"Je suis Charlie" 01 08 2015
http://www.themalaysianinsider.com/malaysia/article/je-suis-charlie
"Je suis Charlie"
Actually, I am not...otherwise I would post another photo.This photo, taken in democratic India is just to illustrate a point driven home by yesterday's murders in Paris. I have another photo which shows exactly the difference in how many Muslim men would use these facilities. That photo taken of the back....has only frontal and side privacy barriers. Nothing graphic..I am just not "Charlie".
In 1991, we learned what can happen to a Westerner in an Islamic country when he does not urinate in the Muslim manner when we spent a night here http://lens-image.blogspot.com/2014/12/tea-house-foothills-of-himalayans-nepal.html The walls of the tea house were ...actually they were just boards not very aligned to each other, but separated us, physically, from the Canadians sleeping on the other side. (25 cents a night does not give much luxury...we paid a little more because our trek "guide" was not licensed and was dishonest.) We overheard them talking about a Westerner who in a country like...maybe Afghanistan... had urinated standing up...as illustrated in the photo above showing two legs of the standing man....in Delhi, India. I understand the most faithful feel standing while urinating is an affront to the prophet.
The man they were discussing who was in the Sharia law controlled country was shot dead for standing up while urinating, according to the conversation we heard on the other side of the bedroom wall....possibly being Western added some motivation for that murder.
One of the problems, in my opinion, is that Westerners have no idea of the difference between "Cultural Diversity" and "Diversity of Cultural Values". The consequences of such misunderstandings can lead to the path on which France has found itself.
When I go to other countries I abide by the cultural customs.
My friend in India, Mr Mushtaq Achmed tells me I am more Indian than he is for I ALWAY take off my shoes and eat with my right hand...even when a host does not require such.
It would be nice if those visiting us respected our values.
