Is there a common ground?

Can’t they just shut up and save us their stupid remarks?

I am developing an allergy from all headdresses. Back home we used to joke about head-scarves by calling them intelligence-blockers when the fashion of wearing them was just starting. Later on when they became the majority and the trend entered our own families, we had to shut up.

It somehow makes people who wear them feel authoritative, and obliged to lecture others whenever it suits them.

Obviously today I am speaking about the Pope with his “Episcopal Mitre”; no I am not that clever and not that interested, but I asked about the name of the thing he puts on his head and this is what I was told.

People inside Iraq wouldn’t care less; in fact some of them approve of what he said, as they are waking up everyday to see corpses all around the place and daily murders in the name of religion.

None-religious Iraqis in here are more to the philosophical side, an understandable attitude when you are far from the real action. “He really shouldn’t have said evil and inhuman bout Islam, he is only stirring up matters and inciting more hatred. The world is trying to build bridges and he has just blown them all up."

Religious Iraqis are sure that this was a planned strategy and was thought of and prepared for beforehand, and they went as far as a CIA involvement possibility.

The reaction in Muslims countries is very well expected; burning and screaming and threatening. It makes one feel they are watching an Arabic film; you could easily predict every single scene before it shows on the screen. You don’t have to think or wonder. The movie makers have no intention to tire your brains, and let you continue living in lies peacefully.

I was talking to a new-comer to London lately. He is a recent graduate of medicine school in Iraq, blessed with a British passport. In his effort to prove himself as an open-minded young man, his comment on the pope’s speech was that people should avoid speaking about taboos!!

“And what in your opinion is considered a taboo may I ask?”
He confidently answered “Sex and religion”.

I looked at him and said “You have to accept that you are now in a taboo-free zone, if you cannot live with it you better pack up and leave.”

Later I felt guilty, and thought I was a bit harsh on the guy. I remembered myself and my own shocks when I first arrived.

Many years back on my way home from work I saw an ambulance parked outside my neighbour’s house.
I saw Marie standing outside the front door, and when I went closer to check if everything is alright; she quietly told me “Jack has passed away”.

The two paramedics were checking if anyone is coming over to stay the night with her, or whether she prefers they take the body to the morgue. Marie gently thanked them and said

“My husband is staying in his house; Jack never hurt me when he was alive, and I don’t think he will now that he is dead”.
She slowly left us and walked back to the garden to finish trimming the bushes.
I couldn’t believe that she will sleep the night alone with Jack dead upstairs, but apparently she did.

I pictured the same incident had it happened back home, and I could easily see all the neighbours inside Marie’s house and relatives from all over landing there in no time as well. Let alone the following rituals which will take another forty days.

The bigger shock was the funeral which turned out to be in a crematorium rather than a church, and Jack’s body ended up ashes in a small jar.

Accepting others is very important, but I think facing and admitting your own faults is far more important.

I always try while in heated discussion about let’s say Shia and Sunni to put the blame on the Shia to let the other party soften up and admit their own mistakes so we can reach an understanding or a solution.

The pope would have made more sense if he had spoken about Christianity’s own history of violence; the Crusades, the inquisition and Europe’s religious wars along with his statement about Islam. We are all after a meeting point not further clashes.

But how could he? He is constantly wearing something over his head doesn’t he?

And finally any speech or announcement made about the above matter was overshadowed this week by the great news of the discovery of our great great great 3.3 million year old cousin as seen below:

This is our common ground. This should shut all of them up.