X-Message-Number: 17614
Date: Wed, 19 Sep 2001 01:00:05 -0700
From: Mike Perry <>
Subject: John Perry, David Pascal, Muslims, Immortalization 

I was shocked and saddened to learn of the likely death of John Perry (not 
related) with whom I had corresponded and talked by phone numerous times 
over the years.

And David Pascal did express some fine sentiments, as echoed by Terri 
Jondahl; quoting just the ending:


>Cryonics will go much further
>much faster if we cooperate than if we're forever arguing about bygone
>trivia or about things we cannot [a]ffect.  Rather than berating Arabs and
>Moslems and most of all one another, let's simply try to move cryonics
>forward just a little further.  Because each small advance takes us
>closer to the point when what we are doing will transform everything.
>Let's commit ourselves to that, and not to enmity."
>


Some others have given their impressions of Muslims and Islamic culture, in 
view of what happened last week. Perhaps the following will be of interest; 
I'll try to be brief.

Growing up as a military dependent, I spent 20 months in a Muslim country, 
Morocco. This was between 1959 and '61, when I was 12-14 years old, an 
impressionable age. I was viewing another culture, but also my own through 
newly opened eyes. I was impressed with the great poverty and lack of 
education of what appeared to be the vast majority in this strange yet 
fascinating land. Poverty, ignorance, and dogmatic and unscientific 
beliefs, of course, go together hand in glove. Challenges to one's 
worldview are resented, and I'm sure many Moroccans both resented and 
envied the far wealthier Americans in their midst. One proscription in 
Islam is of alcoholic beverages. Drinking and other indulgence by U.S. 
service people may have convinced many natives of the decadence of Western 
society. Americans, as non-Islamic, qualified as infidels anyway. I 
remember visiting a city (Moulay Idriss) where, I understood, infidels were 
not allowed after dark.

In all, I can see why people with low living standards and literacy, and 
certain rigidly held views, might well resent strangers in their midst who 
were better off but didn't measure up in other important ways. On the other 
hand, education is becoming more widespread, along with free thought and 
changing lifestyles occasioned by improved living standards. The old 
culture is threatened, so it's no surprise that some would be very upset, 
those especially with deep religious ties to the old ways. America is 
resented for its military and political interventions, but also, in 
important ways, for what we are rather than just what we do or have done. 
Our memes are infectious, and are transforming the rest of the world. It is 
very important that this transformation continue, in the peaceful and 
voluntary form that is really its hallmark, for it is leading to our 
physical immortalization. We in the small immortalist movement can see it 
coming, while the rest of the world remains in doubt or denial. We must 
hope that the constructive changes will continue to outpace the destructive 
backlash of misguided reactionaries, until finally even they realize they 
have more to gain by support than by opposition. Time will tell whether we 
will be so fortunate.

In passing I'll note that, while Islam is often seen in the West as 
reactionary and backward-looking, it has its progressive elements too. One 
exploration of forward thinking, and something I found inspiring, is *The 
Reconstruction of Religious Thought in Islam* by the Pakistani philosopher 
Mohammed Iqbal, which appeared as long ago as 1934.

Mike Perry

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