Topic: Do all paths lead to the same God?

"Imagine, for example, that three blind men are touching an elephant. The first blind man is holding on to the elephant's leg. He explains, "I think an elephant is like the trunk of a great tree." The second blind man disagrees. "No, I believe an elephant is like a snake," he says while holding the elephant's trunk. The third blind man responds, "No, you both are wrong, an elephant is like a wall." (He is touching the elephant's side.) Each blind man thinks he is right and that the others are wrong even though all three of them are all touching the same elephant. In a similar way, is it not possible that all religions are in contact with the same ultimate reality and merely describe it in different ways?"

Many people are crucifying Ed Balls and the Labour government for this, but I think it is a good move:

MPs pass Ed Balls's controversial change to the sex education bill, allowing faith schools to opt out of rules on teaching homosexuality and contraception

What this *should* mean is that while the subjects still have to be taught, they do not have to tow the government line on such things and pretend it is all happy families.

Even on the issue of contraception it would give the schools the right to put forward a stronger message than they maybe were previously allowed.

I have mentioned this a few times, but then I also go back to how things are.

The issue is that us Muslims seem to almost excusively focus on the plight of the Palestinians.

Why? because it is easy and it is well know.

Yet there are other places in the world where Muslims live and where humans are also suffering - some times at the hands of other Muslims.

This is nothing new and I am sure we can all name drop a few different places where things are happening - Nigeria in the Nigerian Delta, Sudan in southern Sudan and the Darfour region, Somalia, Chechnya, Assam in India, the Uyghurs in china.

[center]Milad un Nabi Mubarak!

Say: Because of the Blessings (fadl) of Allah and His Mercy (rahma) you should celebrate (with happiness and pleasure). That is better than what (wealth) they amass. (Surah Yunus)

Narrated by Abu Qatada Ansari (ra). The Prophet was asked about fasting on Monday whereupon he replied:

"It is (the day) i was born and revelation was sent down to me." (Sahih Muslim)
[/center]

First it was the infamous war and onslaught of Lebanon in 2006 not to mention the many previous wars Israel has had with its neighbours.

Then Gaza and now the embroiling dispute with Britain on the killing of the Hamas leader Mahmoud Al-Mabhouh in Dubai supposedly carried out by Mossad and his crew.

The assassination emphasises that still Israel and the Palestinians are in a state of perpetual war. Israel has always been a state within a state its reputation dwindled by the treatment of Palestinians and disregard for mercy.

Imperial War Museum
Manchester

Don McCullin is renowned for being one of the greatest war photographers of our time. For most of his life he has been travelling the globe deep into the most dangerous and horrifying situations on earth, taking images of the victims of war, massacres and the destitute. As you enter the exhibition McCullin’s images are not just pictures they portray a world deeply distressed in the harshest of times. One of his most famous pictures is called "Shell Shocked US Marine Vietnam" in which a bedazzled US soldier is grasping a rifle, his eyes seem to be looking at the camera in fact they are acutely lost far beyond the camera lens. The image is a profound and ghastly example of the perils of war and its effect on the human mind.

Imperial War Museum
Manchester

Don McCullin is renowned for being one of the greatest war photographers of our time. For most of his life he has been travelling the globe deep into the most dangerous and horrifying situations on earth, taking images of the victims of war, massacres and the destitute. As you enter the exhibition McCullin’s images are not just pictures they portray a world deeply distressed in the harshest of times. One of his most famous pictures is called "Shell Shocked US Marine Vietnam" in which a bedazzled US soldier is grasping a rifle, his eyes seem to be looking at the camera in fact they are acutely lost far beyond the camera lens. The image is a profound and ghastly example of the perils of war and its effect on the human mind.

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Eid Milad Un Nabi Mubarak!! i think its on Saturday...