{"id":1910,"date":"2024-03-07T21:17:00","date_gmt":"2024-03-07T21:17:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.takemeon.org\/dir\/?p=1910"},"modified":"2024-03-12T01:13:56","modified_gmt":"2024-03-12T01:13:56","slug":"east-is-north-unless-you-are-western","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/www.takemeon.org\/dir\/2024\/03\/07\/east-is-north-unless-you-are-western\/","title":{"rendered":"East Is North, Unless You Are Western!"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

You are indigenous to where your cultural identity was first formed. Skin color and genetics do not define this identity. Your inherited language informs this. Your indigenous rituals inform this. If you\u2019re lucky to keep it, your ancestral land also informs this. For some Indigenous peoples, your conceptual understanding of time and place informs this, as well! For examples,\u2026 Not everyone in this world sees time flowing as back to the past and front facing the future. Not everyone see see North as at the top of the compass. Not everyone sees proselytizing and universalism as \u201cgood\u201d things. Not everyone is a goy, a non-Jew! For some of us, East is North and it\u2019s our backs to the future!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Malagasy<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

For a people that conceptually sees the future as showing up from behind, there is, both, a direct very real benefit to this \u2013 and, unfortunately, there is a disadvantage. As a Jew with this conceptually Eastern understanding of past, present, and future, I can attest firsthand to this.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For Jews and Malagasy peoples, surprises always come unannounced and unexpectedly from behind, where you have no eyes. That is, unless you are consciously taking a look behind you at your future. Hence, why this Jew personally does not like surprises! Similar to a historian, I believe in having resources for easily verifiable historical facts ever present before me.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The disadvantage in our Jewish conception of time \u2013 as demonstrated by what happened to our Indigenous Israeli people on October 7th, 2023 \u2013 is that, if the recent past has been relatively peaceful and progressive, then we can be deceived into thinking that threats upon our Jewish people are not imminently present! Yet, the advantages in our Eastern worldview, thankfully, still great outweighs this painful disadvantage.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What is this overwhelming advantage? In our Canaanite Hebrew worldview, the past is always<\/em> present directly before we Jews. We don\u2019t understand this Western idea of \u201cputting the past behind you.\u201d It is truly foreign to us. Hence, we live each day being aware of qadim, the \u201cdistant past\u201d, because we keep world history ever present before us in our stories and rituals.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This is why Eastern Jews are very sensitive to warning sign triggers, and tend to appear a bit confrontational to the \u201ccivilized\u201d Western mind. And this is why Western Jews, who tend to be rather successfully colonized, struggle much more over the reemergence of the more painful parts of the past \u2013 thinking naively that Western society has leaned towards putting their antisemitic past \u201cbehind them\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Whether it is Arab Western society or European Western society, neither<\/em> settler Colonialists have adequately addressed their inherent Colonial religion-based structural racism towards Jews and all other Indigenous peoples upon this planet Earth! Hence why, when we Eastern Indigenous peoples are freedom fighting for our survival, we really don\u2019t care what the Western nations think about how we must conduct our Indigenous business to achieve our people\u2019s security and sovereign peace.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For some of us, East is North and it\u2019s our backs that are to the future! This is why you Western Arab-European settler Colonialists fail endlessly to assimilate our Jewish people. We don\u2019t want to lose ourselves in your Colonial worldview.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Syrian-American<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Two words: Indigenous Laws! This misused DNA science is late 20th century European. We Indigenous Peoples worldwide are way older than DNA science, anti-Indigenous Colonial racists! \u2026 Plus, we Sephardi, Mizrahi, and Ashkenazi Jews decolonized the land of Israel together. Indigenous peoples cannot \u201ccolonize\u201d their own land. It doesn\u2019t work this way, Colonial Arabs and Europeans!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Kurdish historian Himdad Mustafa wrote, \u201cThis was my response to her:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

You are indigenous to where your cultural identity was first formed. Skin color and genetics do not define this identity.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \n
  1. Jewish identity originated in Israel, making all who identify as Jewish indigenous to Israel, irrespective of genetics or skin color.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  2. Arab identity was formed in Arabia, hence all who identify as Arab are indigenous to Arabia, regardless of genetics or skin color.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  3. Persian identity has its roots in Persia, therefore all Persians, including those assimilated into this identity, are indigenous to Persia.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  4. Kurdish identity was formed in Kurdistan, making all Kurds indigenous to Kurdistan, irrespective of genetics or skin color.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  5. Turkish identity was shaped in Turkistan in central Asia, therefore all Turks, regardless of skin color & genetics, are indigenous to Turkistan (not to Turkey).<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n

