Being the Gossip Target…

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There’s a concept in Judaism known as “Lashon Hara” which literally means the “evil/bad tongue.”

It refers to gossip.

And, it is considered one of the worst things in which you can engage…or encourage.

There’s a woman I know who is particularly adept at this, unfortunately.

And, I will admit, in the past, I was guilty of indulging her and even encouraging her.

Like everyone, I have my less than savory sides to my personality.

Recently, I discovered that I was the object of her “Lashon Hara.”

I felt bad and hurt. Not only because I realized the damage that was going to occur (or has already) to my reputation within her circles, but now because I realize how others have been affected by it as well.

Better late than never to learn this lesson.

And, sometimes, you have to learn the hard way.

The Ground Zero Mosque Debate and Islamophobia…

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A friend has been asking me to blog about this for a while and I’ve resisted.  Probably because I didn’t want to get somebody’s knee-jerk reaction of being called an “Islamophobe” or “bigot”.
His question (or at least how I interpreted it) was “how can anyone oppose the mosque and still believe in freedom of religion?”
I can’t speak for everyone, but I think, Simon, it involves suspending belief in your worldview for a moment and being open to the possibility that your analysis is incorrect.
This is difficult for all of us. Any of us.
If you can do that, however, you look at the opposing worldview to yours which is that Islam may be a religion, but that it may also be a religion wrapped inside a totalitarian ideology.
While there is no doubt that there are moderate Muslim factions that don’t seek to replace the Constitution with Sharia, there is equally no doubt that there are factions which would gladly do that.
To say otherwise, is to be ignorant.
For example, to claim that “Islam is the religion of peace” when in August, 2010, 196 Jihad attacks in 23 countries killed 811 people in the name of Islam (source) denies an uncomfortable, but fundamental truth about a significant faction of Muslims.
Are all Muslims evil? Of course not!
Some, like Dr. Jasser of the American Islamic Forum for Democracy are standing up to this strain within their own religion.
And while some Americans are in a tizzy about the fact that “Anti-Muslim Hate Crimes Sweeps Nation Amid “Mosque” Controversy,” the unfortunate reality is that of the 1,606 religiously motivated hate crimes in 2008 (according to the FBI), 65.7% were against Jews, with only 7.7% against Muslims.
No one is going around saying we have a problem with anti-Semitism?
So, then, what is it?
What it is, I think, or at least what I am interpreting (and let’s just leave out the true racists and bigots from this debate, shall we?), so, what I am interpreting is that there are a group of people who view Islam as a totalitarian, expansionist ideology using the cloak of religion to gain protection from the government (and sympathy from open-minded people like you) to advance its agenda.
And, in this case, the hypothesized agenda is to erect a mosque as a symbol of conquest/dominance at the location where the battle took place, which would be a continuation of much of Muslim military history.
And, as I am sure you have read, the original name (Cordoba House) reflected the highpoint of Muslim domination when its influence extended into the middle of Spain.
So, while it may be easy to brand those who oppose the location of the mosque as Islamophobes in an effort to silence them or deride them for their intolerance, IF the opposing view is indeed correct and the objective is the imposition of Sharia all over the world (which may be difficult for you to believe, but is certainly the stated goal of some Muslims), then the negative reaction to the mosque is actually more in line with your tolerant, liberal, open-minded values than you may originally surmise.
Now, let the name-calling and fighting begin….

Yom Kippur

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Strange as it may seem, Yom Kippur is my favorite holiday.

I love the intensity of it. The forced introspection.

And, despite the fact that I haven’t eaten, I usually find myself uplifted by the end of the day.

This year, though, I had a hard time.

For most of the day, I couldn’t get my mind off of a nagging business problem.

It troubled me greatly. I felt pretty shallow that I couldn’t focus on my spiritual improvement as I felt like I should.

That made me angry with myself.

Around 6pm, I knew that time was literally running out and I thought back to the numerous sporting events where I had seen one team pull out a “fantastic finish” to win the game in improbable fashion.

I realized that this was precisely what I had to do.

So, instead of berating myself, I started to ask: “well, what is the spiritual opportunity for growth within this business situation?”

And, you know what? I found it.

Well, more than one, in particular, but I think I came away with a greater appreciation for rumination and reflection (instead of reflexively fast reaction) and empathy for the other person on the side of this issue.

Still…not the typical “high” I was hoping for, but an interesting (and satisfactory) conclusion.

May you be inscribed…

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in the Book of Life.

Shana Tova and Happy New Year.

The Ground Zero Mosque Debate…

I had never heard of this guy before and quick look at his website shows him to be an atheist, anti-religion, comedian of sort. I’ll admit, his FAQ section is pretty funny.

I hadn’t even heard about the proposed Ground Zero mosque and, while I know it may appear to be “un-PC/bigoted” of me, I think his analysis is fairly accurate.

Going Into a Board Meeting...with God

For the next two days, I will be in intense negotiations with my single biggest investor- God.

The annual review process (aka Rosh Hashana-the Jewish New Year) is a time for God to assess my performance against the goals we set at last year’s annual meeting.

As Chairman of the Board, God looks at all of the details, leaving no stone unturned.

Typically, these are long sessions.

I am cautiously optimistic about God approving my ongoing operations for another year, but you can’t take these things for granted.

You may lobby on my behalf by emailing God directly or connecting to Him via the social network of your choice (He’s big on Facebook now, I’m told)

Movie: The Hamburg Cell

Image by lakerae via FlickrThe Hamburg Cell is about how one group of the 9/11 hijackers/terrorists moved from 'regular students' to murderers.

It goes through their recruitment, indoctrination, and training and tells a fascinating story about the personal lives of some of these individuals. The challenges that they face, the relationship that they have.

The director said he wanted to show that they were "regular" people with normal issues. I think he did this, in the sense that they had wives, families, and angst. No question about that.

But I don't think he was morally equivocating. He showed a violent side of Islam that will rest at nothing to destroy America and the West.  I walked away saddened by the existence of this threat and still shocked that there are those who, in my estimation, minimize its severity.

Much like in Munich, I did not feel that the "humanization" of the terrorists by the telling of "their story" made me sympathetic or empathetic to their cause. There may be some who have that reaction, but not many.

If you are looking to get a better understanding of radical Islam, this is a good movie to watch. Plus, as an alum of the German university system, it accurately represented elements of German student life, to which I could relate.

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