Food for Thought: Ignorance & Hate

‘People tend to be frightened of what they don’t understand’

It’s a simple quote, but a quote which I think resonates perfectly with the times we find ourselves living in at the moment. It’s also a quote I picked up watching the ‘Big fat Gypsy Wedding’…for all those who don’t know what that is…. it’s a show on channel 4 that highlights some aspects of the customs and traditions of gypsies.

But the reason why I speak about it is because I feel partially ashamed. But before I get into that I need to back-track a bit. Just before I watched the final programme of ‘Big fat Gypsy wedding’ I watched a programme about Geert Wilder on BBC’s this world programme …there is of course no nice way of explaining who this detestable guy is, and it’s also unfortunate that anyone has to hear of his name. He is a prominent Dutch MP in Holland who spews hate-filled, factually inaccurate and ignorant comments directed strictly against  the faith of Islam and it’s followers  …he is also a card- carrying hard-line ardent Christian-Zionist…It’s something I believe which partially explains a lot of about where his views come from. The reason why he has become so prominent is because his party unfortunately currently holds 12% of the parliamentary seats in Holland.

But that fact that he exists and has some public backing shouldn’t be a complete surprise. It is, if anything, an expected occurrence especially if you consulate with the history books. This is because whenever there seems to be economic turmoil or hardships  the minorities/outsiders/immigrants are always targeted and blamed for the faults of an inherently unequal system….I wonder if the dear old bankers contemplate this when they moan about banker bashing…It’s always an indirect consequence of economic hardship that people use and find scapegoats to blame all the countries woes and troubles on…and with the rise of Extremist far-right  groups across Europe, unfortunately  the scapegoat this time around is Muslims and Islam.

It’s saddening to see inside these far right groups, so called people of faith lamenting another faith-group vehemently with hate…it’s especially saddening to see that a select few happen to be Jewish.  This is because it wasn’t so long ago that they were themselves on the unfortunate receiving end of this kind of incoherent hate… albeit of a much worse kind. But it seems that history is intent on repeating itself one way or another, be it under a different guise or form. And how does this occur? Simply put because of ignorance. As it is only ignorance unfortunately that seems to best survive and breed on simple fear and misinformation… As Mark Twain once put it, A lie can travel half way around the world while the truth is putting on its shoes.

So to bring this article full circle, why do I feel bad after watching the final episode of the big fat gypsy wedding?

It’s because I realised, watching the last episode which dealt with the discrimination that gypsies faced, that I had fallen privy to the same mistake scores of people fall into everyday…that is to base my judgement of  people whom I’ve never met and whom I know nothing about on this one barely truly encompassing programme. I had done what many people had unfortunately done, treated this show and its participants as a joke and the people in it as uncultured or backward….but whom am I to judge and discriminate? How can  anyone claim to be a target of hate when they also harbour ill will to others? It’s not to say that you have to agree with everything they do or say, but to simply deal with some disagreements by slapping a label on the people you disagree with and turning your nose up at  them is in itself inherently reductionist and wrong.

Overall, I think none of the problems that we face in this world can simply be blamed willy-nilly on a marginalised group of people, the debate and problems we face are complex for a reason… So extremists should not insult our intelligence by suggesting otherwise. So for all those people who ask why they should bother with simply keeping in touch with what’s going on in the wider world…remembers this simple fact…by being ignorant, you are inadvertently building yourself up to be a perpetrator of prejudice and discrimination.

Till Next Time,

‘The Greatest Ignorance is to reject something you know nothing about’ - Anonymous

 

Anyone up for a battle royale?

I’v got an idea that I think will blow people away… literally… whilst also solving a few social problems. Here’s the basic idea, we get the extremist ‘Muslim’ jihadi’s and the extremist islamaphobes *im taking hardcore fundamentalist ‘Christians’, ‘Jews’, EDL members etc.* and we place them on an island somewhere, *one as far away as possible from the general civilized community* and we just let them fight it out, old skool style, dog eat dog etc. Let ignorance fight it out for the sake of our sanity.

