#lesser jihad

[mkcosplayorcovid-19prevention]

96:4 Who taught by the pen,

5:90 O you who believe, intoxicants and games of chance and (sacrificing to) stones set up and (dividing by) arrows  are only an uncleanness, the devil’s work; so shun it that you may succeed.

dividing by arrows "Fuckin Arab Magic Arrows"???

4600 SW 41st Blvd, Gainesville, FL 32608

(800) 694-9494

To any UK Imam.... who has Twisted "The Words" of Archery to mean Anything Other Than fighting Literally with A Bow and Arrows....

May Allah Let "Me" Fight you beforehand "Your Seeing" of the Bridge as Thin as A hair and as Sharp as a Sword

I just Re Watched Rambo and I know it was a Imagined Situation but at one point "in the Movie" He goes "Ham" with a Modern Bow and Arrow Against Burmese ahhh "Hostage" takers...

I think 🤔 maybe I would make the judgment...

A real bow and Arrow could be overkill in most real life situations, and if your Anger exceeds... Bows and Arrows... you Should "Leave it in Rambo's hands"

Deuteronomy 32:42

I will make my arrows drunk with blood,

    while my sword devours flesh:

the blood of the slain and the captives,

    the heads of the enemy leaders.”

[ceasarslegion]

please expand on the celestial seasonings cult owner??

Yippee!!

Okay so,

One of the founders of the tea company that would eventually become Celestial Seasonings was a guy named Mo Siegel. I dont actually know if hes still alive, so I'll be speaking as though he is until I know otherwise. The story of the actual tea company is pretty boring: two guys founded it 50-60 years ago, it became a legitimate competitor to companies like Twinings, it was bought by Celestial Tea Group in the 2000s and incorporated the owner companys name to become Celestial Seasonings, Mo Siegel retired from the business in 2002 on the money he got from selling the company. As far as I know, he also didn't use company funds towards the cult he was in, so even back then it wasn't really a big deal if you bought their tea.

The cult that hes a member of is called Urantism, and hes pretty high up in their ranks just by virtue of having a lot of money and being someone they can prop up as an example of why their belief system leads to success, a la Tom Cruise in the Scientology church. I would be surprised if youve heard of it because theyre fringe in the sense that theyre not very powerful or known of. They have very little cultural influence and at the time of speaking are pretty harmless overall because they arent a doomsday cult or anything and have not been responsible for acting upon their very strange belief system. They are no scientology or prosperity evangelism or jihadism, that's for sure.

That doesnt mean their beliefs arent strange or incapable of becoming violent or influential under different circumstances, however.

The main tenets of Urantism are based in Christian biblical ideas of creation and they believe in the trinity, albeit under different names. There are a number of offshoots to the Bible though, namely in that they refer to Earth as Urantia and believe that the universe is actually an interconnected series of multiverses, with every galaxy actually being another universe. They call the milky way Nebadon and believe it to be a separate universe.

They also have a the same jesus story as other Christian sects do. So crucifixion, resurrection, son of God, etc. Where they differ is that their holy book documents in detail what they believe to be Jesus's childhood and teenage years as well.

Their idea of God is also very uh. Interesting. They see God as more of a museum curator than the shepherd-type figure other Christian sects ascribe to, which every universe being a different "exhibit" that God is supposedly pruning and cleaning until he finds the perfect universe to model. This is where the eugenics come in: Urantians do believe in evolution. Kind of. They believe in like, actual scientific evolution, but they go off the rails with why they believe humans became the dominant species on the planet. Essentially they believe that humans broke off into 7 different "breeds," so to speak, each with skin colours matching the colours of the rainbow. Every colour had a different skillset and abilities that others didn't, and they believe these proto-humans had a social caste hierarchy based on these colours, with the purple people being at the bottom because they were strong enough to uh, do slave labour, but didn't have any brains. Over the millennia, these colours eventually cross-bred, washed out, and became the different races and skin tones we have today. They believe that white people are the most "pure" evolution of human beings who cross-bred with "lesser" colours the least, and that uh. Uh. The darker your skin is, the more closely related to the purple people your evolutionary line is.

Yeah its. Weird.

Anyway, that's the basic gist of the cult that the guy who founded Celestial Seasonings is a member of. I am still trying to find their holy book because I want to read it so bad but because I am obviously not a member of Urantia I dont seem to have access to it anywhere.

[abuubaidahh]

Shaykh Abdullah Azzam (رحمه الله):

‎“The person who smokes cannabis in Afghanistan while engaged in jihad is better than someone devoted to worship in the vicinity of the Sacred Masjid in Makkah. The one who smokes harms only himself, but the one sitting back neglects jihad, harming the entire Muslim Ummah. Take this ruling from me. The cannabis smoker fighting in Afghanistan is better than the worshiper in Peshawar or Makkah. Both commit sins, but the sin of abandoning jihad harms the entire Ummah, whereas the sin of cannabis harms only the individual.

‎This is not being emotional or zealous; it's legal ruling. Share it with others. The smoker fighting in Afghanistan, through whom Allah humiliates the communists, is better than the one worshiping Allah in any other place on Earth.

‎Don't say, "But he smokes cannabis." Even among the Companions, some drank wine during battles like Yarmuk and Qadisiyyah. Didn't Sa'd bin Abi Waqqas imprison Abu Mihjan during the Battle of Qadisiyyah for drinking wine? He drank wine. That's why the jihad of the ummah differs from the jihad of Islamic movements. Islamic movements are elite; you won't find drinkers or gamblers among them. But with nations, it's different.

‎The Battle of Yarmuk, which we always hear about, and the Battle of Qadisiyyah, both which determined the fate of two great empires- who toppled the Persian Empire? The former apostates. Tulayhah Al-Asadi, who claimed prophethood and later repented, was sent to fight against the Persians and achieved great feats.

‎Ibn Taymiyyah said: “It is among the principles of Ahlus-Sunnah wal Jama'ah to engage in jihad with every leader, righteous or sinful, or even with an army of sinners, if necessary. When faced with the choice between disbelief and sin, the lesser evil is chosen.”" End quote.

[nivopocky]

The most shitty iceberg meme of the sisters of mercy.(i tried my best💔)

Hate toward the goth label:Andrew Eldritch has always rejected the "goth" label, preferring to describe The Sisters

Andrew without his sunglasses: There is some pics of him without it even though he rarely take them off, he is scary a bit without them (my opinion)

Doktor Avalanche: The Doktor is the drum machine of the band. He was replacing Andrew drumming after their first single "The Damage done" and practically the second consistent band-members of the sisters after Andrew.

No release since the 90s: Vision thing was their third album and it was released in the year of 1990.