    This applies to all ethnic groups\u2014genetics do not dictate cultural identity. DNA tests are unrelated to cultural history and cultural heritage.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    For some of us, East is North and it\u2019s our backs that are to the future! This is why you Western Arab-European settler Colonialists fail endlessly to assimilate our Jewish people. We don\u2019t want to lose ourselves in your Colonial worldview.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \"United<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

    Why did it take the United States 4 months to START air dropping food into Gaza? Why is it that the United Nations is STILL not participating in this humanitarian act to provide aid to Gazans? Why is it ONLY Israel and the United States trying to save Gazan lives?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Sadly, PEACE will only come by completing Israel\u2019s 1948 forced decolonization from this inherently racist and violent Arab-European settler Colonialism. Enough with blaming Indigenous Israelis (Jews, Druze, Bedouin, and Israeli Arab citizens of Israel) for what Arab Palestinians brought upon themselves with UNRWA terror funding support!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Imagine if on Oct 8th, 2023, the United Nations Security Council voted unanimously to order Qatar to extradite Hamas leadership to the International Criminal Court in The Hague, where they could deservingly be tried for War Crimes \u2013 for Crimes Against Women for their depraved dehumanizing and deadly acts upon Israeli women (the \u201clife-givers\u201d), for Crimes Against Arab Palestinian children in Gaza, and for willful and lustful Genocide. Had this occurred, think how many people in Gaza would be alive today!!!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Now ask yourself: Why is it that this didn\u2019t happen?! Why is it that the United Nations condemned Israel, instead of Arab Palestinian Hamas, for all the violence that the UN has directly funded over the last 6 decades targeting Indigenous Israeli and Kurdish peoples? Is it because Indigenous Israeli lives \u2013 Jews, Druze, Bedouin, and Israeli Arab lives \u2013 (and Indigenous Kurdish lives) don\u2019t really matter? Even Israeli children and women?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    For some of us, East is North and it\u2019s our backs that are to the future! This is why you Western Arab-European settler Colonialists fail endlessly to assimilate our Jewish people. We don\u2019t want to lose ourselves in your Colonial worldview.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \"What<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

    What is an idol? According to Jewish understanding, an idol is any<\/em> human made physical representation of the Creator g-d whether it represents nature in general or human forms specifically. Before the vassal treaty, the \u201cCovenant\u201d, was made between land-god Y-HWH and the people of Israel, we Jews regularly made physical images to represent the Jewish Canaanite gods El Elyon, Y-HWH, and consort Asherah.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    As part of the Covenant between Jews and divine beings, Y-HWH declared that no Jew will have an idol \u201cbefore my face\u201d. All other peoples worldwide are still allowed this, but not the Jewish people of the Canaan land of Israel. The other peoples of this planet Earth are allowed their idols \u2013 their physical representations of the Creator g-d \u2013 and are only<\/em> obligated by \u201cGod\u201d to fulfill the Seven Laws of Noach (the Anishinaabe people have a similar set of universal laws for humans, as well, that they call the Teachings of the Seven Grandfathers).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    So, what does all this mean? Like our Canaan land-god Y-HWH, all other Indigenous peoples worldwide have their people\u2019s name for the Creator g-d of the universe, and these god names are all \u201cidols\u201d to Jews because they are physically represented through human art. They are different, they are not Y-HWH, the Creator g-d of the Jewish people of the land of Israel.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Likewise, of the two Colonial religions that appropriated for their colonizing religions from our Canaan Judean people\u2019s ancestral literatures and traditions, the \u201cTrinity\u201d and, specifically, \u201cJesus Christ\u201d (a god in human flesh) is an idol to Jews, as well, because this directly violates the Covenant between Y-HWH and the Jewish people of Israel. They are different, they are not Y-HWH, the Creator g-d of the Jewish people of the land of Israel. Thus,\u2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    We Jews committed to our Indigenous people\u2019s derech, \u201cpath\u201d, get a bit confused when Christians (and fellow successfully colonized Jews) get irate over someone non-Jewish invoking an Indigenous people\u2019s name for the Creator g-d, when you yourself are engaging in Y-HWH \u201cpermitted for you\u201d idolatry. This outrage, because it is not your god<\/em>, it is that anti-Indigenous Colonialism within you, sadly!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    There is an ancient Canaanite Hebrew word, \u201camen\u201d, that was adopted into the Latin language by Christians, and amen means \u201ctruly, this be so\u201d! We Jews use this word daily \u2013 to this very present day \u2013 in response to a vocalized blessing by another. Sometimes, if the non-Jewish person making a blessing or a prayer allows for our participation, we Jews who are shomer halacha (observing our Indigenous Judean people\u2019s laws) say \u201camen\u201d to their vocalized words.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    But, you will never<\/em> see a \u201creligious\u201d Jew, a Jew who is shomer halacha (Jewish law observant), say the words \u201camen\u201d to any<\/em> blessing or prayer by non-Jews that invokes the name of an idol in our Jewish presence! We will simply and respectfully stand there quietly with our eyes open, saying and doing nothing, until that is finished. It doesn\u2019t matter if it is \u201cChrist\u201d or \u201cMithra\u201d, we appreciate your diversity, standing separately, in this halachic moment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Hindus have their \u201cBrahma\u201d, Persians have their \u201cAhura Mazda\u201d, and Vikings have their \u201cThor\u201d. These are all Indigenous peoples\u2019 land-gods, and all are representations of the Creator g-d of this planet Earth! There is zero moral problems for \u201cJesus Christ\u201d worshippers to say \u201camen\u201d during or at the conclusion of someone\u2019s prayer that invokes the names \u201cBrahma\u201d, \u201cAhura Mazda\u201d, or \u201cThor\u201d as Lord. It\u2019s the same thing!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Only Jews are required to stand \u201cseparate\u201d, per the vassal treaty between our land-god Y-HWH and we the Jewish people of Canaan Israel.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    For some of us, East is North and it\u2019s our backs that are to the future! This is why you Western Arab-European settler Colonialists fail endlessly to assimilate our Jewish people. We don\u2019t want to lose ourselves in your Colonial worldview.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \"Loay<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

