warcrime it commits is just talk, while they continue to aid and support it.

How am I supposed to trust these governments, and MY government to decide what's acceptable and what's not when I know that during the most critical moments that matter the most, they won't be on our side, and they'll side with oppressors because they themselves are just that? That the little I can actually do for Palestine and any other country could be completely taken away?

These are "democratic" countries by the way, or they're supposed to be, and sure we can challenge all these things but there are things even we can't do. the onslaught of propaganda shared everywhere by the same news stations that refuse to invite Palestinians (and refuse to air the few times they do) and refuse to fact check their content, or report on what's actually happening in Gaza, can't really be stopped. We can do our best to spread what's actually happening, and to correct false information, but the damages have been done.

And its getting harder and harder to hear form the people of Gaza because of the bombs, cut of electricity, cut off internet access, and also, you know, the fact that the people sharing news are being killed one by one.

There's also many social media platforms completely erasing anything about Palestine. suspending our accounts and hiding our posts. I can't believe I'm saying this but maybe it's a good thing Elon Musk took over twitter because at least I've been able to talk about Palestine as much as possible without nay censoring and I'm still able to. Palestinians are still able to share their stories and the reality yon there. And sin't that crazy? Elon musk is kind of doing something right???

And you know something else? Israel killed one of their own journalists, and those people weren't able to properly report on it. They couldn't directly say it was Israel that killed one of their own workers. Like....its crazy (and they're cowards). Israel also killed 12 UN workers.

That crime is not making as many headlines as the fake stuff did. Those "journalists" and "reporters" who repeated false information (that resulted in far too many people believing them and suddenly being okay with genocide) are still working. they still have a job and they're still out there spreading more propaganda.

this post isn't well written because I'm just putting out my thoughts and what I've witnessed but to make one thing clear, I won't ever silence my voice or allow anyone to silence my voice when it comes to something like this, and i'm not afraid of what they'll do, but isn't so fucked that I could actually lose my job and have trouble finding another one for supporting the oppressed? Like isn't that just..disgusting?

Like what's that supposed to tell me other than majority of western countries are against us? It's not exactly surprising because I've known this, but everyone being VERY open about it is kind of tough to witness ngl.

Like this is not a complicated issue. if you have any morals and you're not biased against Palestinians/arabs/muslims already, then this is a very clearcut case. Israel is an apartheid state. Israel is and has been committing genocide and ethnic cleansing for literal decades and its been doing it long before Hamas came into the picture. Israel's war crimes and treatment of Palestinians is the reason Hamas even exists in the first place. you can condemn Hamas while also recognising that Israelis have no right to that land and that nothing justifies their never ending crimes. Palestinians are demanding for their rights ot live, be citizens, have rights and freedoms, and have their land that was brutally taken from them. None of those things are unreasonable.

You know what is unreasonable? the world deciding Israel is suddenly gonna be a thing and expecting Palestinians to just be okay with it. You know what is unreasonable? Palestinians being painted as the bad guys for "not wanting to share" when they literally shouldn't have to (especially because of the obvious scams of all those "treaties" and "agreements" that all gave every benefit to Israel)

Like the whole world literally let this happen and supported it and cheered for it. Some stayed silent but are showing their real colours (which those of us who haven't been blind have already seen) now.

We've got girls crying about how "they want to kill us T-T" at a university campus because people were protesting in support of Palestine, while a six year old boy was killed in his own home for being Palestinian. In the same country.

We've got celebs talk about how scared THEY are while 800 Palestinian children have been murdered.

We've got celebs posting "pray for Israel" while using pictures of Gaza in ruins or Palestinian children looking at rockets in the sky.

It's insane.

We had a protest for Palestine the other day. People were telling us to go back to our country. They were telling Palestinians to go back to their country.

....that's....that's what they want? Like we're very much aware of how much we're not wanted here just to be clear, and Palestinians across the damn globe would do ANYTHING to be able to go live in their homeland. except they can't. Israel won't let them. That's part of what we're fighting for. Any jewish person can go get a citizenship easily in Israel (even if they've never stepped foot in the country and none of their ancestors had either) but people who were born in Palestine or who's family owns property there can't get it in at all. It's absolute insanity.

