#anarchy 101 class

[strangely-so]

I agree and I also made some alternate, more personal ones

[nando161mando]

Libcom: The ABC of syndicalist sections

" This article was first published in the Swedish online magazine Syndikalisten in 2021. The author is a member of the Swedish syndicalist union SAC. The text is aimed at workers new to on-the-job organizing. A difference between the Swedish and English versions is that the English version (below) contains more examples of successful syndicalist sections. The English text also sheds more light on the so-called dual function of sections. Illustration: Fanny Hökby Author Rasmus Hästbacka Submitted by Joakim on August 10, 2023 Copied t…"

[the-cat-and-the-birdie]

The Hobie Brown Punk Playbook - Anarchism & Hobie's Arc

A short series where I analyze the political, historical, musical, and romantic influences of Hobie Brown, and how it affects his arc, design, and character.

1) Anarchism 101 / 2) Punk 101 / 3) Hobie Characterization Guide (How to Write Hobie) /4) Punk & Hobie's Design / 5) Romance in the 70's

_______________________________________________

Why Hobie's Arc is the perfect metaphor for Anarchy and Anti-Establishment:

What is Anarchism? What's an anarchist, and what makes Hobie one?

In most places, Anarchism is defined as:

a political theory advocating the abolition of hierarchical government and the organization of society on a voluntary, cooperative basis without recourse to force or compulsion.

Which means that, as an Anarchist, Hobie believes that all forms of authority that involves a hierarchal power should be abolished and destroyed.

Anarchists opposes any and all power structures in which a single person, class, or entity rules over a body of people.

Anarchism is a thought system that, at it's core, is anti-government, anti-monarchy and anti-cop. It's goal is to protect and highlight the importance of equality and community but also freedom and individuality as well.

Although many people assume anarchy is about chaos - and denying any and all structures - if anything, it’s actually the opposite.

Anarchy is about balance -

When we look at the definition of Anarchy, we can see two complimentary ideas. ______

The first is the 'advocating the abolition of hierarchical government' - which is the sentiment Anarchy is most known for. It's the opposition of power structures in which one class or group rules or gains privilege over another - cops and civilians, the government and citizens, Spider-people and the multiverse, Miguel and the Spider-people...etc.

For the purposes of this post, I'll call it the First Pillar of Anarchism, and it's the basis for one of Anarchism's foundational beliefs: direct action.

(Which Hobie is the king of)

The second idea is one often overlooked, but just as important, and I'll talk about how much it colors Hobie's characterization in a second.

The organization of society on a voluntary, cooperative basis. Anarchists believe in equality, and the power of the collective and working together as a unanimous unit.

But they also believe in freedom of choice, and the choice to be independent.

When working in large cooperative groups, there is the risk of a shared identity that may stifle or assimilate it's members. Just as much as Anarchists believe in unity and equality, they also believe that a society - or any group - should be voluntary. And that sticking out from the pack is okay and even encouraged.

They believe people reserve the right to not participate at all, and that it is their right to differ and challenge the pack, if they so want to.

In the perfect anarchist world and situation (in my opinion,) - No one rules over the collective, and the collective rules over no one.

When you put those two together you get Anarchy. A balance of community and self.

And although we don't live in an anarchist utopia, Anarchists are people who live life fighting for the equality and unity of others, as well as their independence and freedom to be who they are outside of others.

In short, An Anarchist is someone who believes in equality, community, freethinking, and most of all freedom of choice.

Starting to sound like anyone we know?

What makes Hobie the perfect Anarchist?

Hobie is Anarchy personified. Literally.

Hear me out.

When we look at the definition of Anarchism next to Hobie's actions, behavior, and beliefs - we can see the writers created Hobie and his arc to be anarchy in it's purest form.

Anarchy is described as:

a political theory advocating the abolition of hierarchical government and the organization of society on a voluntary, cooperative basis without recourse to force or compulsion.

Hobie only has roughly ten minutes of screentime, and I wrote (here) exactly how the writers squeeze meaning into (quite literally) every-line he has.

In every line and frame the writers are intent on having Hobie move towards the 2 specific goals and motives on Anarchism, backed by his punk and anarchist morals.

Firstly, he approaches Miles to advocate the abolition of Miguel's hierarchical society, emotionally and mentally encouraging Miles to oppose his authority. All of Hobie's speaking lines are dedicated to this purpose - becoming an ally to Miles (and other Spider-people) and inspiring rebellion.

This is reflected by his opposition to the ideas of anomalies, and Miguel's rule.

I just wanna highlight, that when Hobie meets Miles - neither he nor Miles are aware that Miles intends to avoid his canon event.

At the point of their meeting, Hobie only knows that Miles has disrupted Pavitr's canon event, and that Miles himself in an anomaly.

Hobie opposes Miguel's hierachial society, his rule over the timeline and multiverse, and his use of force and threats of violence. By advocating for the abolition of Miguel's society and urging Miles' rebellion against Miguel, Hobie is directly engaging in the first pillar of Anarchism.

When Hobie's efforts pay off and Miles escapes Society capture, he's goal changes toward the second pillar.

Hobie recognizes Spider-Society does not operate on a voluntary, cooperative basis - as their canon events are mandatory by force and compulsion. And because of this, he thinks ahead and uses his self-made watches in order for him, Gwen, and Miles to exercise their right of choice. From the moment he quits, all of Hobie's behavior is dedicated to this purpose - getting Miles and Gwen out of the society, and helping Miles avoid his incoming canon event.

The Spider-Society is everything Anarchy stands against.

Anarchy stresses volunteered and cooperative effort for a reason.

I spoke earlier about how in cooperative groups, their is a risk of a shared identity within a group that forces assimilation and cooperation.

And Spider-Society is the perfect, and most literal example of this.

Spider-people are (literally) the 'same person'. Those in the Society are united by the shared identity of being Spider-people. This identity is mandatory for entry - and because Miguel ties canon events to the identity of a Spider-person, the canon events become compulsory and mandatory as well.

I mentioned before that at the time of meeting Miles, both he and Miles had no idea about Mile's incoming canon event. He, like Miles, only learns this when Miles announces that his dad is about to be captain - in front of Miguel.

When Miles escapes and Hobie quits, from that point on - despite the fact he's not fully shown on screen again - Hobie still manages to act on and stand by Anarchism. From then on, every single one of his actions is dedicated to opposing the involuntary, compulsory nature of canon and canon events.

Hobie interferes with the compulsive nature of canon by approaching Gwen's dad and speaking with him. He interferes with the involuntary nature of the Society's membership, by leaving Gwen the watch that allows her and Peter B. to leave, going AWOL.

___________________________________________________

As a character, Hobie is what is considered a insurgent. His purpose in the story and Miles' life is to inspire action and rebellion within him and the system.

And at his core, Hobie is meant to be a character that's meant to empower others - especially at their lowest point. That's what Anarchism, and Punk, is about.

Hobie is Anarchy personified.

Every one of his motives and lines are dedicated to it's purpose. Whether it's his first scene disarming Miles with humor and allyship, or him deliberately copying Society technology.

With every word and frame, Hobie inspires rebellion - defying hierarchy, and empowering choice.

With the people closest to them, he literally put the power of choice in their hands, whether it be Miles' palms, or the watch Gwen held.

In the battle against the Spider-Society - an organization of hierarchy, control, compulsion, and force - the writers chose to have Hobie's weapon of choice be Anarchy.

And it's really clear they see Anarchy for what it is - a system and tool of empowerment, compassion, and freedom.

And honestly, I can't think of any other words that can describe Hobie better (or than hot).

Hobie Brown is literally walking Anarchy idc idc you can't tell me different bye.

Find Part 2 - Punk 101 here!

__________

also have a couple more ideas and drafts of these, mainly examining: Punk and what makes Hobie punk, his design inspiration and fashion, the 70s history behind him, romance in the 70s, etc so uh yeah

[womanofwords]

Anarchy 101

Hobie Brown, standing in front of a blackboard that he repurposed from somewhere: OK, my students. Today, we will be learning about the most effective ways to disrupt authority. Any questions before we begin? Miles: Why do Gwen, Pavitr and I all have to share a table at the back while Mayday has her high chair right at the front? Hobie: She's my star pupil. Watch her and learn. Hobart: *releases Mayday into the control room while the class watches* Mayday: *crawls up Miguel and pukes onto him* Miguel: *snarls, put her on the floor and leaves to change* Hobie: That's what you do. Pavitr: Puke on Miguel? But I haven't eaten anything. Hobart: I meant disrupt authority. Miles: I have spray paint. Wanna try giving the place a makeover while he's gone? Hobie Brown: I think I have another star pupil.

[anarchopostings]

Chaos is Freedom✳

"We live in Capitalism, it's power seems inescapable, but so did the Divine Right of Kings" - Ursula K. Le Guin

"Not whether we accomplish Anarchism today, tomorrow, or within ten centuries, but that we walk towards Anarchism today, tomorrow, and always" - Errico Malatesta

"It speaks to the very nature of our domestication that we only choose resistance so long as it feels like something we can win." - Serafinski 'Blessed is the Flame'

What Is Anarchism?

Anarchy is a social political philosophy that believes all hierarchies lead to exploitation and, therefore, must be negated and rejected.

Hierarchy is often defined as a pyramid system, with a group at the top, and everyone else organized under and to the bottom. Those at the top with the most authority, who strip away power from those below them. A hierarchy can mean many different things, and anarchist seek to oppose them all. Examples are social forms of domination such as white supremacy and racism, the patriarchy and misogyny, xenophobia, colonialism, queerphobia, etc. As well as economic systems such as class and capitalism, and the positions within them such as cops, landlords, bosses and politicians. Including but not limited to governments, states, and social political means of authority.