I have had just abount enough of both sides utter nonesense. You get these well hard don’t-fuck-with-us brits showing their hardness by….protesting in areas like Luton with a bunch of  flags….well hard…you know they must mean buisness because the big bois have brought out the st. Johns flags. Rocky balboua ain’t got shit on these guys ….FACT. If these guys really wanted to combat ‘jihad’ then what the hell are they doing in quaint old Luton and NOT Afghanistan? Did they just get lost on the way and decide to set up shop in the nearest district with a substantial enough Islamic community? Targeting the moderates, that’s the way to do it.

And where to start with the ‘Islamic’ extremists…….well, firstly, when you speak off attacking the ‘heart of the west’ do u really just mean a bunch of innocent civillians goin abt their daily chores? heart of the west? As far as I know the bus’s and trains you attacked in London only follow 1 route and their destinations are not the lair of satan himself….Bummer. And in the process of your so called mission you happen to end up targeting the most defenceless people, where is the honour in that?  Not to mention you finish yourself conveniently off so as not to deal with the consequences of your ignorant and misguided act. You do kill 2 birds with 1 stone though, you manage to not only break the Islamic rule that FORBIDS one taking their own life aka suicide but ALSO you manage to disobey the clear saying of your own prophet which says you should in times of war leave non-combatants i.e. civilians, woman, children, elderly etc.   unharmed….. so that’s an Islamic combat FAIL. It’s like these people have decided to treat the religion like a pick and mix…picking NOTHING of relevance and MIXING in their own crap. And funnily enough, the heads of this extremist faction always seem to stay put where they are… in this life… unfortunately. I imagine the conversation goes a bit like this:

Mullah: So you see, your mission in life is to carry out this deed *hands bomb strapped vest over*. It is the rightful path for true believers.

Unsuspecting Dude; I understand, *straps on vest* So when do we depart?

Mullah: We? you mean just you right *nervous laugh*.

Unsuspecting Dude: haha, your a right old joker come on man, when are we heading out?

Mullah: Well your heading out  next week, I’v got a few errands to run here and there, you know, big man stuff, accounting, goat herding < them bastards are a rowdy bunch, chicken counting etc. etc. etc.,  someone’s gotta do the hard grafting, and unfortunately it lands on me….I’d LOVE to come, but I can’t, maybe next ti…..*cough cough* …*deadly silence*… brother  Ali? Did you call me?

UD: That was a goat

Mullah: You sure? Cause I swear I heard Ali call me saying something or other about an emergency…better check it out…*hauls ass out of the cave*

So how about both of you lot MAN up and go fight each other head on an island far far awayyyyy.

Till next time

“Fight in the way of Allah against those who fight you and do not trangress the limits. Indeed, Allah does not love those who trangress”. (Qur’an 2:190)

 

Burn Baby Burn

Burn this burn that, these days it seems when words fail us a torch will do.  I know I know I’m a bit late in getting to this topic which has been buried and put to rest in the last couple of weeks. But this isn’t just a topic brought up by the recent Quran burning scandal, it’s one we see occurring time and time again, be it with a different item being burnt.

Since I am discussing this topic it would be bucking the trend *of the majority who have all thrown in their 2 pence worth* not to comment on the Quran burning issue. I’m surprised that this fact wasn’t sufficient to quell some of the drama > ‘Pastor’ Terry has said himself that he hasn’t EVEN read the Quran. That should be enough for the media to clearly establish that this guys argument should be given less weight than the opinion of a toddler on the middle east crisis. Now it hasn’t been clarified whether the fact he hasn’t read the Quran  is cause the fella can’t  read *which with a face like his I wouldn’t put it past him* or if it’s generally cause he’s a fool who doesn’t know the first thing about building a structured argument. Regardless of which of the two is true, ‘Pastor’ Terry *and calling him a pastor is giving him too much credit if you ask me* is a fool. And like a fool he has done wat fools before him have done and resorted to pure ‘sensationalism’ to make a point. Judging by how ‘intellectual the Neanderthal of a guy sounds’ *and yes I’m judging a book by its battered and barely their cover* I’m guessing he has just discovered fire and is keen to put his discovery to use. Nothing says Harvard graduate/ Ivy league professor like a man setting books on fire.

Now yes I do know he didn’t actually go through with it but to be honest I don’t think he had much choice. When Sarah Palin is saying what your doing is insensitive then you KNOW  shit has hit the fan and that you have reached a new low. I know it’s like pot calling kettle black but nonetheless, the pot is calling the kettle out on what it’s doing.

