Having said that, I will say that I do like the art that has been produced by them over the centuries, though this is more of the Arabic culture than a religious group. When you say you are muslim, it is more like saying you have adopted the culture and ways of the Arabs, and that is a truth.
I will also say that I do not judge individuals, so I have muslim friends and I have no problems with them. I am interested in Arab CULTURE so I listen to the things they say with an open ear, but for the most part, the muslims I know are just normal Americans and Canadians.
If you are pagan and you plan on adopting from a country that is mostly Muslim, then research the religion that used to be there. Also look at the pagan people still living in Pakistan, the Kalasha, for inspiration. I have heard of a small, but growing, number of Muslims have started to reclaim the old ways. I even saw that there is a teenage boy in Pakistan that has become a full wiccan and is trying to teach people about his religion there. So far, he is safe, but I am terrified for him. This is all because of knowledge and the world opening up. Before, they did not have the information available, only able to do what the mulah told them, but now with the internet, they have everything available before them. Also, the muslim world is being dragged into the 21st century kicking and screaming (and bombing and jihading) all the way.
Islamic laws do not allow adoption, but a form of guardianship. This is usually not compatible for western laws, so it is hard or impossible to adopt from these countries. I would suggest you look elsewhere in the world for your new family. I just wish that if they do not allow adoption then they seriously institute a better system for the children, so they don't wind up on the streets like in Afghanistan, Egypt, Morocco, etc...As they are Muslim (or Christian,) I strongly suggest you shy away from adopting from any of these countries. It's wrong for the Muslims and Christians to forcibly convert people, so it would be wrong for you to forcibly convert the kids. But I know most pagans are open to other religions and teach their kids about them so that they can choose, something unheard of in other religions. I will leave with this one last note, a pagan can be a Christian (yes, there are Christian Wiccans, using many of the old ideas,) but Islam is violently against any other religion, so I have heard of no fusings with other religions(except the Sikhs of India,) especially paganism, which is open and empowering to women, and open and respectful to gays
It is impossible to adopt from the following countries, no matter who you are: Saudi Arabia, Yemen, Oman, and the United Arab Emirates. Iran as well.
Muslim women wearing burqas
Iran and America are enemies right now, and have been since the Islamic revolution there in the 70's. Though it is really that the paranoid and way too conservative (even more conservative than the republican party, if that is possible) government there and the American government are the enemies, not the people of those countries. Iran used to the Persian Empire, and was a grande old place. It is full of history and art and ideas. It is also the home of Zoroastrianism, which started out as a pagan religion, but slowly become more monotheistic, well duotheistic. Some call it the first montheistic religion, but they are full of horse manure. Their beliefs helped shape the western worlds idea of dark and light powers. But, by the same token, they themselves were influenced and that is what caused them to become "montheists." Zoroastrianism also gave the world Mithras, whose cult came to Rome and very much inspired the Christian rituals and mythos. It is sad that Iran is so closed off, as their history is so entwined with the west, and they are a beautiful people.
Persian art
Persian warrior women
Iraq is still a battlefield and a source of much antagonism in the Islamic world against the west, but the war is slowly ending and the country has been trying to build itself back up, if the damn terrorists from other Muslim countries would just leave them alone and let them rebuild, instead of making a pointless and genocidal stand against America and the Western World. There are Christians in Iraq, as well as some other groups that are not muslim, and they allow adoption. I do know of an American soldier that adopted a disabled boy and got him back to America just fine. But, most governments will not be of any help in the adoption right now, and will be distrustful of any requests for visas. Iraq is home to the great pagan civilzations of the Babylonians, Sumerians and the rest of Mesopotamian. It is from them that we got such great deities as Tiamat, Apsu, Marduk, Anu, Enki, etc, as well as the lammasu(sphinx like protector spirits) and girtiblullu(scropion centaurs.) It is also home of the Yazidi, also known as the Peacock Worshippers, whom some people call devil worshippers for their differing views on who and what the "Devil" is. This religion seems to be a fusion of pagan ideas with Islam.
Afghanistan is still at war, and will probably remain so for a few more years, if there is ever an end to it. Every angry muslim in the world, seems to be coming out of the woodwork and joining the terrorists there or in Iraq to keep these 2 countries from ever getting on with their lives, regardless of all the harm it is doing to the people and the thousands of orphans it has created. Afghanistan is a muslim country and does not formally allow adoption, but I have heard of people still doing it here and there. I will see if I can those reports again. Afghanistan has a great history, and has been pagan, Zoroastrian and Buddhist, before the Arab horde spread its muslim message. It became famous for the gigantic statues of buddha carved into the mountains, that were blown up by the Taliban as if offended them. This is another bone to pick with Muslims (as well as Christians) destroying fabulous wonders of the world. They could easily have been listed as one of the wonders of the world, right next to the sphinx. It was also the home of Roxana, the first wife of Alexander the great, and mother of his only child.
