I am truly independently owned and operated.
The only real source of historical information about pre-Islamic Mecca and the circumstances of the Koran's revelation is the classical Islamic story about the religion's foundation.
. . . the prominent Egyptian government minister, university professor, and writer Taha Hussein. . . devoted himself to the study of pre-Islamic Arabian poetry and ended up concluding that much of that body of work had been fabricated well after the establishment of Islam in order to lend outside support to Koranic mythology. . . . [T]he Iranian journalist and diplomat Ali Dashti. . . repeatedly took his fellow Muslims to task for not questioning the traditional accounts of Muhammad's life, much of which he called myth-making and miracle-mongering.
No matter where you go, there you are. (Uriel to Harry Dresden)
My mom brought me up to believe that my talent is a gift and a blessing.
The debate about climate change in many ways is tied to the petroleum industry. If the value of petroleum was considerably less than it is, and the value of coal was considerably less than it is, there would be much less debate about this.
That truth which you swallow from others will not be yours. . . you have to realize truth and work it our for yourself according to your own nature. . . All must struggle to be individuals-strong, standing on your own feet, thinking your own thoughts, realizing you own Self. No use swallowing doctrines others pass on-standing up together like soldiers in jail, sitting down together, all eating the same food, all nodding their heads at the same time. Variation is the sign of life. Sameness is the sign of death.