Friday, January 26, 2007

Inshallah

Tehran is the quietest big city I have ever lived in. Very few sirens. Very few airplanes. Very few cars blasting music that makes your walls vibrate. And no discos. At least no discos that you can hear from the street.

Aahh peace. Yet when our dear friend witnessed a horrific traffic accident in north Tehran, it took two hours for a second ambulance to show up to treat the remaining wounded. There were hospitals within one mile of the accident scene and it was the middle of the night, so no traffic! The price of quiet…



(Business flash you rich Iranians: ambulance services for pay! For the pure of heart, use some of the profits from wealthy clients to subsidize ambulances for the poor and the struggling middle class. I offer this idea to you for free. I guarantee profit. I guarantee thousands of clients per day. Think of it.)

When an official of the government was in a fatal car accident, an ambulance never even arrived. He was carried out in a pickup truck.

This is the land of inshallah. God willing. Inshallah, our houses won’t collapse in an earthquake. Inshallah, America won’t attack. Inshallah, my child will get better. Inshallah, we'll get our delivery of milk by 10 am. Inshallah, we'll celebrate Hamid's birthday next Thursday.

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

I have read before about this attitude as an obstacle to "progress" in Moslem societies, but it may be a result rather than a cause.

In any case the attitude is real enough, but what does it explain or hide? More thought could be applied.

This is the wisdom of the encouragement to mix the cultures and races. These traditional attitudes that have developed roots from now forgotten reasons need to be pulled up and examined. This can happen when the society has more exposure to "FOREIGNERS". I know, what a dreaded thought ;-)

Edo River rising

ddmmyyyy said...

It's a lack of responsibility - pass it on to a third party.

arthemis said...

Submission to the Will of God is not such a bad thing, but as Prophet Mohammad is reported to have said: "trust in God, but tie your camel".

I am not sure, however, that the lack of commitment to collective well-being or societal improvement comes from "insh'allah" -- perhaps more from a sense of helplessness, and more sadly, lack of trust in others.

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