Anarchists seek a world where people freely associate with each other and build connections to help each other and their communities, in a multitude of ways. From workers unions to individual association and gift economies.

Anarchists most commonly advocate for Communism, a stateless, moneyless, classless society, but there are anarchists who believe in anti-capitalist free market styles of trade (called Mutualism).

Commonly, the media portrays anarchy as an ideology of indiscriminate violence and warlording, to propagandize civilization into believing we need to be commanded to be safe. Anarchists believe in communication, in transformative means of justice, in seeking peace when at all possible over violence.

However, this does not mean the Anarchist is passive. To resist domination is self defense, and anarchists believe in the right to defend yourself as needed.

A common phrase is "Anarchy is order, Government is Chaos", which some anarchists embrace while others reject. We are a part of those who reject it. Order is controlled, contained, and caged. Chaos is unbridled, free, and liberating. There is beauty in the Chaos, there is beauty in decentralization, of people organizing communities in their own ways not due to following any sort of Order, but because it is what's best for their community. Anarchy means a diversity of tactics. Anarchy means everyone doing what they can. Anarchy means doing what fits for each situation and community, not one answer fits all without nuance. This is not always ordered, that is to be embraced.

Anarchists believe in landback, anarchists believe in abolishing borders and the means of private and public property. Anarchists believe in the freedom of movement and the respect of nature. Anarchists believe we are not better than nature, humans are not better than the world, but do not get confused and think Anarchim means humans are a negative to the earth. Humans are a part of the earth, just like the plants and every other living being. We are here to live and respect nature, that doesn't mean at the expense of human life like what is advertised in Eco Fascism.

Anarchists are anti-capitalists and anti-fascists, always. Capitalism and Fascism are blood dripped hierarchies, antithetical to Anarchism at its core, and any 'anarchist' claiming to be for Capitalism and / or Fascism is no Anarchist, but an enemy.

If you made it this far, may we suggest going a little further?

Anarchist Reading List

Life Without Law, A Beginners Guide to Anarchism

Anarchy 101, A Beginners Guide to Anarchy

Armed Joy, Insurrectionary Anarchism

Anarchism And Other Essays

Anarchy.Works, Historical Examples of Anarchy

How Anarchy Works, Organizing Anarchy (Video)

Abolish Work? The Meaning Of Anti-Work (Video)

Why States Fail Humanity (Video)

The Tyranny of the Clock, Capitalist Productivness (Video)

The Psychology of Political Cults (Video)

Sticking To It, A Zine About Stickering

7 Myths About The Police

Mutual Aid, A Factor of Evolution

Blessed Is The Flame, an Intro to Anarcho Nihilism

Where to Read More

Sprout Distro

Crimethinc

[rotting-in-your-arms]

Some introductory reading (ordered by aescending complexity) to learn about Marxism and Anarchism

-Marxism-

The Principles of Communism by Frederick Engels (1847) - essentially an early FAQ on communist theory

Value, Price and Profit and Wage Labour and Capital by Karl Marx (1847) - short pamphlets written for the average worker that discuss the structure of capitalism and its effects on all classes

The Three Sources and Three Component Parts of Marxism by Vladimir Lenin (1913) - The different facets of Marxism and why they're important (philosophy, economy, and politics)

The Motorcycle Diaries by Che Guevara (1992) - the story of Che Guevara before he became a Marxist revolutionary; link is an incomplete transcript, full book can be found elsewhere

Imperialism, the Highest Stage of Capitalism by Vladimir Lenin (1917) - a 92 page pamphlet discussing how capitalism always progresses to imperialism

Das Kapital: Chapter One by Karl Marx (1867) - the first chapter of the first volume of Marx's Capital, which proposes several critiques of capitalism

-Anarchism-

To Change Everything: an anarchist appeal by CrimethInc. - an appeal and introduction to basic anarchist thought

Are You An Anarchist? The Answer May Surprise You! by David Graeber (2000) - an introduction to anarchism using simple everyday situations

Anarchy 101 by "dot matrix" (2012) - an FAQ for Anarchist beliefs

An Anarchist FAQ: Section A - What is Anarchism? by "Anarcho" (1996-2023) - another FAQ that's much older but still being updated

Listen, Marxist!, an excerpt from Post-Scarcity Anarchism by Murray Bookchin (1986) - a chapter criticizing Marxist theory from the perspective of an anarchist

Anarchy Works by Peter Gelderloos (2010) - answers common objections towards anarchism with real-world historical examples of anarchist societies

[basicsofislam]

ISLAM 101: ALMS AND CHARITY: VIRTUES OF ZAKAT: Part 1

WHAT DOES ZAKAT MEAN?

Zakat, literally, holds numerous meanings: to profit, to purify, to increase, to be worthy, nice, mercy, truth, blessing, to extol and to exonerate are just to mention a few. All of these abundant meanings can be sighted in the Qur’an and hadith (sayings of the Prophet Muhammad, Peace Be Upon Him).

For instance, in the following verses, “He has indeed prospered who purifies it (the self)” and “Prosperous indeed are those who purify themselves,” zakat means to purify and to exonerate, while it is also used to denote prosperity in another verse: “A compassion from Our presence, and prosperity.” Additionally, it can refer to purity itself “…and let him see what food is purest there.”

Moreover in many verses, zakat denotes purification, as corroborated by a hadith that uses the same word in describing the sanitization of soil. Consider these references: “…that is more virtuous for you, and purer”, “…for that is purer for you,” “…and let him see what food is purest there,”  “He said ‘I am only a Messenger of your Lord to announce to you the gift of a pure son,’” “And Moses said: ‘Have you slain a pure soul though he had killed nobody?’” 

WHAT IS TO BE GENERALLY UNDERSTOOD BY ZAKAT IN ISLAM?

In Islamic terminology, zakat is the process where a certain amount of property or money is collected from those who are sufficiently endowed and then given to a needy group of people, with donors, recipients, and the proportion of required donations being clearly specified in both the Qur’an and Sunna. Taking this definition into account, zakat (the prescribed purifying alms) is simply spending what has been bestowed by God, in the amount and places designated by Him, for the sole purpose of physical and spiritual purification.

WHAT ARE THE BENEFITS OF ZAKAT ON SOCIETY? (Part 1)

Zakat, with its innumerable facets, is a bond between members of society, one wherein collective harmony is dependent on individual harmony. Zakat explicitly creates a virtuous setting that eliminates various social problems by establishing a harmonious atmosphere for both the rich and the poor. In a nutshell, zakat forestalls, reduces, or eliminates social conflicts, strengthens the growth of the middle class, and obviates all of the greatest social diseases pertaining to financial issues, especially interest and money-hoarding.

ZAKAT REDUCES CLASS STRUGGLES

The establishment and maintenance of social solidarity are maximized when the gap between social classes is kept at a minimum and the voids likely to cause social conflicts are filled. In other terms, relations between the rich and the poor must not deteriorate if anarchy is to be avoided. Undoubtedly, the most important power that upholds these crucial relations between the rich and the poor is zakat and other principles of assistance. In societies where zakat ceases to exist, the precipice between the rich and the poor widens to the effect where abhorrence and hatred replace love and appreciation for the poor, and concomitantly, disdain and scorn replace compassion and charity for the rich.

Leaves of history attest to the gradual deterioration of civilizations that have opted to divide themselves into conflicting classes. Their initial happiness, a fruit of uncompromising discipline, has always been, more or less, short-lived, a prelude to their swift exit from the world stage, under the debris of their own civilization, as they have paid the ultimate price for their social injustices.

By pronouncing, “Zakat is the bridge of Islam”, the Noble Messenger amplified the importance of zakat in abolishing economic gaps between members of society. Zakat is a bridge used for passing over economic strife and when the whole community makes use of this bridge, class conflicts have the potential to become part of history. This bridge also constructs a stable middle class through which increasingly more recipients of zakat can become its donors and a possible clash between the rich and the poor is prevented.

ZAKAT STRENGTHENS THE MIDDLE CLASS

By the prevention of the polarization of society, Islam envisages the construction of a strong middle class.  In providing an opportunity for the unemployed to embark on new business ventures, zakat gains them back into society, stronger than ever, instead of deserting them to become burdens of the community. The strengthening of the middle class in Islam is not encouraged just through zakat and sadaqa; in actuality, there are more precepts pertaining to this issue. For instance, when dividing booty or the spoils of war among members of society, God declares:

That which God gives as spoil to His Messenger from the people of the townships, it is for God and His Messenger (for the State) and for the near of kin, orphans, the needy and the wayfarer so it will not become the property of the rich among you. (Hashr 59:7)

The circulation of capital solely in the hands of the rich inevitably leads to them becoming richer at the expense of the poor, who then become even more stricken. In actual fact, wealth has been created for the benefit of the whole of humanity, indiscriminately. In societies where individuals are deprived and usurped of the wealth bestowed by God, the existence of social classes is tolerated and the scorn of the rich towards the poor is sustained, riches never bring true happiness; on the contrary, financial resource easily becomes a profound source of conflict, even within families and close-knit groups. Additionally, in such societies, the poor remain in perennial anxiety in regards to attaining their sustenance whereas the rich foster similar anxiety pertaining to the security of their wealth. The resort to dangerous alternatives can thus evolve into an option for the poor, a plight we have been so used to witnessing around the world. In contrast, zakat eliminates all of the illegitimate options, graciously providing the poor with an ethical way out of their strife—exhaling into the community a fresh breath of life.