    There was a ceasefire on Oct 6th, then on Oct 7th Arab Palestinian terrorists stripped, raped (many were gang-raped), physically mutilated while alive (breasts cut off and used as a football before their victims as they bled out, guns and grenades shoved up the intimate areas of their victims bodies), tortured until dead (or shot to death after being tortured), burned to death while alive \u2013 1,400 Indigenous Israelis (Jews and Israeli Arab citizens of Israel) depravedly murdered by Arab Palestinian terrorists, who also kidnapped many more to hold hostage within the city of Gaza as human shields.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    These Arab Palestinian racist Conquistadors \u201cGo Cam\u201d (webcam) recorded their atrocities for the whole world to see, and some of these Arab Palestinian terrorists called their moms and families on their victims cell phones to brag about the sick racist depravity they are engaging in. Even recorded their terrorism in live feeds on their Israeli victims Facebook pages. One naked young raped and dead Israeli girl was paraded down Gaza streets and spat on by Arab Palestinians, as they celebrated this genocide upon Indigenous Israelis! \u2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Had Arab Palestinian terrorists for Islamic HAMAS laid down their weapons and released their hostages on Oct 8th, think how many Gazan lives would be alive today! But, no! 153 days later and Arab Palestinians in Gaza are STILL holding Indigenous Israelis as hostages and human shields! Rafah is next, Arab \u201cPalestinian\u201d settler Colonialists\u2026.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    For some of us, East is North and it\u2019s our backs that are to the future! This is why you Western Arab-European settler Colonialists fail endlessly to assimilate our Jewish people. We don\u2019t want to lose ourselves in your Colonial worldview.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \"Our<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

    hayneneye hayneyeyo hayneyeye \u2026 We Jews Indigenous to the Middle East and North Africa love<\/em> our music and how it expresses our relationship<\/em> to time and place. With this post, let The Ancient Ensemble introduce you to what we mean by this.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    For educational purposes, qadim<\/em> is a Canaanite Hebrew word that means \u201cancient\u201d in both a directional and time sense. What does this mean? For Jews the direction East is our version of world\u2019s North (the top of the four compass points), hence qadim means \u201cEastern wind\u201d. Also, for Jews, what is the known \u201cpast\u201d is something that is always in front of you (before you) and the unknown future is behind you, thus qadim means a known and face-able \u201cdistant past\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Okay, so now to the song and its relationship to our Middle Eastern world. Maghrebi refers to the Mitzrayim (the Egyptians, land of Egypt) and, specifically as well, to North Africa\u2019s Indigenous peoples (the Amazigh) and the modern Arab Colonizers of North Africa \u2013 and, generally, to the Western part of the Arab world. When hearing this song \u2013 anyone can listen without hearing \u2013 keep this world image in your mind, and Eliyahu\u2019s ensemble crew will do the rest!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Sometimes we Jews forget to keep an eye on the 6. And, like on Oct 7th, we Jews get caught off guard. The future sneaks up on us!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \n