So the first deployment phase for the new plates had started. This phase's plates are starting ص أ X or س أ x, with the variation of the numbers after that. I have seen cars in Cairo, Mohandessen and even Shoubra (2 cars). All new plates have these variation. I once found 3 cars next to one another with same alpha combination with a different numeric. This I find amuzing! The second thing is I am now tracing how the translation of the letters from Arabic to english will work. A perfectionist, and detail oriented in trivial stuff I am, I am laughing in sarcasm over the faults they did because of the translation. 'Why did they translate?' I tell my brother. 'How will they account for خ for instance.. and becuase of this translation, the probabilites for plates variation will decrease.' As a big picture guy, he responded 'They have zillion of combinations. Does not matter.' But again, I am now keeping an account how will they use all the letters in translation....
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That brings us back to the question we were discussing at Hellme's a while back about whether there really is one Islam that you can talk about.
I think some Muslim nationalities have this identity crisis for a lot of political/cultural reasons. For Arabs this void used to be filled by Arab nationalism. During that period religion was very much in the private sphere. But Arabism failed in 1967 & started to recede so the search began for a new political/cultural identity & so political Ikhwan Islam is now the new identity.
Muslims from India & Pakistan have this issue also because they are a minority in the subcontinent compared to Hindus. They feel their identity as Muslims is constantly under threat so they respond by making it as pervasively public as possible.
Or it could be that Muslims still have this perception of themselves as one great Islamic nation or Caliphate. Since this global 'umma' was defeated & divided Muslims feel weak & under seige even if they happen to be a majority within their local community.
What I feel is that when religion moves from being a private relationship between you, your conscience & God the purity or the niya of is completely corrupted. When you start doing things to feel you belong to some religious/cultural/political club you're not doing them for God anymore.