ZAKAT CURES SOCIAL DISEASES

The prime hindrance of the formation of a harmonious atmosphere within societies is the existence of social classes based on wealth. It is self-evident that it is an impossibility for the poor to nurture the love for the rich in a society where they are turned a blind eye on. As prevalent experience has shown, such a society is destined to become a hotbed for social conflict. The following verse corroborates this proposition:

Spend generously for the cause of God, and do not cast yourselves into destruction by your own hands. And know that God loves the doers of good. (Baqara 2:195)

The embracement of self-centeredness, at the expense of abandoning an altruistic life with social awareness, would be tantamount to trotting dangerously, as brilliantly illustrated by the Qur’an. Throwing one’s self into danger is due to deserting infaq or spending in the way of God and its grave outcomes that immediately c o me to mind, including anarchy, becoming the dominant force over a society that further leads to inextricable national and international complications. This dissipative demeanor of the aristocratic class,  indubitably, remains the prime cause underlying anarchy. It is this shockingly irresponsible attitude of the rich,  who squander astronomical amounts of money to attain luxuries in an attempt to satiate their interminable carnal desires, which causes the insurgence of crude souls, leading to anarchy and eventually turning the social welfare system upside down.

Wasteful displays as such will, no doubt, whet the appetite of the poor, inculcating in them an insurmountable feeling of hatred for the rich and perhaps, an excuse to usurp their property upon the first chance given. Obstinately abiding by the notion that enormous financial gaps between individuals do not cause an implicit or explicit upheaval is simply ignoring the realities of life.

The inveterate enmity the poor have for the rich, through zakat, providentially evolves into love and respect, patching up the wounds initially caused by greed and selfishness.

By responding to hate with love, the rich will attain immense respect, and consequently, the bond of fraternity throughout society will be reinforced. Those who do not spend in the way of God impede the rights of others by depriving them of what is theirs and simultaneously, wrong themselves by evading an obligation. God, indeed, dislikes wrongdoers and following such a line of action would ultimately attract the dislike of the Creator.

“Indeed God does not wrong humankind in any way; but humankind wrong themselves” (Yunus 10:44) underlines how human’s worst enemy is, ironically, himself. Those who indulge in “self-oppression” by avoiding zakat will suffer an assault of another form of oppression. “The oppressor is the sword of God; taken revenge with and then taken revenge of” is a vital principle of social life. Thus the wealthy that are in denial of their duty with regards to alms are prone to suffering onslaughts from the poor as immediate punishment for their ignorance. The poor, given they partake in such an upheaval, are also punished in turn, as the realization of the celestial cycle enunciated by the Prophet of God. God may delay a punishment, but when His verdict is decreed, there is no turning back.

Those who furtively stockpile wealth and withhold it in fear of zakat are bound to receive an uncalculated slap in the face as their insatiable greed generates unavoidable calamities from their wealth.

By fixing the problem before it spreads, zakat forestalls the potential complications of society, establishing a firm social structure. Looking from this perspective, many current issues could be avoided if zakat is effectively utilized.

ZAKAT LIBERATES SOCIETY FROM INTEREST

Interest has come to be an essential method of exploitation for the happy minority in their quest for greater wealth. While attempting to establish a society where benevolence reigns, it is inevitable that an effective antidote is applied to extirpate interest, to its very last residue, to prevent the upsurge of many social predicaments.

God, the Almighty, has explicitly forbidden all types and forms of interest, the chief catalyst in causing the rich to become richer and the poor to become poorer—repudiating the common notion that interest increases wealth. The Qur’an, which had aimed to put end to the widespread use of interest and liberate the believers from its fetters, again, makes use of the principle of gradualness, which was discussed earlier:

That which you give in usury in order that it may increase on people’s property has no increase with God; but that which you give in charity, seeking God’s countenance, has a manifold increase. (Rum 30:39)

Though on the surface, wealth may seem to increase with interest, in actual fact, it fails to deliver prosperity which is, instead, promptly taken away by the Creator and replaced with gradual deterioration. Riba, the Arabic term for an interest, holds various meanings, almost all of which are negative, like destruction and devastation; and it also refers to something that carries with itself misfortune. A sharp comparison is made above between, on the one hand, riba or interest that bestows the wealth perennial depreciation and, on the other, sadaqa, the prime inviter of prosperity. What’s important is the actual prosperity bestowed by God on the riches, not the ostensible increase. Seeing that God has given this assurance, it is unthinkable for Him not to realize this assurance, and He will perpetually shower prosperity on wealth out of which sadaqa is given, as confirmed by a copious amount of verifications. Abandoning all forms of interest and embracing sadaqa is a key step towards realizing social justice.

Interest contributes to an apparent increase in wealth but this increase is nothing but a veil put over its eventual depreciation. The above verse, through comparison, implicitly alludes to h o w sadaqa generates a prosperous economy for society, as opposed to the overall deterioration caused by interest, in the purest sense of the word.

The Qur’an, by introducing the prohibition on interest, slowly prepared the early Muslim society for the  total acceptance  of zakat, by articulating how  the Jews, due to partaking in forbidden interest, were deprived of many things which were otherwise previously permissible:

Because of the wrong-doings of the Jews, We made unlawful for them certain good things which were otherwise lawful; and because they hindered many from God’s way, and of their taking usury when they were forbidden from it, and of their devouring people’s wealth by wrongful means. (Nisa 4:160-1)

O you who believe! Do not live on usury, multiplying your wealth many times over (as compound interest). Have fear of God, that perhaps you may be successful. (Al Imran 3:130)

This last revelation proved to be an unambiguous declaration, comprising serious threats for indulgers in interest:

Those who swallow usury shall rise up (from their graves) before God like the men whom Satan has bewitched and maddened by (his) touch, for they assert that usury is just like trading, although God has permitted trade and forbidden usury. He that receives an admonition from his Lord and mends his way may keep what he has already earned; his affair will be determined by God. But those that return (to usury) will be the rightful owners of the Fire. They will abide there forever. God blights usury and makes almsgiving fruitful; He does not love the impious and the guilty. Those that believe and do good works, and establish salat and pay zakat will be rewarded by their Lord; and no fear shall come upon them, neither shall they grieve. O you who believe! Have fear of God, and give up what is still due to you from usury, if you are true believers. And if you do not, then be warned of war (against you) by God and His Messenger. If you repent you may retain your principal (without interest). Wrong not, and you shall be not wronged. And if the debtor is in straitened circumstances, then grant him a postponement until a (time of) ease; but if you remit the debt as almsgiving it will be better for you if you did but know. (Baqara 2:275-80)

As stated above, God and His Messenger deem interest-oriented transactions as a reason to wage war, which in effect, means an exile from Divine Mercy for the rebellious perpetrators. By retorting, “Shall I bow to him (Adam) whom You have made of clay?” (Isra 17:61), Satan had become the first rebel through his denouncing the Divine Command. Such a  seditious demeanor, therefore, incommensurable with that of Satan’s who ultimately was branded with the curse and expelled from the Eternal Compassion of God.

[renegades-garbage]

Finding The Truth Part 2

sequel to this fic 

the description is on part 1

maybe ill write a part where they tell adrians dads idk yet tho

anyways i love you and hope you enjoy!

Adrian wasn’t sure what to think or really what to do at all. Nova, who had just shown up at his home completely unannounced, was now collapsed in his arms sobbing. 

Adrian had never seen Nova cry before, he got the feeling she wasn't one to cry in front of people often. A warm feeling ran through him upon the realization that she had come to him rather than being alone as she usually preferred, but he couldn't think about that right now. He also couldn't think about the fact that he had this strange terrified protective feeling that he didn’t quite understand but knew it definitely wasn’t platonic. 

Adrian took a deep breath clearing his addled thoughts. They were still in the doorway, halfway on the porch and half in the entryway.

“Do you want to come inside?” 

Nova nodded her head numbly. It was only then that Adrian realized she was drenched in rain.

“Nova you’re soaked. Did you walk here?” Another head nod. “Come downstairs ill get you some dry clothes okay?”

“Okay,” she said weakly. Adrian had never heard her sound like that. Frail and helpless, words he would never in a million years use to describe Nova Mclain, and it broke his heart. 

–

Adrian watched as she fiddled with the hem of the t-shirt he had given her. He wasn’t really sure what to do at this point. He still didn’t know why Nova was here and she hadn’t said much to give him any sort of hint.

She wasn’t crying anymore but her eyes were still red and he ached to bring her into his arms, though he refrained not wanting to make her uncomfortable or further upset her as she seemed to get overwhelmed by physical touch sometimes. As they sat in silence he couldn’t help but feel like he was doing something wrong, like he missed the ‘comforting your girlfriend (girlfriend?) 101 class.

Just as he was about to break the silence (something that he’s sure would have resulted in awkwardness) Nova heaved a sigh.

“I'm sorry for just showing up like this. I just,” she cleared her throat “um needed somewhere to go.”

“That's okay. I've shown up at your house unannounced my fair share of times.” He offered a weak smile which she didn’t really return.

He watched as she fought more tears and decided grabbing her hand would be acceptable. Nova stared at their joined hands and began to cry more.

“I'm so sorry,” she said again.

“Hey, I already said it's fine you're welcome here.”

“No not that.” she was shaking, struggling to get her words out. “I messed up Adrian. Like I really fucked up, bad. You’re going to hate me when I tell you.”

This only confused Adrian more. “I'm not going to hate you, Nova. I don’t think that’s even possible,” he confessed. 

Nova looked up at him her eyes sad. “I really wish that was true Adrian because I care about you. I genuinely care about you. A lot .” Adrian would be lying if he said he wasn’t a little shocked to hear this blatant admission come out of her mouth. Nova wasn’t usually one to talk about her feelings so openly like this. He had an eerie feeling that she was trying to prove herself to him like whatever she was going to tell him would make him not believe her. 

“Nova you’re kind of scaring me,” Adrian said with a dull laugh, only half joking.

To his dismay, Nova let go of his hand before speaking.

“I lied Adrian. About a lot of things and I don't think I can fix this.”

