#the complete disdain for compassion and humanity is abhorrent

[nabaath-areng]

Fuck Sweden as a nation for turning the woobification of our history and culture into one of our greatest exports, pretending to be wholesome and peaceful while profiting from conflicts elsewhere. For never having the fucking spine to take any stance ever and acting high and mighty for being "neutral", all while frothing at the mouth to get a piece of that colonial cake from the cool kids table where the superpowers are seated. For recognizing Palestine's sovereignty only to then consider a withdrawal of said recognition in response to the current genocide. For allowing islamophobia to get to the point it is now and then pointing fingers at jews as a whole. For giving less of a flying fuck about swedish jews during WW2 and until now, yet patting ourselves on the back and taking credit for heroic deeds done primarily by individuals.

I wish nothing but absolute hell and misery for Ulf Kristersson, who is even more spineless about his inaction than I thought possible. Who had nothing to say about the burnings of the torah and quran, only to claim that he stands for fighting antisemitism. Who puffed up his chest and was acting so tough about the things he would do once he became prime minister, only to hold up on none of his lofty promises in true conservative fashion. Both he and his lackeys (as well as their fanclubs of raging screaming bigots) deserve nothing but hurt and hell for continuing to destroy the lives of all marginalized groups in Sweden, all while shamelessly increasing their own salaries blatantly in the open, to then have the sheer and utter gut to declare that actively supporting genocide is within our best interests.

This country's audacity is one that only became possible because we sacrificed our neighbours safety for the sake of maintaining our own, because when your most recent war was in 1809 it's apparently not possible to even try and comprehend the horrors of modern warfare. That is, besides producing the tools for it to happen elsewhere.

#the complete disdain for compassion and humanity is abhorrent #not to mention incomprehensable #im sorry im all over the place bedridden cause bad pain day which makes me even more angry #because i want to strangle everyone in riksdagen with my bare hands #and like im sorry not to be a state hater or anything (sike) but how #and i mean HOW. can one claim that we know democracy #when the people who supposedly represent the rest of us #can just go ahead and do these types of things willy nilly as they please #how can we claim to have free will when the burdens of having to earn the right to life #by working to death and being left to die if we cant adapt to the system #and being actively drained too dry to dare take risks standing up #how can that ever be freedom? #seeing everything coming out of gaza in video audio images all of it #and feeling hopeless? powerless to do anything? #how is that NOT suppression? to break people down to the point they cant find the spirit to fight? #to cast other regular people as villains so that all energy is spent falling into bigotry? #social media is hell but its also one of our greatest tools now #its like being able to zoom out and see the greater overview of the stranglehold capitalism and colonialism has on the world #im not coherent at all and my thumbs are dying now i just #but sooner or later somethings gotta give re: the way our society is built as a whole globally

[paradoxicalpondering]

The Platform

“The flesh endures the storms of the present alone; the mind, those of the past and future as well as the present. Gluttony is a lust of the mind.” - Thomas Hobbes. 

This morning, I finished watching The Platform, or El hoyo, directed by Galder Gaztello-Urrutia.

Watching films is a rarity for me as I feel it is a big time commitment, and requires diligent lengthy concentration, so when I do so I need it to be time well spent.

The Platform is the first film since Midsommar that I have felt a compulsion to watch, purely driven by a concept that is unique, but most importantly gorged with the potential of themes, ideas and complexities which offer an experience outside of the usual.

The crux of the appeal with Midsommar came with the suggestion of eternal daylight as a fearful entity, directly contrasted to the common play on the mystery and danger of darkness.

To me, it was the idea of a super charged equilibrium that constant sunlight infers, the lack of any kind of break that could drive one insane through monotony if not due to resultant insomnia.

It was not utilised as I hoped but it did feature as an uncomfortable parallel to the horrific things happening, which were focused through the smiley malaise of the cult committing these atrocities.

The Platform, in contrast, did deliver on the elements that I was most intrigued by - namely greed, compassion, human nature and the potential for reasoning in a compromised individual.

★

The film is based on a simple concept which involves cellmates trapped in a small space which contains a large square central hole, showcasing an abyss of other levels above and below.  

