Mani (Mainstream): Shall we mention last night at Anbar to Radi? It may start a fight if he knew we fought against Al-Qaeda.
Modi (Moderate): I would not say anything. Perhaps he will bring it up and have something interesting to say.
Mani: I really tasted fear there for a while, but it went away when those bullets started whizzing past. I couldn’t hear anything after the first few shots.
Modi: I know how that goes. Carry a few spent bullets with you next time and stick them in your ears, point out. That will help. According to the Sheik, we stopped Al-Qaeda and they lost a few fighters. We suffered a few wounded, but nothing serious. I guess we surprised them. They will not be surprised next time. I tried to give my AK back, but they told me to hang on to it. They may call us back. Besides the other raid they discussed, they want to build a border militia to plug the foreign fighters gap.
Mani: I am hanging on to mine also. I could not dedicate enough time for a militia. I think that is definitely a no-go. Oh! Here comes Radi.
Modi: I see him. I have that newspaper job, so I cannot spare the time either.
Radi (Radical): Good morning. Are we on for coffee?
Modi: We were just heading that way. What’s new?
Radi: You are usually the one with news. What is going on?
Modi: I visited some relatives last night and did not listen to any news or read anything. I had to visit; I had not done so for months.
Radi: I understand. I heard that one of the villages in Anbar was attacked by Baathists last night and Al-Qaeda had to come to the rescue.
Modi and Mani look at each other knowingly.
Modi: Did you get any details on that attack?
Radi: I did not get anything yet, other than that summary.
Mani: I suppose we should check into that. It is not like the Baathists to attack villages in Anbar. Radi, do you have a cousin or someone there?
Radi: Actually, Modi, I do not. However, I could have had cousins on either side. I have loads of relatives. I am constantly ducking marriage with cousins.
Mani: I can understand that. I think everyone has relatives on both sides of that street. Radi, did you ever join Al-Qaeda?
Radi: I thought about it. It takes awhile for everyone to be checked out. You have to be a pure enough Believer to join their ranks. They have a long line of wannabes.
Modi: And to be pure enough means you either have to be crazy enough or stupid enough.
Mani: You are not being nice, Modi.
Modi: Sorry, Radi. I become a little rattled when I see what AQ and others are doing to my country. I feel like joining the fray also, but not on the side of AQ.
Radi: If you are not on the side of AQ, you are fighting against Allah!
Modi: B/S, Radi. Allah does not take sides.
Radi: Are you really saying that we are not his chosen people?
Modi: How would I know that? Nobody knows. Those that do are lying to themselves. Perhaps we were at one time, but we have been killing our own people and others for decades, centuries, for the flimsiest of reasons. We kill our children to gain a tactical advantage and many times fail to gain the advantage. A terrible waste! No one but stupid leaders would want to sign treaties with us because it is obvious treaties and negotiations mean nothing. We are at war with the entire world, but all they want us to do is cut out all the B/S and take our places in a peaceful world.
Mani: Radi, if you had tribal relatives in Anbar and AQ was attacking the village, would you help them?
Radi: If they insisted, I would have to go. But I could not fight against AQ. They are my friends.
Modi: But the people in Anbar would be your tribesmen. What about my cousin and I against my friend?
Radi: Now you are confusing me. I am a pure Believer; I fight for Allah against the enemies of Allah, whoever they may be.
Mani: If I helped relatives in Anbar against AQ, would I be an enemy of Allah?
Radi: I will have to think about that. You have an obligation to your tribe and to your family; however, you also have an obligation to Allah to be the best Believer possible—Al-Qaeda brings with them the purest form of Islam. To fight against pure Islam has to be against Allah.
Modi: Well, Radi, what if we do not believe that AQ’s or the Taliban’s versions are pure?
Radi: What? How can you not believe it?
Modi: INFLEXIBILITY NEVER MADE ANYTHING RIGHT WHEN DEALING WITH PEOPLE! I am sure that our most caring and merciful Lord wants us to be happy in our religion, not suffering under the yoke of slavery. AQ and the Taliban bring only slavery, suffering, and death. That, Radi, is evil and sinful. If you truly are for Allah, you must never help AQ! You must fight them.
Radi: You cannot be right. Allah requires strict obedience.
Mani: That is an interpretation, Radi, of imams who want power over us to direct our lives. There should be no compulsion in religion. No one should ever step between Allah and us.
Modi: Do not forget, Radi, many of those imams have no right to guide people. Many are uneducated and simply self-serving. Some are sadists who like nothing better than to uncover some offense, no matter how trivial, that gives them the opportunity to punish someone. They have no idea what our scriptures say and probably never will know.
Mani: Many of the names of Allah include the Compassionate, the Merciful, the All Knowing, the All Forgiving, the Wise, and the Generous, among others. People are human, the All Knowing knows this and He knows that humans are frail and sometimes give in to some minor temptations. If He really wanted you to punish people who you believe have sinned, where is the compassion, the all-forgiving, the mercy, and the generosity?
Radi: When he is punished, he is no longer a sinner.
Modi: He is no longer a person. Allah now has one fewer person to love and worship Him. You have robbed Him of a worshipper as you have robbed his children of a father and his wife of a husband. You have robbed a tribe of a member, weakening that tribe by one person. You have robbed his friends and his work. You have robbed the local shops of a customer. You robbed Allah and all of these others for what? Sin had nothing to do with it. You did it to satiate your own blood lust.
Mani: Radi, it seems to me that you are guilty of more than the sinners you punish.
Radi: I know you are both wrong, but my head hurts. I need some coffee.