“I can help you Nova just tell me what’s going on.” Adrian was honestly terrified at this point but he wanted to be there for her, and he honestly didn’t think that anything she said could change that.

“My name’s not Nova Mclain. Its Nova…Artino”

Adrian froze. He didn’t quite believe the conclusions his mind was jumping to but he knew that last name. “As in-?”

“Yes.” Nova said quickly. “I’m David Artino’s daughter and.” she looked away her voice getting softer “and Ace Anarchy’s niece.”

Adrian gasped a little as silence settle between them. His mind was racing, his thoughts wild and overwhelming. This couldn't mean… She couldn’t be…. No absolutely not. But the more he inspected her face the less sure he was. 

“Nova…” he didn’t want to ask. He wasn’t even sure he was ready to hear the answer he already knew would come out of her mouth. “Are you-?”

“Nightmare.” 

A chill ran through Adrian’s body at that name he started shaking his head, not believing what he was hearing. He stood up, anger coursing through his veins. This whole time, the whole time the very person he had been hunting was the person he had begun to care about the most.

“Nova what the hell. So this whole time it was all a lie?” he thought back to the beginning of this conversation when he had thought she sounded like she was trying to prove herself. Prove her feelings to him. So was that real or part of the ruse? Why was she even telling him this? Why had she run to him?

“No, I care about you I promise. My feelings for you are real. Adrian, they lied to me.” 

“What do you mean they lied to you? Why would you do all of this just to confess?”

“My uncle, Ace, he took me in after my parents died. He gave me a family, made me trust him. He told me the renegades failed my family after my father asked for protection from the Roaches, but today...today I heard them talking. It was all a lie, Ace sent the hit man and I was supposed to die too. He killed his own family.” Nova’s voice was breaking as she cried. Adrian was surprised to find that tears were welling up in his own eyes. He didn't fully understand the situation or his feelings but for some reason, he believed Nova, and her still felt for her. 

“Ace told me the renegades failed me. My whole life I've been trained to hate them, to destroy them, but it was all just… manipulation. Lady Indomitable was there that night.” Adrian winced at hearing his mother's name. He sat back down on the sofa, though still not touching Nova. 

“She tried to save us. This whole time I've been fighting for this vision of prodigy rights that I'm not sure Ace even believes in. He just wants power. He doesn’t care about prodigies and he doesn’t care about me. I was so stupid Adrian. I just wanted him to be proud of me. I didn't want to fail him or the other Anarchists and I couldn't even see that they were using me.” Nova was crying so hard now that she could barely get words out and despite everything, Adrian still ached to comfort her. 

“They said they were going to kill me because I started to care about you too much.”

Adrian took her hand once again and she looked so shocked he almost could have laughed. 

“Come here,” he said, and she did. Nova crumbled into his arms once again as she cried, and Adrian couldn’t find it within himself to be mad at her right now, not when she was so clearly hurt and traumatized, and not when he was keeping a secret too. 

He had been so scared to tell her before but now it seemed so insignificant which he had to admit was a small relief.

“I’m the Sentinel.” He said.

Nova looked up at him, her crying ceased as her jaw dropped. “Really? Are you serious?”

“Yes”

“I thought they said that but I wasn’t really sure what was going on”

And then Nova laughed, big heaving exhausted laughs, which made Adrian laugh too. 

“I'm sorry.” He said.

“I don’t think you even need to apologize considering everything. I should be apologizing to you.”

“Based on what you’ve told me, which I still haven’t fully processed, you’re not the one I’m mad at.”

“Maybe you should be.”

“Maybe, but I told you, Nova. It’s not possible for me to hate you.”

Adrian watched as a blush bloomed across her cheeks. Great skies how can she still be so beautiful after crying for hours?

“Your dads are going to hate me. They might put me in jail you know. I would deserve it.”

Adrian sighed not really knowing what to say. He didn't think they would throw Nova in jail if she told them all that but with all the distress she caused as Nightmare he couldn’t be sure. 

“Well, we don’t need to worry about that right now.” He told her. He kissed her forehead gently and laid them both down keeping her in his arms. 

“Okay,” she said. “Thank you, Adrian.”

“For what?”

“Everything,” she said, before laying her head down on his chest and letting her eyes drift closed, allowing them both to fall into a quiet dreamless sleep.

[anarcho-catboyism]

Got this !

(Short) Beginner Zines/Media about Anarchy

Life Without Law

Anarchy 101

Anarchy, What it is and what it isn't

To Change Everything

How Anarchy Works (video)

Longer Works on Anarchy

The Conquest of Bread

Mutual Aid: A Factor of Evolution

Anarchy Works

Anarchy by Errico Malatesta

Anarchism And Other Essays by Emma Goldman

Zines Against Cops

7 Myths about the Police

3 Positions Against Prisons

The Forest in the City: The Fight in Atlanta against Cop City

What Will It Take for Police to Stop Killing?

Slave Patrols and Civil Servants: A History of Policing

Other Zines

There's No Such Thing as a Revolutionary Government: Why You Can't Use the State to Abolish Class

There Is No Migrant Crisis: Against the Militarization of Borders

Why We Break Windows: About Affective Vandalism Praxis

Sticking To It: A Zine About Stickers and Fascism

The Mythology of Work

The Meaning of Anti-Work (Video)

A Critique of State Socialism

Anti-Fascism Against Machismo: Gender, Politics, and the Struggle Against Fascism

The Economy is Suffering, Let It Die!

There's so many more but like this list is already long and after reading a few of these you'll start to get a feel of where to go next !

i wanna get more educated on anarchism and the history of it, any resources?

i keep putting off answering this because i was radicalized by personal experience and the way i grew up, so i dont have a lot in the way of resources. that and i have adhd and a full time job so its hard for me to sit down and read anymore.

if anyone would like to reply some resources that educated them or do a good job of demonstrating the history feel free.

[good-jewish-omens]

Fun and Cool Free Zines on Archive.org:

Blocing Up

Firearms & Self-Defense: A handbook for radicals, revolutionaries, and easy riders (1970)

Betrayal: A Critical Analysis of Rape Culture in Anarchist Subcultures

A Critique of Ally Politics

Taking the First Step: Suggestions to People Called Out for Abusive Behavior

Towards An Anarchist Ecology

Edible, Medicinal, & Utilitarian Plants: Vol. 1

Supporting A Survivor Of Sexual Assault

Punk Planet 80 (2007 July-Aug) [final issue]

Anti-Mass: Methods of Organization for Collectives

Security Culture: A Handbook for Activists

Beyond Squat or Rot: Anarchist Approaches to Housing

Towards a Less Fucked Up World [Sobriety and Anarchist Struggle]

Build Your Own Solidarity Network

Prisoner Letter Writing & Support

Insurrectionary Ecology

Build Those Collectives!

Critical Thinking as an Anarchist Weapon

Direct Action Tactics

POLICE/POLICING and LIFE WITHOUT THE POLICE

Fight the Man and Get Away Safely

A Civilian's Guide to Direct Action

9 Theses on Insurgency

Building Community Resilience to Fight State Repression

Copse: A Cartoon Book of Tree Protesting

Squatters' Handbook: "Political" Squatting Tips

Deserting the Digital Utopia

Stop Hunting Sheep

All Your Base Are Belong To Us

Collective Process: Overcoming Power

Leftism 101

The Economy is Suffering, Let It Die!

Social War on Stolen Native Land: Anarchist Contributions

DIY Doula: Self-Care for Before, During and After Your Abortion

Re: A Guide To Reproduction

How to Form an Affinity Group

Basic Blockading

Collectives: Anarchy Against The Mass

Miniature Guide to Bike Repair

We Are Being Doxxed: What to Do to Keep Each Other Safe

Radical Resistance for Prison Abolition by Comrade Frank Talk, a Captive New Afrikan Revolutionary

Resisting A Grand Jury

Indigenous Voice 2.2 (2018 Summer)

Who Are You Streaming For?

NYPD Challenge Coins: Members Only

How to Survive a Felony Trial: Keeping Your Head Up Through the Worst of It

No Against Adult Supremacy [note: this is 326 pages of collected essays]

Reading for Revolution

Accounting for Ourselves

All Power to the People!

So You Say You Want an Insurrection

Ten Blows Against Politics

Self as other: reflections on self-care

Due to the nature of some of these and my wish not to get banned from Tumblr I am 100% absolutely sharing these simply as thinkpieces and not in any way as tools to use in real-life contexts. All theoretical and for the use in say, a paper for freshman students who have just started class accross the United States.

[nando161mando]

[the-cat-and-the-birdie]

The Hobie Brown Punk Playbook - Part 2. - What is Punk? (Punk 101)

A short series where I analyze the political, historical, musical, and romantic influences of Hobie Brown, and how it affects his arc, design, and character.

1) Anarchism 101 / 2) Punk 101 / 3) Hobie Characterization Guide (How to Write Hobie) /4) Punk & Hobie's Design / 5) Romance in the 70's __________________________________________________________

Clueless about punk? Know nothing about the 70's? Or wanna learn more? Start here! In the last part I examined Anarchy and what makes Hobie Anarchy personified. And next, I think it's only natural to turn my attention to the thing that makes Spider-punk - punk.

In this part I'm examining what punk is, why the movement was created, what punks believe, and what they stand against.

This is an analysis of Punk, 70's History, and why it makes Hobie who he is.

______________________________________________

Punk -

What is it? What 'makes' you a punk? And should Punk be Gatekept?

Punk can be hard to define - and that's by design. With the whole 'hates labels' thing considered, it's understandable. It may be easy to feel like punk as a concept is confusing, or daunting to even grasp.

But remember, Punk is made for the people - and it's made to be accessible and understandable to all people, of every class and ability - so I hope I can help!

