The respect for other cultures
Even if Passion in Observing is basically meant to be no more than an Internet presence for exhibiting and presenting some of my self-shot photographs, the adjective "passionate" alone already indicates an association with a human-emotional state, with personal indulgence, with pleasure, with amusement, with affection. And I did this on purpose!
I am well aware that this attitude to life, as natural and worthwhile as it is to me, may not per se entirely comply with viewpoints of other, more distant cultural spheres, and that it may cause differences of opinion and perception - especially, although not exclusively, between myself and our highly valued, us culturally enriching fellow citizens with migration background and ultraconservative Islamic Creed.
Anticipating the inevitable stereotypic accusations of generalization, prejudice, intolerance, or worse, allow me to state right at the beginning that those our one-dimensional and unexcited occidental culture enriching fellow citizens with migration background must, of course, not feel addressed by this, not to mention offended. Undoubtedly with the mental support of all moderate and less enthusiastic Muslims, I worry more about the tiny, almost unnoticeable minority of Islamic bigots that interpret the word of their prophet Muhammad - he be praised and worshipped - in a way not quite compatible with the proclaimed religion of peace, and that try to make us infidels the - doubtlessly lacking - comprehension for the surahs of the Quran accessible in a rather improper and unconventionally brute way. Or in other words: those that conduct the dialogue of cultures without culture.
Having said that, I caringly and indignantly observe how under the impression of the speeches and deeds carried out by this tiny, almost unnoticeable minority of Islamic bigots both life quality and the freedom of self-fulfillment of our highly valued, us culturally enriching fellow citizens with migration background and ultraconservative Islamic Creed is more and more narrowed by a widespread decline of our once immigrant-friendly open arms attitude.
As if living in the midst of this dreadfully liberal and secular, morally spoilt, inconsiderate, intolerant, fully connected and potatoe and pork products consuming society of infidels wouldn't be hostile enough of an environment for our highly valued, us culturally enriching yet discriminated fellow citizens with migration background and ultraconservative Islamic Creed, they are pestered day by day by cruel generalizations, offensive disparagements, a xenophobic lack of tolerance and unreasonable assimilation attempts. And this over by social classes and institutions.
Since I would like to explicitly exempt myself from this, I herewith issue a warning to our highly valued, us culturally enriching yet discriminated fellow citizens with migration background and ultraconservative Islamic Creed... in newspeak also known as disclaimer!
Since I never read the scripture, the Quran, - and if I had I, of course, would not have understood it - and therefore look at the world unfiltered and uncorrected, with a frivolously ignorant attitude devoid of any Creed whatsoever, I cannot with ultimate certainty exclude my photos from bearing content that may touch, perhaps even insult religious feelings of individuals mentally and morally higher developed than myself.
I explicitly state that if this happens it derives from my total and sustainable cultural and religious ignorance, and it happened unintentionally.
We meanwhile learned: illustrations of the prophet Muhammad - he be praised and worshipped - are not permitted. Consequently, I, the infidel, have no clue how the prophet looks like. Therefore, should on any of my photographs the prophet - he be praised and worshipped - be nevertheless somehow recognizable to one of our highly valued, us culturally enriching fellow citizens with migration background and ultraconservative Islamic Creed, and be it only vague and undistinguishable, may he please consider - before holy rage will come upon him - that I, the unworthy infidel, was simply not capable of recognizing it.
I am in fact looking forward to the intercultural future of our occidental societies with positive expectations. It's only a matter of time until such intercultural teething troubles will be overcome and our cultural and religious points of friction annihilated. We already set the course for the path of a new togetherness... let's just grant those still living in past Christianity a bit more time for them to get used to the new situation.
As my personal contribution allow me to point a way by daring a small yet significant step. I may advise my highly valued, me culturally enriching fellow citizens with migration background and ultraconservative Islamic Creed to refrain from passionately observing this infidel's website. But as a sign of my appreciation, empathy and respect I dedicate an alternative little website just to them.
Its humble look and feel does, of course, by far not reflect the superiority of your culture, the perfectibility of your being, the infallibility and supremacy of your Creed nor your forbearing and bold pursuit for peace on earth. Nevertheless I supplicate you to accept it as my unworthy yet well-meant contribution to bring forward the intercultural dialogue between the only true, quintessential and superior Creed on your part, and the unworthy and inferior wrong-believers' and atheists' attitude on ours. Your approval would be an undeserved honor to me.
This little website, highly valued, us culturally enriching fellow citizens with migration background and ultraconservative Islamic Creed, enables you to spent hours and hours in the digital gomorrah of the World Wide Wackiness safe in the knowledge that nothing will ever offend your precious religious feelings.
I have intentionally created it in a way that it most certainly can be viewed without any risk of emerging pleasure by the standards of unworthy infidels: it comes without any music, refrains from any presently known form of entertainment, contains no drawings, cartoons, illustrations or photographs, and provides no means of distractions or amusements in any form whatsoever that could possibly lead you astray. Feel free to even visit it at daytime during Ramadan.
Being aware of the wide-spread lack of my people's sensibility with regard to cultural and interpersonal dealings with customs, traditions and affectivities of our highly valued fellow citizens with migration background and ultraconservative Islamic Creed, I have taken into consideration foreseeable holy rage and created the website in such way that it can provide "first aid" means in sudden cases of becoming upset, or at the first stirrings of upcoming religious furor: Printed out it can perfectly serve to fully cover any kind of drawing, cartoon, illustration, portrait and/or photography. Nothing heretical or insulting religious feeling will ever show through it.
It can, of course, also perfectly and almost residue-free be burnt.
By using a small brush and some white paint it ideally serves as sort of a canvas for any kind of scandalized, furious or frustrated statements. That way you can easily and without complications express hurt feelings anytime and anywhere.
Two snippets quickly crumpled up and shoved in your ears can quite reliably rescue you from cynical and offensive remarks by dumb and inconsiderate infidels about your prophet - he be praised and worshipped -, the content of certain surahs of the Quran, gender equality, "honor" killings, or forced marriages of young girls or children.
Anxiously hoping that I was successful in paying a homage I remain respectfully yours.