Jamil Talaat Malak Sukkarieh Kazoun
2013
Author of A New World Government, 2007
Founder of an international news publication
Businessman
Past leader of a large USA-based civic organization
Creating Freedom On Earth
by
Jamil Talaat Malak Sukkarieh Kazoun
ISBN: 978-0-9788578-7-5
Publisher:
Life Management Science LLC Info@LifeManagementScience.com
This book contains several chapters from my previous books, with new material added, and others modified for clarity.
United States of America
Copyright 2013, Jamil Talaat Kazoun
All rights reserved.
No portion of this book may be reproduced, in any form, without the written consent of the publisher.
Dedication
To my dad, for all the love and things you have given to me and taught me: you are a great man, and I hope your name will live on through this work.
To my two boys, Alexander and Nicholas: I hope you will get to know a little about the work of your dad and to carry the memory longer, in case we never get the chance to talk about these and other subjects. I wish you beautiful things.
To my mom, Malak Sukkarieh, a beautiful woman with the most dazzling laugh that must have transmitted joy to the universe, with a spoken voice so beautiful, unique, parochial, the likes of which I have never heard elsewhere. Temptation is to accuse me: you say so because she is your mom
Yet, it is the truth.
To the love of my life and mother of my children, Christine, a beautiful woman inside and out: you loved our two boys so much and lived for them. They were your joy. You will always be in my heart.
To my grandmother, Shafia, who raised me. If she could bring into the world a man as great as my dad, then she must have been a very special woman indeed. She must have been in her seventies when I left home, yet she still had great-looking legs, as my uncle Farouk lovingly often noted and teased. My uncle, who also lived with us, helped to raise me.
To my brother Nabil, who suffered much growing up with a terrible older brother, until I matured much later.
To my aunt Rafia, who lived with us and helped raise me.
There are so many people that I would like to mention, so that they can be proud of their contribution to my life. When there are so many whom I have loved and appreciated so much, leaving or failing to remember any of them makes writing this dedication very difficult.
I have had a very full life, one that few can have, despite the hells I have suffered.
Introduction
We may think we have freedom of speech and freedom of worship and many other freedoms, but people are actually oppressed the world over. I do not know of a country on earth that wholly allows a person the freedom to act as he sees fit, where his actions do not infringe upon the freedom of others. For example, in many Middle Eastern and African countries, you cannot speak against the governments. Many countries also have blasphemy laws, and some prevent types of speech that are not directed against a specific person. A person in the USA cannot speak his mind freely as there are restrictions on that, such as when this persons speech supports what the government arbitrarily decides to label as terrorism. In Europe, its the same if you support Nazism. Also, acts that are considered to be free speech by some courts, such as donating money, can be prohibited by the government if the government disapproves of the group. Even the sale of certain equipment, such as a satellite receiver that allows for hearing what these groups say, has been prosecuted. Not only can you not speak what you want, but you are also not allowed to hear what someone is saying on specific topics, so you might have the choice to make your own judgment. The government speaks, listens, and decides for you what is good or truthful. Is this the best way to promote freedom? Is this a way to have more informed and intelligent humans? Fear and hate can be tools used to suffocate freedom by those who hate freedom or do not understand it.
So, there is no freedom of speech or thought, and the people dont have the right to communicate their thoughts freely.
There is also no freedom of religion. In Lebanon, for example, whether you like or not, you have to listen to the Friday Muslim prayers broadcasted over loudspeakers into your home. You are forced to listen to church bells on Sundays. A Christian cannot build a church in some countries, such as Saudi Arabia, to practice his/her religion. In the United States, Muslims and Mormons cannot fully practice their religion, which allow for polygamy. Polyandry, where one woman can marry more than one husband, is also prohibited in some countries.
A monk from the Jain religion in most places in the world cannot freely practice his religious belief, which allows for being naked all the time, whether walking the public streets or otherwise; neither can a Jain follower.
This extends also to natives of the Amazon Yanomamo tribe, or any person, such as a naturist, who simply wants to live a nude lifestyle. I was asked why loudspeaker mosque prayers and church bells should be suppressed while a nude person walking a public street should not. It is because humans can turn away if they do not want to watch something, such as a TV show or someone on the street, or choose not to focus on a subject. However, sound cannot be shut out by turning away or by not focusing on it.
That is the challenge presented by this book. Even though these ideas may make sense to you, habit, upbringing, and problems with self-image can be much stronger to understand and overcome. However, being what we are as humans, with the capacity of being very thoughtful, we can and do change, despite difficulties. It may take a long time sometimes, but it starts with you the individual changing.
While, for example, some countries may offer the right to freedom from religion in the sense that there can be no religious laws that a person must abide by, such as in the United States, such countries do not offer freedom of religion. On the other hand, some places may offer freedom of religion, but do not provide the right to freedom from religion.
Even love is restricted. The freedom to intermarry with other religions is absent in some countries. Living with your spouse if they are from a different country is absent or made very difficult in some countries. In some countries, a woman cannot issue citizenship to her spouse, while a man can. In some countries, a civil marriage is not allowed (that is, a marriage without being forced into adopting a religion). A Lebanese or Syrian mother cannot grant citizenship to her child if she is married to a foreigner.
The list of restricted freedoms goes on and on.
Some countries prevent proselytizing (the peaceful attempt to convert a person to a different religion).
An adult woman in Saudi Arabia cannot drive a car or leave the country without permission, and will be imprisoned for doing things men can do. Public practice of non-Muslim religions is not allowed. How you dress, eat, talk, and practice religion are only a few of the items that can be forced upon you Saudi Arabia is considered by some to be a manifestation of Islamic law on Earth. Leaving Islam for a Saudi citizen can supposedly be punishable by death. This is how much freedom of religion and action there is for such a Muslim citizen. If these values are what you uphold to be freedom for yourself and others, then this is something to consider emulating.