Giant Buddha
Jordan only allows Muslims to adopt from there, one of the few Muslim countries to allow any adoption at all.
Yemen does not allow adoptions, however, there are Christians there, and they allow adoption, but to keep the peace it seems they have diven up many things to keep in line with Muslim law, and so I have heard of no adoptions from there of late.
Israel is a hebrew nation, with some Christians and Muslims (the Palestinians) living there. Israel and Jews have a long history of mixing with the pagans, and many time in their history, they were pagan or married pagans or went back and forth, from pagan to Jew to pagan back to Jew. Their primary pagan gods were the Ba'al (it means lord, and different gods held this title, but usually when you hear of Ba'al, it refers to the god Hadad, the god of the sky and storms and rain, thunder and lightning) and the goddess Asherai, the earth and nature goddess. Ba'al was represented as a stone slab altar and Asherai as a tree, usually next to the altar. I have heard of several Jewish wiccans using these two divinities still. It you are Israeli, then you can adopt from Isreal, though the children there usually stay with family already there. If you are not Israeli, then good luck, because it will be almost impossible, almost.
Israeli flag
Ba'al Hadad
Egypt is listed here, even though it is in Africa, as I feel they are more middle eastern in culture and especially in history, sharing more in common with Mesopotamia, India, Greece and Rome than anything in Africa. Egypt is a Muslim country, with a small Christian minority. Egypt is one of the mother lands for pagans, giving us a huge number of gods and goddesses, and magic and amulets and other things we use. Sadly, the Arab horde took over here centuries ago, forcing everyone to convert to Islam and so it has remained today (they still try to force the remaining Christians to convert.) I side with the Christians on this, as they are the Coptic Christians, a mystical brand of Christian that blended some of the old Egyptian ways with the Christian religion. You can adopt in Egypt, but it is very diffucult and can take a long time to finish, it ever, as the adoption is handled by the lower courts, that is the Islamic family court. You won't be able to adopt a Muslim child, as they seem to be left on the streets to fend for themselves if no family is found for them (see also Morocco, posted later.) Christian children can be adopted though. I would seriously adopt from Egypt, if I had the time, money and patience, as I feel very comfortable with the gods of Egypt. But, I would have to make sure to keep up my new childs Coptic Christian traditions as well and let him/her choose what he wants to be when older and not be upset if they choose the Christian one.
Great Spinx and Pyramids
Ancient Eygptian Gods and Goddesses
Turkey is the gateway to Asia for Europe (though I would say Russia is, as it's on both continents and has both European and Asian cultures intermingling.) It is a Muslim country, but it is also the most liberal Muslim country in the world, and the people keep having to fight to keep it that way. They love their freedom and don't want to be like the rest of the Islamic world, they are even pretty much part of the E.U. Their country is what is left of the Ottoman Empire, and they got their name from their people, the Turkic people. They have a strong history with the western world, as well as the Asian world, many of whom are Turkic peoples (the Uzbeks, Kygyz, Kazakhs and Mongols.) The bird turkey, was named after the country when the people thought it looked like a bird from there (I think they thought it was the peacock, boy where they confused.) I visited Turkey a number of years ago and the people were very nice, friendly and open. They even have a gay community there. Turkey allows adoptions, but you need to live in Turkey with the child for 1 year, before the adoption is finalized. There are a lot of English teaching jobs there, and they pay descent wages, so get your TEFL or whatever they require. The land of Turkey has been home to Greeks, such as the Trojans, and Persians, such as Xerxes and Darius. It is from there that several Asian divinities crept into Greece and Rome, such as Adonis and Cybele. Apollo, the Greek god, is said to have even come from here, as is Artemis. Also some Yazidi (see Iraq above) live here.
Turkish Flag
Blue Mosque
Artemis of Epheseus, the mother of all animals, the forebear of the Greek Artemis
Armenia is a Christian country, and is considered to be the first to adopt it as a state relgion. There are also a small number of muslims there. They allow adoption, but looking on the adoption state website, I see no numbers of how many kids were adopted from there, usually meaning very few, if any. As it is a Christian country, I would shy away from adoption here as well, but I will note that there are Greeks and Assyrians (from ancient Mesopotamia) living there, and they are historically pagan. Also, some Yazidi (see Iraq above) live here.