Once a day, the hole is filled by a travelling sizeable slab which is packed with the most exquisite food at the top and in theory, with rationing, could keep all alive down to the lowest of levels.

The other key part of the narrative is that once a month the inmates are drugged by gas in their pairs and wake up in a different place, potentially going from 6 to 246 and as such, risking death.

This situation creates a frenzy that breeds murder, cannibalism, psychological warfare and a hierarchy both literal and metaphorical that leads to a variety of abhorrent behaviour.

This system of levels gives birth to a class-like establishment in which those above feel they can demand of those below, while not daring to question those above.

It is as though the inmates cling to the system as a means to maintain a feeling of self, utilising the superiority when available to charge their wearied psyches so they can just survive when below.

This is also compounded by the characters leaning on labelling; above, below but also black, jew, communist among others to preserve the ego in a situation that exposes the fragility of humanity.

★

I feel the film was also quite successful through it’s start which offers all the questions and no answers, the viewer pieces the experience together alongside the protagonist.

This feels frustrating but serves to rot away the usually privileged position that the consumer enjoys, looking in on others’ lives with the benefit of information not yet known to them.

In The Platform, the watcher is in it for the ride together with the characters and this is further achieved through not being able to fully comprehend what is to come.

There are times, for sure, in which behavioural patterns are emphasised - those above will fight for food they don’t need, abuse it when they have it and show disdain for those below - moving to forget they were one, and will once again be one.

The closer to the bottom you get you see placidity taking the place of revolt, lethargy replacing jitteriness, gratitude trumping disgrace and fundamentally, death consuming life.

I think these parallels are well established in the class-dictated, economically-driven hierarchy we encounter in Western life - the most rich in material wealth are often the least happy, for example.

Also, more simply, it is clear that those deprived in any way - be it of food as in the film, or attention or kindness - are generally depleted, or robbed of their ‘lust for life’.

I thought it was interesting to compare the sociological suggestions from the film with our current reality, like the threat of a small reduction in production leading to many bulk buying items like toilet roll and pasta, with little respect for those whose impairments limit their options.

I also feel it is apparent in the national sharp intake of breathe at our Prime Minister Boris Johnson being admitted to hospital with the coronavirus.

While I am certain that the majority emotion was steeped in sympathy and concern, the fact that something can strike down someone perceived to have ultimate superiority maligns our comfort-blanket structures.

★

Another triumph of the film is its richness in symbolism with the two main ones being a child and a panna cotta.

The former insinuated to me another system of hierarchy (note the ageism prevalent during this pandemic) while also the idea of hope and the importance of a fresh approach.

The panna cotta, I felt, was selected as the key focus due to the white denoting purity and simplicity and the texture offering a suggestion of malleability, playfulness but also quiet strength.

★

In conclusion, and to end this rambling account, this film is packed to the rafters with sociological thematics and imagery which burst from the seams of its simplicity in design.

I feel it is also important to note its undercurrent which emphasises that even the smallest glimmers of compassion can undercut the most domineering of enemies.

I once heard someone explain that humans are inherently compassionate and that compassion is actually the key to the sustainability of humanity on the planet.

Without an adult offering compassion to their completely helpless offspring, unable to source food, shelter or protect themselves from danger, the human race would cease to continue.

This film is an interesting exploration of humanity when reduced to our primitive cores, but it is also a comment on the dangers of conditioning.

If you can stomach the odd scene of someone devouring their pal, I’d recommend this as a watch that will make you think and remind you of the ever-present hierarchies that we exist within.

#netflix #film #the platform #horror #thriller

[basicsofislam]

ISLAM 101: 5 PILLARS OF ISLAM: ALMS AND CHARITY: VIRTUES OF ZAKAT: WHAT ARE THE BENEFITS OF ZAKAT FOR ITS RECIPIENT?

ZAKAT LIBERATES FROM SLAVERY TO SUSTENANCE

An addition to rescuing society from falling victim to poverty, zakat eliminates socially detrimental crimes like theft and robbery, as the common factor usually underlying these crimes is poverty in one way or another. Once the lack of faith, which deters from crime, is added to poverty, not much reason remains to prevent the perpetration of such crimes.

