When Arab Leaders Pray

There is a saying in Arabic: About a leader who goes to the mosque on Friday and Friday alone. He is neither sincere nor of honest faith. He is just there for a photo-op to impress gullible people that he is a decent man. But he is not moved by piousness and spends the rest of his days in sin, but thinks he can impress the masses if he goes to the mosque on Friday.

Someone of honest faith does not invite the cameras to follow them pray. They do so in silence concerned only that God receives their prayer and do not bother as to who may see them pray. A praying man is not concerned with earthly matters during his prayer and does not pray to score public and political points, but is so moved by a faith in God that he prays only to console himself.

Alas, there are few Arab leaders who behave in such a manner. Today Arabs leaders spends millions of their people's resources and tax income to build huge mosques in their names and whenever they venture to a mosque they make sure their office calls every T.V. station in the nation to record them. But, of course, they feign religiosity and pretend that they had nothing to do with the cameras and certainly do not care. And they are simply there to pray. Right.

Two things: First of all it is silly, to say the least, that wealthy individuals and political leaders think that God would be amused by the structure of mosques more than the character of the builder. In that case they do not properly appreciate God. God is not amused by the petty architecture of corrupt leaders. It is ridiculous to build massive buildings as if the mere presence is a testament to one's strength in faith. As if God is more amused by buildings than by the honest heart of the man praying. Look at this monstrosity that Saddam was building:

ibn t8gat t8GAT 19672

As if building a huge mosque was going to save the brutal savage that Saddam was. King Hassan II in Morocco and Lebanese Prime Minister Rafiq Hariri also built huge mosques, and although their mosques were actually architecturally pleasant; the whole act is so phony and I think an offense to God if the person is not a sincere Muslim. It is stupid to think that one can compensate by building a mosque. And egregious still considering that building a humble mosque and donating the rest to aid the many poor people in the nation is a more worthy and sincere Islamic act. And if they are of such pure faith: why put your name on there? Isn't enough that God knows you built a house of worship? But, of course, faith is not the real motivator.

But also this pals in comparison to this image:

king abdallah jordan 420 CUIPP 19672

This is Jordan's King Abduallah. But I could have used the image of many other Arab leaders - all corrupt and tyrannical. It is hilarious to watch such a phony image of a brute. This image does not inspire faith but only leads to the question: Why God?! Why?!