Another Hour of the Idiot

About a hundred years or so ago, when ostrich feathers were still prized (and worth more than gold) for their decorative powers, there existed a group of ostrich farmers in southern Africa who prided themselves with their ostrich farming skills. So, in order keep their 'special' knowledge within their small community (its a supply & demand thing), they married within the community.

Soon they found that their offsprings included many idiots that they were more than a bit embarassed to be seen in public. So, they built 'ostrich palaces' which had large basements where they kept their idiot children from the public eye. But they cannot keep the children there for too long without having to withstand their complaints & restlessness. So the
families let their idiots out of their ostrich palaces and take walks in the streets with their maids on Sunday afternoons just after the town folks had their afternoon prayers. The thinking is that at that hour most town folks will be resting at home, and less people will get to know of their idiot children.

But what they didn't know is that people do get to know and that hour was then known as the 'hour of the idiots'.

The moral of this real story is this: whatever they do or think, there is always a time when idiots will show their true selves. One just has to wait for 'their hour'.

The attached news article is one such example from my country:


Malaysia moots cross-cultural circumcision
By Jonathan Kent BBC, Kuala Lumpur

Malaysia is to consider using mass circumcision ceremonies to promote racial harmony.

Circumcision is a rite of passage for young Muslim boys, and in Malaysia it is common for the ceremony to become an event with dozens, or even hundreds of boys being circumcised together.

Now the prime minister's religious affairs adviser has suggested that circumcision can bring Malaysians of all races and religions together.
Dr Abdul Hamid Othman said that with the growing popularity of circumcision among the country's non-Muslim minorities - who see it as good hygienic practice - they too could be invited to join in the celebrations with their Muslim friends.

He believes the idea could promote better race relations and he wants to see a nationwide circumcision ceremony organised.

Just over half of Malaysia's population is Muslim, mainly members of the ethnic Malay community, while the country's Chinese, Tamil and tribal peoples follow a variety of other faiths.

The government has been exploring ways of stopping the different groups from drifting apart, including the introduction of a national service scheme which begins in February.