Presidential Respect and Respect for Others

I was reading the Daily Mail when I stumbled across the following:
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/pages/live/articles/news/news.html?in_article_id=401414&in_page_id=1770&in_a_source
Blair 'feels betrayed by Bush on Lebanon 
By SIMON WALTERS 22:57pm 19th August 2006

The alliance between George Bush and Tony Blair is in danger after it was revealed that the Prime Minister believes the President has 'let him down badly' over the Middle East crisis. A senior Downing Street source said that,privately, Mr Blair broadly agrees with John Prescott, who said Mr Bush's record on the issue was 'crap'. The source said: "We all feel badly let down by Bush. We thought we had persuaded him to take the Israel-Palestine situation seriously, but we were wrong. How can anyone have faith in a man of such low intellect?"

Now I believe Mr. John "Bloody" Prescott is a deputy Prime Minister or some such thing. Where does he get off criticizing our President? I have half a mind to cease reading English language newspapers. I mean, I know I criticize the poor, daft Prez, but that's my right as a citizen. He is actually a charming man. And that's why we elected him.

The quaint charm of rich Texans. In re: respect for others, I see that a Muslim doctor from Canada was kicked off an airplane in Denver ( rather like Mr. Gandhi being kicked off the train in South Africa, eh?) on the accusation of a fellow passenger that he was acting suspicious. The doctor was performing evening prayers. That was suspicious. Could be. Now I'm sure you have all seen pictures and videos of Muslims praying in a mosque. They stand, they kneel, they perform numerous prostrations.

But, you ask, how do they pray when they are not in a mosque? Indeed, how do they pray when find themselves in a sardine can with wings, nowadays referred to as an airplane, and there is no room to rest both elbows at the same time, much less room for prostrations and such? Well, they pray sitting. Some may use bottled water to perform a rudimentary ablution. Some will bow their heads instead of kneeling.

In fact, in such situations, the prayer resembles greatly Jewish prayer which involves a rhythmical bowing of the head. Everyone is different. The story adds that the accusing passenger appeared drunk and he had threatened the doctor previously during their trip. The doctor may have been trying to get back at the drunk by praying him down.

Perhaps the drunk was also praying and they were competing to see whose God is greater. I like this last explanation. It just seems more real.

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