Through the promulgation of zakat, Islam seeks to extirpate, from the onset, social diseases like theft, by destroying their very foundation and preventing their establishment. By utilizing the privilege of performing zakat, the wealthy not only offer a righteous act of worship, they also soothe the poor, providing them with financial relief and thus preventing them from taking up theft as a means of sustenance. In an interesting wise, the poor receive needed recognition in the community as people sought after by the rich to allow them to complete their obligations. This, in no way, should be conceived as freeloading, as this is something unthinkable for a healthy Muslim. Rather, zakat is financial help during a rainy day, in a sense, encouraging the recipient to take brand new steps. Condescending to freeloading off others, for a Muslim who possesses the power to make his own ends meet, is totally unacceptable in Islam, which praises work by holding it equal with worship. For a healthy Muslim, unemployment is only temporary, and zakat provides the much-needed spirit and catalyst during that transitional period until the recipient becomes a giver himself.

The Noble Prophet enumerates poverty that “makes one forget the Lord”39 among the seven things that must be avoided before their arrival. A person suffering in the throes of extreme poverty, along with many things, is bound to forget the purpose of creation. Such a ruinous thought must be avoided as it will only add to the person’s sufferings by causing additional anguish in the hereafter.

ZAKAT

HELPS ACHIEVE WORKING POWER

Zakat is a source of power for the needy. In addition to providing the financially stricken poor with desperately needed capital, zakat also injects in them a dynamic energy, instilling in them the confidence to provide for their own.

By hindering stockpiling, zakat bestows an intense vitality on the economy as well as ultimately providing matchless opportunities for the unemployed, winning them back to the community. Islam incessantly encourages individuals to be effervescently active, conversely condemning laziness and time-wasting.

Consequently, it is not difficult to imagine the enormity of the contributions to the overall economy brought by the person who is given such a great opportunity, as a result of the application of an invaluable teaching.

The prevalently unfortunate state of young people in secular societies, who squander their time and precious potential in such places as pubs and casinos, reinforces the importance of zakat. A country whose non-contributing masses have been revivified through such a process whereby wealth is continuously cycled for the benefit of all, will inevitably experience an economic revitalization.

ZAKAT

PROMOTES EMPLOYMENT

Contrary to popular belief, zakat does not give rise to indolence; on the contrary, it encourages individuals to work. The Prophet of God strongly advised against being a “receiver,” underlining the immense value of giving: “The higher hand is better than the lower.”40 The lower hand is always receiver’s, regardless of who the giver is, even it be the government. However, if the government is acting as an intermediary in handing the poor what is acquired from the rich, this may be classified as an exemption from the reprimand of the above hadith. Islam strictly criticizes incessantly asking of others and fervently promotes self-acquired earnings by

endowing it with multitudes of rewards, depending on the intentions of the person. The hadith additionally alludes to the vast rewards of the afterlife awaiting the almsgiver, and as expected, places him on a higher level in comparison with the receiver. It does not entirely condemn the receiver, of course, acknowledging the necessity of receiving alms when these are genuinely needed.

The Noble Messenger, for all intents and purposes, offers us the following advice, “Always be dignified. Evade the disgrace of begging either on the individual level or the national level through sincerely trying your best not to fall in such a state, and maintain your status of grace as a benefactor. Keep in mind that dependence on others is life of anxiety.” This hadith also provides us a credo in international relations, giving us, individually or entirely, the crucial task of embracing a diligent attitude, hence delivering the Islamic world what it rightfully expects. Honor, dignity and superiority always belong to God, His Messengers, and the believers. Therefore believers should not come under the control or authority of unbelievers, for this undermines their dignity and superiority.41 It has thus become evident that zakat vehemently encourages a self-liberation from dependence on others through the embracement of working as pre-eminent attitude.

ZAKAT

AUGMENTS SELF-ESTEEM

The Qur’an, as stated, has unambiguously expounded the recipients of zakat, and in the process of searching and finding them, has strictly commanded the benefactor, individuals or the intermediary governments, to scrupulously avoid imparting any scorn. This renders the poor as an esteemed and sought-after part of society, as mentioned above.