Unfortunately we didn't had any albums since then.

Some of the fans low-key lost hope and some more delusional one still have hope for it (I am the second one

Leonard Cohen inspiration: Leonard Cohen is one of the most influential musicians for Andrew and so the sisters. Practically the band name come from one of his song. And the band did some covers of some of Cohen songs.

The ao3 fanfics: There is barely anything and all of them are cursed. It's basically like an haunted house.

The Mission: Formed by ex-Sisters members Wayne Hussey and Craig Adams after their split from Eldritch in 1985. There was bad blood between the two camps.

Spiggy: It's the name of Andrew cat at the time the band started. The name origins come from a "Private eye" magazine character.

"It's Scam time": I am referencing an old article title that used it to refer to Patricia departure off from the band.

In the early 1985, Patricia Morrison joined The Sisters of Mercy as a bassist. Her contributions were notably featured on their 1987 album, Floodland. However, her involvement was marred by disputes with Eldritch, particularly concerning financial matters, leading to her departure in late 1989.

The Sisterhood: After Hussey and Adams left, Eldritch quickly formed The Sisterhood as a legal maneuver to prevent them from using the name. He recorded Gift

(1986) under The Sisterhood name before dissolving the project. In the track "Jihad" from The Sisterhood's album Gift, the phrase "two-five-zero-zero-zero" refers to £25,000. This sum is significant in the context of a legal and financial dispute between Andrew Eldritch and his former bandmates Wayne and Craig. It took The Mission two whole months to realise the meaning of this.

Oxfords: Andrew used to study there French and German litterature before moving to Leeds around 1978.

Left on Mission and Revenge: It was the intended title for The Sisters of Mercy's second studio album, conceptualized by lead vocalist Andrew Eldritch following the release of their debut, First and Last and Always (1985). This project, however, was never realized due to internal conflicts that led to the departure of key members.

Bootlegs: The sisters are literally considered as the most Bootlegged band of the 80s.

Von nickname: Andrew another nickname which is basically from Tony James to point out the fact that Andrew was hanging more in Hamburg than Halifax.

The heartland magazine and forum: The Heartland is a long-running fan forum and fanmagazine dedicated to The Sisters of Mercy, where fans share rare materials, theories, and band history.

Claire Shearsby: A lesser-known figure in the band's history, she has been active as a DJ and producer in Leeds music scene since the late 1970s. She used to even live with Andrew and Spiggy. And was Andrew girlfriend at the time.

Dear Doktor: In the official website of the sisters of mercy, there is a page where Doktor Avalanche basically give tips on problems. You can even send a letter to him. (I tried and my message didn't manage to send I dunno if it's a me problem or just the Doktor dgaf)

Sisters Gegen Nazi: The sisters were against nazi. And so in the early 1990s, The Sisters of Mercy further demonstrated their opposition to Nazi imagery by releasing merchandise that parodied classic designs to convey anti-Nazi messages. One such item was an anti-Nazi t-shirt, reinforcing the band's stance against far-right extremism.

Miss Detroit: In the yearning list of Andrew in the official website there is a Miss Detroit mentioned. Although there is no any name mentioned.

Ben Gunn: An early guitarist for The Sisters who left before their first album due to creative differences, reportedly disliking the fact that the band became a joke on rock but now it became one itself. We barely know anything about him while he was in the band, he often would forbid journalists or interviewers to take any photographs of him in person.

Hentai links: In the official website of the sisters of mercy we got a few links about movies, books and also Hentai. (Although for me it didn't show me anything about adult content so either they changed it, or either its a me problem)

Andrew sailor moon shirt: A shirt that Andrew wear during the Sisters Trip The Light Fantastic 2000. From what I see the two characters in question are Minako Aino (Sailor Venus) and Rei Hino (Sailor Mars). In the sisters wiki it is said that it was his favorite shirt on the tour.

Public enemy and The sisters of mercy Tour: The Sisters of Mercy and Public Enemy were scheduled to tour together in the summer 1991, but the tour faced multiple challenges. Andrew Eldritch, the frontman of The Sisters, blamed promoters and record companies for poor ticket sales, particularly due to racial tensions and the controversial reputation of Public Enemy. Many city venues refused to book the bands together, fearing riots or backlash, and promoters struggled to advertise the tour effectively. As a result, the tour was poorly attended, and both bands lost significant money.

Bradley goes gothic: Simon Harrison a British comic artist made some stories about a misbehaving demon-child called Bradley. In one of his comics we can see an apparition of Andrew Eldritch with Patricia. Here is the link of the comic if some of y'all are curious: BARNEY --thrill zone

Apocalypse now and Vision thing: In the long version of Vision thing we can hear an audio who come from the movie apocalypse now who say "only the americans would build a place like this in the middle of the jungle.. only the americans would want to"

Ozymandias and burn: They are both songs in which you reverse them you can found things. The Ozymandias one it's basically Dominion but reversed.

And the burn one if you reverse it you can found an hidden lyrics sung after the first verse: "The catherine wheel a ring of fire

We'll burn this circus down

The wheel goes round and the flames get higher For the juggling men and the idiot clowns."

Paris Riots/Leeds Underground: It was two 90s side projects with Eldritch and James Ray in which they were both abandoned before they put any tracks.

SSV - This record featured Eldritch's sampled vocals over drumless electronic music. The album was presented to East West Records, which accepted it without hearing it first, thereby releasing Eldritch from his contractual obligations. The record was never officially released, but it did ended up being released on the internet in an mp3 form from what I heard.

The Haruhiko magazine dolls interview: Okay so this one i barely see anything about it, from other sisters of mercy and even in the heartland forum. So I felt the need to share as a fan of kei and the sisters. So basically Eve of Destiny is an Industrial unit that began as a solo project in 1998 and is currently a duo composed of Haruhiko Ash and Közi (which is famous for having been in the band Malice Mizer). Haruhiko was a sisters of mercy fans and Haruhiko was going to interview Andrew Eldritch for Doll magazine before The Sisters' gigs on the 7th & 8th of September 1998 in Akasaka Blitz were cancelled. But he did however interview Patricia Morrison in 1996. Unfortunately the music magazine closed in 2009, and i didn't found any online archive. But after hours I was going to lose hope and thinking that this might be a lost media. I actually found it, I found a picture of the interview and the cover of the magazine sells only in Japan.

Anyway here is the link of the ssv record and the magazine in question about Patricia hoping that is the good one and it work:

[rizviousness]

According to the United Nations, around 400,000 people were killed in the war imposed by Saudi Arabia on Yemen from 2014 to 2021.

According to Save The Children, 85,000 children died of hunger in three years from 2015 to 2018.

