Saturday 28 April 2007

Dreaming of Damascus

Peter and I both read the book "From the Holy Mountain" by William Dalrymple, a travel diary from a trip around the christian monasterys in the middle east, some of them still operating since byzantine times. Inspired by this I want to go here! And I will, if we make it that far. The monastery stores an icon with the image of the virgin Mary, said to have been painted by the evangelist St Luke. What I find most fantastic is that both Muslims and Christians seem to believe in the power of this icon, they go there to ask for protection and help form Mary.

Syria is tempting in many ways but the very early development of the civilization seems to unfortunately have slowed down lately. Even if they were building temples when we were still trying to find out how to make up fire the way the society is organized is rather primitive nowadays in my opinion. Or what do you think about imprisoning people for three years claiming that they spread "false and exaggerated information", torturing some prisoners to death or introducing a law that frees a rapist from punishment if he offers to marry his victim.

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