Tuesday, April 22, 2003
Sunday, April 13, 2003
Since Melanie asked a good question and I sure others are wondering too - a little about my brother....
Jason is going to be 25 this May... when Jason was a young teen he got in w/the wrong group and was lead down a path of crime and drugs and such... At one point my little brother was very strung out on crack - he was using and selling - he stole from my parents to support his habit - pawning all the electronics and even some of my dad's guns... He was wanted on federal charges for stealing/writing checks, bring pot to a house on Army property and the list goes on and on... he tried Job Corp and was kicked out for smoking pot, he was in a rehab of some sort briefly... One of his friends held my mom at gun point, pistol whipped her in the face hurting her pretty bad and my delusional brother took the "friend's" side and not my mom's... He has tons of tickets for driving while not licensed thus can't legally get a license at the moment and the list goes on and on.... BUT about 5 yrs ago my brother started working w/some muslims... They sorta took him under their wing... He converted to the Islamic religion and is now a Muslim... I have to say - it's turned his life around... he's working on paying off his tickets to get a driver's license, he's been off drugs for atleast 5 yrs, he going to college part time and he's working in the carpentry/cabinetry (sp?) field.... He has 3 children of his own... 2 live w/him, one lives up here in NJ (that is another story of it's own) and his wife is expecting in May or June, plus he has a stepson he supports, claims as his own (goes w/the other long story of it's own)... I can't say for sure if they get state aid or not but they DO get WIC assistance and Medicaid/Medicare for the kids however for the most part he supports his family himself - there is pretty decent money to be made in carpentry, they live in a low cost of living area and the muslim community helps it's own, esp those that are really trying to support themselves...
SOOO to answer you question Mel - Muslims allow up to 4 wives.... atleast that is what Jason, or "Abdur Rochmon" as my brother is known, tells me... I don't fully understand the religion but I have great respect for what it has done for my brother and I am proud of him for turning his life around... We still call him Jason although his wife and others refer to him as Abdur Rochmon but he's ok w/that - whatever we are comfortable calling him - and I have apologized to him but explained he was Jason for 20 yrs and he will be Jason for the rest of his life... I do have to warn anyone who meets him though - look out!! The newly converted are often the most zealot and looking to convert everyone they can!!! *L*
SOOO that's probably WAY more info then you asked for Mel but I figured it was an interesting story to say the least.... Sooo any more questions anyone???
Since Melanie asked a good question and I sure others are wondering too - a little about my brother....
Jason is going to be 25 this May... when Jason was a young teen he got in w/the wrong group and was lead down a path of crime and drugs and such... At one point my little brother was very strung out on crack - he was using and selling - he stole from my parents to support his habit - pawning all the electronics and even some of my dad's guns... He was wanted on federal charges for stealing/writing checks, bring pot to a house on Army property and the list goes on and on... he tried Job Corp and was kicked out for smoking pot, he was in a rehab of some sort briefly... One of his friends held my mom at gun point, pistol whipped her in the face hurting her pretty bad and my delusional brother took the "friend's" side and not my mom's... He has tons of tickets for driving while not licensed thus can't legally get a license at the moment and the list goes on and on.... BUT about 5 yrs ago my brother started working w/some muslims... They sorta took him under their wing... He converted to the Islamic religion and is now a Muslim... I have to say - it's turned his life around... he's working on paying off his tickets to get a driver's license, he's been off drugs for atleast 5 yrs, he going to college part time and he's working in the carpentry/cabinetry (sp?) field.... He has 3 children of his own... 2 live w/him, one lives up here in NJ (that is another story of it's own) and his wife is expecting in May or June, plus he has a stepson he supports, claims as his own (goes w/the other long story of it's own)... I can't say for sure if they get state aid or not but they DO get WIC assistance and Medicaid/Medicare for the kids however for the most part he supports his family himself - there is pretty decent money to be made in carpentry, they live in a low cost of living area and the muslim community helps it's own, esp those that are really trying to support themselves...
SOOO to answer you question Mel - Muslims allow up to 4 wives.... atleast that is what Jason, or "Abdur Rochmon" as my brother is known, tells me... I don't fully understand the religion but I have great respect for what it has done for my brother and I am proud of him for turning his life around... We still call him Jason although his wife and others refer to him as Abdur Rochmon but he's ok w/that - whatever we are comfortable calling him - and I have apologized to him but explained he was Jason for 20 yrs and he will be Jason for the rest of his life... I do have to warn anyone who meets him though - look out!! The newly converted are often the most zealot and looking to convert everyone they can!!! *L*
SOOO that's probably WAY more info then you asked for Mel but I figured it was an interesting story to say the least.... Sooo any more questions anyone???
