For centuries, wars have occurred and impacted human civilization deeply. As a result, many fight due to cultural differences, vested interests and even over religious beliefs. In the modern world, the rift between the West and the Middle East continues to widen due to endless acts of terrorism. How can the two regions settle their differences and cooperate fully? Take an in-depth look into the history of Islam, Jewish, and Christianity as author Ahmad Nosrati, Iranian scholar, presents this critical review of the roots of religious and political problems in the Middle East in Man and God. Man and God is a comprehensive review of the troubled relationship between the Middle East and the West. It provides unbiased information that's useful and enlightening especially for those who want freedom, human rights, and results in today's current dilemma. It raises striking questions among them, foremost, have the deceptive foreign policies of the West led to a humiliation of people of the Middle East? Or has the conviction of certain radical Islamist like Al Qaeda that they must kill their adversaries, driven this struggle? Aside from these, the book also explores the character of God and its role in motivating religious extremism or fundamentalism that led to many wars. The text also takes into account the West's everlasting dependence on Middle Eastern oil as one factor that explains why the region is essential to them. The striking analysis of Man and God has the potential to spark a new wave of debates over foreign policy, politics and religion.

Man and God

The Truth and Reality about Religion and Political Strategy of Western Power in the Middle East By Ahmad Nosrati

Trafford Publishing

Copyright © 2010 Ahmad Nosrati
All right reserved.
ISBN: 978-1-4269-2315-9

Contents

Dedication........................................................................................................vStatement of Purpose..............................................................................................ixChapter One Human Nature vs. God..................................................................................1Chapter Two The Ugly, Grievous War................................................................................6Chapter Three The Root of Ideology Schools and Religions vs. Democracy and Science................................19Point One.........................................................................................................38Point Two.........................................................................................................40Point Three.......................................................................................................47Chapter Four The Dependency of Man................................................................................59Chapter Five Religious Roots and Political Principles.............................................................73Chapter Six Religion: The Jews, Islam Roots, and Teaching.........................................................84Chapter Seven Conclusion and Solution.............................................................................142Conclusion and Solution Letter to Diplomats Iranians are not Enemies of East, West, or Israel.....................156Chapter Eight A Brief Consideration of Christianity...............................................................171Notes.............................................................................................................187Acknowledgments...................................................................................................200Bibliography......................................................................................................201

Chapter One

Human Nature vs. God

Man has countless needs whereas God has absolutely no needs. Human existence is not possible without bodily and spiritual needs. Only death ends mortal need. Inasmuch as humans are created as social beings, they cannot secure these needs on their own but discover that they depend on one another for fulfillment of this need. To facilitate such fulfillment, humankind established themselves in families then widened the circle to tribes, clans, and nations. Unlike some forms of animal life, mankind is capable of cooperation and intricate interdependancy; in order to secure specific needs, individual human beings will even forfeit their own freedom to secure survival and the greater good.

Basic bodily needs are water, food, and shelter. Fundamental spiritual needs include love freedom, and acceptance. An offshoot of spiritual requirement is intellectual need, which includes knowledge, awareness, and tranquility. Without these, bodily needs cannot be provided.

The Identity of Good, Bad, and Freedom

An anthropological dilemma arises. Each group (family, clan, or tribe) thinks that their needs take preeminence and that their system of corporate action to procure their needs (their culture or mores) is superior to all others. Prejudicial thinking favoring one's own morality or religion becomes a predominant way of thinking, and the independent philosopher (or noncommitted scientist) is unable to suggest a middle way or standard that is acceptable to everyone. It becomes impossible objectively to define "good" or "bad," and antipathy between groups arises because of subjective bias. Cultural differences pose barriers to cooperation.

For example, in some groups of Tibetan culture, a woman is allowed to have five husbands at one time; and she is allowed to divorce any or all of them at whatever time she chooses. Opposite to this is the Islamic principle that any man may have four wives simultaneously or permanently but is allowed to divorce a wife at his will. A synthesis of these two doctrines becomes impossible, and permanent division stemming from diverging customs separates these groups in this cultural aspect almost irreversibly unless some global principle of acceptance and understanding prevails.

As a further example, the famous Greek historian Herodotus cited how Darius, famous Persian emperor, summoned several Greek people into his court and asked one of them how much money he might demand in order to eat the ashes of his father's body. The Greek responded, "Even if you offered me all the wealth of the world, I could never do such a thing!" whereas when he asked an Asian Indian, "Why would you cremate your father and then consume his ashes?" the Indian replied, "To do so is our cultural belief, and please do not judge it to be a horrendous practice." The extremely antipodal responses to this query fulfilled the attempt Darius was making to teach his Persian subjects that they should expect great differences in cultures and, further, that they should have respect for the beliefs and practices of all. Even as Herodotus came to the conclusion that each group considered their beliefs and practices to be the most proper, Darius was trying to teach his courtesans to be strictly nonjudgmental and to adhere to the teaching of Zoroastrians, namely, to observe others and to see no evil, to hear no evil, and to speak no evil concerning their mores. In so doing, they would achieve the moral ideal of treating others kindly and as they themselves would expect to be treated. For Darius, this was the true meaning of "freedom of religion," a principle to which he strongly subscribed; and without such freedom, there could also be no freedom of thought nor any progress in the world.

It is well to make a brief aside here. Just as there are diverse linguistic differences acceptable to the many people on this planet, so also must we accept many moral differences. Now and then, better that we cooperate and practice respect for these variations than that we try to apply some gauge of good and evil to them and create a critical standoff. An agreeable attitude will allow further communication, and only by such interaction will our countless needs be addressed.

Biologists advise us that each human body is formed from seventy trillion cells. Each of these cells has independent genetic function. Much energy is expended to keep the individual cells in communication with the other cells. Interrelated activity among these cells keeps the entire body healthy and functioning normally. When one cell cannot cooperate with the others due to affliction with outside invaders (virus or bacteria) or inner malfunction (cancer), it must expend its energy fighting with these destructors. Either it defeats them and survives to cooperate again, or it is defeated and drops out of the race. Again, the point is that the cells function independently as well as have independent needs.

And each of these seventy trillion cells must be fed in order to remain healthy. Without food, they will not be able to survive, fight off invaders, or correct inner malfunction. Ensuing weakness because of starvation will cause sickness or death-the anthem of interdependence uttered by Saint Paul in the letter to the Corinthians. We humans on this planet are just like one of the seventy trillion cells of the body-we...