Saturday, January 17, 2009

Timor mortis conturbat me

“There are black-eyed virgins ready for you. The martyr gets at least two of the virgins of Paradise, and they embrace the martyr. Imagine a black-eyed virgin embracing the martyr. While people carry the body to be buried, a black-eyed virgin is embracing him. We’re talking black-eyed virgins, man! All you guys who are looking for the women and girls of this world… True, a righteous woman is a good thing, but the martyr gets something even more valuable - a black-eyed virgin. Do you know what a black-eyed virgin is? When she laughs, she overshadows the light of the sun and the moon. She has beautiful laughter. Sometimes you hear or see girls or women with beautiful laughter. Imagine - when the black-eyed virgin laughs, she overshadows the light of the sun and the moon. Who wants to get married? Who wants black-eyed virgins" - Egyptian cleric Hazem Shuman urging young muslim men to join the Hamas Jihad against Israel
There is something really perverse in an aging cleric under the guise of religious faith urging young men (likely sexually inexperienced) to engage in suicidal violence for the reward of unlimited sexual favours in the afterlife. He goes on to say:
“The reason for the 1967 defeat, for the 1948 calamity, for the loss of all our lands, for the fall of Baghdad, for the occupation, for Darfur, for the problems in South Sudan, for the colonialism that lasted throughout the 20th century is our hatred of death. Sheikh Amin and I reached the TV station together, and without arranging this in advance, we decided to come here to fight the hatred of death. We must love death, just like the companions of the Prophets."

Incidentally the title phrase comes from a responsory of the Catholic Office of the Dead, which you may find a more nuanced concept of death.
"Peccantem me quotidie, et non poenitentem, timor mortis conturbat me. Quia in inferno nulla est redemptio, miserere mei, Deus, et salva me."
"Sinning daily, and not repenting, the fear of death disturbs me. Because there is no redemption in hell, have mercy on me, O God, and save me."

No comments: