|
Living in the West has, I suppose, a downside and an upside.
On the downside, Western culture includes a variety of insensitive, acquisitive subcultures which are spell-bound by wealth, status, and social position. Many Westerners are well-conditioned by advertising, and subsequently prize youth, notoriety, sexuality, and success above all other conceivable goals.
Less modern societies are also spell-bound, but by different superficialities--- by pride, social standing, chauvinism, and greed. And also, increasingly, by the jealousy of the superficialities of the West, or by anger generated from the reaction against the jealousy of the superficialities of the West.
For there is no superior culture on earth. People are invariably people.
On the upside, it's been a while since we, of the West, have executed someone for witchcraft, blasphemy, for adhering to an unpopular religion, or other forms of free thinking.
Since about 1945, more or less.
We did, as Western Europeans or their descendants, do a bang-up business from 1938 -1945, so I guess we can afford to stand down a while. Not much chance that the East is going to catch up with us any time soon. Which is not to say that they're not trying.
As the following (external) links indicate, it's still a dangerous place for free-thinkers or the lovers of God.
NEW: An excellent article on the persecution of Sufis in Iran, entitled Imprisoned Lovers may be found at http://www.mindspring.com/~altafb/sufipers.html
http://www.hrw.org/hrw/reports/1997/saudi/Saudi-03.htm Witchcraft execution of al-Naqshabandi in Saudi Arabia.
http://www.uga.edu/bahai/News/090999-5.html Persecution of Sufis and Bahai’s in Iran.
http://www.cairotimes.com/news/manal.html The State vs the Sheikha, in Egypt.
http://web.amnesty.org/ai.nsf/Index/MDE120212000?OpenDocument&of=COUNTRIES%5CEGYPT Amnesty International report of persecution of Sufis, Christians, and free-thinkers in Egypt.
