Faramarz's Latest Rambling

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jehovah's wittneess ; persian or any other s......

if they knock on your door,  just don't open it please.    Maziar

I was reading a response to

I was reading a response to one of the posts on here which had to do with fasting.  One responder said that he had lived in Iran most of his life and he did not remember anyone being forced to fast.  Hmmm, lets examine the facts.

It was my Response Jenabe fateh that you are referring to:)  

1) Are food establishments open lets say between 7:30am-5:30pm?

No they are not. Not to defend these arazel, by you certainly are free to eat anything you want in a private setting, can you not? They do not want to see anybody doing it in public, but do they come knocking at the doors arresting or beating those who do roose khari within the boundries of their houses?

2) Are the food establilshments allowed to stay open between 7:30am-5:30pm?

Why do you ask a question twice? 

3) What happens if a prepared food serving establishment stays open? 

Of course they either give them a warning or shut it down on the spot. I never denied that did i? 

4) What happens if a person walks on the street and chews on a cheese burger during ramadan between 7:30am-5:30pm?

Definitely that person will be in hot water. But why would anyone within a sane frame of mind do such a thing, knowing full well that the conditions in Iran can not be compared to that of USA or europe?  Believe me it is my ideal as well to acheive freedom of doing whatever everyone wants to do, but until then that is what we are stuck with and we are going to have to find creative ways to fight it.

5) Could non Muslims eat lunch during ramezan in public?

Could they?

As far as I know, the answer to ALL of the above is NO.  I am sure there are people on this site which would probably come back and say the IRI serves lunch for Jews and Bahais in the Masjids during ramezan.

Get real agha jan. No one will come back with such an answer:)

In some other Muslim countries in the Mid East, for example Saudi Arabia, if you eat lunch during ramezan you'll be jailed.  If you are caught drinking alchohol, you'll be killed.

Damnation and death be up on the Sauid rulers then:)

Here in the Good O'l U.S. of A, we can do anything we want within the boundries of the law.  If during Christmas I want to go in front of Bloomingdale and shout Jesus was a Homo every 20 seconds, I can.  If I want to eat during lent I can.

Are you sure? Why don't you give it a shot. no let's do it together and we will see what happens if you really do it every 20 seconds. You can bet on it that  the police will be coming up you and warn you and if you keep at it you will be deemed a nutjob and taken away. Let's try this . shall we? People do stand up for their beliefs and you are bound to get some kinda opposition from the crowd who are within or around the Cathedral.

People everywhere, including Iran want the exact same thing.  FREEDOM to do as they please, not as a 1400 year old set of teachings and laws dictate

Elahi ameen.

To those who are fasting because they want to, Happy Ramadan.  

Fasting in the Mid East vs. Fasting in the West

I'm not Middle Eastern nor Muslim so I cannot speak from personal eye-witness observation as to how fasting 'season' is conducted in the Middle East. I am a Christian & live in the West (USA). I do have many friends who are from a Muslim background but they do not claim to be Muslim.  I also have friends who say they are Muslim & observe strict Muslim teachings.  Both groups have told me the exact things Faramarz Fateh notes in his August 23, 2009 post, "Fasting in the Mid East vs. Fasting in the West".     

They have told me about fasting in Iran during the many years since I have known them.    Their statements were casual remarks made in passing & not after me asking any questions.    Actually their comments were almost exactly the same as  the above comments from Faramarz Fateh!  

One day my Muslim friends (who are devout to adhere to Muslim teachings) asked me why people do not fast in the USA & why I did not fast because they know I am a dedicated Christian.    I asked why they thought I never fasted.  They were surprised when I stated I do fast.  However, Christians (& Jews) mainly believe fasting should be a private thing.   It's no big deal if someone should be eating in front of me if I am fasting.   If offered food, I usually just reply "no thanks" or "I have already eaten" (albeit yesterday).    I try not to be around people during meal times so the subject doesn't come up.  I have mastered many ways to conceal my fast & keep it private.   Only my very closest family & friends know when I fast so we don't go out to eat on those days.  However, I have no problem changing my fast to a different day of the week if I think it best. 

