Forgive the tardiness, ModBloggers, but your editor has thrown out his stupid shitty back and has been laid up on the couch in substantial pain for the past 15 hours or so, because he is the oldest man alive. Please accept, as penance, this intense series of photos from Chris of Shi’a Muslims in Nabatiyya, Lebanon, participating in traditional rites in observance of Ashura, the “holiest day of the Shiite Muslim calendar.” According to Chris (and Wikipedia!), it “marks the martyrdom of Imam Hussein, the grandson of the Prophet Mohammed.” Apparently, this sort of bloodletting (which the men are doing to themselves with those large machetes*) is frowned upon by some Muslim clerics, but…well, not all of them, I guess. More photos after the jump.
*Says Chris: “They actually cut their scalps with straight razors and chant with the machetes. Only the really hard-core guys cut themselves with the machetes (and chains).”
See more in “Cultural Rituals“ (Culture)
Comments
207 responses to “Electric Relaxation”
25. the irony was intentional. it was to poke fun at people pushing their own anti religion.
25. the irony was intentional. it was to poke fun at people pushing their own anti religion.
25. the irony was intentional. it was to poke fun at people pushing their own anti religion.
This is fascinating.
SAUCE!
Video!
This is fascinating.
SAUCE!
Video!
This is fascinating.
SAUCE!
Video!
Thanks for the link #42. Interesting. Very.
Thanks for the link #42. Interesting. Very.
Thanks for the link #42. Interesting. Very.
I urge everyone to watch documentaries like “Obsession: Radical Islam’s War Against The West”. I’m a believer that ALL religion is delusional and the foundation for which grevious crimes are committed. But it helps to keep in perspective the fact that not all Muslims (or Christians, Buddhists, Hindus, Deists, Daoists, and the rest of them all) are fundamentalist freaks.
http://atheistmovies.blogsspot.com is a really good resource for all things atheist and anti-religious. Docos and e-books and everything.Seriously, go educate yourselves.
I urge everyone to watch documentaries like “Obsession: Radical Islam’s War Against The West”. I’m a believer that ALL religion is delusional and the foundation for which grevious crimes are committed. But it helps to keep in perspective the fact that not all Muslims (or Christians, Buddhists, Hindus, Deists, Daoists, and the rest of them all) are fundamentalist freaks.
http://atheistmovies.blogsspot.com is a really good resource for all things atheist and anti-religious. Docos and e-books and everything.Seriously, go educate yourselves.
I urge everyone to watch documentaries like “Obsession: Radical Islam’s War Against The West”. I’m a believer that ALL religion is delusional and the foundation for which grevious crimes are committed. But it helps to keep in perspective the fact that not all Muslims (or Christians, Buddhists, Hindus, Deists, Daoists, and the rest of them all) are fundamentalist freaks.
http://atheistmovies.blogsspot.com is a really good resource for all things atheist and anti-religious. Docos and e-books and everything.Seriously, go educate yourselves.
Okay, http://atheistmovies.blogspot.com thats the correct address.
Okay, http://atheistmovies.blogspot.com thats the correct address.
Okay, http://atheistmovies.blogspot.com thats the correct address.
Do you suppose that the sheer number of christians has something to do with how many kills they’ve made?
How do the numbers stack up as a percentage?
I mean, if there were only one follower of religion A, and he killed 50 people, and there were 10million followers of religion B, and they killed a total of 50 people…
You see where I’m going with this?
Do you suppose that the sheer number of christians has something to do with how many kills they’ve made?
How do the numbers stack up as a percentage?
I mean, if there were only one follower of religion A, and he killed 50 people, and there were 10million followers of religion B, and they killed a total of 50 people…
You see where I’m going with this?
Do you suppose that the sheer number of christians has something to do with how many kills they’ve made?
How do the numbers stack up as a percentage?
I mean, if there were only one follower of religion A, and he killed 50 people, and there were 10million followers of religion B, and they killed a total of 50 people…
You see where I’m going with this?
man ace bandage must make a killing that day.
man ace bandage must make a killing that day.
man ace bandage must make a killing that day.
Looks like a really easy way to spread AIDS to me…
Looks like a really easy way to spread AIDS to me…
Looks like a really easy way to spread AIDS to me…
Anything done for a religious reason is done for a baseless reason. I wish people would just be honest and say, “I know, deep down, that God doesn’t exist, but this makes me feel good so I’m doing it”.
Anything done for a religious reason is done for a baseless reason. I wish people would just be honest and say, “I know, deep down, that God doesn’t exist, but this makes me feel good so I’m doing it”.
Anything done for a religious reason is done for a baseless reason. I wish people would just be honest and say, “I know, deep down, that God doesn’t exist, but this makes me feel good so I’m doing it”.
@59… every day I feel pressured to say God doesn’t exist, but I know in my heart that s/he does, no matter what my culture or my academic training or my peers try to tell me.
I wish people would be honest with themselves and say “I know, deep down, that there is a God, but I’m too afraid to be looked down upon by secular culture and seen as an anti-intellectual if I admit that knowledge.”
@59… every day I feel pressured to say God doesn’t exist, but I know in my heart that s/he does, no matter what my culture or my academic training or my peers try to tell me.
I wish people would be honest with themselves and say “I know, deep down, that there is a God, but I’m too afraid to be looked down upon by secular culture and seen as an anti-intellectual if I admit that knowledge.”
@59… every day I feel pressured to say God doesn’t exist, but I know in my heart that s/he does, no matter what my culture or my academic training or my peers try to tell me.
