I have visited Uzbekistan, though only as a sheltered tourist during the Soviet era. The primary question that will frame all other questions is one which one may only ask at risk of one's life: Is Islam true? It is vital that if asking a Muslim, one ask the question politely and respectfully, and with an attitude of learning from the Muslim the basis of his or her understanding of why Islam is true. One must certainly refrain from any hint at denigrating--or even treating with less than full respect--their prophet or their Koran. It seems to me that it is legitimate to ask how they know that the Koran is as Muhammad dictated it, and as he heard it. (I understand that one of Islam's leaders after Muhammad confiscated all copies, and wrote what became the official version; this contrasts sharply with the Bible's history of comparing thousands of ancient [even pre-AD70] manuscripts, among which variants are invariably trivial.) Who has visited Mohammad's grave, where is buried close to some or all of his wives, in Madina? I think this might cause some hostile reaction, but one might ask a Muslim to recount Muhammad's life history, and how his biography substantiates his qualification as a prophet. Again, the answers may be unsettling, so asking these sorts of questions must be done with a humble, learning attitude. After all, as a non-Muslim, one must ask questions to so Muslims can convince him or her of the veracity of their system--which should be easy as well as enlightening.
I have visited Uzbekistan, though only as a sheltered tourist during the Soviet era. The primary question that will frame all other questions is one which one may only ask at risk of one's life: Is Islam true? It is vital that if asking a Muslim, one ask the question politely and respectfully, and with an attitude of learning from the Muslim the basis of his or her understanding of why Islam is true. One must certainly refrain from any hint at denigrating--or even treating with less than full respect--their prophet or their Koran. It seems to me that it is legitimate to ask how they know that the Koran is as Muhammad dictated it, and as he heard it. (I understand that one of Islam's leaders after Muhammad confiscated all copies, and wrote what became the official version; this contrasts sharply with the Bible's history of comparing thousands of ancient [even pre-AD70] manuscripts, among which variants are invariably trivial.) Who has visited Mohammad's grave, where is buried close to some or all of his wives, in Madina? I think this might cause some hostile reaction, but one might ask a Muslim to recount Muhammad's life history, and how his biography substantiates his qualification as a prophet. Again, the answers may be unsettling, so asking these sorts of questions must be done with a humble, learning attitude. After all, as a non-Muslim, one must ask questions to so Muslims can convince him or her of the veracity of their system--which should be easy as well as enlightening.
Holy hell... those earbuds. I had no idea this was possible yet; I was expecting something like this to arrive in a couple of years.
Slightly annoying that they support Catalan but not Persian. Still, do tell us how well they work.