I'm not sure how to end this but on every level this has been horrific. But despite that, the propaganda, the genocide, the threats, the whole world being against us, that's not gonna stop us from fighting for the oppressed and standing up for them. It's not gonna stop us from going out into the streets and no words can explain the bravery of everyone who continues to stand with Palestine but especially to the Palestinians who continue fighting and resisting (despite everything they've been through). Continuing to use our voices, donating, protesting etc... is the absolute least we can do and its our responsibility. and I truly, from the bottom of my heart wish the absolute worst for everyone who disagree with this. Like you guys are gonna pay for it. Maybe not today maybe not for many years maybe only in the afterlife (because I do believe in it) but it's gonna happen and every Israeli supporter or zionist is gonna deserve every second of it.

If you're silent, if you try to throw the "two sides" bs, and if you try to act like Palestine and Israel are in any way equal, you're included in this.

You're part of the problem.

Silence is compliance.

And screw every government that supports Israel in any way. Screw the double standards, the hypocrisy and the absolute cruelty towards innocent Palestinians.

I can't speak for everyone else but no matter what happens moving forwards, I'm never gonna forget this and I'm never gonna forgive.

I'm gonna keep trying to do everything possible which unfortunately is not much and thats frustrating on every level but I'm gonna keep doing it. feel free to unfollow/block me, but I'm not gonna stay silent about this ever. and I'm not gonna entertain any bigot or zionists either. it's gonna be a straight up block.

my asks are open, and my page is currently full of information, this site is as well, but I'm not gonna entertain those who clearly care very little bout genocide, because if you haven't opened your eyes by now, I doubt anything I say will change that. you're welcome to go through my blog or send me a polite ask (can't promise I'll get to it right away but I'll try) but I'm not tolerating pointless arguments that are basically me just repeating that Palestinian people deserve to live in their own country with all their rights and freedoms while the other person disagrees. I prefer not to argue with those who are depraved.

[soulrestinginstpetersburg]

Why do you worship your god YHWH as the only one? This is a legitimate question? What good does it do for you? Everything your god has done for you shouldn't have anything to do with his status, or uniqueness. I've seen the power of gods alien to your own, from Hel (the goddess I'm closest to, though I do worship others), I've seen her stop animals from moving, protect the sick and wounded, and cause a blind preacher to see her and flee. And I've felt her love, felt her comfort (I probably wouldn't even identify as agender if it wasn't for her help). But because she is not your god you would call this demonic? And say my soul is bound for damnation? Why not admit the existence of other gods, and keep to your own if you wish. How can your relationship with your god even be safe if you can't leave for another? How can it be called anything but bigotry to deny another god's divinity while you worship one yourself?

I actually used to believe that when I was younger, especially when I was an atheist. I did think that every god is real and that after death everyone will end up in a way they believe they will according to their religion. By every god I mean the christian one, the muslim one, the hindu ones, the pagan ones, the budha etc. But that simply cant be, and I only realised that as I got closer to Christianity around two years ago. If I did recognise other gods over Jesus Christ, I would be commiting a sin against Him. And I commited many sins throught my life, my weak, dirty and sinful soul has done many wrongs, said many wrongs and thought many wrongs. But I wont say that all gods are real. Because Jesus Christ is the only true living God that died on the cross for the mankind and then ressurected the third day. I will never ever recognise other gods over Jesus Christ. I will never choose anyone else over Him, and I will never so firmly believe in any god but Him. And yes, because she is not my god it is demonic. It is against my beliefs and morals to say that its not. And I wont do that. It is demonic.

What good does it do to me? Oh only if you knew. The depression, the social anxiety, the eating problems and overall self image problems (this used to be an @ n @ blog in 2021-2022 btw) were literally eating me alive. And that was a time when I was an atheist, drowning myself in lgbtq labels, crystals and shifting methods. All of my mental health problems were gone the second I saw the relycts of St. king Milutin Nemanjić in Saint Nedjelja church in Sofia in Bulgaria, July 2022. And nothing, nothing filled me with such love, happiness and content as the Holy Spirit. Bawling my eyes out in church, attending services and liturgy, underlining verses from the Bible, reading about stories of various saints, admiring the iconography... Social anxiety is still there but under good control, depression is nowhere to be found and its much easier to look at myself in the mirror and not have fantasies about starvation. So yeah He does to me so much. In words I cant describe.