Punk as a Subculture What is a sub-culture? Is a sub-culture the same as an aesthetic?

Punk is a 'sub-culture' - a specific type often called a 'counter-culture'.

In basic terms, a subculture is a lifestyle.

Goths, Punks, Vegans, Nudists, Surfers and even things like the LGBTQ+ community are considered subcultures.

Subcultures effect many things such as they way you dress or your taste in music, and your hobbies. But subcultures can also effect things like your morals, political affiliation, identity, behaviors, and the spaces you exist in.

Subcultures are usually based around morals (Veganism, Punk, Straight Edge.), hobbies (Surfers, Stoners, Ravers), or identities (LGBTQ+ and African-American culture). By engaging in activities, a manner of dress, or a patter on behavior in a subculture, it becomes is way to outwardly express your beliefs and feelings - while also connecting with people who feel the same.

For example - Although Surfers are united through a hobby in specific, it'd be safe to assume that a surfer would, naturally, be pro-conservation, pro-animal rights, and anti-pollution. A surfer that promotes ocean trash dumping seems weird, right? That's because the surfer subculture has a political identity defined by the movement's past. Although a surfer surfs - what makes them a 'surfer' as a opposed to 'someone who surfs' is their participation in a culture that includes other things besides surfing, such as music, dress, and even the way they live - like choosing to live beach side or convert to vanlife, choosing to live off very little, etc. They may do some or all of those things, but all their core, what makes them a 'surfer' is their hobby, beliefs, and dedication.

The same way the Surfer 'Lifestyle' is more than just surfing, the Punk 'Lifestyle' is more than just music.

Punk is a subculture, a counterculture specifically. But what does that mean?

What's a counter-culture?

A counterculture is a subculture that arises to directly challenge a societal norm.

Not all subcultures are countercultures; but a lot are.

For example - Drag-racing is a subculture that exists around a hobby. By racing they are engaging in a subculture, but they're not directly trying to challenge society. Whereas on the other hand - Someone who is Straight Edge is consciously choosing not to drink - and consciously choosing to identify as straight edge in addition the being sober - in order to challenge societal norms and behaviors around drinking and drugs.

Most counter-cultures arise in response to a political event or social development.

Is a subculture and an aesthetic the same thing?

No. Subcultures and Aesthetics differ in one way -

A subculture displays and effects identity. An aesthetic does not.

What I mean is - a subculture effects your beliefs, thinking, behaviors or political alignment. An aesthetic does not.

For example - Hippy is a subculture because it encompasses a thought system. When you see a hippy - its safe to assume that they are anti-war and liberal. A 'republican hippy' seems absurd, because inherently, there is a moral and political align attached to the movement. Whereas on the otherhand - Emo is an aesthetic because it does not encompass a thought system - It is has no moral or political attachments. Although it includes a manor of dress and music the same way hippie may - it lacks moral implication. Because of that 'republican emo' is not contradictory - whereas a 'republican hippy' is.

Because of this, it usually makes no sense to judge someone based on their aesthetic. On the other hand, as the fashion, music, and style go hand in hand with it's politics, it's safe to assume and judge aspects of someone based on their subculture or counterculture. Punk is a counterculture - so it inherently has moral connotations - tied directly to the historical events the influenced it.

While someone being emo may not tell you much about who they are as a person, Hobie being a punk can tell us a lot about who he is!

[I talk more about Punk, subcultures, and aesthetics here.]

Now that we understand countercultures and their function, let's look at punk in specific.

Punk - Basic Roots & Definition

By objective definition:

Punk is a counterculture that developed around the 1970's primarily in the cities of London and New York. Made up of almost exclusively of lower- and working-class folks of all ages - the movement grew in response to a couple of different political events throughout the 70's, all of which shaped the message and lifestyle that would become punk. Mainly centered around government corruption, surveillance, and anti-communism in the Western World, these events inspired a movement of anti-government, anti-war, anti-surveillance, and anti-capitalism.

With World War 2 ending in 1945, the world was left in a world divided between capitalism and communism.

With the start of The Vietnam war in 1955 (don't fret, I'll explain), average people were growing tired of the seemingly endless wars, and the corrupted, secretive governments that commanded them.

This gave way to the hippy movement - an anti-war counterculture centered around radical peace and pacifism. But as the Vietnam War stretch through the 60's and into the 70's, the hippy movement and it's pacifism waned.

As the CIA began to squash protests, and Western governments engaged in more corruption and espionage - the pacifism turned to anger, and the outcry turned to music.

What came next was Punk.

Now that we understand the roots of Punk - let's do a quick run down of the historical events that influenced it, and the beliefs that arised from it.

Before we begin, keep in mind that these are all events that Hobie would live through - and have opinions about. Born somewhere between 1958 and 1961, and living in 1978 (according to his intro mugshot) - all of these things would have an effect on Hobie, the way he was raised, and the struggles he had to face.

All of them have a really cool influence on Hobie and the punk movement, so let's take a look -

1978 Punk - Basic Historical Events & Beliefs

The Vietnam War (1955 - 1975) - A war between the Communist North Vietnam and Capitalist South Vietnam. In order to ensure the spread of Capitalism, the United States government crossed the globe into foreign borders in an attempt to secure victory for North Vietnam. They committed a LOT of atrocities that still effect the Vietnamese people to this day. In addition, The US government participated in drafting during this time. Eventually, the Communist Resistance proved victorious, and the country of Vietnam is currently communist. Resulting Punk Belief - Anti-Capitalism, Anti-War, Anti-Colonialism, Anti-Draft, Pro-Communism, Pro-Armed Resistance (in response to North Vietnam's armed victory.)

The Rise of Margaret Thatcher (1975-2013) - Often called the most hated woman in all of Ireland and probably the UK too, Margaret Thatcher is one of the most influential British Prime Ministers of all time. Leader of the 'Tories' (Short for Conservative) since 1975, Margaret Thatcher took office in 1979. Which means in 1978 - when Hobie is - she would currently be running her campaign for Prime Minister. Margaret Thatcher largely contributed to the unrest and conflict within the British-occupied Northern Ireland, as well as hardship within the working-class in her own country. Even though she left office in 1990, it can easily be said her damage lasted until the day she died, and even beyond. When Hobie says he hates the PM. He without a doubt means her. Resulting Punk Belief - Anti-Government, Anti-Conservative, Anti-Colonialism, Pro-Armed Resistance (in response to the Irish Republican Army)

The Civil Rights Movement - It can be hard to believe that Hobie's life overlaps with that of the Civil Rights Movement - but it does! With Malcom X's assassination in 1965, MLK's assassination in 1968, and Fred Hampton's (Black Panther Party) assassination in 1969 - regardless of how you age him - Hobie's childhood was largely characterized by the death of many Civil Rights Leaders in America. Even despite being British himself, Hobie would directly face this for much of his childhood - as racial segregation was legal within the UK until 1965 (around the time he'd be 4-7, if you age him 17-20). However this era was also characterized by the rise of Black culture in media, whether it be Disco, Ballroom, The Black Panther Party or Blaxploitation Movies. Resulting Punk Belief - Starch Anti-Racism, Extreme Race Solidarity, Affirmative Action, Black Pride

Queer Liberation Wave 1 (1969-1979 and onward) - After spending years as an oppressed, underground subculture Queer Identity and it's liberation came to limelight throughout the 70's. The 70's began and ended with two of the most important events in Queer History - The Stonewall Riots and The White Night Riots. In 1969, New York City police officers raided and brutalized patrons at a popular pub called 'Stonewall'. Many trans people as well as a number of drag performers were being arrested for cross-dressing, which was illegal at the time. Stormé DeLarverie - a mixed-race drag king and butch lesbian, called out in anger and desperation at a crowd of onlookers, which incited the riot that is known as the beginnings of the Queer Liberation Movement. Stonewall Inn still exists until this day - and a year after it's anniversary - the first ever pride parade was started in NYC. Ten years later in 1979, a man named Harvey Milk was running for office in California. An openly-gay man and activist, Harvey was assassinated by a man named Dan White. When Dan was only lightly sentenced for this however, 100k people marched for Harvey's justice - sparking a night of violence and direct conflict with the police. Resulting Punk Belief - Anti-Police, Anti-Justice System, Anti-Bigotry, Anti-Homophobia, Queer Liberation

Other notable historical mentions that are just as important but probably too complicated and/or boring for me to talk about:The Cold War (1945 - forever probably) - The on-going and ever-evolving power struggle between Capitalism and Communism, The West and The East, and nuclear warfare. Yay. Particularly heated due to the Vietnam War, and conflicts in the Middle East. The Watergate Scandal and the Nixon tapes (1972) - The Nixon administration gets caught wiretapping an opponent's office. Nixon is caught on tape trying to cover this up. Tapes are leaked. Nixons resigns. The War on Drugs (1971 - forever probably) - The Nixon administration ignites 'The War on Drugs', a campaign for strict criminalization of drug use. Although a ploy to 'clean up streets' it's backwards logic actually led to more extreme drug conditions. In addition, it also overlapped with the CIA distributing cocaine and crack into Black communities in the 1980's so.... yeah the drugs won the war.

So, What does any of this have to do with Hobie Brown?

And Can Hobie be written better?

Now that we have a better understanding of the world that raised Hobie, when we look back at him, we can get a lot clearer view of who he is and what he probably believes.

[And if you need a second to look at him after reading this far I completely understand I do too here ya go]

With all that in mind, we can say:

Being born somewhere between 1959 and 1962, Hobie Brown is a black guy raised in an era of persistent conflict, growing conservatism, and on-going social change. His existence is resistance in and of itself.

History-wise:

Raised in the 60's and coming-of-age in the late 70's - Hobie's life has probably been characterized by persistent war, and a generation who met it with radical kindness and compassion.