According to the Organization for Refugees, 4 million Yemenis were displaced between 2015 and 2020.

Did we ever talked about peace or Jihad in Yemen?

Are Yemenis lesser Muslims?

[tempfolder]

Revisiting “Dune”

Following the release of “Dune 2” in theaters, and the echoes of the surrounding discourse, I started to wonder whether I missed something in my original readings of the Dune novel. The messianic aspects of the novel’s ending were described differently from what I remembered. I decided it’s time for a re-read with a focus on that theme. I came away with a better understanding of the novel, but a diminished view on the story of Dune.

A Questionable Ending

My previous understanding was that Paul managed through his use of prescience to avoid the galactic jihad in his name that he was so worried about throughout the book. The whole point of marrying the daughter of the Emperor was to allow transition of power without a full blown war. That was the elegant gambit, the narrow path he managed to take through the future possibilities of his visions. I was surprised when at the very end of the film, Paul, disappointed with the response of the Great Houses to his ascendancy, sends out his troops to conquer space, initiating the holy war.

I thought that mostly this was “Dune Messiah” leaking into the main story. To be clear, I don’t care for any of the Dune sequels. I never read them, nor do I intend to - the original novel was obviously written to be a complete work. I treat the extrapolations added to the Dune universe in the sequels as only marginally relevant to the reading of the original text. But was this plot point present in the “Dune” novel itself?

On re-reading, the book seems to match the interpretation of the film. This thread is central to the narrative yet it is resolved somewhat ambiguously, so I’m not surprised I missed it earlier. Before the climactic battle with Feyd Rautha, Paul muses:

And Paul saw how futile were any efforts of his to change any smallest bit of this. He had thought to oppose the jihad within himself, but the jihad would be. His legions would rage out from Arrakis even without him. They needed only the legend he already had become. He had shown them the way, given them mastery even over the Guild which must have the spice to exist. A sense of failure pervaded him [...] This is the climax, Paul thought. From here, the future will open, the clouds part onto a kind of glory. And if I die here, they’ll say I sacrificed myself that my spirit might lead them. And if I live, they’ll say nothing can oppose Muad’Dib.

Yet just after the battle, he says to Chani:

That woman over there will be my wife and you but a concubine because this is a political thing and we must weld peace out of this moment, enlist the Great Houses of the Landsraad.

I guess that last excerpt was a hope and the first was a prophecy.

However, this seems to leave us with a lesser book, a weaker story. What was the point if all the efforts were indeed futile? What do we learn if all the powers of Muad’dib don’t help him resolve his dilemma? 

A True Messiah

Dune has Paul coded throughout as more than just a Hero. All the narrative hallmarks are there. Paul is a young prince of an ethically noble family avenging his father through the use of his unique genetics. He is physically and mentally top-of-the-line. He has Special Powers: The Voice, Mentat capabilities, Prescience. He intuitively wears his stillsuit perfectly; he calls up the biggest maker with his thumper; he can process the poison of the Water of Life; et cetera, et cetera. The novel goes out of its way to mark Paul as truly special. He is not an impostor who survives by tricking the local superstitious populace into crowning him - he is an honest-to-god miracle prophet. If Arrakis had water, the novel would find a way for Paul to walk on it. Lisan al-Gaib!

Why have him aware, almost from the get-go, of his “terrible purpose” and still have him eventually fail? Why set up a Messiah but end up with failure?

Perhaps the intent was to contrast the Hero-led Fremen with the eco-aware Fremen? Their long-term terraforming project abandoned in favor of universal conquest? Liet’s father explicitly mentions this (“No more terrible disaster could befall your people than for them to fall into the hands of a Hero”). If that was the point, why have Paul promise to have flowing water on Arrakis with his ascendancy? That would mean the Fremen rightly chose the faster path to achieve the same terraforming result.

Perhaps the intent was to show the damage that can be done by messianic figures? Yet Paul is not a messianic figure, he is an actual messiah. There is rich critique to be made of the madness of the crowds in the face of a false prophet; much less so in the face of a true one.

Perhaps the idea was to show that even the most justified revenge path leads even the most noble to universal murder? Yet Paul is not Hamlet, he is not mad with revenge, nor does it cause him to make tragic mistakes. Revenge is just one of several motivators. Paul seems more aligned with Fremen liberation and the prevention of the jihad than with kanly (with Gurney serving as contrast in that aspect).

Had the ending suggested that the jihad was averted, with Paul successfully threading the political and military needle to ascend to the throne, it would have made a simpler, but better novel. Its payoff would have matched its set-up. It would have made Paul’s powers meaningful and his sacrifices worth it - his dead firstborn, his brush with death in the Water of Life, his Chani who remains forever a concubine. After all, if War isn’t averted, why bother with the political marriage? 

The Appeal

I want to make a digression and ask: why do we like Dune? 

After all, most of the characters aren’t particularly likable (*cough* Paul *cough*). The high-level arc isn’t particularly exciting, both in the optimistic reading (white savior leads oriental warriors to avenge father) and in the pessimistic one (white savior leads oriental warriors to break colonial yoke and unleash jihad). And there’s all that awful poetry.

So why so loved? I think, in large part, due to the apparent complexity of “Dune” (the novel). The complexity is there to provide the reader with a satisfying feeling of touching a rich world. It is a hill to climb, a challenge to overcome, gradually figuring out what’s going on, rewarded with understanding through effort.

The apparent complexity is present on multiple levels, beginning with the very liberal seasoning of the text with neologisms, with words and terms on loan from other languages. It’s there in the heavy dosage of intrigue, of feints within feints within feints. It’s there in the annotated dialogues where every half said or unsaid word conveys deep meaning to all-insightful participants. It’s in the half-familiar half-alien symbolism and mysticism of the Bene Gesserit and the Fremen.

Just as the text itself is intentionally complex, the world it describes is intentionally simplified. The universe of Dune is rich but small. Yes, it spans tens of thousands of years and thousands of planets, but it feels like the Holy Roman Empire. The mere suggestion that desert people can become conquerors of the galaxy just because they’re used to fighting for moisture is an indicator of how simple this universe is. Of course the Empire is feudal and archaic. Of course the skies of Arrakis are empty. Of course the shields force them to use knives. Of course there are no computers. The in-universe reasons aren’t important; there would simply be no novel otherwise. It also looks much cooler this way.

Which is also my larger point: a lot of Dune’s complexity is only apparent. It’s complexity for spectacle’s sake much more than it is necessary. Using the Hebrew “Kwisatz Haderach” is a lot cooler for the English reader than the literal “shortening of the way” that it stands for. A complex intrigue where you give Leto Arrakis just to betray him and give it back to the Harkonnens sounds cool, but always puzzles when you think about it too much. The best example of something that is visually striking but doesn’t weigh much upon scrutiny is the Gom Jabbar test.