It is imperative to locate and deliver zakat to those who are genuinely poor. The obligation of zakat is not one of the specified categories. In a case where a person misplaces zakat, wrongly assuming the recipient to fall under one of the categories, he is exempt from having to give again “correctly,” because of his sincere intention. However, the best must be done to avoid such a scenario. The Companions of the Noble Prophet had first criticized a person who had given his zakat first to a thief, then to an adulterer and then to a rich person; they later modified their opinions knowing/hoping that any zakat, earnestly given with good intention, without an aim for error, would act as a cure to their problems. This accentuates the importance of conducting proper research in locating those genuinely eligible for zakat to facilitate the correct utilization.

Zakat saves the poor from being thrown into total oblivion, turning them into revered people who are sought after. Ultimately, as zakat pervasively functions throughout the community, the magnificent days of Umar ibn Abdulaziz, where finding an eligible recipient of zakat was in itself a difficult task, will inevitably return. In this environment, the poor will not search for the rich; instead, the rich will desperately hunt for the poor to remove an enormous weight off their shoulders, thus fostering a perennial gratitude towards the poor, who are essential to removing that load.

No doubt, the rich, immersed in a luxurious lifestyle, can otherwise quite easily become an object of grave envy for the poor as they battle daily for sustenance, overwhelmingly intensifying their feelings of abhorrence. When added to the disdainful demeanor of the rich, the abyss between rich and poor becomes insurmountably grave and culminates in an inveterate hatred for wealth, an attitude pervasive throughout many societies. The only way to overcome the abhorrence of the poor towards the rich lies in the performance of zakat; rich people’s conceiving of the poor as friends in need will alter the poor’s resentment changing negativity into gratitude over what has been granted to them by God through the donor and their appreciation

of the rich for administering their rescue. The rich, concurrently, will feel compassion towards those whom they have helped so that mutual feelings of brotherhood will swiftly spread throughout the entire community, purging every remnant of conflict and turmoil.

Human nurtures an immense gratitude in the face of kindness. The Arabic proverb, “al-insan abid al-ihsan,” which can be translated into English as, “Man is a slave of kindness,” is an expression of this profound truth. By giving zakat, the rich extinguish the flames of hate and envy burning in the heart of the poor, simultaneously cultivating the seeds of love and compassion—a scene that is impossible to witness wherever the rich refrain from assisting the poor. Zakat, in this aspect, prevents civil unrest and discord, for what perpetually lies at the root of much of today’s most critical socio-economic problems is material dissatisfaction, a hegemony wherein a certain few and their chronic desire for financial domination are pitted against the frustrations of many. In that way, zakat performs the inimitable role of “equalizer,” providing inherent stability and satisfaction for all sectors of a society, thereby engendering a more peaceful coexistence than would otherwise be possible.

#allah #god #islam #muslim #quran #revert #convert #convert islam #revert islam #reverthelp #revert help #revert help team #help #islamhelp #converthelp #prayer #salah #muslimah #reminder #pray #dua #hijab #religion #mohammad #new muslim #new revert #new convert #how to convert to islam #convert to islam #welcome to islam

[versatilepoetry]

Womb.