Actually I fast 1 day each week.   I know MANY Christians & Jews who fast regularly - PRIVATELY.  Here is another commonality of Christians & Jews.    In Judeo-Christian teachings, fasting is supposed to be a private thing.... between a person & Jehovah-God.   People can fast as a group, but again, the group is supposed to be as private as possible & keep the fast between them & Jehovah-God.   In Judeo-Christian teachings, God says the people who fast to be seen have already received their reward, & their reward is "being seen by their peers & feigning  piety".  Jehovah-God instructs people to appear the same as they would if they were NOT fasting --- don't go about your day of fasting in some superficial 'sack-cloth-and-ashes' demeanor & acting differently than any other day just to signal you are fasting. Jehovah-God knows you are fasting & He is the only person who should be impacted by your fast. 

I remember during my college years, we had a guest speaker at the church I attended who taught about fasting.    He was asked to speak on fasting only because it had come to the attention of the church leadership, there was a group of people within the church who were attempting to 'shame' other members into fasting because they fasted & never hesitated to tell exactly everything about their fast - every single detail of how devout they were & how stringently they conducted their fast.  Some even bragged about refraining from brushing their teeth so not to accidentally swallow any water. (They didn't have to report that fact, we could smell) while others told how they showered & prevented any water from entering their mouth. (Talk about a perfect illustration of Yeshua-Jesus words: You strain at a gnat yet swallow a camel!) The church wanted to put an immediate stop to the 'peer-pressure-sponsored-fasting'.   The one thing made abundantly clear was that fasting should be between an individual & God..... not because someone guilt tripped you into fasting.  There would be no guilt-tripped fasting within that particular church (a commonality of most all churches still today).      

In the Bible, Jehovah-God chastised the people because they were so melodramatic about fasting while at the same time remaining corrupt toward people they considered different, unequal or inferior to them.  Anyone who did not fast was a target of their wrath. (Some even criticized Yeshua-Jesus about fasting). The people were not shy to brag about how often they fasted & to what extent & all the little details they adhered to when they fasted (making for more melodrama).  Then when their fast was completed, they would indulge in a orgy of stuffing their stomachs to the max & partying.  (Yea, fasting really changed them a lot.)  Jehovah-God says performing a bunch of rules-&-regulations & rituals is never what God considers a proper fast.  In modern slang, Jehovah-God stated the people made Him want to puke for all their melodrama about fasting while yet remaining as evil as ever. 

I suppose this is one of those lessons Jews-Christians learned the hard way & NEVER want to forget.  Sorta like the hard lesson they learned about polygamy... that NEVER worked either & is still shunned & viewed as of unfavorable repute.  I suppose that is why there is not a lot of publicity about fasting in the West.   Many people do fast.  However, they realize talking about it can be viewed a bit like a person who talks about their wealth (bragging & being conceited) & therefore never well received & is of poor form. It would be a kin to bragging about being a humble person … a contradiction in terms.     

Well, other than noting that my religious & non-religious Persian-Iranian friends attest to the validity of Faramarz Fateh's fasting comments, I just wanted to add that many Jews & Christians also fast; albeit usually privately. To each their own & if you fast, may Jehovah God be honored by your fast & bless you.  

"Could we see the day this

"Could we see the day this story happen in Iran?"

We did, 30 years ago before the revolution, have you forgotten?!

Turkey, islam and democracy? not a good example

Not in all part of Turkey. In small towns they have the same situation like in Iran with the difference that they have no Bassiji or moral police but the ordinary Turkish people punish everyone for eating or drinking in public during the Ramadan. The democracy in Turkey is not like the democracy in the west, it is more like giving people some advantages rather than democracy and freedom. You can not have Islam as official religion of your country and at the same time ask for democrcy because Islam is against freedom and democracy. It's a very racist religion. 

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Back in 1359 during Ramazan a young Brother of mine  (bofore shehadat in .....) and his friend were grilling fish on fire and smoking Bahman were CAUGHT !! by pasdars make the story short they recieved 40 lashes then ,that I feel the pain even today...

O.C.D is the problem of our muslim Iranians. Maziar

Turkey, Islam and Democracy

Many Iranians have  bad experiences with Turkey and Turks. I, on the other hand, have always liked Turkey. It reminds me of Iran. Visiting Turkey has been the closest thing I have done, to actually being in Iran , in the last 27 years.

Some Iranian friends and I were in Istanbul once, looking for a decent place to eat. It was during Ramadan. We asked a police officer, and he told us to follow him. We chatted with him a little on the way. Once we got there, we offered to buy him lunch, or at least a cold drink. 

He thanked us, but said he was fasting.

No judgment, no dirty look. No 'amr beh ma'roof',...no 'nahy az monker'...That was his interpretation of Islam.

Could we see the day this story happen in Iran?