A Bigger Gom Jabbar

Really, impressive scene. The box, the needle, the pain, the Voice. Iconic. Is it a profound test though? Big dilemma you gave Paul here, Reverend Mother, either suffer pain or die. Is this insightful? It wasn’t even a “hidden” test where the subject was supposed to reject the false binary option given to him by the Reverend Mother. No. Pain or Die. You decided not to die? Human after all!

If you squint a little, you can see a similarity between the showy complexity of the essentially hollow Gom Jabbar, and Paul’s meandering resistance against the tide of the jihad. Something that is superficially both complex and cool, but on deeper inspection doesn’t bear much weight as a story. If Paul’s dilemma was to either perish in the desert or to manifest as the messiah and suffer the moral pain of a billion deaths in the universal jihad – well, not a big dilemma is it? On closer reading of the novel it turns out there wasn’t even a “hidden” option that rejects this false binary.

Was there? The open question I ask myself is - was there something that Paul could have done to avoid the jihad? Was there a choice? Some pivotal point where it’s clear that Paul made a mistake? If there was, it sure is hidden well. If there wasn't, then Dune is a lesser story. It’s a lot of cool prose, but it’s a lesser story than I thought.

[canichangemyblogname]

Hello all!

There are posts going around on X, FaceBook, TikTok, and Tumblr claiming that Hamas has called for a global day of Jihad this Friday against "Western" targets and allies. Other posts claim he has called for a worldwide day of violent strikes on Jewish institutions. Many of these posts use news articles from right-wing and tabloid sources, like the National Review.

The original source is Reuters, and it actually says very little compared to what outlets like the Daily Mail are reporting.

The former leader of Hamas' political wing and current head of Hamas' diaspora office, Khaled Meshaal, has called for Muslims in the Islamic world to protest Friday in support of Palestinians. Meshaal also called on Jordan, Syria, Lebanon, and Egypt to help in the conflict.

His reported statement is as follows:

"I call on you... to head to the squares and streets of the Arab and Islamic world on Friday, the Friday of Al Aqsa Flood. Deliver a message through the squares and the streets, a message of anger, that we are with Palestine, that we are with Gaza, with Al Aqsa, with Jerusalem, and that we are a part of this battle, this is first.

Second, Gaza is calling you for help, with relief and money, with whatever you own, whoever can help; this is the moment of truth... We are facing truth, and here I say clearly, without hesitation, this is the moment for the nation to join in the fight, to fight with them.

I call firstly on the surrounding countries, Jordan, Syria, Lebanon, and Egypt, all of its sons and daughters; officially and popularly, your duty is bigger because you are closer to Palestine.

Tribes of Jordan, sons of Jordan, brothers and sisters of Jordan, from all of your sides and backgrounds, this is a moment of truth, and the borders are close to you; you all know your responsibility, and this applies to all nations.

To all scholars who teach jihad for the sake of God and who preach the fighters and martyrs, to all who teach and learn, this is a moment for the application so that words are not just words."

There is no definite meaning to the concept of jihad as the concept is constantly evolving in meaning, practices, strategies, teaching, and understanding. It has been interpreted and re-interpreted for a variety of political reasons. In the context of Islamic law, the "lesser" jihad generally refers to an armed struggle against outsiders in the way of Allah. The "greater" jihad, on the other hand, refers to the struggle to be a good Muslim and pious, and this is the common meaning of jihad for 99.999% of the 1.8 billion Muslims around the world, which is why I caution against alarm.

More responsible news outlets report that without greater elaboration, Meshaal's comments have not made it clear whether he purely intends to provoke political protests and plead for relief, or if there is a deeper meaning given he still represents Hamas. They have stressed that pro-Palestinian acts are not inherently aligned with terrorism and violence at a time when people have been taking to the streets in major cities worldwide to peacefully protest in solidarity with the Palestinian people. These protests are unrelated to Meshaal's statement. Less responsible news outlets, however, are reporting this as a call for a global military jihad against Jewish people as well as "Western" countries and their allies.

Officials have cautioned against jumping to conclusions, warning that interpreting Meshaal's statement as a call to global military action can lead to violence. Fearmongering will only contribute to the likelihood of sectarian violence. It is also more likely to contribute to antisemitic and Islamaphobic hate crimes in the Global North. The advice of conservative political strategists like Joey Mannarino (who I have seen many people and outlets quoting) to Americans is an overreaction.

The Jewish Community Center released a statement after Reuters published Meshaal's statement, saying that while there aren’t any known threats against Jewish institutions in the U.S., it will remain on high alert. Out of an abundance of caution, they are taking proactive steps to provide greater security for Synagogues, Jewish community centers, and Jewish neighborhoods. Jewish advocates recommend that Jewish people remain vigilant during this time as the outbreak of violence in Israel often leads to a spike in antisemitic crimes in the Global North.

Contrary to what some claim, you will not have to avoid any public spaces on Friday. Not trains. Not planes. Not shopping malls. There are *no* known threats against U.S. institutions or Jewish institutions in the U.S. If you do not live in Egypt, Lebanon, Israel, Syria, or Palestine, you are likely to remain unaffected by any protests, riots, or violence inspired by this conflict. So, please, do not inspire panic about Friday.

I urge the WASP-y Americans and non-Jews reblogging right-wing news coverage and fretting about their safety over the next 24 hours to remember that this isn't about you. And, please, for the love of peace, stop depicting this as a holy war, reducing the conflict to Muslims v. Jews, and claiming this as the start of WWIII. You are *not* helping anyone, least of all the religious minorities you’re claiming to support.

Let's keep the focus on relief and liberation for the Palestinian people and on relief for the victims of terrorism. And let's take efforts to make our own country a safer, more secure, more welcoming, and more comfortable place for religious minorities. That includes Jewish people.

Thank you,

Evan

[tawakkull]

ISLAM 101: Spirituality in Islam: Part 241

Mujahada (Striving)

According to people of the heart, mujahada (striving) means doing what is required by having been endowed with will-power. It includes struggling against the carnal self and seeking ways to defeat it, always preferring to fulfill the religious obligations without neglecting even the secondary ones, when they clash with carnal appetites; never being satisfied with one’s worshipping, acts of obedience to God and doing good, yet being content with what is absolutely required for worship and obedience by way of disciplining one’s eating, drinking, sleeping and speaking.