There was no mountain born on this Universe; which was more formidable than it; coming even an infinitesimal iota abreast its impregnable tenacity, There was no fire born on this Universe; which was more vivaciously flamboyant than it; as it incessantly swirled in the aisles of vibrant compassion, There was no color born on this Universe; which was more gorgeous than it; as it resembled the angels in the sweltering heat of the day; as well as each instant of the voluptuously alluring night, There was no sky born on this Universe; which was more fathomless than it; as it was the procreator of every tangible entity wandering merrily on this colossal planet, There was no flower born on this Universe; which was more fragrant than it; as it bloomed fabulously into a scent; that caressed the souls of countless loitering aimlessly; alike, There was no contraption born on this Universe; which was more contemporary than it; as it incredulously withstood the test of all times; evolving the most ingeniously superior organism; like brilliant streaks of white electricity in blue sky, There was no ocean born on this Universe; which was more unfathomable than it; as it ubiquitously disseminated its waves of harmony and perennial bliss; to all those shivering in torrential pain, There was no magnet born on this Universe; which was more attractive than it; as it captivated even the most remotely alien of persona; in its stupendously divine swirl, There was no philosophy born on this Universe; which was more sacrosanct than it; as it preached the most holistic existence; even centuries before you were born, There was no truth born on this Universe; which was more irrefutable than it; as it triumphantly massacred the very essence of blatant lies; from even the most oblivious wind of this gigantic earth, There was no power born on this Universe; which was more invincible than it; as it defended you against the most mightiest of attacks; within a single wink of its eye, There was no entertainment born on this Universe; which was more efficacious than its flurry of boisterous activity; pacifying each of your overwhelmingly frazzled senses; with its miraculous enchantment and charm, There was no Sun born on this Universe; which was more dazzling than it; as it spread the aura of its marvelously Omnipotent shine; to each house miserably staggering in ghastly blackness, There was no star born on this Universe; which was more resplendent than it; as it filtered its charismatically symbiotic beams; to profoundly illuminate the disdainful caricature of unearthly darkness, There was no wind born on this Universe; which was more serene than it; as it insurmountably mollified every traumatically agonized individual; in the river of its unending love, There was no bird born on this Universe; which could fly higher than it; as it indefatigably soared higher than the satiny clouds; uplifting the impoverished into an entrenchment of celestial goodness, There was no mysticism born on this Universe; which was more enigmatic than it; as it engulfed even the most treacherously mundane of entity in the poignantly escalating wave of its mesmerizing enthrallment, There was no complexion born on this Universe; which was more beautiful than it; as it imparted perennial shelter to the profusely infirm; in its unbelievably passionate interiors, There was no victory born on this Universe; which was more greater than it; as it tirelessly fought not just for itself; but for shielding the lives of boundless innocent; about to be born, There was no tree born on this Universe; which was more bountiful than it; as it perpetually bestowed the most wonderfully priceless gift of humanity; in each hopelessly barren cranny of this gargantuan world, There was no smile born on this Universe; which was more benevolent than it; as it magnanimously embraced even the most hideously sinister in its heavenly swirl; giving all an equal opportunity to diffuse their quota of goodness on this planet, There was no emotion born on this Universe; which was more effusively volatile than it; as it fulminated into the most glorious catharsis of the conscience every unveiling moment; striking the chord of humanity with incomprehensible; alike, There was no blessing born on this Universe; which was more benign than it; as it spread the sweetness of symbiotic survival; granted every philanthropic wish of yours; even before you could nimbly utter it, There was no richness born on this Universe; which was more opulent than it; as it made you feel the most prosperous organism alive; even in infinite more births you were destined to take birth again, There was no aroma born on this Universe; which was more Omnipresent than it; as it inhabited each dwelling where there even the most inconspicuous sign of life; relentlessly propelling the chapter of existence to continue till the time God wanted it to, There was no enchantment born on this Universe; which was more stupefying than it; as it cast its majestically spell binding spirit; to every soul withering abominably towards the corridors of threadbare extinction, There was no ray born on this Universe; which was more handsome than it; as it blazed a trail of ultimate splendor; even on the most pathetically dwindling paths that it caressed, There was no energy born on this Universe; which was more everlasting than it; as it single handedly bore the brunt of all the ferociously diabolical around; unshakably rising to every ruthless disaster; like a supremely embellished princess, There was no summit born on this Universe; which was more towering than it; as it overshadowed every shade of the invidiously evil; with its royal grace and Omniscient light, There was no bond born on this Universe; which was more stronger than it; as it astoundingly fortified its Oligarchic grip; upon the cradle