How can my relationship with my God even be safe if I cant leave for another? Isnt that the point? That I worship, believe and love my God, Lord Jesus Christ so much that I recognise Him as the truth that I dont want to and dont plan on leaving Him for any other god? I tried to do that and it led me nowhere. Why would I want to leave my God for another?

Okay so I translated the word bigotry to my native language and it translated to нетрепељивост (netrepeljivost), and when I looked up the word it said "a human feeling whose perception is subjective and which the observer cannot understand in any case". I get why you wouldnt understand my point of view, considering that you are a polytheist, of course you wouldnt get why I would recognise only one god as the true one and reject the divinity of others. I think thats kind of a point of monotheism. You are a polytheist and I am a monotheist, alright, of course we cant understand each others perceptions.

I think I answered to all your points. Im sorry if some of my sentences are weirdly formed, english is not my first language and I literally just woke up. So yeah, God bless and have a good day.

[soracities]

Just reading the makeup post which you responded to so eloquently, and I don't have anything half as insightful to say, but just a curious observation about myself. Specifically when you talked about shaving - I'm a Muslim and I wear an abaya in my day to day life, so nobody ever really sees my legs, yet I shave every week or two and have done for years. My non-Muslim friends are absolutely rather bemused by this since no one will see them but I just like doing it "for myself". But I have to say, even I can't truly believe that my "choice" exists in a vacuum - sure I can't/won't get validation from the outside world, but isn't the standard I have for smooth "perfect" skin influenced by the culture around me? So even without the negative consequence of going outside with hairy legs, I think we are still influenced.. and it makes me think about voyeurism too, the way as a woman I've always looked at myself as if I'm outside of myself. No one will see me, but if they could, what would they say? Even I can't pretend to be free.

This is such a good point, anon, and so illuminating to read, I appreciate so much you taking to the time to send this 💕 You're absolutely right--voyeurism is a massively huge thing and it's something I struggle with quite intensely to an insane degree (which is partly why, though not the main reason, I feel so strongly about not wearing makeup). And I think this is the part of the conversation that gets lost so often because for a lot of people it manifests in different ways--I don't feel the pressure to wear makeup, but I do feel the pressure to shave my underarms when in public. I don't feel the pressure to look sexy, necessarily, but I do feel the pressure to be attractive. It's a never-ending panopticon and it can be so exhausting.

I think, as social creatures, we are all predisposed to think of ourselves in terms of others' opinions which is entirely natural for who we are, but the fact that we have the world we have means some opinions weigh more heavily than others (and doubly-true, I think, when you have a confluence of marginalised identities)--so you're completely right, one way or another we are influenced and sometimes I do think it's so difficult to have these conversations because a lot of people don't always realise this; it's a deeply subconscious thing sometimes and even when it's not it can be a wearying thing to get to terms with and it's a lot easier to just....ignore that reality at times.

[ca-suffit]

Hi, you talk a lot about the white fandom but what do you mean by that? Most of the accounts I've seen you attack are not white, other than Virginia vampires as far as I know. For example Sima who you talked about in your last posts is brown, muslim, and probably a lot less privileged than you because of where she lives. It's gross and xenophobic to make fun of her and call her stupid for her English and not understanding western American culture. Also let's not forget this is the internet. Any person can pretend to be anything they want. You could be white yourself for all we know. There's no way to verify unless you post your photo or something. I agree with what you say about Anne Rice and the racism of hardcore book fans but maybe you should be more clear about what and who you're fighting against. Right now it just looks like you attack accounts you don't like for petty reasons and not for any social justice cause.

This is all bullshit but I'm gonna answer it so I can eventually probably pin this fucking post for all u annoying assholes who want to speak over the point and distract from getting shit done here.

