Ask Djamila almost anything!

[Djamila]

I had to surrender to the latest trend. Nothing too personal, please, but ask away.

 

[dbakerman76]

How do you experience God?

 

[Djamila]

Abstractly.

 

[YmirGF]

Hypothetical question:

Once an Islamic regime takes over a given country, Iran, for instance, just how, years later, can the people "get rid of" such a regime, without resorting to a violent civil war?

My guess is you cannot. What do you say?

 

[Djamila]

Islamic regimes such as that in Iran are destined to fail eventually because they are not actually Islamic in nature. They are authoritarian regimes by another name. There is a distinct difference between the Islam practiced by Iranians and the Islam dictated by their government.

Iran has one of the most liberated cultures in the Middle East. They have a proud heritage, a Persian heritage that is remembered with wonder and awe even by European historical institutions. Their women are well-educated, independent, and noticibly brave. Whether you agree with their actions in a specific situation or not, Iranian women can always be counted on to ride up. Whether it's to protest for more rights in downtown Tehran with signs reading, "We are the children of CYRUS the GREAT! How DARE you silence us!" or linking arms to guard the country's nuclear reactors... they are strong, and visible.

The Iranian regime will open up, its inevitable, because Islam is an open religion and human nature itself works towards openness and freedom. Its character, though, will still be Islamic.

You will probably never find a secular regime in any Islamic country outside of Europe. The Turkish example has not inspired the Arab nor the Persian world because Turkey adopted a Western form of freedom and the society is plagued with the same vices of the Western world.

Iran will never purge religion from its government as Turkey and most European states have done, but it will modernize.

It will still be very admiring of the United States on one level, and in constant opposition to it on the next. The Iranian people are, in my experience, the most like Americans. Proud beyond reason, arrogant in their beliefs that their way is the best way, certain their people are somehow chosen, cannot imagine other people love their own countries more than they love Iran, etc. Stereotypes, of course, but the stereotypes of both are the same - and that says something.

 

[Djamila]

A patriotic Iranian video for you, Ymir:


Immortal Iran

 

[cardero]

What are some doctrines about your religion that you do not agree with and why?

Are there any improvements that you are currently considering in your life?

What do you think about RF and have you been enjoying it so far?

 

[Trey of Diamonds]

Do you separate Islam and Radical Islam? How do you describe the two? Christianity has its own radical element, a Calvinist resurgence called Christian Reconstructionism http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christian_Reconstructionism that seeks to replace the US government with a Christian Theocracy. Would you say that these radicals are along the same lines as Radical Islamist even though they don’t use violence to reach their goals?

 

[Djamila]

What are some doctrines about your religion that you do not agree with and why?

There are doctrines of my religion that I know are wrong, but I disagree with most Muslims outside of Bosnia and Herzegovina about how wrong. The only example I can think of off-hand is drinking alcohol. It's clearly considered bad in Islam, we say bad... but not hell-fire and brimstone... others say indeed, hell-fire and brimstone. We still drink, though.

Are there any improvements that you are currently considering in your life?

I've had a few aesthetic surgeries to correct some things from the war that I've been very pleased with, so I'm going to continue with those.

What do you think about RF and have you been enjoying it so far?

I love it! There have been a few moments of frustration but the vast majority of people here I respect and can get along with fairly well.

 

[Djamila]

Do you separate Islam and Radical Islam? How do you describe the two? Christianity has its own radical element, a Calvinist resurgence called Christian Reconstructionism http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christian_Reconstructionism that seeks to replace the US government with a Christian Theocracy. Would you say that these radicals are along the same lines as Radical Islamist even though they don’t use violence to reach their goals?

I don't separate Islam and radical Islam, no. To me, there is Islam - and then there's psycho, homocidal terrorists who in no way represent or even reflect my faith.

Christian Reconstructionism is hardly what I would consider radical Christianity, coming from a part of the world where Christians committed the worst act of genocide in Europe since WWII just a decade ago.

I don't consider these people as reflecting their faith either. For me, the moment you take an innocent life - you have no right to associate yourself with religion, no right to associate yourself with God.

 

[Bishka]

What do you think of Mormons?

 

[Djamila]

What do you think of Mormons?

From what I've learned thus far, I have a great deal of respect for the Mormon people and how they manifest their faith in their daily lives. I've read a lot of stories about their charity work, and researched a little on my own about their beliefs and actions in the world. I find the Mormon church and Muslims seem to have exceptionally good relations, even sharing universities.