But this whole burning thing has gotten out of control. People these days think setting something on fire is a novel way of getting your point across. And those who defended ‘Pastor’ John’s actions by saying ‘well you see muslims in different parts off the world burning the american flag and effigy’s of leaders in protest’ or ‘muslims burnt the Salman Rushdie books when they came out in protest over their content and many of those shouting the loudest hadn’t even read the book’. Now firstly, what kind of argument is that? He jumps off a cliff so I might aswell jump off a cliff too. Not only that, but you ARE talking about america a place which claims to uphold the highest morals of liberty and justice and claims to be a beacon of hope to the world. So to try to par its domestic goings on to those of other countries which are in many cases third world countries and far from upright democracies is really just scrapping the bottom of a barrel for an argument.

It’s not to say that american people are all better than other people its just that if you as a country are going to impose your form of democracy and laws on other countries then you better well make sure these are at the highest standards they can be.

And the whole Salman Rushdie thing is also a case in point that two wrongs don’t make a right. To burn a book of his you’d have to acquire a book of his which would mean you’d BUY one and therefore he profits. Not a smart way to argue a point I’d say. And furthermore, for those who didn’t read the book and where shouting heresy they are just as ill-informed as ‘pastor’ Terry. The best way to make a point or argue a cause is to be WELL informed about what you’re arguing about, which at LEAST requires you to have read the book you so vehemently despise. By simply being swept so easily by the crowd’s sway without any rhyme or reason causes this increase in ignorance which usually leads to more hatred and conflict.

What we don’t need now is any more ignorant people, it’s about time reason made a comeback, I hear its way more flattering and becoming on a person than ignorance will ever be.

Till next time

 

Re: Ground Zero Mosque

So regarding the last article I posted more information about the debate have emerged.  One of the most interesting ones is that in actual fact the so called Ground Zero Mosque is actually a Muslim community centre. This changes things greatly as what was once portrayed as being just a worshipping place for Muslims to go to is in fact something that is more community focused. The Community centre will have a basketball court, a memorial site for the 9/11 victims and other recreational facilities as well as a place to for Muslims to worship. So this begs the question what is so profoundly wrong with the building of this so called community centre two districts *which in American terms is a rite old road trip away* from Ground Zero?

The image portrayed by some news outlets in America made it seem like a Taj-Mahal proportionate mosque was being built on the foundations of ground Zero itself. It says a lot that it took quiet a while for the news to filter out that the proposed building was actually a Muslim Community Centre. Is the fact that its a Muslim community centre that bothers people? Even though this community centre has in itself a memorial for the victims of 9/11 which in itself stresses the community focused aspect of the structure. Or is it because there are prayer facilities for Muslims available that make this idea such a heinous one? How far away from ground Zero do you need to be able to practice your faith freely or in this case, be a Muslim?

This all leads me to believe that most of the opposition voiced on this issue are less concerned about the actual building but more concerned about opposing Muslims themselves. This is exactly what I was arguing against in the previous article and it is the real underlying issue here. For some the Community centre is just a prop to give them reason to voice their hate and ignorance. Proof being the recent protests against this building in new York where people began heckling a passer-by who happened to look like a Muslim i.e. had a beard and happened to be a man of colour wearing an unfortunate looking hat,  but who was in actual fact a carpenter. The carpenter throughout the confrontation stated he was not a Muslim but this fell on deaf ears and in the end he had to be escorted away for his own safety as the hecklers got more and more aggressive.

The most unfortunate thing of all are that those who where protesting where banding about signs that summed up the ignorance that some Americans today are left believing. Signs like ‘No mosque No jihad’  reflect the real problem here. Its the lack of clear and informed knowledge that is causing this uneasiness and fuelling this hate.   Even 24% of Americans a survey has found recently still believe Obama is a Muslim. This fear mongering and uncertainty is driving community’s apart and is causing more problems than solutions by increasing tension and hostility. Extremism comes in all forms shapes and sizes and you don’t have to have a bomb strapped around you to fit this criteria. Extremism in all its forms should be combated and that includes people who hold racist and bigoted views.  Fear and Ignorance compounded make up a lethal combination and this is being aided by right wing conservative politicians and networks like Sarah Palin, Fox News etc. who rather then address the facts as they are, are choosing to further cloud the water of the debate with misinformation to suit their own agenda.