Those having a certain degree of knowledge of God have always dealt with striving in two categories: one, the major or greater striving (jihad) and the other, the minor or lesser one. The former means struggling against the carnal self and Satan and striving to have a sound belief and to be endowed with virtues or good morals, being able to worship God well, and struggling against evil morals, bad habits and tempers, while the latter denotes being alert against and, when necessary, fighting the enemy. People who serve people with knowledge and thoughts, by imbibing and internalizing belief, the truths of Islam and the morality of Muhammad, upon him be peace and blessings, and by representing them in their daily lives and conveying to others, encompass both kinds of striving, and therefore need to have the “endowment” necessary to fulfill both.

In every work or article written on austerity, communication of the Divine messages, and physical or minor striving (jihad), the subject is discussed in the light of relevant verses such as Strive in God’s way in the way that striving for His sake requires (22:78). Here we are interested in major striving.

Major jihad, or striving, in the language of Sufism, denotes that in the face of the mean impulses of the carnal self, the whisperings of Satan, and the excessive desires and pressures of the body or corporeality, we should demonstrate that we are beings endowed with will-power. We should also try to show due respect for the heavenly faculty that we have as human beings, which is a composition of our inner senses, our consciousness, perception, and heart. Jihad in this meaning is the greatest of all strivings, and one who performs it is great and esteemed in God’s sight; such a person is favored with His company. It can be said that it is more difficult to rebel against the impulses and desires of the carnal self and to lead a life in worshipping and performing other acts of obedience to God in piety, sincerity and abstinence in order to obtain God’s approval and good pleasure, than to fight against the enemy under a shower of bombs and shells at the front. It is because of such difficulties that God’s Messenger told the soldiers returning from fighting,Now you have turned from the minor jihad to the major one.[1] It was in this way that he instructed his Companions in such a vital matter. On another occasion, saying, A true fighter is one who fights against his carnal self for God’s sake,[2] he taught that the major or greater jihad consists in the struggles against Satan and the impulses of the carnal self.

While the minor striving can occasionally be necessary or compulsory, a believer must continuously fulfill the major one. In addition, success in the minor striving depends on success in the major one. For this reason, everyone must purify their inner world, so that they may acquire harmony and accord in all their acts-sitting, rising, thinking, speaking, working, etc.-doing these for the sake of God. It is only by success in this striving that one can be supported by God’s Will, which is the real factor in making human endeavors on God’s way beneficial and fruitful.

For those whom belief has not guided to an appointed goal, who have not disciplined themselves with Islamic principles of spiritual training, who have not deepened in doing good consciously so that God sees them, who cannot lead a life of unwavering sincerity nor live in the consciousness of God’s constant supervision, it is not possible to be people of the truth; they cannot restore rights nor display coherent attitudes in social relations. Those imprisoned in the cycle of eating, drinking, and sleeping can neither keep their corporeality under control nor direct their spirits to lofty ideals for spiritual victories nor keep the doors of their consciousness open to God to be rewarded with His company. What is most impossible for them is to free themselves from hatred, rancor, and other malicious feelings in order to embrace all existence only because of God.

A perfect society can only be made up of perfect individuals, and an individual cannot be perfected without spiritual training. It is therefore useless to try to build a sound community with individuals who suffer from mental and spiritual shortcomings. The perfect individuals needed to compose a perfect community are shaped in the crucible of striving.

Such a striving is based on controlling carnal desires and impulses and on having an operative mechanism of conscience. A spiritual journey is the safest way of striving. Concerning what a mortal enemy the carnal self is, Hakim al-Busiri[3] says:

How many lethal delights there are that the carnal self presents to humankind as pleasant; Almost no one has ever been able to perceive that it presents poison within the butter.

It would be appropriate to end this section with a poem by Hüda’i,[4] which is regarded as a bridge to the spiritual journey:

O carnal self! Give up your many mistakes and errors, Relent and be just and fair from now on! Abandon cherishing these long-term ambitions, Relent and be just and fair from now on!

Why do you have these habits and innovations? Why such fondness for fame and adornment? Why expend so much effort that way? Relent and be just and fair from now on!

One day the wind of death will blow, To ruin the garden of the body; So fulfill your obligations in sincerity; Relent and be just and fair from now on!

Do not be obstinate, O Huda’i! Submit yourself to Divine orders. Come and mention the Master, Relent and be just and fair from now on!

O God, we ask You for forgiveness, health, and Your approval, favors, friendship, and nearness to You.

And let God’s blessings be on our master Muhammad, the master of those made near to You, and Your beloved one and Messenger, and on his family and Companions, who had great yearning to meet with You. [1] Hatib al-Baghdadi, Tarikh al-Baghdad, 13:523. [2] Al-Tirmidhi, “Fada’il al-Jihad,” 2. [3] Muhammad ibn Sa’id al-Busiri (1211-1295) was an Egyptian saintly scholar, calligrapher and poet. He has poems in which he expressed his deep love for the Messenger and his Companions. [4] Huda’i was the father of Shahidi Ibrahim (see, footnote: 121). He was from Mughla in the western Turkey and lived in the 15th century. He belonged to the Mawlawi Order. (Trans.)

[hindulivesmatter]

You literally called "love jihad" a crime against Hindus. So, people electing to have interfaith marriages are somehow committing a crime against Hinduism by doing so. Muslim men who marry Hindu women are doing it to carry out some type of Great Replacement by converting them to Islam to make India more Muslim.

I wanted to put that plainly because you're clearly banking on that your non-Indian followers don't know what that means. You are saying that people choosing to marry who they love are somehow against Hinduism because those people are not Hindus. You are claiming that Muslim men who fall for Hindu women are actually part of some great conspiracy.

I want people to understand how crazy and conspiracist this logic is so they understand why to take every claim you have of "hindus are still oppressed in India" with a massive grain of salt. You are literally promoting the Hindu version of The Great Replacement Theory and of white people panicking over white women having mixed race babies.

You do not care about Muslims. It is a smokescreen. You think they are lesser and you support people oppressing them.

Yes, love jihad is extremely dangerous to Hindus. Luring a girl under false pretenses and then converting her without her consent is called love jihad. That is not the same as interfaith marriage.

Do you want me to deny the alarming number of cases of women being murdered by their Muslim partners? Or the fact that if a couple is entering an interfaith marriage, always have to convert to Islam. By that logic then, why can't the Muslim person convert to Hinduism?

I'm banking on my non-Indian followers? If they don't know what it means, they can either ask or do a Google search.

"You are saying that people choosing to marry who they love are somehow against Hinduism because those people are not Hindus."

When the fuck did I ever say that? Stop putting words in my mouth holy fucking shit.

"You are claiming that Muslim men who fall for Hindu women are actually part of some great conspiracy."

