To do list

As I conduct my travels I've realised there's a number of things I need to brush up on, if not entirely learn from scratch.

i. learn to read and write Arabic;

ii. learn to read and write Urdu;

iii. brush up on my knowledge of Islamic theology and history;

iv. brush up on the modern history of the Middle East and Pakistan.

Thankfully I already have the tools (books, cds, etc) to do this. I just need to get my arse on a seat and do the study.

I should point out that I'm still an atheist and don't personally derive much satisfaction from theology. But as I travel I've noticed that, to take part in the debate on Islam, terrorism and development I need to know more about the details. Islam's opponents know a lot more about Islam than most Muslims do. This is a serious concern.