November 03, 2005

Eid and the long fast from freedom

To me, the most difficult part about the holy month has less to do with hunger or thirst as much as the loss of freedom. The freedom to do what you wish or need when you wish or need it; to have a semblance of control over your day. Instead, your whole metabolism, mood and nerves sail at the mercy of events, time and waiting, until you reach the promised hour.

It's all a self-imposed trip of course. No hanging sword or pointed gun at our heads. And it's temporary and short lived. And, on a night like this, we all celebrate the regaining of that precious freedom.

But what has not been temporary nor short lived, and anything but self-imposed, is another long, collective fast of ours. Our fast from basic (non-biological) freedoms and liberties. The freedom to dissent, to have a say, to effect change. Heavens know it has been a long, centuries old fast, unending. Heavens know it has been an arduously long sailing, a costly march toward the dryland of the free.

On this auspicious day, may the time and distance (and cost) to breaking that long fast, to the real Eid, be nearer than ever.

Happy Eid to all, especially to those at a distance from family or ease.

4 Comments:

At 5:36 PM, Anonymous Anonymous said...

"On this auspicious day, may the time and distance (and cost) to breaking that long fast, to the real Eid, be nearer than ever."

Ameen ya rabb ul 3alameen

Eid mubarak

 
At 8:21 PM, Blogger MR said...

A very blessed Eid to you, Chanad, and the whole pond.

 
At 8:29 PM, Anonymous Anonymous said...

It seems to me that the east suffers from the syndrome of "That's the way we do it because that's they way we always did it."

I think God is displeased with the way things are going because if things were going in a Godly fashion for example, the exercise of wisdom by his children would be rewarded with peace and prosperity, like in Japan or Canada etc.

Well, sad those who have not much peace or prosperity are not exercising wisdom in their worlds. For example if Makkah were free millions more people from the world over would be able to go to Makkah and celebrate humanity and cast a stone at the devil. BUT, the hypocrites rule. No peace, not much prosperity in a land that God gave immense natural wealth too.

Augurwell
Chesshire by Severn
Canada

 
At 9:06 PM, Anonymous Anonymous said...

You know now that I think about it some more that's not the way it was always done in the east, there was a time when the east lead the world in science and sailing and trade until the fanatics took over, then stagnation.
The spice trade era is what I'm thinking about. AND there was a King from Makkah area who freed the slaves and fought off the raiders from the desert...
they had unpresident growth, Petra comes to mind.

Au

 

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