I wish people would be honest with themselves and say “I know, deep down, that there is a God, but I’m too afraid to be looked down upon by secular culture and seen as an anti-intellectual if I admit that knowledge.”
ok seriously what happened to talking about the ritual and the reason it’s on the site???
ok seriously what happened to talking about the ritual and the reason it’s on the site???
ok seriously what happened to talking about the ritual and the reason it’s on the site???
bashing people’s religions is just as tacky and distasteful as them forcing them religions on us. Chill guys 🙂
I too feel uncomfortable that this is tied to religion and could be used to show off to others. Religion should be a private matter between yourself and the god(ess) of your choosing.
But really this is a crazy (in a good way) ritual to watch. I’d love to see it in real one day 😀
bashing people’s religions is just as tacky and distasteful as them forcing them religions on us. Chill guys 🙂
I too feel uncomfortable that this is tied to religion and could be used to show off to others. Religion should be a private matter between yourself and the god(ess) of your choosing.
But really this is a crazy (in a good way) ritual to watch. I’d love to see it in real one day 😀
bashing people’s religions is just as tacky and distasteful as them forcing them religions on us. Chill guys 🙂
I too feel uncomfortable that this is tied to religion and could be used to show off to others. Religion should be a private matter between yourself and the god(ess) of your choosing.
But really this is a crazy (in a good way) ritual to watch. I’d love to see it in real one day 😀
“If everyone believed exactly the same thing as ME, everything would be fine.”
*facepalm*
“If everyone believed exactly the same thing as ME, everything would be fine.”
*facepalm*
“If everyone believed exactly the same thing as ME, everything would be fine.”
*facepalm*
looks like bme is not religion 4 u all
why do u lie to urself?
religion is just another way to lose ur freedom.
remember it.
looks like bme is not religion 4 u all
why do u lie to urself?
religion is just another way to lose ur freedom.
remember it.
looks like bme is not religion 4 u all
why do u lie to urself?
religion is just another way to lose ur freedom.
remember it.
Geez…
Where did all the people go who thought the kavadis at the Thaipusam festival were awesome? Hinduism is an organized religion too in case you weren’t paying attention. Westerners always act like monotheistic religions are bad and polytheistic religions and Buddhism are automatically good. There have been plenty of Hindu mass murderers and Buddhist fanatics through history. Communism is an atheist ideology but has resulted in mass killings too. The Unabomber was a far-right-wing nut. People will always find some way to justify their own evil – you’re ignorant or biased if you think it’s religion that causes violence.
By the way, these people in the photos are SHI’ITES for those of you who fail to read captions. The 9/11 hijackers and all the various Al Qaeda terrorists are some flavor of Sunnis so they probably hated these guys. It’s like Protestants vs. Catholics.
Geez…
Where did all the people go who thought the kavadis at the Thaipusam festival were awesome? Hinduism is an organized religion too in case you weren’t paying attention. Westerners always act like monotheistic religions are bad and polytheistic religions and Buddhism are automatically good. There have been plenty of Hindu mass murderers and Buddhist fanatics through history. Communism is an atheist ideology but has resulted in mass killings too. The Unabomber was a far-right-wing nut. People will always find some way to justify their own evil – you’re ignorant or biased if you think it’s religion that causes violence.
By the way, these people in the photos are SHI’ITES for those of you who fail to read captions. The 9/11 hijackers and all the various Al Qaeda terrorists are some flavor of Sunnis so they probably hated these guys. It’s like Protestants vs. Catholics.
Geez…
Where did all the people go who thought the kavadis at the Thaipusam festival were awesome? Hinduism is an organized religion too in case you weren’t paying attention. Westerners always act like monotheistic religions are bad and polytheistic religions and Buddhism are automatically good. There have been plenty of Hindu mass murderers and Buddhist fanatics through history. Communism is an atheist ideology but has resulted in mass killings too. The Unabomber was a far-right-wing nut. People will always find some way to justify their own evil – you’re ignorant or biased if you think it’s religion that causes violence.
By the way, these people in the photos are SHI’ITES for those of you who fail to read captions. The 9/11 hijackers and all the various Al Qaeda terrorists are some flavor of Sunnis so they probably hated these guys. It’s like Protestants vs. Catholics.
honestly, i’m much more disgusted by fundamental christians trying to teach religion in the public schools than I am at what a group of people choose to do to themelves, granted the social structure of their society is probably so incredibly fucked up in terms of gender politics, and that’s pretty bad, but who cares if they wanna cut on themselves.
honestly, i’m much more disgusted by fundamental christians trying to teach religion in the public schools than I am at what a group of people choose to do to themelves, granted the social structure of their society is probably so incredibly fucked up in terms of gender politics, and that’s pretty bad, but who cares if they wanna cut on themselves.
honestly, i’m much more disgusted by fundamental christians trying to teach religion in the public schools than I am at what a group of people choose to do to themelves, granted the social structure of their society is probably so incredibly fucked up in terms of gender politics, and that’s pretty bad, but who cares if they wanna cut on themselves.
@Aly
clearly, you didn’t grow up in a strongly religious family, the courage that it can take to come out and say that you don’t believe in god can require such strength. there are areas where atheism is considered akin to insanity. but if you want to believe in god, that’s cool with me.
@Aly
clearly, you didn’t grow up in a strongly religious family, the courage that it can take to come out and say that you don’t believe in god can require such strength. there are areas where atheism is considered akin to insanity. but if you want to believe in god, that’s cool with me.