Again, NO. I am saying that there are cases of Muslim men, CHANGING THEIR NAMES TO HINDU NAMES, WEARING HINDU SYMBOLS, and courting Hindu women. They then reveal themselves after they are married. Do you even hear how insane you sound?

"I want people to understand how crazy and conspiracist this logic is so they understand why to take every claim you have of "Hindus are still oppressed in India" with a massive grain of salt. You are literally promoting the Hindu version of The Great Replacement Theory and of white people panicking over white women having mixed-race babies."

I'm sorry, I had to laugh here. What the fuck is wrong with you. Did you even go through my blog before sending me this? I literally reblog cases of actual Hinduphobia and violence against Hindus. That's literally it.

"You do not care about Muslims. It is a smokescreen. You think they are lesser and you support people oppressing them."

Bro. I'm sorry, so just speaking up about Hinduphobia means I do not care about Muslims? I promise it isn't that deep. We don't have an agenda like the one you've made up in your head. All we want is to co-exist in PEACE. I will never understand you people. Violence against Muslims is a real thing, and I 100% condemn it. You make up shit about us in your head, and pretend we're foaming at the mouth, ready to murder all the Muslims. You lunatic.

[mkcosplayorcovid-19prevention]

Ali reported: When the weapon of the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, had been assembled, I found on the handle or blade of his sword three sayings, “Maintain relations with those who cut you off, speak the truth even if it is against yourself, and be good to one who is evil to you.”

Abu Qilabah, may Allah have mercy on him, said, “The example of the people of whims is that of the hypocrites. Allah Almighty mentioned the hypocrites with different words and deeds; the summary of that is misguidance. The people of whims disagree over their whims, but they come together upon the sword.”

The changes in warfare associated with the introduction of firearms did not eliminate the sword but rather proliferated its types - Encyclopedia Britannica

[thethief1996]

Sorry to bother, but I am seeing reports come out Abt the missile being fired from a jihad group not Israel. What proof of it being Israel?

Not a bother at all! It's great that you're seeking out information. I'll do a quick recap so you can understand what's going on.

Last Friday (14/10), Israel issued a warning urging 1.1 million Palestinians to leave Northern Gaza and move South in 24h, including the staff, patients and refugees residing in 22 hospitals. The World Health Organization issued a statement asking Israel to backtrack on that decision, since 2000 injured Gazans were being treated and thousands were taking refuge in these facilities. The medical staff categorically refused to abandon their posts.

About the evacuation orders: the hospitals were directly called to evacuate, including al-Ahli. Al-Quds hospital was called on Friday and initially given the deadline of 6 AM to evacuate, then pushed further to 4 PM. Ahmed Muhanna of Al-Awda hospital said they received a similar call initially giving two hours to evacuate, and explicitly said the 35 doctors would stay. Nisreen al-Shohafa, head of the emergency room also in Al-Awda hospital, reported to Al Jazeera that the IDF called and said the hospital should evacuate because it would be bombed.

On Saturday (15/10), the Archbishop of Canterbury said al-Ahli, which is an Anglican-run hospital, said it was hit by rocket fire and four staff members were injured. Al Jazeera verified these reports and said two Israeli artillery shells hit the hospital on Saturday.

Yesterday, al-Ahli received three evacuation orders successively, according to the Anglican leaders who run the hospital. After the Israeli army issued these orders, the hospital was bombed.

An IDF spokesperson said there was an operation happening in the area at the moment, but they were using different ammunition from the one that caused that type of damage.

Two hours after the bombing, the IDF issued a statement blaming the strike on a misfired missile launched by the PIJ on Twitter, and corroborated with video evidence. The video evidence was debunked by a New York Times journalist from the visual investigations team, who said the alleged video showed a timestamp 40 minutes after reports of the initial blast. After this, the IDF edited their original tweet to erase the video so it simply stated they had investigated their own operational systems and found the rocket was fired by the PIJ towards Israel.

The IDF continued with this narrative, posting a video today showing the type of craters caused by Israeli bombs and the damage of the hospital. Similarly, the BBC has analysed the data they could find and said it was inconclusive if the blast was Israeli or not.

The only problem is, the data they are analysing are videos and pictures of the blast. You'll see that both links in the previous paragraph show the same picture of a small section of the parking lot. The same image was circulated as proof by a senior research fellow for Airpower and Military Technology at the Royal United Services Institute think-tank in London. David Lisovtsev, an Israeli analyst, posted a video sourced from a Zionist Telegram channel and said it looked like a failed Hamas rocket. A spokesperson to the IDF posted a video showing an alleged conversation between two Hamas leaders planning the rocket launch, and when he was questioned about the credibility of it, said the IDF had lied before but this time it was different.

There has been no independent investigation, because no journalists or forensics teams are allowed into Gaza. I cannot emphasize enough to you that all these reports by Israel are based on blurry videos and maybe three pictures of the parking lot (I am being hyperbolic).

TL;DR

The evidence that the bombing was conducted by Israel is the following: They bombed the hospital with lesser artillery four days prior, they were conducting an operation in the area at the time of the blast, they called the hospital three times and told the 10k refugees to flee hours before the bombing and the evidence provided to the fact it wasn't them is jumbled at best.

The evidence that the bombing was conducted by PIJ, Hamas or any other Palestinian institution: The IDF investigated themselves and found themselves not guilty. Other journalists looked at videos and pictures and said the crater was not big enough to be caused by an Israeli missile.

[dandelionh3art]

Both "jihad" and "Allahu Akbar" are terms rooted in Islamic tradition, but they have been widely misunderstood or misrepresented.

Jihad

"Jihad" is an Arabic word that translates to "struggle" or "striving." In Islam, it represents a broad concept of working towards a good or noble cause. There are different types of jihad, which can be categorized into:

1. Greater Jihad (Al-Jihad Al-Akbar): This is the internal, personal struggle to become a better person, such as striving to improve one’s character, act compassionately, follow ethical principles, and resist selfish desires. Many Muslims view this as the most important form of jihad.

2. Lesser Jihad (Al-Jihad Al-Asghar): This can refer to defending the community or faith when it is under attack, which can include, in extreme cases, a physical struggle. However, this form of jihad has specific ethical guidelines within Islamic teachings, emphasizing defense and proportionality, not aggression.

Allahu Akbar

"Allahu Akbar" is an Arabic phrase that translates to "God is the Greatest." It’s a common expression of faith among Muslims and is used in a variety of contexts, such as in daily prayers, expressions of gratitude, or moments of awe or wonder.

