Introduction
Should I keep my written thoughts in my unorganized notes and journals as usual or should I finally create my own space online where I can share them in an organized way? After years of doubting the idea, but mostly myself, I finally decided to start what might also be the building block for my future, which is training myself to write more. This habit is also something that I naturally exercise during my studies in philosophy. That is exactly how I managed to balance my passion with my studies.
Taking a broader look at the idea of starting my blog, I would like the reader to understand that I took this step because I also like the sharing part. To be able to share what I think of, the things I studied, or my adaptation to a gluten- and lactose-free life is something that I simply would love to do, without all the other argumentative reasons.
In this post, you will read the background of this blog, which translates to the mind behind this screen. I believe that the way I think, the ideas I defend, and the things that interest me will be visible in my other posts anyway, but clarifying the style or the pattern of my future writings for the reader who wants to know what to expect in this space is something I wanted to communicate through this post.
Background
Having interest and some knowledge of the two most basic things human existence does, which are storytelling and asking questions, I am pleased to let these two intertwine broadly and freely in this blog. To approach the understanding of storytelling in general, we can look at the history of art and archeology to decipher what our ancestors tried to tell with, for example, their efforts of turning clay and stone into a story, but we can also look at other types of storytelling that divide more than they connect humanity and that has always been there since the moment we have invented language, like politics or religion. On this matter, calling politics and religion, which usually intertwine with each other, types of storytelling, is not an act of belittlement but rather pointing out that their power is built on strategic storytelling.
On the other hand, to address philosophy, we should understand the emergence of its domains and many fractions with its capability of adapting to the time when different answers were unfolding for certain questions. As evolution applies to almost all domains such as biology or economy, philosophy also went through an evolution of what might have started as a curiosity for shadows, as Roberto Casati mentions in his enlightening book Shadows: Unlocking Their Secrets, "[...] philosophy and astronomy are daughters of the shadow.", or as Anaxagoras clarified in his answer to the question of what he had been born for, "To study the sun, the moon, and the heavens.". Philosophy today is literally what it means, the love of wisdom, with branches such as logic, ethics, epistemology, and metaphysics, but also more fragmented branches within them.
Philosophy
As a philosophy student who studies parts of these (fragmented) branches, I found myself inspired by David Hume, Simone de Beauvoir, John Dewey, Descartes, Bruno Latour, Kierkegaard's fine thinking, and many more important names throughout my studies. I would also like to shout out the YouTubers who inspired me: Diamond Tema, Efe Aydal, and The Apostate Prophet. Discovering their YouTube channel has been very eye-opening for me. These names might not be known to everyone, but they are mentioned here to show the colors and shades of my future writings. I will clarify the ideas and the names in my coming posts by considering that some of you might not have a philosophical background. Besides these names, I found myself particularly interested in history, astronomy (not to be confounded with astrology), and cosmology (the study of the universe's origin). Altogether, my studies and interests intrigued me to do more profound and unbiased research on the religion I was part of since my birth, which is Islam.
Ultimately, my preferred belief system ended up being one where research and an unbiased approach are required to bring forward rational arguments and hypotheses, which is an important point you should know about this blog.
Islam, History and Context
With that being said, in this blog, you will not read any post where I try to reason superstitious or religious traditional practices. Anything that does not match my belief system will either be questioned or not discussed at all. I also feel the pressure to clarify that I am an apostate, which means I lived as a Muslim for 25 years. As an atheist now, who passed through all the stages between deism and atheism, I still have all the right to criticize Islamic practices and teachings as much as any Muslim can do.
The difference in my case, compared to other research and critiques made by non-Muslims who were never Muslim, is that I have been one for 25 years. That experience will be an advantage in my writings where I'll be able to look at things from two points of view. It does not mean that I will use this position to belittle or denigrate Islam and Mohamed, but I will question verses and traditions respectfully. In return, as much as I understand why Muslims believe in their religion, I expect to be treated rightfully for my critique and questioning.
"Iqra!" , said angel Gabriel to Mohamed, "Read!". This symbolic command is also encouraged to be followed by the Muslims, and so I did. With this being said, there is no reason for the Muslim readers of this blog to feel attacked. I believe the reason why most of the Muslim community doesn't end up questioning the Quran is because they either read the Arabic version without being an Arab speaker, have learned it by heart and recite it during their prayers, or have listened to a biased interpretation. One more possible answer to that question might be because that is what feels natural for them unless they were educated with emotional manipulation that makes them a slave of God, to which the idea of questioning His work's authenticity is very scary.
The approach
My writings about Islam will study the Quran as it is, without defending the idea that God might have meant something else than what He revealed, which is the approach of the Muslim community to problematic verses such as giving a broader meaning to certain words to make them work or adding unnecessary contexts that God did not reveal. The question I will ask in these approaches will be why humans try to explain God's revelation by changing or adding meanings that are not there. Why does God, the Almighty, need a human explanation for something he revealed in a human language through an angel? Do we unconsciously admit that God has communicated poorly to us? Why does God need angels by the way? Doubting is central in this space, with an approach of trying to find answers.
Storytelling
As for the art of storytelling that is characterized by entertainment, with the type that isn't political but may become a form of activism in some cases, I do not have a particular position as I have for a philosophical approach to questions. I am interested in all kinds of stories like novels, biographies, movies, documentaries, or Studio Ghibli's traditional hand-drawn animations.
Conclusion
Having said that, I welcome you to this blog! I will not expect you to agree with all the things I write, but I would love to give you another point of view on certain matters or teach you something new. Feel free to support my blog by sharing this post with someone you like. Thank you very much!
PS: I do not use AI to write my posts, but only to generate some of the images I use in my posts, even though I create most of them on Canva. All my writings include ideas and expressions that belong to my creativity, which are inspired by the knowledge I acquired during my studies, interests, and experiences in life.
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