Some educational words about the month of Ramazan, Hajj and Eid, the celebration at the end of Ramazan:

Ka'aba is a special place. It was once lost to us but our Beloved led His Friend Abraham to this Sanctuary and gave him the task of restoring this House. Our father Abraham recruited his son Ishmael for the Holy Task. For months at end, father and son toiled under the searing desert sun sustained only by their burning love for the Eternal God. This choice was no random choice. Abraham was *the* man for the job.

Every year, when men and women were to come to this blessed House, they were to come on the 10th of the month of Zilhijj. This auspicious day God asked Abraham to make the Supreme Sacrifice and Abraham delivered. Allah asked His Friend to sacrifice his son Ishmael and he obliged. Ka'aba is a special place. Its foundations have been fortified by love and faith of Abraham's family. We go there to commemorate love. We go there to celebrate faith. Abraham lived the true meaning of Surrender. He loved God, his Friend, above all.

God gave him a dream where he saw himself sacrificing his son. Persistence of the dream convinced him that it wasn't just a dream but an allusion from the Infinite. He intimated the dream to his son who readily concurred. Once it was known to be God's Will, the son didn't offer any excuses. It was a foregone conclusion that His Will be done. Father and son set off to the designated place. When they reached their destination, son suggested that the father cover his eyes so his love does not overwhelm him into disobeying His master. At the very moment that Abraham let loose his knife, the son was substituted with a lamb. This time and this day was made sacred.

Every year, millions come this very day. Millions retrace the steps of these two in the valley of Mina, they stop where they stopped, walk where they walked and finally arrive where the Supreme Sacrifice was offered. Here, everyone offers a sacrifice in His Love and then gives it to the impoverished people of the land all the while marveling at Abraham's burning love and faith in God that he was willing to sacrifice his most precious love. Those who can't be here, celebrate this wonderful sacrifice wherever they may be in any part of the world. For indeed, love of God must be celebrated.

Ka'aba is a special place. We commemorate Abraham and his son's faith and surrender. We also celebrate Mother Hagar's love. Mother's love is the highest form of selfless human love. Hagar typified this love so well. She combined this love with her unshakable trust in God.

Abraham was instructed to bring her and her infant son Ishmael near the mound that was once the Ka'aba. In this desolate place with nary a single soul and nary a water source, he left them with a leather bag containing some dates, and a small water-skin containing some water, and set out homeward. Ishmael's mother followed him saying, "O Abraham! Where are you going, leaving us in this valley where there is no person whose company we may enjoy, nor is there anything (to enjoy)?" She repeated that to him many times, but he did not look back at her. Then she asked him, "Has Allah ordered you to do so?" He said, "Yes." She said, "Then He will not neglect us."

What an exemplary Trust in their Beloved God! They knew that the Causer of all Causes will provide. He is Eminently Resourceful. Ishmael's mother went on suckling Ishmael and drinking from the water (she had). When all water ran out, she became thirsty and her child also became thirsty. She started looking at Ishmael tossing in agony; she left him, for she could not endure looking at him, and found that the mountain of Safa was the nearest mountain to her on that land. She stood on it and started looking at the valley keenly so that she might see somebody, but she could not see anybody. Then she descended from Safa and when she reached the valley, she tucked up her robe and ran in the valley like a person in distress and trouble, till she crossed the valley and reached the Marwa mountain where she stood and started looking, expecting to see somebody, but she could not see anybody. She repeated that (running between Safa and Marwa) seven times.

God loved this selfless display of motherly love so much that every pilgrim to His Holy House must run 7 times between the Twin Peaks of Safa and Marwa. When she reached the Marwa (for the last time) she heard a voice and she asked herself to be quiet and listened attentively. She heard the voice again and said, 'O, (whoever you may be)! You have made me hear your voice; have you got something to help me?"

And behold! She saw an angel at the place of Zam-Zam, digging the earth with his heel till water flowed from that place. She started to make something like a basin around it, using her hand in this way, and started filling her water-skin with water with her hands, and the water was flowing out after she had scooped some of it. This wonderful gift of God hasn't stopped yet. Hundreds of Millions come every year and take gallons and gallons of the Holy Water with them and still the small well never goes dry. Mecca is a special place.

I hope you enjoyed your Ramazan.

