new and old

Jesus saith unto them, Have ye understood all these things? They say unto him, Yea, Lord.

Then said he unto them, Therefore every scribe which is instructed unto the kingdom of heaven is like unto a man that is an householder, which bringeth forth out of his treasure things new and old.

Matthew 13:51-52

The simple rule for understanding the present-day Muslim world begins with listening to women who speak out about it, who have either escaped or are taking great risks from within the societies into which they were born.

Salim Mansur: U.S. is Iran's best hope

A disciple is like a new moon,
in reality no different than
the full moon: its apparent imperfection
is a sign of gradual increase.
Night by night the new moon
gives a lesson in gradualness:
with deliberation it says, "O hasty one,
only step by step can one ascend to the roof."
A skillful cook lets the pot boil slowly;
the stew boiled in a mad hurry is of no use.

Mathnawi VI:1208-1212, version by Camille and Kabir Helminski

Thus, to satisfy Matthew's writing standards, do I bring forth the new of Mansur and the old of Rumi. I know that Matthew means that we should delve into existing literature, preferably the classical stuff that has stood the test of time, as well as adding one's fresh insights. Mansur urges us to focus on the women writers who have been most affected by recent developments in the Muslim world.

Last night I attended a Christian-Muslim interfaith forum with about 100 people attending. There was no hijab worn in that room. What a waste of time and space!