The previous post has taken a serious turn.
What started as a silly question generated a serious exchange between two Bahraini bloggers (who happen to be among my favourites!) of more or less the same age, but with two extremely different opinions and ideas about more or less the same thing.
Bahrania thinks she is correct in her ideas and Joker is adamant that he is right. Each sees the issue from his own perspective and neither is willing to compromise. Nevertheless, their exchange was civil, which is what I expect from two educated people with one true love - Bahrain.
Personally, I love opinionated people. People with firm convictions and beliefs, and who would argue their points to the end, backing their views with solid evidence and not sentiments.
In discussions like these, I take the back bench and listen, read and learn. For me, such exchanges are a valuable learning experience which enable me to put myself in those people's shoes and follow their stream of thought to:
a. see where it will lead me
b. see where it came from
c. assess whether it is correct or wrong
d. formulate my own opinion about the issue being debated
We didn't emerge from a vacuum. We are conditioned by our homes, societies, friends, schools, access or lack of access to information and the media, to name a few. So it is only fair, that we have different opinions about different issues.
Being different is healthy. It is a sign that we can think on our own: that we aren't being herded like cattle repeating a broken record that has over-lived its due course. Every person is FREE to make up his own mind, and think the way he wants, provided he doesn't impose it on others by force and that he takes time to listen, digest and if not accept - than just respect the other person's opinion.
Let's never forget that FREEDOM is also a relatively new term in this part of the world. It is something we should deal with cautiously. Remember the saying which goes: Easy Come...Easy Go!
Let's make the most of it, while it lasts ;)
4 September 2005
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9 comments:
Thank you for this post SBG!
Cool headed debate is an art that somehow has gone lost sometimes, not always, not by everybody, in this Wonderland, but not only. It is in human nature to want to be right, and be right at all price, and some people insist on being dead right. It is one of my troubles with history, it wants to be right, and frankly, history is never right, is is past, dead, gone.
Do not cry over spilt milk, instead ask yourself how are you going to constructively and with respect to all, solve the conflict. It is a simple question, the answer will keep you busy a life time.
I am crazy. Silly Girl knows it better. Debates are always good. We just need to make people STOP and THINK - before they become animated faceless creatures in the assembly line.
There are many debates in every brain. I do keep debating with the little man inside my head who keeps talking to me. :-)
Oh well, how many of us dare debate in private or in public - about topics and subjects that are supposed to be sacred?
How many of us would shy away from debating on the so called sensitive topics, for example: Religion
For too many it is BLASPHEMOUS to discuss (they shudder at the very thought of a debate!)the validity of religions.
I have not been posting many comments in the Silly blog, though I witnessed the birth of it. :-)
There are so many new people, posting comments - and keeping this blog so alive. I am glad my dear friend Amy has been kept busy with this. Trust me, she didn't believe that much initially.
SBG, you rock!
But, Hey, let us have a good debate.
Nothing is blasphemous to me. Even if most of the gluttoners died of a massive fart attack during the month of holy Feasting.
Have I started a debate?
Crazy Sans.
أنا بصراحة أفضل النوم على الدخول في نقاشات طويلة لا تثمر عن أي تغيير في وجهات نظر المتحاورين،،، مجتمعنا منقسم على نفسه وفي الغالب يتبنى الأفراد وجهات نظر الوسط الذي خرجوا منه وليس للمنطق أي علاقة بتبيهم لتلك الأفكار فهي خيارات الطائفة أو التيار وليس للفرد الخروج عليها.
Good post Silly. How life would be boring if everyone was the same? I dont remember the exact lines, but the poet Robert Frost once wrote that he came to a fork in the road, one was well traveled, clean and clear. The other was untraveled, was overgrown and in ill repair. He had to make a choice as to which to take. He decided to take the road less traveled and that it is a choice that had made all of the difference in his life.
My life is like that, I have gone from here, to there, to everywhere. I made lots of mistkaes along the way, but it is these vary mistakes that makes us who we are. I wouldnt change a thing. I like where I am now.
Differences, they are the BEST thing in this world, as long as they are respected for how they can bring us together.
عزيزي جوكر،
أن أنام بكل وعي لنومي خير لي من أن أغرق في أوهام الوعي بعينين مفتوحتين!
ادعاءاتنا اللامنتهية أبدا، بالوعي والانفتاح وتقبل الآخر وإلى آخر لحن ممل من ألحان تلك الاسطوانة التي اهترأت دوراناً على ألسنتنا الطويلة، لن يغير من حقيقتنا شيئا،،، فكل المعارف التي تستند عليها، وتلك التي أستند عليها، للوصول لحكم ما على شخص أو ظاهرة أو حركة، كل تلك المعارف مستقاة من الوسط الذي نشأنا به وليست وليدة الفراغ،،، هذا الوسط أسرة وتيار وطائفة وإثنية حتى لو ادعينا القدرة على الانفكاك من سطوتها تبقى تعزف ألحانها فينا عن طريق اللاوعي.
تحياتي،
حسن الخزاعي
عزيزي جوكر،
لو أنك أعدت قراءة ما كتبته لوجدت بأني خصصت المعارف التي أعنيها بقولي "فكل المعارف التي تستند عليها للوصول لحكم ما" ولم أطلق المعارف شاملة على كل شيء تعلمته، قرأته أو ربما اهتممت به حتى.
إذن فما أقصده هي تلك البديهيات التي تستند، وأستند، إليها للوصول إلى حكم ما على الأشياء فبطبيعة الحال أحكامنا(وإن تأثرت بشكل طفيف) لن تكون مبنية بشكل أساسي على البوذية أو الهندوسية وإن اهتممنا بها أو تأثرنا بأفكارها.
يبقى الدور الأكبر هو للأسرة بدايتا في تكوين الإطر الأولية التي ننظر من خلالها للآخر (أبيض، أسود، سني، شيعي، عربي، عجمي ... الخ)ومن ثم للطائفة التي نلجأ في بلداننا المتخلفة تخلفا محضا (كما يصفه خلدون النقيب) إليها لانعدام وجود الدولة الحقيقية التي تضم جميع مواطنيها.
هكذا تجدنا في البحرين خاصة، منقسمين على أنفسنا حول تقييمنا للأمور (معارضة أو موالات) بالدرجة الأولى حسب الانتماء الطائفي وإن ادعى بعضنا الخروج من مأزق الحكم على الأمور من خلال هذا المنظار إلا أنه سرعان ما يعود إليه ويتضح ذلك بجلاء في الأزمات التي تعصف بالبلاد.
تحياتي،
حسن الخزاعي
I'll have to disagree with a lot of the comments here and that is simply the beauty of this whole debate. A statement that provokes different opinions needs to discussed and each side allowed to argue its case in a civilised, tolerant and respectful manner.
This small blogosphere we have created has at least allowed me, a shia, to debate with my fellow countryman, Joker, a sunni issues that are obviously important to both of us. Who knows, if I hadnt i might have resorted to molotov cocktails to get my point across *kidding*:) Whether we like it or not, whether we like belonging to a strata, I also agree with Khuza3i that this often conditions our opinions and beliefs consciously or unconsciously, that doesnt necessarily undermine or invalidate an argument if it is presented in a rational and epistomologically valid way.
One thing that does need clearing up though is the pretext of suspicion, distrust, character-bashing and fear that precedes most so-called discussions and discolours what might be quite pertinent comments. Lets debate as equals, as humans and as citizens, rather than as a shia, a sunni or any other classification that segments society.
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