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From Kripa on 10.30.07 @ 08:54 AM

Hey Mr. Mali, I just wanted to say that I saw your performance in Bahrain, and your workshops you did with the year 10s, and you have COMPELTELY changed my attitude towards poetry. I love how though you are a teacher, you still add some elements which at my school would be considered "bad language". I honestly wish more teachers were like you =) So in short: I love the performance, and hope you will come again :)

From Taylor Mali on 10.30.07 @ 07:26 AM

Why don't I convert to Islam? Because of the way the religion treats women for one thing. Let's just not go there. I can respect and appreciate people without converting to their religion. Everyone can. And that's what George Bush does not understand. His philosophy of "You're either with us or against us" is not only simplistic but dangerous. It takes a finer intellect than his to hold things in balance. Not to open up a new can of worms, but the Islamic invaders of Alexandria had a similar attitude when they considered what to do with the ancient library there. Their decision? Since the books aren't Muslim, then what's the harm in burning the whole library. There are an infinite number of ways to get to God, and each one feels like it's the only one. Everyone is a chosen people. It's when you go around telling people that they are NOT chosen that you start running into trouble.

From Taylor Mali on 10.30.07 @ 07:11 AM

Thanks for this great debate, folks. I had to delete my comment because the picture was too big so here is what I said (without the picture): One last thing, you are completely correct that every culture has the right to educate its children in the ways of sexuality, and 10 years old might be too young. I would only counter that there is a difference between sex education and knowing the basic parts of the body. Simply as a defense against molestation, I would want my daughter to be able to name every part of her own body and the major parts of the male body. How else could she say, "That man over there tried to touch my vagina with his penis, and you told me to scream as loud as I could if that ever happened!" If we are embarrassed by our own bodies we grow up with repressed ideas about sexuality. Granted, the United States has gone too far the other way. Our culture is too immodest. But to be honest (and I think you are), Arab culture in general has serious issues with sexuality. Consider this sign I saw in the men's locker room at a beach club in Abu Dhabi: [sign says it is UAE law not to be fully naked even in the mens locker room].

From bots on 10.29.07 @ 11:15 PM

I just found your site, thanks to a coworker. When I signed into the blog, I was thrilled to see that you're in the Gulf area. Will you be visiting Aramco (Dhahran, Saudi Arabia)? That's where I grew up, and where I learned the value of words because of censorship. That's why I teach.

From Zachary Peotter on 10.29.07 @ 10:23 PM

To be honest, I'm not quite sure how to greet you. I was going to just say "Hello, Mr. Mali" but I'm not even sure if that would fit. So, instead, I think I'll just get to the meat of this comment with the hopes that you'd understand. I'm a senior in high school and I am a teacher's assistant for a course called "We the People." It's a class dedicated entirely to U.S. Constitutional education and evaluation, which challenges students to not only understand the Constitution, philosophies, and history that makes it up, but also to be able to apply it in current events, law, and conflicts. It's an incredibly challenging class, and only a select few are left after the first two weeks--but this is necessary, because at the end of the semester the team goes to the state capital and competes against other classes, giving speeches answering pre-planned questions, and then answering follow-up questions (an "intelligent conversation," as our coaches put it) from a panel of over-qualified judges. Challenging as it is, it's quite the rewarding experience. I was in the course last year, and our group of 12 made it to the National Finals (with 52 other teams, I believe). I bring this up because last week, as part of that day's lesson plan, Mr. K, one of the coaches, showed us your "Totally Like Whatever" performance on YouTube. The message was clear, and just what our coaches had been trying to tell us since day one: "Get rid of the fluff, get in, make your point, and get out. Speak with conviction!" I can safely say that everyone in the room was left with jaw agape. We were so intrigued and impressed that we had to look up more of your performances. In reply, Mr. K and Mr. O showed (both extremely passionate teachers who believe that education is of the utmost importance)us "What Teachers Make." We were hooked even more. While you may not be teaching the course, you have certainly inspired us. Your experiences across the globe--and elsewhere, I imagine!--speak to us as they echo from the vices of politics. So, Mr. Mali, thank you for setting a goal for us, and for speaking so beautifully as to encourage us to be more. PS: I do apologize for the jumbled mess of words. I felt the urge to post my appreciation and admiration, but unfortunately lacked much more direction than my own spontaneity. -- Zach