Religiously speaking... I'd be as inclined to believe in Scientology as in the Church of Latter Day Saints. I'm sure it's the same for all people who are devoted to their faith. But what I said above still stands.

 

[CaptainXeroid]

Have you traveled outside Bosnia? If so, which countries have you visited, and which ones would you like to visit next?

 

[Djamila]

Have you traveled outside Bosnia? If so, which countries have you visited, and which ones would you like to visit next?

I travel quite a lot. My favorite countries are Norway, Canada, and Turkey because I have family and friends. I spend at least two months out of every year in one or the other.

I've been everywhere in Europe, more or less. I could count on one hand the number of countries I've not been in, in Europe.

I've been to the Middle East.

That's about all, really.

 

[Katzpur]

Could you please spell Djamila phoenetically for me. I'm gussing it would be either Zhuh-my-luh or Shuh-my-luh or Juh-my-luh.

Also, you signed a frubal note to me once as Mila. Do you usually go just by Mila?

 

[nutshell]

Have you been on a pilgrimmage and if so, how was it?

 

[nutshell]

In the mail-order bride thread why did you choose Iranian girls who were "covered-up" and Bosnian girls we were half naked?

 

[Djamila]

Could you please spell Djamila phoenetically for me. I'm gussing it would be either Zhuh-my-luh or Shuh-my-luh or Juh-my-luh.

Also, you signed a frubal note to me once as Mila. Do you usually go just by Mila?

Here is a clip of a Bosnian song in which the chorus contains my name. I put this sequence together four times so you should be able to pick it up easily:

Djamila, Djamila, pogledaj me, Djamila...
"Beautiful, Beautiful, cast your eyes to me, Beautiful..."

Religious names skipped a generation in Bosnia and Herzegovina. Everyone the age of my Grandmother has a first name which you can immediately identify as belonging to a specific faith. Her name, for example, is Aida. Say "Aida" to anyone from the whole of the former Yugoslavia, and they will know you're talking about a Muslim.

A Roman Catholic equivalent would be Ivana, an Eastern Orthodox equivalent would be Jadranka.

Many people in Bosnia and Herzegovina who was born during the era of the Socialist Federation of Yugoslavia have benign names that do not betray their religion. Examples would be Zlatka for a woman and Zlatko for a man.

Many children my age were born near or following the death of our dictator, Josip Broz Tito, at which point support of socialism largely faded away. For this reason religious names, like Djamila, became common again.

However, we still went to socialist schools, we still were bound under the same societal expectations to keep at least a long leash on religion. So we all have nicknames that are benign, that do not betray our religion.

Mine is Mila, which is actually - at first guest - an Orthodox Christian name.

If I introduced myself to a Bosnian who was trying to determine my religion, it would always go like:

"My name is Mila."
"Oh, Mila! Would that be Ljudmila (Orthodox)?"
"No."
"Perhaps Radmila? (Catholic)?"
"No."
"Then what? Amila? (Most common Muslim form of 'Mila')"
"No, Djamila."
"Ay... your parents must have been strict!"

 

[Djamila]

Nutshell: I've never been on a pilgrimage to Mecca, no. I never chose the pictures, my friend Eva e-mailed them to me as a joke, saying: Look what Bosnian women do on these mail-order sites compared to Iranian girls. That's what made me make the thread, because it made me angry.

 

[Trey of Diamonds]

I don't separate Islam and radical Islam, no. To me, there is Islam - and then there's psycho, homocidal terrorists who in no way represent or even reflect my faith.

Christian Reconstructionism is hardly what I would consider radical Christianity, coming from a part of the world where Christians committed the worst act of genocide in Europe since WWII just a decade ago.

I don't consider these people as reflecting their faith either. For me, the moment you take an innocent life - you have no right to associate yourself with religion, no right to associate yourself with God.

So are you saying that you separate according to actions rather than motivations? The motivations of Christian Reconstructionism and those of Radical Islam are the same, total world domination with their theocracy as the leadership. Where they differ is in their actions; Radical Islamists use violence to move their agenda forward and the Christian Reconstructionists use non-violent methods to lobby for political power within the current system.

I find both organizations to be a danger to free thinking tolerant individuals such as ourselves.