Both "jihad" and "Allahu Akbar" are part of everyday life for many Muslims, embodying ideas of self-improvement, faith, and reverence for God. Unfortunately, these terms have sometimes been misused or taken out of context, leading to misunderstandings about their meanings and significance in Islamic culture.

[scurvyratt]

Although I didn't like the way Said died, I do think that the only way his story could have ended "happily" was with his own death.

So to explain, Said was a jihadist imo. I know that term has an extremely negative and violent connotation these days, but I don't think that he was a terrorist or extremist lol. Jihad has nothing to do with terrorism: "In its most general meaning, jihad refers to the obligation incumbent on all Muslims, individuals and the community, to follow and realize God’s will: to lead a virtuous life and to extend the Islamic community through preaching, education, example, writing, etc." Many Muslims also refer to jihad as a struggle against oppression. So not every Muslim is a jihadist, but I think Said is due to the fact that he is an imam and civil rights leader.

There are also the concepts of "lesser jihad" and "greater jihad". Lesser jihad is more of a physical battle against those who are oppressing you or committing wrong doings. We can see this in Said when he partakes in the riot for example. Greater jihad is an inward battle against oneself. The struggle against greed, lust, ego, selfishness, evil, etc. There's a ton of examples that can be used for this, especially in the last two seasons when he loses it after he kills Adebisi lol. Also when he gives up on pursuing Cutler's (ex) wife for his cause.

Nowww how does this relate to his death? Well, being a martyr is also a big deal in Islam. Muslims believe that there are seven levels of heaven, and that those who die as martyrs automatically go to the highest level. There are many different ways that one can die as a martyr in Islam, such as dying during child birth or dying while fighting for your independence (everyone who has been killed in the current Palestinian genocide is considered a martyr). But another way, is to die in the pursuit of jihad.

I don't even know what I'm talking about anymore lol, but I think that death as a martyr was like, the perfect death for Said since he was so committed to his jihad, his people, and fighting for civil rights. Also because he could be very self righteous and wanted to be seen as a hero (though I do think he changed in the later seasons, especially after Adebisi. Me doing a character analysis when I don't even remember what happened ijbol). I don't think that any other ending would have been satisfying for him because his ultimate desire was for liberation/equal rights/justice, etc. and like obviously that will never be achieved lol....

Also yes, I do think that Said would probably be considered a martyr since he mainly dedicated his life to Islam and educating/helping others (even tho he was kinda a flop tbh...) and he was assassinated. I mean he even gave up the opportunity to leave prison just so he could stay with his boyfriend Arif the other Muslims.

I know some people say that Said's death was fitting for the show (sudden, random, and by a stranger) but likeeeee. Idk I just did not gaf about that Idzik dude like come on they couldn't have come up with anything else?

Source: https://www.unaoc.org/repository/Esposito_Jihad_Holy_Unholy.pdf

[mid0o]

Chris Hedges: I am in the studio of Al Jazeera’s Arabic service watching a live feed from Gaza City. The Al Jazeera reporter in northern Gaza, because of the intense Israeli shelling, was forced to evacuate to southern Gaza. He left his camera behind. He trained it on Al-Shifa hospital, Gaza’s largest medical complex. It is night. Israeli tanks fire directly towards the hospital compound. Long horizontal red flashes. A deliberate attack on a hospital. A deliberate war crime. A deliberate massacre of the most helpless civilians, including the very sick and infants. Then the feed goes dead.

We sit in front of the monitors. We are silent. We know what this means. No power. No water. No internet. No medical supplies. Every infant in an incubator will die. Every dialysis patient will die. Everyone in the intensive care unit will die. Everyone who needs oxygen will die.  Everyone who needs emergency surgery will die. And what will happen to the 50,000 people who, driven from their homes by the relentless bombing, have taken refuge on the hospital grounds? We know the answer to that as well. Many of them, too, will die.

There are no words to express what we are witnessing. In the five weeks of horror this is one of the pinnacles of horror. The indifference of Europe is bad enough.  The active complicity by the United States is unfathomable. Nothing justifies this. Nothing. And Joe Biden will go down in history as an accomplice to genocide. May the ghosts of the thousands of children he has participated in murdering haunt him for the rest of his life.

Israel and the United States are sending a chilling message to the rest of the world. International and humanitarian law, including the Geneva Convention, are meaningless pieces of paper. They did not apply in Iraq. They do not apply in Gaza. We will pulverize your neighborhoods and cities with bombs and missiles. We will wantonly murder your women, children, elderly and sick. We will set up blockades to engineer starvation and the spread of infectious diseases. You, the “lesser breeds” of the earth, do not matter. To us you are vermin to be extinguished. We have everything. If you try and take any of it away from us, we will kill you. And we will never be held accountable.

We are not hated for our values. We are hated because we have no values. We are hated because rules only apply to others. Not to us. We are hated because we have arrogated to ourselves the right to carry out indiscriminate slaughter. We are hated because we are heartless and cruel. We are hated because we are hypocrites, talking about protecting civilians, the rule of law and humanitarianism while extinguishing the lives of hundreds of people in Gaza a day, including 160 children.

Israel reacted with indignation and moral outrage when it was accused of bombing the al-Ahli Arab Christian hospital in Gaza, which left hundreds of dead. The bombing, Israel claimed, came from an errant rocket fired by Palestine Islamic Jihad. There is nothing in the arsenal of Hamas or Islamic Jihad that could have replicated the massive explosive power of the missile that struck the hospital. Those of us who have covered Gaza have heard this Israel trope so many times it is risible. They always blame Hamas and the Palestinians for their war crimes, now attempting to argue that hospitals are Hamas command centers and therefore legitimate targets. They never provide evidence. The Israeli military and government lie like they breathe.

Medecins Sans Frontieres (Doctors Without Borders), which has staff working in Al-Shifa, issued a statement saying patients, doctors and nurses are "trapped in hospitals under fire." It called on the “Israeli government to cease this unrelenting assault on Gaza’s health system.”

“Over the past 24 hours, hospitals in Gaza have been under relentless bombardment. Al-Shifa hospital complex, the biggest health facility where MSF staff are still working, has been hit several times, including the maternity and outpatient departments, resulting in multiple deaths and injuries,” the statement read. “The hostilities around the hospital have not stopped. MSF teams and hundreds of patients are still inside Al-Shifa hospital. MSF urgently reiterates its calls to stop the attacks against hospitals, for an immediate ceasefire and for the protection of medical facilities, medical staff and patients.”

Three other hospitals in northern Gaza and Gaza City are encircled by Israeli forces and tanks, in what a doctor told Al Jazeera was a “day of war against hospitals.” The Indonesian Hospital has reportedly also lost power. The U.N. Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) reports that 20 of 36 hospitals in Gaza no longer function.