White fandom does not mean white people. I have said this so many times. White fandom means the ppl who support the ideas of white supremacy, that white ppl's ideals and comfort should be prioritized over everyone else and "we don't have to talk about race because that's "the real racism."" This has been happening nonstop with the way that Lestat, a fictional white man, is defended to death while real black and brown fans are openly bullied within the fandom (usually to defend *him*!) and nobody fucking cares. They care even less because of how white fandom is now made up of fans who aren't white, who convince white ppl even more that "this is the way, don't listen to those ppl, they're all (euphemism for racial slurs goes here)." If you come into a fandom that centers black American history in its plot and is also well known as a fandom to be antiblack af, that's literally on u to figure out. loustat-0 has been here, it's been two fucking years, I don't give a shit what her background is, this is no excuse. She came into this space knowing what it is, the show spells it out p fucking well too. Stop making excuses for assholes who want to remain ignorant and make themselves victims when they're told they fucked up. U don't have to be a white person to do that shit and antiblackness is so rampant across every race on top of it, it's not brand new information that brown ppl can be antiblack too. Shit, black ppl can be antiblack, look at fangs and keybearer. That is the whole point of being loud about this, to challenge their bs and wake ppl up to saying something back about it. cuz it's the same white fandom shit, just dressed different and in a way most white ppl don't know how to understand. That's what they count on too, why do u think fangs got so loud screaming I'M BLACK AND U NEED TO LISTEN TO ME when she thought that would work to prove her antiblack af point against a white person? u can be any race and be in white fandom and racist af. internalized racism is real. a lot of things are real. Look how many ppl across various groups constantly speak up for political parties who cause harm to their own communities. This manipulation happens every day across many spaces.

You're the only one not understanding what's going on here tbh. I also have never given any information on who I am at all and that is on purpose. The fandom is making up a definition of the person I am typing this, I have said nothing. I say nothing because that's what white fandom relies on, personal information to attack u as a person instead of replying to the topic of fandom racism itself. U can see in this example here how they move goalposts depending on which race, gender, and age they're speaking to. Why do u think it's mostly black ppl on those PSAs too? Why do you think the fandom also ignores them so much and sees them as "angry" and "dangerous." Ur interpretation of who I am is up to u and I don't owe anyone access to that. If u need only specific types of ppl to speak up on shit like fandom racism then u are revealing the main issue behind why nothing ever gets accomplished. Who is the best messenger then? Who would u listen to after all? Sit with that thought and choke on it, cuz the real answer is "nobody." U all will never allow anyone to speak on this, that's why u pull shit like what ur trying to pull here rn. have u also noticed the only ppl getting defended are those who come from white fandom? Why do u think that is too. Why would ppl sympathize so much with only these ppl and not all the black and brown ppl who have been fucked with a lot harder this whole time otherwise. where are those names ever. why are u all always crying about these useless idiots only. ur part of the fucking problem and this victim act doesn't work on me or anyone else. we are all tired of this shit and that's why I'm fucking here.

These are not "petty reasons," you're just fucking stupid and defending the wrong ppl. Wake up already. Ignorance on racism isn't even the only thing loustat-0 is accused of and u want to say it's xenophobic to judge someone's behavior like that, when she's *been* told by ppl how to act right. Fuck outta here. Learn what words mean, u fucking cretin. Btw it was her own post in the tags about leaving that even called attention to this in the first place, it's not like I dug it out of nothing the way fangs is always digging thru black fans' personal shit for her call out posts. She whined a lot to play victim but she did not try to defend herself this way at all so it makes me rly wonder why tf u feel the need to do all this on her behalf. what is UR fucking point, princess?

[blessedarethebinarybreakers]

Hi! I don't know if this exactly fits for storytelling Saturday but it feels like the place to share. Please feel free to ignore this if it isn't what you're looking for/interested in. I just recently finished reading Hijab Butch Blues by Lamya H for my LQBTQ+ book club and I found it really really interesting and it gave me a lot to think about. It is a memoir by a queer Muslim and follows her journey to the US and grappling with her sexuality alongside racism and islamophobia and struggling to find a community all while fitting these stories against and within stories and prayers from the Quran and discussing how she finds faith and peace through her religion.