Although Hobie is a punk himself, Punks and Hippies have roots in the same places and concerns - albeit it different approaches. But at their cores, they're about freedom - and compassion towards others who need it most.

Hippies centered their movement around kindness and non-violence, but also action through resilience, community, and peaceful protest. And Hobie may not believe in non-violence (which - he doesn't. He believes in violence let's be clear.) we can still see the influence of Hippies on his upbringing and behavior.

Throughout ATSV, Hobie's action are motivated and based on resilience within the face of an oppressive institution, and his actions of protests are direct ones - they're indirect, such as building community between him, Miles, and Gwen. His methodology is one of gaining intelligence and destabilizing from the inside.

Race-wise:

To put it blatantly, as this something I feel like isn't highlighted about his character enough-

Hobie would have direct and real experience and trauma around his race based on the time he's from.

And without a doubt, his race would be something he has a lot of pride in.

Hobie would be very vocally proud to be black.

For once, Hobie without a doubt would be raised in a time where racial discrimination and segregation was legal for the beginning of his childhood. He's raised by black people who have lived with this segregation and abuse for all of their lives. And despite the illegalization of segregation in 1965, many racist attitudes would still persist to his modern year.

But, this is Hobie we're talking about. Hobie also was raised in a time where pride in a black identity was stressed at every turn. He's a black guy in 1978. He has wicks. Those two things connect.

When you see his leather vest, your first thought may connect to Sex Pistols, or UK punks. But Black Panthers - a movement that existed all throughout his life, wore leather jackets just the same.

I believe the Panthers influence Hobie a lot too. Many know the Panthers for their direct conflict with police - and Assata Shakur (Tupac's Aunt) being a member.

But the Panthers were also ALL about community. In fact, they started a program to feed inner-city kids breakfast and lunch throughout summer. Many are still going across the country. {As a child, this program fed me and my schoolmates :) }

Hobie takes after them. He sees a younger black child in need of help, and he takes a break from fighting to help them, mentor them, and teach them about the cause. Hobie would absolutely have a Black Panther pin on his jacket!

This is something that is really just brushed over in fanfic and fandom and I'm hoping to write a piece about how to better characterize him because of this - but from here, let's keep this in mind!

Political-wise:

Hobie lived in a time of extreme change, progress, and political development. And to some, his methods may see just as extreme.

But now that we have a context for who he is and who he exists as, lets me transparent about it.

Growing up post-Hippy era, during the rise of conservatism in Britain - as a low-classer class black kid - Hobie's attitude towards activism would differ than those before him.

As most of the adult population seemed numb to war, and most of the Hippy subculture disbanded, outward rebellion and resistance would look a lot more pro-active in many ways, but just as thoughtful.

Hobie is very clearly an anarchist, but considering the political sphere of communism during the time as his behavior towards Miles and Gwen - I do believe he'd support communism, with anarchy being his primary stance and focus.

I honestly believe that Hobie would be pro-armed resistance. As Northern Vietnam and the IRA defended their homelands from foreign invasion, and the Black Panthers armed themself with guns against brutal police forces - Hobie's life would be colored with resistance through armed means.

Hobie uses his guitar as a weapon, both musically and physically, and he carries it openly. He doesn't need to do this. He's Spider-man. He choses to do this. I think Hobie would approve of the oppressed arming themselves, and that's why he does it himself.

And of course, he's anti-police or any form of military, militia, what have you. They are the arm of the state and exist only to target civilians with their will. I believe he would have no sympathy for police - as actual punks in his era had no sympathy for police. [And if he did (he doesn't) he'd be directly shunned by every other punk for doing so, because wtf.] But out of respect for the actual punks who inspired him, the Black activists brutalized, the queer people targeted, and all those who suffered under oppressive policing during this era (many of which are still alive and maybe even our parents), lets all agree Hobie outwardly and vocally hates police.

For many reasons. Many reasons personal and influenced by direct experience with him, or people he cares deeply about.

Please keep that in mind. It's quite literally impossible for Hobie to not be affected by these events to some extent.

Personality-wise:

This will be expanded in the next part - and of course this is just my opinion, but personality-wise, I think: Hobie is very politically educated and dedicated. And I feel like this is another thing that isn't highlighted enough or shown enough in fandom.

Hobie's morals, behavior, and methodology doesn't come from nowhere - and although they may be expressed in the music he listens to, the music itself is not the source.

It comes from direct experience with political action outside of being Spider-man.

Based on his deep understanding of anarchy and punk, we can guess that Hobie's very well-read, particularly in history and social theory. Both the IRA and North Vietnam were Marxist-Leninist, so it wouldn't be far of a leap to say that Hobie could be anarcho-communist.

Hobie would absolutely take the time to read - things like the Communist Manifesto, the Black Panther literature and other things.

In my opinion, from all of this - I can only assume Hobie is a reader, an avid one. He without a doubt participates in direct action outside of being SM - such as attending an anarchist/communist union, attending protests out of costume, organizing and planning meetings with other leftists, collecting and gathering supplies and food for those in need, squatting and securing housing for the homeless, and a lot of other things punks that aren't Spider-man do.

It kinda wouldn't make sense for him not to. He was a punk before he was Spider-man. When Hobie isn't being Spider-punk, and he's being a normal punk - if we try to consider how he spends his free time, a lot of the time our instinct is to imagine him and band. And that's a large part of Hobie.

But all of this is too. These are all things Hobie enjoys, because Hobie enjoys helping people. When Miles breaks free from the society, he's happy for him. It's all he wants.

_____________________________

When we genuinely put Hobie into these scenarios, it really helps to humanize him. We can all see the depth in his character, and that depth comes from a real, genuine place.

Like a punk opposing the draft, Hobie opposes the oppressive leader that mandates the trauma of youth. Like a Black Panther with their afro, Hobie wears his hair with pride.

All of these events contribute to him and who he is, and he shows it with everything he does and chooses to be.

I hope understanding these events helps you understand Hobie and his motives more - and I hoped this post helped you understand the history of punk more!

-------------------------------------------------------

This is UNGODLY long - and ungodly wordy. But if you read this far, thank you! And I hope it helped at all! If you learned anything or have any questions, please let me know! I'd love to hear your thoughts, insights, revelations, etc. As you can probably tell I love rambling about Hobie and I'm totally normal and functional and not at all obsessed.

Please stick thoughts of Hobie Brown in my enclosure. I promise I'm normal about him. Thanks again!

[eropandasennin]

Family tree:

Bayonetta - Sister who's got sass and class.

DMC - Older tryhard brother that has his heart in the right place but tends to act like he's wiser then his siblings

Vanquish - Twin of the younger sister. Acts a bit like the older brother but has his own style and likes technology more

Metal Gear Rising - Cousin. Likes to hang out with the main trio but often isn't allowed to by his overbearing father.

Madworld/Anarchy Reigns - Uncle who's usually doing his own but occasionally drops by.

Nier Automata - Younger sister who gets oddly very philosophical.

Viewtiful Joe/Wonderful 101 - Cousins who watch too many movies and sentai shows

Okami - Pet dog.

granted, I haven't played DMC, but it looks aesthetically like Bayonetta's swagless tryhard twin brother

Doesn't DMC predate Bayonetta by like 10 years

[wisepuma23]

C!Tommy Isn't a Hero: An Inniter-Approved Meta

first off if this gets screen-shotted, I'd like to say I'm a goddamn Inniter <3

cw: canonical mentions of abuse, torture, trauma

we love analyzing the issues of morality on the DSMP and it's incredibly popular to portray c!Techno & c!Philza on the darker side of the scale. Listen this is a hard pill to swallow but heroes, actual heroes in literature and real life agents of change have to focus on Ideals™️ and conceptualizing the consequences to their actions beyond their personal circle of friends/family. Anybody on the DSMP that DOESN'T think about high-level concepts that require critical thinking, which lemme break that down, is POLITICS!

Some of you might already tune out but to be CLEAR: politics at the very foundation is strengthening empathy past your friends and family, your neighbors, and beyond your community.

c!Techno and c!Philza think about political ideologies like anarchy to solve problems for their community and for the larger DSMP as a whole like taking down oppressive political structures (yes, c!Tubbo and c!Quackity use both political & physical weapons to commit state violence) which includes New L'Manberg.

Techno and Philza, as the characters, actually show more empathy and understanding for others' pain and struggle because they understood that state violence and war crimes against their citizens (and non-citizens as well) is well,,,, BAD

And they put a stop to it! They were an agent of significant change! Right now the Syndicate is actually c!Techno and c!Philza working on making lasting change and making sure it doesn't happen again. They're morally grey like anyone else but holy shit they aren't villains? Like bruh what are you on??? They're people and make mistakes and they are miscommunications (bedrocks bros,,, tragic friendship my beloved </3) c!Tommy?? He's not like c!Wilbur, c!Tubbo, and c!Quackity, that's for sure. They are well aware of their actions and the consequences that may last longer than the scars on their skin. They weaponize their words and know that there are greater things that move people than just a crying friend. I'd argue they're darker than c!Tommy on the moral spectrum. I'm not even gonna talk about c!Schlatt lmao

However c!Tommy ISN'T a hero (thanks c!Wilbur propaganda) and he ISN'T a good person!!!! Guys if you miss those two key concepts about him, are we watching the same white boy? He has hurt people both friends and enemy, he clings to peace through stagnation, and focuses on sentiments/attachments.

It's a huge misunderstanding because normally traditional "heroes" are given those characteristics of caring about their friends and having cute items that define them.