Azerbaijan is a muslim country, with 95% of its people. Despite this, it is a free country, so you can practice what you want, and many of the people there are Muslim in name only and do not practice it, just like many Americans are Christian in name only, but don't actually do anything to be Christian. Though there have been instances of religious presicution, it seems centered on the Jehovahs Witnesses, need I say more...
They allow adoption, but the U.S. government has stated there are serious difficulties there now and has gone so far as to remove them from the adoption state website, so it's up to you if you want to try.
Georgia always makes me think of the American state with the same name, though I know it is a lot like Russia and Armenia. The people there are mostly Christian, with the second largest group muslims (at around 10% of the people.) While they are generally open and religious freedom is the law, there have been threats against non-traditional religious groups (though the largest of these and the one that gets the majority of threats is, again, the Jehovahs Witnesses, man they have it bad in every country, but they don't give up, I would feel sorry for them, if only they would stop harassing me to convert.) There are few kids adopted from Georgia, I hope this is because the kids are finding good homes in their own country.
Tajikistan is a Muslim country, with strong leanings toward Islamic laws. They allow adoption, but very few kids get adopted, as while it is legal, they don't like it. If you try from here, be careful.
Turkmenistan is a Muslim country, though it is still repairing itself from the damage of USSR communism, so many people are Muslim in name only. There is a strong push to make Islam a lot stronger in this country and those voices are being aided by other Muslim nations. Adoption is allowed, though few children have been adopted probably for the same reasons as it's neighbor Tajikistan.
The last 3 countries I am listing here are basically safe and friendly countries that are mostly open to adoption. Of all the ones listed here, these 3 are worth the frustration of adoption internationally, though the religious aspect reamains the same.
Uzbekistan is a very interesting country with an interesting culture that has a mix if Persian, European and Asian in it. It is one of the few places I still want to visit and will hopefully get to in a few years (India, Peru and Egypt are the others.) The people are mostly Muslim, but there are also a lot of fused beliefs here from all over Asia and the middle east, making it the only less than montheistic Muslim group I know of. They also have a large group of Russian Orthodox Christians and Jews there. Unfortunatly, even though they have been rather protected from Islamic fundamentalism/terrorism/extremism, it is starting to creep in. Who knows how long it will be before they start terrorizing the people there. The people here have a mix of Turkic, Asian and Caucasian features, making them very attractive people. They have had some problems with adoption, but it seems to be okay.
Kyrgystan is mostly Muslim, with the second highest majority being Christian. There are still some who practice animism and buddhism, though many have also fused these beliefs together with Islam or Christianity. Sadly, as with all places that Muslims are a majority, they are slowly becoming a Muslim nation, passing laws making it harder for the other religions to practice and outlawing proselytism. The fact that there are pagans here, or at least people that practice pagan ideas here, makes this a promising country to adpopt from if you are pagan.
They also have an anti-gay adoption law, and you have to sign a form promising that you are not gay, if you adopt. Though, China and other countries have this as well. It's a piece of paper, so you shouldn't worry about it, just don't be a flaming queen(which is actually such a small minority of the gay population, that seems to get all the attention though) if you adopt from one of those countries and you should be fine.
Kazakhstan, one of the biggest of these countries, and the one that has another group of very interesting people. The main religion is Islam, but many people are very secular and while it is the main religion, it has fewer people than the other countries mentioned above (except Armenia, Georgia and Israel.) The rest are Russian Orthodox and Catholic Christians. Now I lived in Mongolia for a while and met several Kazakh people, and all the ones I met and heard of there were Buddhist or Shamanistic/Animists, so I know that there are many in Kazakhstan too, but for some reason they are barely mentioned. It could be that many of them moved to Mongolia or Russia for some reason. Or maybe it is the country people that are still following the old ways, and it may be hard to survey them all or the government just doesn't care about the country folk. Another note about the Kazaks, they are famous for training and using Eagles. When I think of a Kazak, I think of the amazing Eagle Hunters. The people of Kazakhstan are a mix of Caucasian, Turkic and Asian, with many looking either very Caucasian or very Asian. All the ones I met were very nice and friendly and great. This is one of the countries I will consider adopting from, though it and Kyrgystan are both hard for singles to adopt from (it's not illegal, the people just don't understand how modern Americans can be single parents, so it makes it harder.)
Kazak shaman
Kazak eagle trainer, they start young, see the handsome features they have
Kazak Eagle Hunter
As I said above, since these are mostly Muslim countries, I would not try to adopt from them, except for the 3 mentioned above. In the end, the decision is always yours, but save yourself the headache and the heartache.
Next I will go into Eastern Europe.
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