Is Yoga a Religion?

Yoga is not a religion but many people try to equate Yoga with a religion.

B.K.S Iyengar has said,
“‘If you not believe in God, do you believe in your own existence?’ Since you believe in your own existence, that means you want to improve yourself for the betterment of your life. . . So there is no need for you to believe in God, but you have to believe in yourself.”

Yoga is the mastery of the fluctuations of the mind.  A primary goal of yoga is to gain balance and control in one's life -- to free one from confusion and distress and to provide a sense of calm that comes from the practice of yogic exercises and the practice of breath control.

Yoga will teach you that the goal of every individual's life should be to take the inner journey inside one's self. When there is perfect harmony between mind and body, we achieve total balance and control.

Yoga is a personal practice.  It is an art, it is a science.  The practice of yoga installs optimism within you. It helps you to focus better and overcome any obstacles in your way while on your road to perfect health, spiritual contentment, and total well being.

Is Islam a religion of peace?

Is Islam a religion of peace?

I wonder.

My first exposure to Islam was reading the Autobiography of Malcolm X in high school, several decades ago. Malcolm X taught that black people were the original people of the world and that white people were a race of devils. In his speeches, Malcolm X said that black people were superior to white people and that the demise of the white race was imminent.

Around the same time frame, I read about Sirhan Sirhan. On June 5 1968 at The Ambassador Hotel in Los Angeles, Robert Kennedy was assassinated by Sirhan. I later learned that Sirhan was motivated by Arab nationalism. During a search of his apartment after his arrest, a spiral-bound notebook was found containing a diary which contained his growing rage at Zionists, particularly at Kennedy. 

The next day, on June 6, The Los Angeles Times printed an article, which discussed Sirhan's motive for the assassination as confirmed by the memos Sirhan wrote to himself. Quote from the LA Times, “When the Jordanian nationalist, Sirhan Bishara Sirhan, allegedly shot Kennedy, ostensibly because of the senator's advocacy of U.S. support for Israel, the crime with which he was charged was in essence another manifestation of the centuries-old hatred between Arab and Jew."

Some believed that Sirhan was somewhat justified in his actions. Dr. Mohammad Taki ("M. T.") Mehdi, then secretary-general of the Action Committee on American-Arab Relations, believed that Sirhan had acted in justifiable self-defense, stating: "Sirhan was defending himself against those 50 Phantom jets Kennedy was sending to Israel." Does this make sense?

In 1993 on a visit to India, I had the opportunity to talk a religious scholar of the Brahmin class. Brahmin is a class of educators, law makers, scholars, and preachers of Dharma in Hinduism. Brahmin occupies the highest position among the four social classes or castes (varna) of India.

During our conversation, he mentioned that Hindus have small families to stop the overpopulation of India, while Muslims have enough influence to create national laws that allow Muslim men to have multiple wives so they can have very large families. He feared that Muslims would over power Hindus simply by increasing their population and then change the national laws to favor Islam and obstruct and thwart Hinduism.

In 2003, while visiting Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia I made friends with a few Chinese and Indians. Malaysia is a Muslim country ruled by a Muslim royal family. My friends told me that the Muslims run the country and primarily work for the government and government supported jobs.

The Chinese are the merchants and operate most of the retail store. Indians provide the information technology technicians and engineers.

My Chinese friend, who was 45 years old in 2003, told me that when he was 16, his family had to flee into the mountains to avoid being persecuted, raped, tortured, and killed by Muslims. During the following 20 years the Muslim royal family and government desired to attract business and tourists from other countries so they adapted western styles and culture.

Malaysia as a unified state did not exist until 1963. Previously, the United Kingdom had established influence in colonies in the territory from the late 18th century. Tensions in the early years of the new union sparked armed conflicts with the people of Malaysia, Indonesia, and Singapore.

While living a working on the East Bay of San Francisco in Walnut Creek, I talked to a coworker from Indonesia. She confirmed the violence in Indonesia. Her family had to flee in the 1960s to the United States to avoid being killed by Muslims who were taking over the country.

My Chinese friend was Buddhist and my young India friends were Hindus. The peoples of different nationalities, culture, and religions seem to be living in peace in region. However, the memories of torture and murder are not forgotten. And....

February 20, 2010 - Women Beaten in Malaysia under Shariah Law

As a result of Shariah law being imposed in Malaysia, Muslim women were caned on Tuesday for engaging in illicit sex, a serious crime under strict Muslim law.

During the last half century in my life time and long before 9/11 there are numerous examples of terrorist acts and genocide carried out people claiming to be doing the duty of Allah and of the Islam faith.

There is no doubt in my mind that radical Islam Fascists are at War with all peoples who are not Muslims. Whether we believe this fact or not is another matter.