From Enraged Bahraini! on 10.29.07 @ 11:50 AM

Taylor, I think that me and you are starting to see eye to eye slowly but surely and this pleases me greatly. First I want to comment on your 'parental rights' idea, you see in Islam this idea of a child being taken away from his mother because she leaves the father is not tolerated. I will not go into details as to what Islam's view on this is but it surely wouldn't force a woman to stay with a man who beat her! Yet again, I know of men who married American women and then when the husband leaves his wife the Embassy protects her and the children, sends them back to the USA and the man hardly ever sees his kids! I know it is not LAW in Bahrain or an official policy that says that Bahraini men get to keep the kids. I'm glad me being enraged gives you a sense of fulfillment although I don't understand why! I am very sorry about your late wife and I do hope her soul rests in peace! I am also glad that you are a fan of Mohammed (PBUH) and am extremely impressed with some of the things that you knew. However, (out of sheer interest) why is it that you havent converted to Islam if the principles appeal to you so much? It is not prohibited but not encouraged for a woman to marry a Christian or Jewish man simply because Islam states that a woman should obey her husband. And ,for example, if the Christian man she was married to asked her to serve alcohol to him or his friends or perform a sexual act that is against her religion she needs to obey him, but she must also obey God. So to keep women from being in this dilemma Islam discourages Muslim women marrying non Muslim men! Interesting that you made the point about Jerusalem, now this 'holy point' is being taken by the Israeli's! You must admit it is no wonder that 'Arabs' are in no way happy about the existence of Israel. As for the issue of sexuality, I do agree that children should know the body parts. However, things like 'this is a penis' have lead to: well whats those two balls under it for? And what do I use this penis for? Why doesn't she have one? And I am speaking from experience with my younger sibling!Also I must say whilst the USA might be too immodest we are too modest, if a kissing scene comes up in a movie parents will blush with shame whereas in the USA parents use the scene to explain sex to their kids. I must say with regards to Lesley's comment I want to ask Lesley: Did you teach at St. Christopher's by any chance? I watched your show at St. Christopher's school Taylor and it was intriguing how everyone was very impressed by you and I ,in a sense, stood alone in my opinion of you so I am not surprised about Lesley or her 'friend'. I would have liked to comment on the picture you included in your post however I cannot see it and I don't know why! Shame...! Thank you again for your response and I must say ever since I posted my first comment allot of people at St. Christopher's are checking this out just to see what you or I would say next! Maybe we are teaching people something through our little debate? I just want to conclude by saying although I was very much against you I am gaining more respect for you as a person with every post. You're opinions, education and honesty intrigue me and so does your bravery. You seem to be one of the rare people who one can debate with on anything without them getting defensive or going round in circles with you!

From Taylor Mali on 10.29.07 @ 04:09 AM

Lesley, no plans to come to Hong Kong yet, but I suspect that I'll be coming to Asia soon. Maybe even the Middle East again. I can imagine it was a tough place to live as a woman. In many countries (Bahrain included) a woman has no parental rights over her children; I heard of an American woman who married a man from Bahrain who now has to decide if leaving her abusive husband is worth leaving her children behind. Make no mistake, Enraged Bahraini, I am not suggesting that all Bahraini men are abusive. Far from it. All the Bahrainis I met were very personable and peaceful (which doesn't mean they are good fathers and husbands, but I think you get the picture).

Thank you for your measured response, by the way. I feel we're approaching understanding. Your reaction to my work is not unique. There are others who react the same way as you did: "What's the point? How is this a poem? What's the figurative meaning?" I am not going to debate the merits of my work here; frankly, you're more valuable to me as the person who I am enraging who makes me feel I'm doing something right.

Lastly, I am a big fan of Mohamad (peace be upon him) and Islam as explained in the Koran. Mohamad married a widow who was older than he was, and as a result widows were treated with a great deal of respect in Islamic culture (I am a widower myself, although that's completely different). The Koran allows for a Muslim man to marry a Christian or Jewish woman and expressly forbids him to compel her to convert. Interstingly, however, the Koran makes no mention of whether a Muslim woman can marry a Jewish or Christian man, which I find an interesting lacuna (like Elizabethan laws in England prohibiting homosexuality among men but making no mention of the existence of lesbians!). And the coolest of all? Before Mohamed and his follwers had moved to Mecca, when they were still living in Madinat al Nabi, he instructed all Muslims to pray five times a day facing north, which was the direction of the most holy city he could think of: Jerusalem.

From lesley on 10.29.07 @ 12:05 AM

Taylor, a friend of mine saw you perform in Bahrain and was VERY impressed. Her enthusiasm prompted me to google you and now I am a fan too. I am a teacher of English and am inspired by your words. I lived in the Middle East for 11 years and was so glad to leave it behind, judging by "Enraged Bahrain" I think I made the right move. I now live in Hong Kong, have you any plans to come here?

