Harry Potter and the Imam's Fatwa?

Let me start off by saying: I love, adore unrestrainedly, those books. I don't know how that Scottish witch (good witch) does it, but they are possibly the most engaging, effortlessly enjoyable things ever written.

The thing about the stories that has always ranckled with me though, is this: a conspicuous absence of anything relating to faith, God, religion, anything. At first you might think, well, this is logical. In today's "Western culture" there is a pronounced rejection of faith in many areas. This state of affairs is not complete though. Almost every Western institution that can trace its origins farther back than the Renaissance usually had or has some associatioin with faith, or at least the Church. And despite the wishes of many scientific, evolved, intellectual, etc. types, these origins continue to influence and persist in our culture and others. This is why no matter how much "Jo Rowling" tries to avoid sticky religious controversy, she cannot fundamentally sidestep such inconvenient muggle concepts as "God" in every page. Some examples:

The wizarding hospital of "St. Mungo's" (named, I've been told, after an actual saint).

The Sanskritic and, by association Hindu, names of two of Harry's schoolmates-- Parvati and Padma Patil.

The constant stream of allusions to Classical mythology (ergo faiths) in names, creatures, etc. (Minerva, Argus, Fluffy, etc.)

There are probably more; these just sprang from my mind, fully armed. However, even from these examples one might be able to infer that Rowling tries to stick to "safe" religious themes and concepts, so as not to offend certain touchy parties. The problem with this, however, is that it would now be impossible to represent, for example, Jewish or Muslim Britains at the apparently all-inclusive Hogwarts. Does the school have secret apartheid regulations forbidding attendance by members of these two faith cultures? Is the food served in the Great Hall consistenly un-kosher, un-halaal? Or does she think Arab culture, that gave us the unparalleled Tales from the Thousand and One Nights, has but little to offer in the way of magic? But digressions aside, I think it would be a rational day in the White House when we saw a new character in the upcoming "Deathly Hallows" conclusion by the name of Kabir, Mohammed, -baum, -berg, -owitz, or Khan. These two faiths, she apparently thinks, still contain adherents who'd be willing to raise heck against haraam notions of magic, sorcery and enchantment. And she's probably right. I think it would be vastly entertaining though, not that I'm an advocate of strife, but still...

Of Tacos and तबला |

In short, I have found out yet another meaty staple for my diet and it is this: tacos. Yes, I've known of these unstable items for many moons, yet in my childhood I was never inclined to sample even a fastfood example of the genre. Now, with the advent of my ability to eat things other than "kid food" ifyouknowhatImean, I can cram just about anything into my mouth and the "buds" (as those things that help you taste tell me they like to be called) put up very feeble resistance. Tacos are great. If I were in the mood I might compose a limerick, but wouldn't that just be so cliche?

A taco is really quite grand
When you know that you've made it by hand.
But now don't let it crack
Or you'll lose a whole snack
And abandon your lunch to the land.

Applause please... no, don't kid yourselves.

In other worlds, I have, after months of searching and scheming, found a guru for to teach me some of the ropes as regards Tabla. This proved to be most exciting. I learned in an hour six different types of बोल. One, whose name comes not to mind, was quite difficult but I'll get it eventually.

If there were a deepest circle of Hell, he'd have a one-way ticket.

Today is, apparently, the sixtieth anniversary of the creation of the AK-47 assault rifle or Kalashnikov, after its inventor Mikhail.

I, who have never seen anything that remotely resembles the human tragedy of armed conflict, find it hard to even comprehend the destruction that this infamous object has forced upon the ordinary people of the world. Indeed, one would probably be hard pressed to think of any war in the last half-century in which the "AK" has not found a role. It might even be possible to estimate the number of deaths this weapon alone is responsible for, but I wouldn't want to. I'll leave that to Mikhail.

The gun's inventor says he feels no guilt for his indirect genocide, which probably dwarfs anything the Austrian Corporal came up with. Instead, he says that "politicians" are responsible for the world's innumerable wars and slaughter. And cigarrette-wallas aren't responsible for lung cancer, either. This isn't surprising. People pass the buck with great dependability, myself included. Who would honestly want to admit to an obscene fraction of the carnage in the last century, easily the deadliest yet? The truth is, if you forge cheap death for desperate hands, it will be used.

It's probably pointless to blame one man for humanity's failure, but he's certainly helped us along for the last few years. If there's a Hell, Mikhail, you wouldn't miss it for the world.

Oh goodness gracious

I swore I would never repeat this wretched cliche of so many amateur bloggies (not that I'm not one myself) but I have not posted for a loooong time. Part of it was to do with this strange selling-out to Google which fuddle-duddled everything up, but I'm sure I should have shown more initiative.

Needless to say, after just finishing a brief account of Indian Independance, I am even less fondly disposed towards the forces of faith in nationalist politics, and nationalism in general. I'll elaborate more on that later...