We must condemn attacks done
in the name of religion
by Mazin Qumsiyeh
The struggle against
colonialism, imperialism, and Zionism by definition must be a human struggle
for democracy, freedom, and human rights.
Those who profess such a struggle must not be silent when gangsters
attack in the name of religion, any religion.
Whether it is the Jewish settlers who threw Molotov cocktails on a
Palestinian family, the Christian Phallangist militias in Lebanon who massacred
Palestinian civilians, the Buddhists who looted and burned Rohingya Muslims in
Burma/Myanmar, or the Muslim hooligans who killed four Americans including the
US ambassador in Libya. Those who commit
such horrific acts always have excuses: a film or burning a Quran or cartoons. The
recent "insult" was a "film" of very poor quality by an
Israeli director that pokes fun at Prophet Muhammad. It is indeed despicable that in the USA there
are people like Terry Jones who want to have public burning of the Quran or Samuel
Bacile (Israeli who now lives in the US) who made this stupid film. I lived in the US for 29 years and traveled
in 48 of its 50 states. It is a huge
country and one cannot generalize on 300 million people. For just about all my adult life I struggled
against unjust government policies whether in the US or here in occupied
Palestine. I was unjustly investigated
by the FBI and I also contended with attacks from racist Zionists on my
character. But I also cherished free
speech and worked with the most honorable decent human beings who cared about
others around the world. For every single
American who fomented hatred or committed a despicable act, I always found
several Americans who are decent and caring and acted to help fellow human
beings. Some like Rachel Corrie
sacrificed their lives to defend Palestinians who happen to be Muslims.
If we believe in
democracy and freedom then we must insist on full democracy and freedom which
include the right of foolish individuals to express themselves verbally and
indeed even to speak against religions.
The maxim that no compulsion in religion must be observed and defended
vigorously. Where modern society must draw the line is injury or killing of
others. True religion cannot be insulted
by silly things like movies or cartoons. And which is more offensive: starving Muslims
without aid or a silly film? Which is more offensive and deserving of a
challenge: judaization of Jerusalem or a few stupid cartoons? Is it not the impact on true believers that
matter? Do such films or cartoons weaken
the belief of true followers in any religion?
Do decent human being murder in the name of religion? Would the violent reaction of a few goons instead
weaken belief and also foment strife among humans (something religions tell us
not to do)? Is that why intelligence
operations by Israel or Western governments to foment hatred and "divide
and conquer" can also be accomplished with a few mercenaries? [Remember
when Mubarak secretely sent goons to attack churches in Egypt to blame it on
Muslim Fundamentalists or when Israel bombed western interests in Egypt to
blame it on Arab nationalists]. We do know
that extremists exist in every community and every religion. Should the murderers regardless of their
motives be excused? What religious
belief excuses killing people for what someone else supposedly did? What
religion condones individual action without legal due process?
In 1979, a British comedy
film "Monty Python: Life of Brian" was released mocking the biblical
stories including that of Jesus. Many
Christian friends and relatives found it offensive. I believed and still believe that
"freedom of expression" is a cherished freedom that must be
protected. You cannot draw a line on
this freedom of expression because each person would then have a different
standard of what is acceptable or not.
We know from history how societies quickly descended down the slippery
slope to end up unlivable. We know that
Europe was able to get out of the dark Middle Ages by shedding the controls on
free speech wielded by a religious sect. We know societies who banned television,
music, and art. We know the fate of
societies that tried to erase their past by destroying shrines, monuments, and
other archeological and historical treasures. Religion gives meaning and
comfort to billions of people around the world.
If we want to defend religion in meaningful way, we should start by
unequivocally condemning those who murder in its name. Shouldn’t killers be brought to justice
whether they claim Christianity, Judaism, Islam, or Buddhism as their
"religion"?
Decent human beings of
all religions must not remain silent. Societies
must educate children that they can both cherish their own beliefs while
aggressively defending the right of others to free speech and expression no
matter how silly, satiric, or offensive such speech might be. We cannot succumb to the hatred generated by
people like Sam Bacile, Terry Jones, John Hagee, many Zionists, or the killers
in Benghazi. History cautions us of
dramatic consequences of such hatred.
Ultimately, all humanity is at stake.
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We lost a dear friend and colleague, Dr. Gabi Baramki. May we remember him by acting as he did for
Boycotts, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) on the apartheid state of Israel. Boycott from Within activists Ronnie
Barkan and Renen Raz pay tribute to Gabi Baramki by calling on the
Israeli museum occupying the Baramki House to return the pillaged house to the
Baramki family. The Baramki House: The Absent / Present. http://www.pacbi.org/etemplate.php?id=1988
The unrest, demonstrations, strikes and other actions
continued in the occupied West Bank.
People have openly called for ending the Oslo agreements and its
appendages like the Paris economic agreement.
They have also called for reviving the moribund PLO with elections and
going back to being a liberation movement.
But I think a lot more pressure will build before the
"leaders" take more than cosmetic steps. After all, economy cannot survive under
occupation/apartheid.
Video of Demonstrations
Amira Hass: Someone tell the Palestinians: It's the
occupation, stupid!
The thousands who have demonstrated in the West Bank against
the PA's economic policies play into the hands of Israel, which controls the
resources but takes no responsibility
Boycott committee: Palestinian “Rawabi” tycoon Bashar Masri
“must end all normalization activities with Israel”
All this is absolutely correct. But nobody, including your good self, seems even to notice the anti-religious campaign now underway in much of the Islamic world--the activities of the self-styled "pure" (as in Puritan) Salafist fundamentalists who are violently destroying the tombs and shrines of Muslim saints, most spectacularly now in Tombuctou (which is also a racist war against the Touareg now being conducted by Salafist arabs but soon to be joined by a Franco/African expeditionary force using the Salafist crimes as pretext to reimpose neocolonial Malian domination of the southern Sahara).
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