Israel and Washington’s cynicism is breathtaking. There are no differences in intent. Washington only wants it done quickly. Humanitarian corridors?  Pauses in the shelling?  These are vehicles to facilitate the total depopulation of northern Gaza. The handful of aid trucks allowed through the border at Rafah with Egypt? A public relations gimmick. There is only one goal – kill, kill, kill. The faster the better. All Biden officials talk about is what comes next once Israel has finished its decimation of Gaza. They know Israel’s slaughter will not end until Gazans are living in the open without shelter in the southern part of the strip and dying because of a lack of food, water and medical care.

Gaza before Israel’s ground incursion was one of the most densely populated spots on the planet. Imagine what will happen with 1.1 million Gazans from the north piled on top of over 1 million in the south. Imagine what will take place when infectious diseases such as cholera become an epidemic.  Imagine the ravages of starvation. The pressure will build to do something. And that something, Israel hopes, will be to push the Palestinians over the border into the Sinai in Egypt. Once there, they will never return. Israel’s ethnic cleansing of Gaza will be complete.  Its ethnic cleansing of the West Bank will begin.

That is Israel’s demented dream. To achieve it, they will make Gaza uninhabitable.

Ask yourself, if you were a Palestinian in Gaza and had access to a weapon what would you do? If Israel killed your family, how would you react? Why would you care about international or humanitarian law when you know it only applies to the oppressed, not the oppressors? If terror is the only language Israel uses to communicate, the only language it apparently understands, wouldn’t you speak back with terror?

Israel’s orgy of death will not crush Hamas. Hamas is an idea. This idea is fed on the blood of martyrs. Israel is giving Hamas an abundant supply.

[faerromagnetic]

Ideas for a Star Wars x Dune Fanfic

Basic Premise: Paul is both the Kwisatz Haderach and the Chosen One. Paul is younger here. Around 12 Years Old. With a 10 year jump for his training as a Jedi. Not sure how he should interact with Padme honestly.

After Escaping the Trade Federation, a Naboo Starship carrying the Queen, her Retinue, and two Jedi have found themselves doing an emergency landing on a planet inside the Corrino Empire. A Desert planet named Arrakis.

Currently, the planet itself has been transferred to the hands of the honorable Duke Leto Atreides. While the Queen of Naboo is afforded the protection of the Duke, the Jedi are regarded with more suspicion due to the presence of the Lady Jessica. While undergoing the repairs of the Naboo Starship, the Harkonnens attack. With the Duke tasking Jedi Master and Apprentice Qui-Gon Jinn and Obi-wan Kenobi with the protection of his family.

During this, Paul and Jessica escape into the Desert, being rescued by the Fremen. Paul still gets his Visions of the Future, and the possible Jihad he will lead. Using the Force, Qui-Gon finds Sietch Tabr and the powers of Paul which are beginning to Awaken. Finding a possible way out of his doomed Fate, Paul joins the Jedi. His mother, more distrustful of the Jedi, and finding that she can avenge her House and Husband better by influencing the Fremen.

As Paul is about to leave, Darth Maul attacks the Jedi, stealthily tracking them since Naboo. They get away, with Paul being brought back to Coruscant. Events of Episode 1 happen.

Lore Ideas:

All Bene Gesserit are Force Sensitive, at least as much as your average Jedi. So are your Guild Navigators, and Mentats, albeit to a lesser extent.

Duncan and Gurney would definitely have been a Jedi Knights in another Life.

The Spice Melange opens you up much much more to the Force.

Blasters and Lightsabers can overwhelm a Holtzman Shield, but due to the differences in methods (Super Heated Gasses vs Continuous Wave Lasers) it doesn't actually trigger the Nuclear blast. This allows melee combatants to parry lightsabers with barehands or swords.

[lightdancer1]

Wrapped up the next book:

This book covers the history of the Empires of Ghana, Mali, and Songhai from an emphasis at both decolonization and an emphasis on a changing, not static African world and from the simple recognition that the written history of this part of the world is overwhelmingly an Islamic one and one written by peoples who had millennia-ancient Arab prejudices against the Zanj (aka Black) peoples of the Bilad al-Sudan. In the writings of the Islamic consensus the Bilad Al-Sudan was a realm of monsters and subhumans without a history, infidels who worshiped fell gods in sinister rites involving cannibalism, human sacrifices, and the pounding of drums in darkling woods. If this sounds like it could have been written by Lovecraft there's a reason for that.

This is not European racism, as the mark of descent is from the status of the father, not the mother, and because it's not rooted in science or pseudoscience, but in the concept of Allah/God the most merciful marking peoples by skin color in a category of superiority for the white people (aka Arabs and let this stand in turn as a commentary on later European white supremacy, a religious Islamic version of it already existed and Arabs and to a lesser degree some Amazigh were 'white' and therefore innately blessed with rationality, control of sexual impulses, and all the other things they said the Black people, the Sudani, did not have).

Now why does all this matter? Because under Ghana, Mali, and Songhai West Africa underwent a transformation from an ancient region of urbanized areas led by sacred kings and religions that worshiped many gods to the monotheistic Jihad-societies of Ghana and Songhai, with Mali in between and marking the point where the Islamic world went from the kind of syrupy condescension used for modern African states to actually taking African Muslims seriously.

Equally crucially this shaped the medieval Sahelian Ruling class's self-perception. It downplayed Blackness and demonized it in line with the tradition of Islamic history, it created the same artificial bullshit whereby European nobilities were somehow descended from Trojans or Roman Emperors with Yemeni and the Al-Qays tribes of Arabs. It also shaped the specific dynamic of West African Islam, that of Ghana (and the founder of the Songhai Empire, Sunni Ali), a heavily syncretic version but also that of Mali and Songhai at their height cosmopolitan and with a global ambition that shaped the Islamic world at its own heights.

In short, too, the African states that arose were not ancient traditional concepts, they were new creations charged with the self-serving mission of Jihad at the expense of pagans, and the fallen old empires were neatly redefined as pagan to suit their new successors, to boot. Their impact on the ethnogenesis and self-perception of Sahelian West Africa was very real and this book notes that the Griot traditions match up fairly closely with the Islamic written tradition and as such the dismissal of oral histories is, in actual fact, bullshit.

This book also notes that both the novelty and the scale of expansion created its own problems and its own weaknesses, and that the endemic inability of Islamic states to solve the succession problem in a way to simultaneously satisfy political and religious elites created major weaknesses and civil wars, with the endemic civil warfare prior to the Battle of Tondibi contributing at least as much to the final fall of the Songhai Empire as Tondibi itself did.

9/10.