A Google search on jihad terrorist and about 20 minutes of reading found the following:

• Oct 16, 2009 - Five Sydney men who embraced violent jihad have been found guilty of plotting a terrorist attack on Australian soil, after a 10-month trial.
• Feb 24, 2010 - Three British Muslims filmed themselves as they prepared for a terrorist attack, a court was told yesterday.
• RALEIGH, N.C. — The Johnston County man accused of having led an operation that plotted terrorist activities overseas often discussed waging a holy war, according to secret FBI recordings played in court Tuesday.
• 2010.02.26 (Kabul, Afghanistan) - Religious extremists attack guesthouses with suicide bombs and gunfire, killing seventeen people, including several foreigners.
• 2010.02.25 (Mosul, Iraq) - Two women are killed in separate Jihad attacks. One is stabbed and the other beheaded.
• 2010.02.25 (Pulwama, India) - Mujahideen gun down a shopkeeper.
• 2010.02.25 (Mosul, Iraq) - Two members of a minority community are gunned down in their store by militant Muslims.
• 2010.02.24 (North Waziristan, Pakistan) - Three civilians have their throats cut by the Taliban, who throw their headless bodies into a ditch.
• 2010.02.24 (Hangu, Pakistan) - Suspected Islamic radicals fire on a railway car, killing three passengers, including a college student.

A 48-year-old Somali begs for his life as he is partially buried in preparation for stoning over adultery by an Islamic court.

So, you think the Ku Klux Klan and the Spanish Inquisition are bad?
So do we, but...
Put the Numbers in Perspective

• More people are killed by Islamists each year than in all 350 years of the Spanish Inquisition combined.
• Islamic terrorists murder more people every day than the Ku Klux Klan has in the last 50 years.
• More civilians were killed by Muslim extremists in two hours on September 11th than in the 36 years of sectarian conflict in Northern Ireland. 
• 19 Muslim hijackers killed more innocents in two hours on September 11th than the number of American criminals executed in the last 65 years.

Source: http://www.thereligionofpeace.com/

Dinner at Iraqi Major General Home

An Iraqi Major General sponsors Boy Scouts / Girl Scouts program for Iraqi children of Iraq soldiers living on the Iraqi base. Many Americans volunteer to help with the program. He provides dinner every Sunday evening as appreciation for the volunteers.

 The legend is that the pond was filled with hungry alligators and did not have a railing so when Saddam had a party and did not like you, he just pushed you in.

One Sunday, Justin and Carrie from Kuwait joined me for dinner at the General's house.

Saddam Hussein Abd al-Majid al-Tikriti - Victory Over America Palace

Saddam Hussein was born April 28, 1937 in Tikrit, Iraq. He died Dec. 30, 2006, Baghdad. He was executed by Hanging by Supreme Iraqi Criminal Tribunal.
President of Iraq (1979–2003). He instituted a brutal dictatorship and directed intensive campaigns against minorities within Iraq
Saddam Hussein was a fanatic and evil. He was probably insane and may have been on drugs.

I toured the Victory Over America Palace and learned a few tidbits.

JDAM missile (smart bomb) detonated in Saddam's Victory over America Palace in Baghdad, Iraq. The Victory over America Palace was unfinished when we invaded in 2003. Today, it’s not only unfinished, but it’s also damaged from U.S. bombs.  Above is outside photo of front.

Below are 2 pictures of the inside.

Saddam was paranoid. He made the builders of the stairways in Palace build the steps in different heights and widths and he practiced running up and down the steps. If anyone chased him he could get away because he knew the layout of the steps while his chaser did not.

Saddam used much of Iraq’s money from the oil for food program to build the lavish palaces, guest houses and lakes around what is now Victory Base Complex, instead of getting food, water and medicine to the people.

The lakes around the palace were all man-made under Saddam’s instruction. This palace and several of the buildings are surrounded by water. Saddam believed that god (Allah) could not move or see over water so anything that was done in a building surrounded by water was not a sin. So when Saddam's sons kidnapped, raped, tortured, and murdered young 13 year girls, it was not a sin. Afterwords, the girls were murdered so the girl’s father would not have to do it.

I Love You From Iraq

I love you from Victory Over America Palace

From canvas, dust, and no A/C to marble, high rise, beach front, cool comfort

Dec 2009
In Oct – Dec, 2009 I traveled from Iraq to Kuwait a couple of times on business. Each time I stayed in a company apartment with a view of the Persian Gulf in the Indian Ocean. I was told that less than 6 years ago this area was desert. Today, it is booming with apartments, shopping malls, homes, a luxury Hilton hotel, and new building construction.

These apartments have 2 bedrooms, two baths, full kitchen, and large living room. One is on the 8th floor of a 13 story apartment building.

On my first trip I had this spacious apartment all to myself. The building includes a workout room with sauna and steam plus an outdoor swimming pool. There is a Starbucks on the front side. There a many US brands in Kuwait City including US cars, fast food restaurants, franchises, food products and clothing.

On Monday I was staying a 16 bed canvas tent with no electricity and no Air-conditioning. On Monday night the generator was fixed so my last night the light shone brightly all night but I was cool. By Wednesday I had moved to a spacious apartment and no roommate. Wow!!!

I was in Kuwait for a few days for training before I headed out for Camp Victory in Baghdad.

During the second trip I shared a similar apartment with a Site Manager from Iraq. We stayed in Kuwait a few days for training.

Below is front of one apartment building.

Roof Top Pool

Restaurant behind the apartment building where I ate dinner.

The Mud Is Thick During The Rainy Season

This is my car......

It is normally white.