From Enraged Bahraini on 10.28.07 @ 10:33 PM

To be honest, I really do respect your opinion Taylor. It is ,however, true that only a small portion of both people and government believe Israel should be 'wiped off the map' (its usually those who follow the Irani President)! I dont however see why a 10 year old should be sexually educated at that age? Although maybe sex is a taboo subject for Arabs I am one that is definately for it, but not at the age of 10. I believe there is a time for it when the child is older, more understanding of the concepts. I think you should return to the classroom because you make a good teacher, you would be one of those hip teachers whose opinions gain the children's love! What I am against is not you- but what you do! I listened to your so called poetry and I wasn't moved, wasn't inspired in fact all it provided me with was a good laugh. I am not one of those ignorant few who say 'Youre not a poet if you dont rhyme' but I do believe that for poetry to be more than a few words strung together to form a story it should have a deeper meaning and it should inspire the listener. I mean for example 'The the Impotence of proof reading'- what value does that have other than it being a good laugh! I think you are an EXCELLENT entertainer and that comes in handy in the classroom. Your right about the fact that the USA was built on stolen land and that I doubt Israel will give the land back but what makes people hate the Israeli's so much is the fact that they kill thousands of people including women and children every day. I don't know if you are a news person but Israel is now cutting down the amenities to the camps in Palestine and everything- and there is nothing we can do about it. In Bahrain it is legal for a Synagog to be built, in fact we have one and we have several Hindu temples and a huge number of churches all 'on our soil'! We are 'passionate about our religious beliefs' but we don't deny other religious the right to exist. In fact in the history of Islam the Prophet Mohamed (pbuh) moved to a different part of what we now know as Saudi Arabia where there were Christians and he made a truce with them and respected their right to live and promised that in the case of a war or an attack he would protect them with his army. I think that's far from close minded. Also I think you mix between Jews and Israeli's! Arabs don't have anything against Jews in fact we think its a religion that was sent by God like Christianity and Islam, its the Israeli's that we have a problem with. As you said there is not easy way of solving the problem and the two state system might not lead us anywhere. The problem thickens even more with the existence of Jerusalem in the area that belongs to the Palestinians. Out of sheer interest: how do you think we should deal with the Israeli's? Although you did enrage me I thank you for having the guts to reply and stick with what you believe. Not many people would do that...

From Taylor Mali on 10.28.07 @ 04:19 PM

Actually, I don't mind at all that you are using my blog for political debate. You are expressing yourself appropriately, even though I have enraged you, and I respect that. I do disagree that my entry attempts to make the people and the government of Bahrain sound closed minded; I distinctly differentiate between the government and the people. And I would never call a people "cartographic" because the word means "pertaining to maps" and thus would make no sense. And why, if I am so bad, would you wish me to go back to the classroom to "bore little children"?! Have you so little respect for education?

American culture is far too sexualized. I freely admit that we have serious problems to address in that area. But I think a 10-year-old child is old enough to know what a penis is. In any country.

I am well aware of how Israel was created, and I'm not too happy about it either. But let me ask you this: Do you deny Israel's right to exist now? You say, "As an Arab . . . we don't deny Israel existed, we just aren't very happy about it." Listen, my country was built on stolen land, too. It's a horrible situation. But we're not going to give it back. That's just not going to happen. Same thing with Israel. However ill-conceived its inception, it's here now, and it's not going away. I respect people who are willing to work toward a two-state solution. I do not respect people who think or say that Israel should be "wiped off the map." Do you believe this? Apparently your government does. It is against the law for an Israeli to enter your country; it is against the law for anyone with an Israeli stamp in their passport to enter your country. It is against the law to have a synagogue. In the U.A.E., Hindu temples are allowed so long as they are built on the second floor and "don't touch Muslim soil." Is the same true in Bahrain? If so, that's more than being just "passionate in your religious beliefs." That's being closed minded.

From Enraged Bahraini on 10.28.07 @ 10:14 AM

Sarah, a valid comment but yet again I don't think you have read about how Israel came into existence! It is common knowledge (to those who research before they type) that the League of Nations decided to go ahead with the British Mandate for Palestine which basically ment take land from Palestine and give it to the Jews so they no longer are a problem! I think that unless Taylor was willing to give the Muslims in America part of the country so they can live there he has no right to call us backward or ignorant if you like! And Sarah: Do you honestly think that it is ignorant to deny a man the right to use the word 'cl#t' when not only conservative/traditional/realistic people are present but also CHILDREN??!! My friends 10 year old sister was inquiring as to what a pen#s is after Taylor's reading! As an Arab who has lived in Bahrain all his life I know that we don't deny Israel existed, we just aren't very happy about it! I get the feeling Taylor wont be too happy that I am using his blog for political debate but oh well!

From Sarah on 10.28.07 @ 09:57 AM

Actually, I don't find Taylor's perception like that at all. He accurately points out that maps of Israel are blacked out, or don't show the existence of a country at all. That isn't backward? To deny the existence of an entire country? That's just ignorant.

From Enraged Bahraini on 10.28.07 @ 05:08 AM

Your attempt to make Bahrain (both people and government) to sound closed minded and 'cartographic' are outrageous! Have you done any research on Israel? Or how it came into existence? Just because a country is passionate in their religous beliefs doesnt make them backwards!! Its obvious that what bothered you most was the fact you couldnt use the word 'cl#t, and that in itself shows disrespect to a country and its traditions! I was (un)fortunate enough to attend one of your readings and sad is an understatement. I think you belong in the classroom boring little children out of their wits! You arent a poet and you should know it :)! Please do have more respect for the countries you visit in the future. Thanks, Enraged Arab!

From plastic bag on 10.27.07 @ 03:29 PM

stacyann chin was on 'oprah' the other day. topic: being gay around the world. its was odd and the show was a bit ridiculous.