But hey,,, this is the dsmp,,, where c!BBH is undeniably attached to Skeppy,,,, and c!Ponk and c!Sam are in love with each other even though they are directly opposed to each other, LIKE NOTHING IS CLEAR CUT HERE MOTHERFUCKER!!!

a quick post on canon relationships, my beloved

(cowards didn't even mention Ghostbur and Friend lol)

even c!Schlatt was married to c!Quackity, like yes it was abusive & toxic, but goddamn all the characters are people and they fall in love and have friends and they can order state executions and torture their lovers

c!Tommy isn't any different than anyone else on the DSMP, like wake up and smell the primes!!!! XD he isn't the only character that has friends & sentiments :D

What does make him different than the earlier characters I've mentioned is that he's DIRECTLY focused on friends & family, attachments/sentiments, he's more dangerous than mercenary c!Punz because his goals/motivations cannot be bought. C!Punz has a huge crush on Sam Nook and he does murder <3

c!Tommy is a morally grey character, sometimes he dips DARK like with torturing c!Fundy, his ignorance of Ideals is why he enabled c!Wilbur's power schemes, it's one thing to buy someone's help and another to be manipulated and believed with whole life and love. C!Tommy is an admirable character and his fatal flaw is his stubbornness.

C!Tommy can't be a hero,,,, because he never was one,,,, he doesn't bring significant AND lasting change, and he only cares about the direct impacts on his Loved Ones,,, and that was easy to support a Community when it was only four people. Now there's 30 total members on the DSMP and there's no more "easy" nation to consolidate his "loyalty" qualities under.

The biggest thing for C!Tommy right now wouldn't just be an Introduction to Political Science 101 class but also the character growth to let go. He has huge trauma connected to the themes of "change" and I'd like to see him heal by realizing it's possible to stop hurting others back. Thinking about larger political impacts of his actions would actually strengthen his empathy as it did for c!Wilbur, as he realized what he did was WRONG, and then decided to rectify it by destroying the weapon he made. L'Manberg.

I'd like to leave you all with the homework of what weapon c!Tommy had made ":)"

[tilbageidanmark]

Movies I watched this week - 25

Was 1973 the greatest year in cinema?

Besides the ones below, 1973 was also the year of The Holy Mountain, Day for Night, Mean Streets, Badlands, La Planete Sauvage, Paper Moon, Scenes from a Marriage, Amarcord, Oh Lucky Man, American Graffiti, Enter the Dragon, The Sting, The Exorcist...

✳️✳️✳️ 1973: The Spirit Of The Beehive (El espíritu de la colmena) - one of the most beautiful Spanish films of all time.

It’s 1940, and six-year-old Anna lives with her family in an isolated Castilian village. A mobile cinema truck bring Frankenstein to the village.

Quiet, symbolic and deeply moving.

The trailer.

✳️✳️✳️ 1973: The Last Detail, written by Robert Towne, with Jack Nicholson at his peak and with cameos by Gilda Radner, Nancy Allen and Carol Kane. 9/10

“Welcome to the wonderful world of pussy, kid..”

Going to watch the few other Hal Ashby films again.

✳️✳️✳️ 1973: Critically-acclaimed Robert Altman’s anachronistic neo-noir The Long Goodbye, with chain smoking Elliott Gould as unconvincing and bumbling Philip Marlowe.

Also, Arnold Schwarzenegger’s first movie appearance.

✳️✳️✳️ 1973! I don’t know why I haven’t revisited Don’t Look Now for at least 15 years: I always considered it to be Nicolas Roeg’s best film, but it’s actually one of the greatest films I ever saw! Cinematically, emotionally, with extraordinary sound editing (The first 8 min.! The dressing / undressing scene!)..

With Renato Scarpa as the police inspector: ”AH! MIS-ter BAX-ter!”

Simply perfect!

✳️✳️✳️ 1973: In La Grande Bouffe four friends, Marcello, Ugo, Michel and Philippe (played by Marcello Mastroianni, Ugo Tognazzi, Michel Piccoli, Philippe Noiret) decide to binge-eat themselves to death on fine cuisine. A decadent and perverted food and sex orgy, full of excess and anarchy that doesn’t end until the last one shits himself to death. But why?

Bon appétit!

✳️✳️✳️ 1973: Honest cop and whistleblower Serpico fights obsessively against systemic corruption at the New York Police Department.

With Who’s Who of the time in small parts: Hank Garrett, ‘The Mailman’ from ‘Three days of the Condor’, Jack Kehoe, Midnight Run’s ‘Jerry’, James Tolkan as Steiger, M. Emmet Walsh, F. Murray Abraham, John Randolph, Allan Rich ...

✳️✳️✳️ 1973 / First watch - The Wicker Man, a British folk horror number about a Christian copper vs. a Scottish village of pagan heathens. With younger Christopher Lee in a hippie drag.

It had a unique way of combing folk songs, sung by the characters, nearly like a strange musical.

✳️✳️✳️ 1973: Westworld, the robots malfunction and revolt at a futuristic, adult-themed amusement park. Yul Brynner as the original Terminator. 3/10.

✴️                  

Queen of Hearts, a complex erotic drama by Danish-Egyptian director May el-Toukhy. An illicit affair between gorgeous Trine Dyrholm and her stepson Gustav Lindh (From Riders of Justice!). Shockingly explicit sex and unexpected third act reverse expectations and sympathies.

Best film of the week!

✴️            

Jackie Chan’s 1985 Police Story, a “broadly” choreographed slapstick / martial arts film. With young and chubby-faced Maggie Cheung, before she became world-class gorgeous.

✴️           

This isn't a rental car - it's privately owned.

How come I’ve never seen David Byrne’s True Stories before? Written by Ned Ryerson himself. Kooky characters in small town Vernon, TX. inspired by actual supermarket tabloid stories. Like Nashville for the 80′s..

✴️                

Crimes and Misdemeanors, a classic Woody Allen nihilist drama with a dual storyline that still holds its power.

“The eyes of God are always watching us” .

Toddler Dylan Farrow appears in a cameo at the wedding, and a distinct sub-plot has Allen wooing his teenage niece by taking her to see old movies and buying her art books... So, yuck to that part.

✴️              

“It’s good to be king.”

Mel Brooks’ 40 year old class-conscience History of the world, Part 1 - narrated by Orson Welles, with cameos by John Hurt as Jesus and Hugh Hefner, who also supplied the harem of vestal virgins. While ‘The Meaning of Life’ which came 2 years later was about philosophy, this was about history.

But everybody had such pearly white teeth.

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I started watching Jojo Rabbit 3 times before I could finish this pretentious Holocaust comedy of revisionist Nazi-chic cuteness. A ten-year-old Hitler Youth boy finds out that his mother, Scarlett Johansson, is hiding a Jewish girl in their attic. Kitschy, cowardly and lazy. This is not ‘The Great Dictator’ or ‘The Producers’, or even ‘Look who’s back’. It’s Hitler 101 explained to 10 year olds who never heard of him.

I wonder how they got the rights to The Beatles and Bowie songs.

Also, Hitler was not a smoker. 2/10. (Photo above)

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Picked up a random Apple’s TV series, Home before dark, about a 9 year old girl playing a journalist. I tried to get into it, and saw 2.5 episodes, but it was so ordinary, and soul-less, and full of teenager flick cliches, that I had to quit. Even the Jason Robards quotes from ‘All the President’s Men’ couldn’t help it. PASS!

✴️               

✳️✳️✳️ Woodward and Bernstein X 2

So, prompted by the series above, I watched All the President's Men again (for the 10? time). What a masterful film! Romancing investigative journalism never looked so good.

With a script by William Goldman, cinematography by Gordon Willis, and Robert Walden playing Donald Segretti.

The sparse score by Michael Small, who was Pakula’s go-to composer (and which I already mentioned here earlier)! Compared to his Parallax View theme.

True fact: Frank Wills, the black security guard who discovered the break-in, was fired without explanation a few days later. He was out of work for three years until he played himself (one day's work) in this film, and never had a full-time job again, until his death in 2000, at the age of 52.  

✳️✳️✳️ Also, All the President's Men Revisited, a 2012 documentary featuring all the players, and just before Trump, so they all could comfortably predict that Watergate will happen again, but none of them realized how terribly soon it will be.

✴️          

The company Men is about 3 senior executives trying to survive during the financial crisis of 2010 after getting fired, downsized, becoming redundant.

The Corporate-speak sounded fake, and Ben Affleck is not a good actor, so it wasn’t too engaging. 3/10

- - - - -

(My complete movie list is here)

[tawakkull]

ISLAM 101: Spirituality in Islam: Part 73

Part 2

The manifestation of the Name the All-Outward as Divine religious commandments finds its greatest representative and implementation in the political leader of Muslims, while that of the Name the All-Inward is represented by the spiritual Pole, who is the commander of the realm of spiritual truths. The outward is the manifestation of the inward in the corporeal realm, and the inward is the inner dimension of the outward. If the “All-Hidden Treasure,” which is inward, had not manifested Itself, It could not have been known, nor would all those dazzling beauties throughout the universe have been observed, nor could the meanings in the horizon of the Name the All-Inward have been read. The Treasure of the inward has breathed itself out through the outward, which has consequently become an ornate envelope for the inward. It is a multi-dimensional, splendid envelope, which is described in Imam al-Ghazzali’s famous saying: “It is not probable that there is a universe more beautiful than the present one.”

Despite the clarity of the matter, some deviating ideologies—which have tried to distort even matters that are so clear that there can be no different understanding or interpretation—have separated the outward from the inward and made strange, unreasonable, and religiously unacceptable interpretations of the inward, thus attempting to muddy Islamic thought. Many such distorted interpretations have their sources in ancient Greek philosophy, Indian belief and thought, Hermeticism, and the doctrines of the Sabaeans. Whether knowingly or unknowingly, many of us Muslims have been influenced by such distorted thoughts and approaches and have suffered doctrinal deviations.