Mani: Modi, looks as if you get the last word.
Modi: Donuts?
HJS
Modi (Moderate): I would not say anything. Perhaps he will bring it up and have something interesting to say.
Mani: I really tasted fear there for a while, but it went away when those bullets started whizzing past. I couldn’t hear anything after the first few shots.
Modi: I know how that goes. Carry a few spent bullets with you next time and stick them in your ears, point out. That will help. According to the Sheik, we stopped Al-Qaeda and they lost a few fighters. We suffered a few wounded, but nothing serious. I guess we surprised them. They will not be surprised next time. I tried to give my AK back, but they told me to hang on to it. They may call us back. Besides the other raid they discussed, they want to build a border militia to plug the foreign fighters gap.
Mani: I am hanging on to mine also. I could not dedicate enough time for a militia. I think that is definitely a no-go. Oh! Here comes Radi.
Modi: I see him. I have that newspaper job, so I cannot spare the time either.
Radi (Radical): Good morning. Are we on for coffee?
Modi: We were just heading that way. What’s new?
Radi: You are usually the one with news. What is going on?
Modi: I visited some relatives last night and did not listen to any news or read anything. I had to visit; I had not done so for months.
Radi: I understand. I heard that one of the villages in Anbar was attacked by Baathists last night and Al-Qaeda had to come to the rescue.
Modi and Mani look at each other knowingly.
Modi: Did you get any details on that attack?
Radi: I did not get anything yet, other than that summary.
Mani: I suppose we should check into that. It is not like the Baathists to attack villages in Anbar. Radi, do you have a cousin or someone there?
Radi: Actually, Modi, I do not. However, I could have had cousins on either side. I have loads of relatives. I am constantly ducking marriage with cousins.
Mani: I can understand that. I think everyone has relatives on both sides of that street. Radi, did you ever join Al-Qaeda?
Radi: I thought about it. It takes awhile for everyone to be checked out. You have to be a pure enough Believer to join their ranks. They have a long line of wannabes.
Modi: And to be pure enough means you either have to be crazy enough or stupid enough.
Mani: You are not being nice, Modi.
Modi: Sorry, Radi. I become a little rattled when I see what AQ and others are doing to my country. I feel like joining the fray also, but not on the side of AQ.
Radi: If you are not on the side of AQ, you are fighting against Allah!
Modi: B/S, Radi. Allah does not take sides.
Radi: Are you really saying that we are not his chosen people?
Modi: How would I know that? Nobody knows. Those that do are lying to themselves. Perhaps we were at one time, but we have been killing our own people and others for decades, centuries, for the flimsiest of reasons. We kill our children to gain a tactical advantage and many times fail to gain the advantage. A terrible waste! No one but stupid leaders would want to sign treaties with us because it is obvious treaties and negotiations mean nothing. We are at war with the entire world, but all they want us to do is cut out all the B/S and take our places in a peaceful world.
Mani: Radi, if you had tribal relatives in Anbar and AQ was attacking the village, would you help them?
Radi: If they insisted, I would have to go. But I could not fight against AQ. They are my friends.
Modi: But the people in Anbar would be your tribesmen. What about my cousin and I against my friend?
Radi: Now you are confusing me. I am a pure Believer; I fight for Allah against the enemies of Allah, whoever they may be.
Mani: If I helped relatives in Anbar against AQ, would I be an enemy of Allah?
Radi: I will have to think about that. You have an obligation to your tribe and to your family; however, you also have an obligation to Allah to be the best Believer possible—Al-Qaeda brings with them the purest form of Islam. To fight against pure Islam has to be against Allah.
Modi: Well, Radi, what if we do not believe that AQ’s or the Taliban’s versions are pure?
Radi: What? How can you not believe it?
Modi: INFLEXIBILITY NEVER MADE ANYTHING RIGHT WHEN DEALING WITH PEOPLE! I am sure that our most caring and merciful Lord wants us to be happy in our religion, not suffering under the yoke of slavery. AQ and the Taliban bring only slavery, suffering, and death. That, Radi, is evil and sinful. If you truly are for Allah, you must never help AQ! You must fight them.
Radi: You cannot be right. Allah requires strict obedience.
Mani: That is an interpretation, Radi, of imams who want power over us to direct our lives. There should be no compulsion in religion. No one should ever step between Allah and us.
Modi: Do not forget, Radi, many of those imams have no right to guide people. Many are uneducated and simply self-serving. Some are sadists who like nothing better than to uncover some offense, no matter how trivial, that gives them the opportunity to punish someone. They have no idea what our scriptures say and probably never will know.
Mani: Many of the names of Allah include the Compassionate, the Merciful, the All Knowing, the All Forgiving, the Wise, and the Generous, among others. People are human, the All Knowing knows this and He knows that humans are frail and sometimes give in to some minor temptations. If He really wanted you to punish people who you believe have sinned, where is the compassion, the all-forgiving, the mercy, and the generosity?
Radi: When he is punished, he is no longer a sinner.
Modi: He is no longer a person. Allah now has one fewer person to love and worship Him. You have robbed Him of a worshipper as you have robbed his children of a father and his wife of a husband. You have robbed a tribe of a member, weakening that tribe by one person. You have robbed his friends and his work. You have robbed the local shops of a customer. You robbed Allah and all of these others for what? Sin had nothing to do with it. You did it to satiate your own blood lust.
Mani: Radi, it seems to me that you are guilty of more than the sinners you punish.
Radi: I know you are both wrong, but my head hurts. I need some coffee.
Mani: Modi, looks as if you get the last word.
Modi: Donuts?
HJS
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