But overall, I think this article sums up the debate about the ground zero ‘mosque’ more eloquently than me:

http://www.cracked.com/blog/3-reasons-the-ground-zero-mosque-debate-makes-no-sense/

‘The most violent element in society is ignorance.’  ~Emma Goldman

Till next time

 

Ground Zero Mosque

So the thing that caught my attention today was the recent debate going on in America over the proposed building of a mosque on private property near the area of Ground Zero. Obama himself made a speech about the issue stating that Muslims have the right to build a mosque near the site but did not state whether or not he believed it would be a good idea. The issue has divided many people in America with the majority against the proposed idea. The issue has also greatly divided those relatives who lost loved ones on the day of 9/11 with some in support of it claiming it showed the moderate side of Islam whilst others argued that this was grossly insensitive comment made by the president. The debate is a sensitive one and goes to the heart of the recent events surrounding Muslims and the West.

My view is in line with president Obama’s comment on the situation. It is inherently true that freedom to practice ones religion is enshrined in the American constitution. The government has no lawful right to interfere with peoples choice of religion and where and how they choose to practice their beliefs. The property, as stated before, is also being built on private land so the people are breaking no rule or law in wishing to build this mosque. That side there are two sides to this debate and what is important is to make sure that the views opposing the building of this mosque are rational arguments free of any racial or ill informed hate mongering. There are those relatives who have said that the building of this mosque would be an affront to all those who lost their lives on day of 9/11. This is a very insensitive and crass comment in itself to make as some of the people who did loose their lives where everyday lawful and moderate Muslims. Those who where attacked where not of one race, cultural, ethnic diversity or religion it was a mixture of Americans who lost their lives. So to claim to speak on behalf of all the relatives is something that should not be said so carelessly. Ones opinion on a matter is just that, ones opinion and making a blanket like comment should be avoided in respect for those who do not share your view but do share your sense of loss.

Another issue raised is that the building of this mosque will be a win and strike for the Jihadists who caused the 9/11 event. This is also a very dangerous argument as it tarnishes all Muslims with the same brush and claims that they are all one and the same. The majority of moderate Muslims should not be scapegoated because of the actions of a few misguided minority as doing this further isolates the community that the west needs to engage with effectively to combat the threat they face. It also gives more ammunition to those dangerous individuals who claim the west as having nothing but an anti-Islam rhetoric and who use this to misguide and recruit followers to their hate filled cause. The Muslims who are building this mosque have also clearly denounced  terrorism in all its forms and stated their stance against these breed of Jihadists. They are also planning to help bridge the gap created by 9/11 between Muslim’s and the west through their foundation. It’s also highly doubtful that those who caused the destruction of 9/11 to occur would wisely and  easily set up shop in the backyard of their crime scene as I am sure that if built this mosques activities will be to say the least closely monitored.

This said it doesn’t mean all opposition to the building of this mosque are invalid arguments as their are always two sides to any debate. The point that maybe this 100 million dollar megamosque should just be relocated a few blocks further down for tactical  and significant reasons should not be ignored. Considering there is a strong majority opposition to this it might be in the interest of the Muslim leaders who are building the mosque to  simply move the sight further as a sign of tolerance and respect to those who bear no ill will towards them but who do not support the location this mosque is being built near. They could therefore avoid adding fuel to the fire of tensions being felt in America over this decision. No added excuse should be given to alleviate any hatred or misgiving towards the Muslim community living in America. But that should also be under the condition that those who’s arguments are nothing less then racial and hate filled should have their ill informed views corrected. This debate should not just stop if this mosque is moved a couple of blocks further down as it is important to make sure that all Americans are not misinformed about a given race or creed of people.

We should not play into the hands of those extreme minorities on both sides of the spectrum who only seek to gain from hate and animosity being bred in a divided society. Tolerance is the key word here, those who oppose the building of this mosque should not oppose the fundamentals of the mosque itself but  just the given location. And those who want to build the mosque must understand that a middle way should be adopted to appease both sides and to avoid any more animosity. The words of  Mahatma Ghandi sum this up nicely:

“The need of the moment is not one religion, but mutual respect and tolerance of the devotees of the different religions.”

That’s all for today,

till next time.