Just thought I would mention a lovely gesture by the Islamic Society at Sunderland Uni for the security team who have enabled them to have late access into their designated prayer facilities etc during Ramadan. They sent a delivery van round from a local Indian Restaurant with meals, with all the trimmings, for the ten staff who were on duty on Sunday. With a thank you card for all the help and support they received. They also sent a letter to VC and the director of Facilities remarking on the excellent customer care they received. I thought this made a change from all the negatives we hear regarding Muslims..
Nice one mate, it's great when people appreciate what you do isn't it? This is the end of Ramadan now isn't it and it's now Eid Al Fitr ........ end of fasting and party time for Muslims
Yes..Talking to the Imam, the end of fasting was either today or tomorrow depending on conflicting sections of the faith.. He is a cracking lad, and was trying to gauge opinion regarding which way to go on it.
When I was in the south of France, working for Russians, we had 16 full time gardeners, all North African Muslims. The poor sods were working in the heat all day without being able to eat or drink properly. I used to kid them on that they should covert to Christianity then they could eat & drink whatever they liked. They invited me and our lass to the end of Ramadan BBQ which is an experience we'll never forget.
In all seriousness though mate, I believe that one of the main differences is that the Sunni's believe in political Islam and the Shiites don't..As far as the Kurds go, I believe it is all to do with them race and geographical boundaries..
Very good, always nice to learn & understand things. One thing I don't know though is how people who have lived together for years become polarised. Take Yugoslavia for example. Once a popular holiday destination. Although I was part of a UN force in Bosnia Ihave no idea why it all fell apart.
It's like saying why do we wash but mags don't? So close together but it could be different worlds. It's all very school yard really when you think about it. You go to school with the same kids, 5 days a week for 4 years, but cliques form and you leave school just as estranged as when you started to many people all because of the direction your particular social group has taken you. Even though you spent hundreds of hours in the same room listening to the same boring **** talk at you.
If it hadn't have been for Tito's charisma, and at times, brutal suppression of any dissent, there would never have been a Yugoslavia after WW2. Different parts of the country had been on opposite sides during the war. The Croats (chetniks) had been on the German side, which is why their red and white chequered flag was, and still is so offensive to so many over there. His leadership just kept the lid on the hatred between the various ethnic groups. Once he was gone it didn't take much for hatred to come to the surface and for old scores to be settled.
A very useful history lesson - seriously ... .thats why history should be made a core subject - puts existing world tensions in perspective Now why do we dislike our dark sided football rivals - was it before parliamentarians v royalist face off at Panns Bank ?
Well I saw with my own eyes a Croatian soldier kill a young Serbian woman with a sledge hammer around the back of her napper. She was heavily pregnant due to being raped by the Croats. And do you know what made me feel even more sick? There was **** all we could do about it. The Dutch lads were there when the massacre of Srebrenica took place, again, hands tied. We got the aftermath. ****ing peacekeeping man, what a **** job. I have absolutely no idea why the UN do it.