I am not Muslim. I am Greek Orthodox. Regardless, I do believe just as Mr. Prits states below in learning and I decided to start putting my time where my mouth is. I searched the Internet until I found a site that explained the Islamic Holiday. Since I knew that they had one, why not learn about it? From the "horse's" mouth so to speak? I simply copied and pasted so we may all learn, in these days of trouble.

The Taliban don't have anything to do with Ramazan, or from what I read with the spirit of it, any more than a lot of our so called "Christian" sects and cults (such as the one in Guiana and the one in Waco) had to do with Christianity.

But you may be right about one thing. Although I thought this was "Eleuthero Thema," I went ahead and pasted this information in the "Religion" folder also.

Tolerance SVAT... for our common good. And only knowledge breeds tolerance. We have lived the "other way" for long enough.

Now! I have done what I believe to be the right thing, and I will not waste my time to answer any more of your complains (for those of you who must complain about everything).

"Education takes for granted that sight is there but that isn't turned the right way or looking where it ought to look,and it tries to redirect it appropriately"

Me auto thelw kai egw na pw oti aloimono an perimename apo dio grammes pou grafei o kathenas mas edw pera gia olous kai gia ola na mathainame tous politismous.

Mou pire panw apo deka xronia stin Ameriki
na katalabw pws mporoun na enwthoun ta aditheta.
Kati pou exei efarmosei teleytaia to Columbia University kai to thigatriko tou Barnard sti Nea Yorki einai h anamiksi filwn me parakolouthisi mathimatwn mesa sta plaisia twn legomenwn liberal arts kai me clubs pou leitourgoun giayto to skopo..gia na boresoun oi fitites olwn twn politismwn na sinomiloun metaksi tous me gnwmona to dialogo..kai edw aisthanomai se pleonektiki thesi otan blepw na efarmozoun ti dialektiki twn arxaiwn Ellhnwn..
Gia na mi kanw to monologo mou bakxeia ekfrasi kai sas kourasw..apla sas simbouleyw na kanete filous apo oles tis files na milate me olous kai na katastalazete tis apopseis sas gia sas ..

exw parei mathimata idouaismou kai exw parameieni Ellhnida..ematha polla kai de metaniwnw gia tipote...
molis prin ligo sizitousa me mia mousoulmana upallilo mou na parw ena course sxetiko me mousoulmanismo...kai arabiko politismo.
an sas boithisa me tis simboules mou xairomai..ann oxi agnoiste me..

BUT

I have my opinion and your story is not something that I really was looking forward to ... learn or educate my self.

If you want to talk about special places and events try the Holy Land around Holy week at Easter.
What amazes me is that a Christian Orthodox Priest gets into a hole with bare hands and comes out with fire form the Holy Spirit.

The Israelis have tried many times to prove this a fiasko but they gave up.

Yes it's ok to learn about others culture, religion, etc.

But I do wonder, what do the Orthodox priests have to do with Ramazan? How did we get from "here" to "there"?

I posted this information here, in the "Eleuthero Thema" folder, because I felt that it is "newsworthy". The current affairs in this country and indeed all over the world are speaking of Ramazan on a daily basis. I believe that it's better late than never, in the knowledge department.

Francois Marie Aroue(Voltaire)
Υπερασπίζοντας την Ανεξιθρησκία

Για να υπερασπίσει το δικαίωμα του ανθρώπου να ακολουθεί όποια θρησκία επιθυμεί έγραψε σε κάποιον: "Δε συμφωνώ ούτε με μία λέξη από όσα λές, αλλά θα υπερασπίζω-και με τίμημα της ζωής μου ακόμη-το δικαίωμα σου ελεύθερα να λές όσα πρεσβεύεις".

Είπε επίσης, αν και θεωρήθηκε άθεος,
"αν δεν υπήρχε Θεός θα έπρεπε να εφεύρουμε ένα Θεό".

Kalo einai na sevometha to ti pistevei o kathenas, opos k'emeis theloume tous allous na sevontai auto pou pisteuoume i den pisteumoume emeis.

As to kleisoume auto to thema.

sintagmatarxis PRITS, en energeia!

Bodhi Day is the anniversary of Buddha's Enlightenment -- the day he became the Buddha. This day is celebrated by different Mahayana sects on different days. In Soto Zen Buddhism, Bodhi Day is observed on December 8, but the Festival of Enlightenment is on December 25.