I was raised Presbyterian, and I found it extremely interesting to listen to her tell stories that I knew - stories of Mary's virgin birth, Noah and his ark, Joseph and his brothers, and Moses freeing his people for example - and contemplate the differences between how I grew up learning those stories and how she was taught and learns to interpret them through her faith. But in addition to that I really loved the way she writes about questioning the stories, the translations, the meanings and digs deeper into all of it in a way that I am not sure I ever have. It led me to contemplate questions about the intersections of faith and womanhood and childbearing and putting a queer lens on readings, on the pronouns we use for God and the ability, the potential rightness even, of questioning some of the more surface level lessons and take aways from the stories and parables we are told. And throughout it all, she maintains both her faith and her queerness. And while she grapples with it, she never made it sound like the two were incompatible which is a narrative I have so rarely heard, much less seen published and applauded.

I'm really sorry this is so long and rambley, I kind of lost the plot there in the middle haha, but I am so fascinated by the feelings and questions this has helped surface for me. The idea that queer love and bravery and the forging of one's own path is not a negative but rather a spiritual experience, something to be done alongside God and with God, while also allowing for frustration and anger and sorrow, it just really hit me and I thought it was really special.

This totally fits, thank you for sharing it! I've actually had Hijab Butch Blues on hold at my library for a while now; now I'm extra excited for it to come in. I love when others' stories enrich and expand our understanding of our own. Very cool.

It's Storytelling Saturday! Share your story.

[mitchipedia]

My favorite TV shows of the year

(Fourth try at posting this — first three tries, the paragraph breaks were stripped out. Oy.)

Man on the Inside. Ted Danson plays a retired and widowed engineering professor who answers an ad from a private detective to go undercover in a fancy San Francisco retirement home to find out who stole a resident's valuable ruby necklace. Danson's character approaches the job with verve and gusto. He falls in love with the community. He's never in any physical danger (it's not that kind of mystery).

The show is funny, entertaining and also philosophical and wise about aging, which I've been thinking a lot about lately because it is something I'm doing and plan to continue.

Sally Struthers stands out among many good performances, a reminder that she is a fine actor. Her career and reputation got done dirty after "All in the Family." Yeah, she got fat. So what?

Ted Danson's character lives in a beautiful house, immaculately kept. Every day, he puts on nice pants, a nice shirt, and often a neatly pressed sports jacket and tie with matching pocket square. This has inspired me to start dressing better every day — no, I'm not going as far as Ted Danson's character, but lately I've been putting on a shirt with a collar rather than a T-shirt, and I'm easing out the sweatshirts in favor of sweaters and a flannel shirt. Hey, it's a start.

Evil. A Black priest, Muslim-American atheist science wiz and lapsed Catholic woman psychologist investigate a Satanic cult in New York, on behalf of the Catholic Church. Scary, dramatic and funny. Watching it, I was many times reminded of an interview by actress Dee Wallace Stone, in which she said she loved doing horror because of the range it gave her as an actor: You got to do all the emotions portrayed in comedy and drama, plus terror (obviously) and murderous rage.

Katja Herbers plays the psychologist Kristen Bouchard, and she goes from wholesome Mom to professional psychologist, cool-headed demon hunter and occasional sex vixen when the role demands it. She's a Dutch actor, but she believably plays an educated native New Yorker. Mike Colter ("The Good Wife," "Luke Cage") plays David Acosta, who is at first studying to become a priest and then becomes one. He's a big, handsome fellow, and of course there is much sexual tension between him and Dr. Bouchard. Aasif Mandvi, formerly a correspondent on The Daily Show, plays Ben Shakir, the Muslim-American atheist and science wiz. Also watch for the four Bouchard prepubescent daughters who are almost always together and talk at the same time; Christine Lahti as Dr. Bouchard's hot Mom; Michael Emerson, known to me from "Lost," playing a smarmy villain in that actor's excellent, smarmy style; Andrea Martin, known to me from SCTV and "My Big Fat Greek Wedding," as a tough nun; and Wallace Shawn as a priest.

The show is surprisingly smart on the conflict between faith and science, and on portraying the Church as a corruptible human institution and also a vessel of God. As I become more spiritual, one of the characters' throwaway lines about religion and science has become a touchstone for me — that God exists and loves us, but reveals Himself entirely through the workings of the universe.