Some among the Muslims have labeled with literalism and belittled the manifest commandments of the Qur’an and the Sunna and the sincere, scholarly deductions concluded from these two basic sources by the profound, righteous scholars in the early centuries of Islam. Carried away by the desire to make fantastic interpretations, they have even attempted to give different, unacceptable meanings to the fundamental, explicit rules and principles of Islam. They have regarded Prayer as the way followed by the common people to reach God and claimed that it is not necessary for those who “have followed the way of inwardness and reached God.” They have also looked upon the Prescribed, Purifying Alms with the same distorted approach, considered the Pilgrimage as an attempt by the common people to be united with God, seen Fasting as meaningless suffering, viewed avoidance of the religiously forbidden things as folly, and tried to drive everyone to what is nearly a bohemian life.

Such approaches and considerations were first produced in such currents or centers as Jami’ism, Adhamism, Haydarism, Babaism, Shamsism, Qarmatism, and certain schools of Ismailism, and then transported, to some extent, into some Sufi lodges and madrasas. They have interpreted the Qur’an and Prophetic Traditions arbitrarily, considering even the explicit verses of the Qur’an and Prophetic Traditions as symbolic expressions, interpreting them like interpreting dreams. Such movements of dissent and corruption, which began with Ibn Saba’, were continued in increasing dimensions by Maymun of Ahwaz, and grew into flames with Barqai; they became so great a problem that they shook Islamic life at its foundations with Hasan Sabbah. Finally, everything ended in complete freedom from religious responsibilities.

According to such approaches, the explicit meanings of the Qur’anic verses and Prophetic Traditions are not valid and should never be followed. Continuing with this argument, what we must regard and follow are the inner, esoteric meanings, and only those who are specialists in the esoteric dimension of the Religion can know them. They also claim that believing that God has Attributes means accepting as many gods as the number of Attributes that have been ascribed to Him. All-Glorified He is, and absolutely exalted, immeasurably high above all that they say (17: 43). They also claim—God forbid such claims!—that God is powerful not because He has Power but because He gives others power—I do not even know what they mean by such assertions. They consider other of His Attributes from this viewpoint.

Like other false beliefs and thoughts which have been inherited from ancient philosophers, the so-called “Doctrine of Ten Intellects” is one of their false doctrines. According to this, God first created a First Intellect, and then, through this, a First Soul. When the Soul demanded the perfection of the Intellect, it needed an action, which, in turn, caused the generation of celestial spheres. The movement of these spheres generated coldness, heat, moisture, and dryness. These “four basic elements” caused the coming about of three earthly classes of existent things and/or beings, namely inanimate objects, vegetation, and animals. According to this view, this process continued until humankind came into existence. We seek refuge in God from such corrupt thoughts.

Referring existence to a First Intellect and substituting the Prophets for what some call the Perfect or Universal Men is something that is common to all false systems of beliefs and thoughts. We should add to these two assertions their fully esoteric interpretation of the Qur’an and the Sunna. Furthermore, some other assertions, or doctrines, or practices, such as giving letters meanings that are incompatible with the Shari’a or sound reason, pursuing wonder through abstruse or ambiguous expressions, giving a sense of mystery to whatever they do with ceremonies resembling those of some secret societies, and pretending to do all such things for the sake of the Religion and religious life have deceived the masses, who are unaware of the essential reality of the Religion and religious life.

Their incorrect interpretation of religious worship and obedience and their attitudes giving the impression that they are encouraging sin and immorality have made many people indifferent to good moral standards and religious rules, finally leading to anarchy. Since such approaches corrupt hearts and spirits gradually, those who are unaware of the spirit of the Religion have fallen into this accursed net unawares, and have not been able to recover. What follows are some indications of this dangerous process:

Recognition and choice: Recognizing and choosing the targeted person well as far as their capacity for understanding is concerned. Simple-minded ones who have no correct knowledge of the Religion and are able to be deceived are chosen. Gradual education and training: Conquering the hearts of the audience through gradual education and training. Throwing into doubt: Causing the audience to doubt the truths and cardinal beliefs of the Religion, and directing them to rituals other than the worship of God. Dependence: Making the acceptance of candidates dependent on certain conditions. Holding one’s tongue: Getting candidates to promise that they will never tell their secrets. Persuasion: Persuading candidates that whatever they hear from the leader is a Divine inspiration. Separation: Causing those who are believed to be fully aware of the “esoteric dimension” of the Religion to ignore the apparent meanings of the Qur’an and to abandon the daily religious practices. Complete freedom: Leading candidates to a belief in complete freedom from religious responsibilities. The truth is that, like creation, the Religion has both outward and inward dimensions for the Unique, All-Absolute One is both the All-Outward and the All-Inward. Nothing in and concerning existence is unknown to Him, because He is the All-Outward; He is also the All-Inward, therefore He has full knowledge of whatever concerns humans during their whole lives, decreeing good for the good, righteous ones, and punishment for the evil, sinful ones as declared in: (The will of) God came upon them from where they had not reckoned (it could come) (59: 2).

As mentioned above, the Religion of Islam has both outward and inward dimensions based on its two basic sources, the Qur’an and the Sunna, and on the principles deduced from them by eminent scholars in the early ages of Islam. The Shari’a has rules and principles for perfect spiritual education, and it disciplines people with respect to their feelings, thoughts, attitudes, and actions. In addition, it contains necessary knowledge for the entire life of humans with all its aspects. For example, it provides sufficient rules for human religious responsibilities, such as physical purification, the Prayer, fasting, the Prescribed Purifying Alms, Pilgrimage, and jihad (striving in God’s cause); in addition, daily acts or transactions, such as buying and selling, employment, commerce, business, building and running companies, and administration are covered by the Shari’a, as well as penalties, whether those established by God Himself in the Qur’an, or by the Messenger in the Sunna, or by scholars based on the unchanging principles laid down by the Qur’an and the Sunna. These constitute the outward aspect of the Shari’a. The Shari’a also has rules and principles for the mental and spiritual education and perfection of humans, expressed in certain concepts such as confirmation, belief, certainty, sincerity, knowledge of God, love of God, submission to God, placing one’s trust and reliance in God, commitment and resignation to God, recitations, repentance, penitence, and contrition for errors, reverence and fear of God, patience, contentment, nearness to God, intense love for God, ecstasy, immersion in God, modesty, exaltation and glorification of God. These constitute the inward aspect of the Shari’a. There is no and can never be conflict between the outward and inward aspects of the Shari’a. Rather, the two are dimensions of a single reality and they complement each other.

On the Sufi way, initiates ignore their existence with respect to their egos or annihilate their egos in God’s Existence. They are content with God’s decrees and faithful to their promises, paying no attention to anything other than God and inwardly burning with the yearning to observe the Divine “Face” in the other world. Nothing here is contrary to the principles that have been established by the Qur’an and the Sunna. On the contrary, these are the rules that ought to be observed so that we can lead a life at the level of the heart and spirit. They are originally based on the Qur’an and the Sunna.

In short, a religious life is incumbent upon every responsible being, and it is only possible by following the Shari’a. Metaphysical discoveries and spiritual pleasures are favors that come in return for the sincerity of initiates without their demand. Following the Shari’a and reaching a certain level of spiritual life or spiritual profundity are not mutually exclusive; rather, they complement one another as two dimensions of the same reality.

What an initiate first feels of the inward is certain manifestations of the Divine Names and Attributes. This has been called “the inward relative.” So long as an initiate advances toward the end of this spiritual journey, manifestations from the Realm of Divine Essence begin to invade their conscience. This state has been called “the most inward within the inward.” There are many who reach the horizon of the inward, but few can go deep into “the most inward of the inward” and, therefore, few have knowledge of the mysteries of Divinity.

Let us put an end to this highly subtle, ambiguous matter with the comprehensive approach of Bediüzzaman Said Nursi. According to him, the outward dimension of creation is called the mulk (the corporeal dimension of the Divine kingdom), while its inner dimension is the malakut (the absolute, incorporeal dimension of the Divine kingdom). The relationship between a human being and his or her heart is an example of these two aspects or dimensions of existence or the Divine kingdom. With respect to the corporeal dimension, a human being is an envelope and the heart is its contents. With respect to the absolute, incorporeal dimension, the heart is an envelope while the human being is the contents. This same relationship also exists between the Supreme Divine Throne and the universe. The Supreme Divine Throne is a combination of the manifestations of the Divine Names the First, the Last, the All-Outward, and the All-Inward. With respect to the Divine Name the All-Outward, the Supreme Divine Throne represents the mulk and is the envelope of creation, while with respect to the Name the All-Inward, It is the malakut or the heart or contents of creation, and the universe is the mulkor the envelope. Considering the Divine Name the First, the Supreme Divine Throne is indicated by His Supreme Throne was upon the water (11: 7), which points to the beginning of existence. In respect of the Divine Name the Last, the ceiling of Paradise is the Supreme Throne of the All-Merciful, which alludes to the finality of everything. As a result, being the combination of the manifestations or the all-encompassing mirror of the Divine Names the First, the Last, the All-Outward, and the All-Inward, the Supreme Divine Throne encompasses the whole universe.

O God, the Lord of the seven heavens and the Lord of the Supreme Throne, our Lord and the Lord of everything; the One Who sent down the Torah, the Gospel, and the Qur’an; the Splitter of the grain and fruit stone—there is no deity but You! I seek refuge in You from the evil of everything, which You hold by its forelock.

You are the First, without any preceding You; You are the Last, there is none to succeed You. You are the All-Outward, with none being above You; and You are the All-Inward, with nothing more penetrating than You. Forgive us whatever evil we have done, so that You may not call us to account for anything. Surely You are powerful over everything, and ever responsive to calls. And bestow blessings and peace upon our master Muhammad and his Family and Companions, altogether.