of compassionate empathy; for unbelievable more lives to come, There was no sword born on this Universe; which was more mightier than it; as it beheaded even the most infinitesimal of devil; lingering insidiously around its innocuously frolicking children, There was no seed born on this Universe; which was more fertile than it; as it blossomed into a festoon of newness and excitement every unfurling minute; spawning the most exotic creation of Almighty Lord, There was no season born on this Universe; which was more ravishing than it; as it showered its virtue of ever pervading righteousness; upon each molecule of God; in an enclosure of harmonious unity and humanitarian pride, There was no path born on this Universe which was more enticing than it; as it unrelentingly intrigued countless; with its incomprehensibly unending prowess to serve all mankind, There was no continent born on this Universe; which was more fascinating than it; as it harbored each element of prosperous survival in its amicable corridors; ensuring that all those benevolent; reached the pinnacle of glittering success, There was no honey born on this Universe; which was more sweeter than it; as it wholeheartedly distributed the winds of united existence; propagated the essence of solidarity in every passionate heart on this earth, There was no rainbow on this Universe; which was more magically striking than it; as it unfurled into an unsurpassable myriad of enriching shades; to grant all those deluged in drudgery; an absolute reprieve from sinful malice, There was no soil born on this Universe; which was more ravishing than it; as it culminated into an emphatic breeze of friendship; in the most malevolent of storm; and harmony; alike, There was no relationship born on this Universe; which was more amiable than it; as it offered its ubiquitous wings to all those treacherously deprived who needed it; before offering them unequivocal shelter for the freezing night, There was no artist born on this Universe; who was more passionate than it; as it assimilated all the beauty of this globe; in its cradle of ebullient happiness, There was no sound born on this Universe; which was more melodious than it; as it euphorically sung the tunes of a splendidly incarcerating life; mitigating all those engulfed with horrifically despicable despair, There was no meadow born on this Universe; which was more sprouting than it; as it blissfully harnessed each enlightening attribute of existence with its own blood; reinforcing each bit of the gruesomely bad; with the irrevocable thunderbolts of divine life, There was no reflection born on this Universe; which was more marvelous than it; as it consecrated even the most lecherous bits of dilapidated ash; with the unprecedented love lingering in its soul, There was no magic born on this Universe; which was more alluring than it; as it unbelievably spawned the most intellectual of all organisms; to save the planet from ghastly clutches of misery and stinking mice, There was no panacea born on this Universe; which was more effective than it; as it instilled rejuvenating life in even those; well sunken in beneath their gory graves and without the slightest trace of light, There was no mission born on this Universe; which was more fulfilling than it; as it accomplished the greatest purpose of the Almighty; by immortally continuing his sacred chapter of existence, There was no current born on this Universe; which was more vividly passionate than it; as it evolved a complete life from just a capriciously changing conglomerate of cells and space; rambunctiously ensuring that there was not the tiniest of insinuation of stillness or morbid malice, There was no idea born on this Universe; which was more incarcerating than it; as it still remained the most fascinating mechanism of chiseling a perfect organism; even in a world drowned abhorrently in robotic prejudice, There was no fashion on this Universe; which was more versatile than it; as it acclimatized itself to the most ferociously vacillating conditions; celestially metamorphosing its intricate form; every now and again; to blend with the cry of painstakingly suffering humanity, There was no gift on this Universe; which was more precious than it; as it manifested every person's ultimate dream into a veritable reality; gave him a reason to live with astronomical pride; even well past his own times, There was no longing on this Universe; which was more ardent than it; as it triggered insatiable cloudbursts of craving; for all those deplorably blind; to witness their sole messiah with golden sight, There was no line on this Universe; which was more straighter than it; as it basked in the undefeatable glory of candid honesty; diffusing the rays of a fantastically optimistic tomorrow; as each day persevering unraveled into the queenly night, There was no boundary on this Universe; which was more boundless than it; as it encompassed all merciful living kind; in the heavenly pace that forever enveloped its sparkling form, There was no prayer on this Universe; which was more revered than it; as it was a magical wand for pioneering all forms and fraternities of vibrant life; sowing the cherishable seeds of a symbiotic existence, O! yes; it made you feel the most invincible entity on this planet till the time you were in it; bequeathing upon you an incomprehensible ardor to lead a countless more lives; when you wonderfully came out, It was the ultimate place that you belonged to on this earth; the very reason that you were able to read and I was able to fervently write until this line; the only cradle which gave you life; the only cradle on this globe which embraced you like an angel even after your condemnable death; infact a place none other than your own blood and signature; a place none other than your MOTHERS WOMB.