The Lincoln Lawyer. Mickey Haller, a high-priced Los Angeles lawyer, defends murder suspects who happen to be innocent and also happen to have scads of money to keep him in fancy suits and Lincoln cars. Becki Newton steals the show as Lorna Crane, Haller's ex-wife, friend and office manager, who looks, dresses and talks like a Real Housewife but is smart and ruthless in defense of the innocent. It's a lighthearted, unchallenging show.

The Diplomat. Keri Russell, ex of "The Americans" and "Felicity," plays a U.S. Ambassador to Great Britain, and Rufus Sewell plays her husband, a former diplomat who can't stop meddling in state affairs. Light, complexly plotted and fun, with a "West Wing" vibe.

High Potential. A quirky former cleaning lady for the LAPD turns out to be a genius and helps them solve crimes.

Slow Horses. I loved the first season, but Julie hated it, so I'll either find time to watch it on my own or forget about it. I've got two ten-hour flights in February and March, and I've already got about 73 hours of TV lined up for them.

Bad Monkey. Based on a Carl Hiaasen novel, and the only thing I've ever seen onscreen that captures Hiaasen's dark humor — one gag in the show involves a severed arm — his big heart, quirky characters and keen sense of Florida locations. The show stars Vince Vaughn. Gen X irony seems to be the extent of his acting range, but he's great at that, so he's cast pretty well here.

Doctor Who.

Fallout. A gross-out post-nuclear apocalyptic science fiction comedy-drama. Walton Goggins has a dual role, in flashbacks as a handsome, wholesome cowboy actor of the late 1950s and early 1960s, who becomes a murderous mutated ghoul with a missing nose. Goggins is such a great actor he doesn't need a nose.

Shogun.

Manhunt. A 19th Century procedural about the hunt for John Wilkes Booth in the days following Lincoln's assassination. Oligarchs take advantage of the power vacuum following Lincoln's assassination to ensure they get their payday and that American Blacks get Jim Crow instead of true emancipation.

Resident Alien. Comedy science fiction starting Alan Tudyk as an alien trying to blend in in a present-day American small town and slowly falling in love with the community. It's "Northern Exposure," but it's an alien in Colorado instead of a New York Jew in Alaska. Hey, both main characters are doctors.

All Creatures Great and Small. Life in a country veterinary practice in rural Yorkshire, England in the 1930s. Peak comfort TV. Lots of people wearing sweaters.

Funny Woman. Based on a Nick Hornby novel and set in the 1960s, a beauty contest winner from England's Blackpool comes to London dreaming of becoming a comedy star like her idol, Lucille Ball. After some struggling actress travails, she stars in a hit sitcom of the era and rubs shoulders with the beautiful people on Carnaby Street. Season Two is currently airing in the UK, but I've seen no indication of its coming to the US. However, I'm in no rush; much as I loved the show and novel it was based on, the story seemed complete in one season.

Julia. A historical drama about Julia Child's cooking show launch in the early 1960s and her rise as a celebrity chef. Disappointingly canceled after two seasons.

1923. Angst and gunplay in 1923 Montana, starring Harrison Ford and Helen Mirren, and created by Taylor Sheridan. A prequel series to "Yellowstone." The characters are miserable and violent all the time, and any joy they feel is fleeting and merely a setup for more misery and violence. So we loved it.

For All Mankind

Currently watching

The Rockford Files. The 1970s TV series is finally streaming without commercials, on Amazon Prime. It still holds up. The dialogue is fast and witty, the plots are complex and twisty, James Garner as Rockford is as dry and cool as a good martini. Yeah, the clothes are goofy but the cars are cool.

"Columbo" is on Amazon Prime too, also presumably without commercials. I'm looking forward to watching that.

Shetland. Season nine of the murder mystery set in the remote, desolate and beautiful Shetland Islands in northern Great Britain. If you didn't get enough people wearing sweaters in "All Creatures Great and Small," you'll get even more here. So much wool it makes me scratchy to watch.

Star Wars: Skeleton Crew Pew pew pew.

[thoughtfulfoxllama]

Ok, so it's Fast Sunday in my Ward, and I'm eating Graham Crackers in my In-Laws Ward Lobby, so let's talk about Fasting

Fasting in Mormonism is pretty basic: no food or drink for 24 hours or 2 meals. I never said basic was simple though, so let's deconstruct that

For one, why is it 24 hours or 2 meals? Are we supposed to only eat 2 meals a day? Honestly, I have no idea. Pres Joseph F Smith moved the Church's Fast Day to Sunday (it was Thursday before then) in the early 1900s, and defined a fast as evening to evening. So, maybe the idea of 2 meals or 24 hours is whether you eat Dinner before you start your fast or not (in 1976, Pres Nelson wrote an Ensign Article, where he said that Fasts should be 2 Meals, with no indication of 24 hours, meaning that, to him at least, Evening Meals should not be skipped)

Next, what's considered "food and drink?" Does water count, for example? Everything I've found says "it's personal." In Utah, the custom is to not drink water, but in order to understand what's allowed, we must look at the purpose of fasting. The Purposes of a Fast are increased spiritual connection & to help the poor and needy through increased empathy (encouraging is to help them) and generous fast offerings. If you ask me, not drinking water is counterintuitive to the first purpose. So, I understand the traditional LDS Fast to deal with Calories & Pleasure. If you can, abstain from food, and liquids aside from water. If you can't (for example, I need to eat with my medicine), then eat plain foods as needed

But, we're not the only Faith that requires Fasting. How do they do it (there's definitely more, but these are the ones I'm familiar with):

Judaism: Judaism has several fast days. In addition to optional fasting on Mondays, Thursdays, and the day before the start of the month, they have 6 main fasts. 4 of them are from Dawn to Dusk, but the 9th of Av Fast & Yom Kippur fasts are from Sunset to Sunset, with an abstinence from all Food and Drinks (with additional abstinence from Leather Shoes, Bathing, and Sexual Relations on Yom Kippur). And since Yom Kippur is tomorrow, I wish a Meaningful Yom Kippur to any Jewish People who come across this post before the fast

Islam: In Islam, they have the Month of Ramadan. During this month, Muslims will abstain from all Food, Drink, Tobacco, Sexual Relations, and Sinful Behavior (such as swearing) during daylight hours, instead replacing them with Prayer & Study of the Quran. They also have 2 meals, one before the fast, and one after

Christian: Christianity has so many branches, so obviously has the most distinctions. Many Christians practice a Eucharistic Fast (where they fast before taking the Eucharist, or in Mormon Terms, the Sacrament). Early Christians would also fast on Wednesday & Friday, to commemorate the Betrayal & Death of the Savior. There are also 2 seasons of fasting: Lent & Advent. Lent begins with a fast from all Food and Liquid (known as a Black Fast) on Ash Wednesday, and ends with a Black Fast on Good Friday. During Lent, Christians abstain from a certain bad habit they have (such as smoking), and are expected to increase their Prayer, Study, and Alms (or Fast Offerings as we'd call them). On Fridays during Lent (as well as all Wednesdays & Fridays in Orthodox Christianity), they participate in a Lesser Fast, where one lessens food intake (2 small meals during sunlight hours) and only need abstain from Olive Oil, Dairy Meat, and Fish until sundown. There's also the Daniel Fast, which was a diet where only Kosher food could be eaten, but now refers to only eating Whole Grains, Fruits, Vegetables, Pulses, Nuts, Seeds, and Oils (for the Lesser Fast & the Daniel Fast, that's just being Vegan. So I guess Vegans really are holier than I /j)

Faith of the Seven (A Song of Ice & Fire): I know it's not a real religion, but it came to mind when typing. Whenever Priests in this religion saw the need, they would fast from everything except Bread & Water. (Warning, if done for 40 days straight, this can lead to death and being known as a fanatical king)

Long story short: don't judge how people fast. Not everyone fasts the same way, or even can. I fast from everything except water. I also fast at the New Moon. But if you can only handle a Daniel Fast, then as long as you use it as an opportunity to serve your fellow man (direct service or fast offerings), and come closer to God, that's what matters