It must be nice to be a fundamentalist [$_religion]. It must be particularly nice to be a psychotic fundamentalist Islamic dude. Such people get to give women the beatdown, kill people for having a significant emotional experience and generally pull nonsense out of their collective rumps with impunity.
The discussion isn’t about enlightened Sufi Muslims represented by Omar Sharif’s character in Monsignor Ibrahim. This isn’t about religion. It’s about the lack of education combined with illegitimate power. This is about the guys in central Asia that deserve to be turned into glass with a 50 megaton nuke.
This is about Afghanistan.
Before Iraq, there was another lie used to invade another land. The Taliban was an intellectually honest Islamic regime that thought heroin was a bad idea. They put an end to it. The US wouldn’t let its narcotics investments go down the toilet. With the divine timing of the World Trade Center/Pentagon terrorist attacks of 9/11/2001, the US regime made its move to rectify the damaged heroin industry.
They beat women. They believe in 10th century Islam. They destroy ancient Buddha statues. They allow terrorists in Afghanistan because, as we all know, the entire country is encased in a giant glass dome. They are connected to 9/11 and the notorious UBL. Like good Crusaders, we went to kill the men, rape the women and stick heavily salted children on rotisseries over open flames. We cried “Let’s Roll!” and asphyxiated all debate so we wouldn’t be confused with the facts.
Abdul Rahman faced the death penalty for apostasy involving his conversion to Christianity in Germany 16 years ago. His wife and kids sold him out after they found his Bible. Prisoners threatened to kill him. Mullahs have issued standing orders to kill him if seen after his release. His case has been dismissed as the courts deftly claimed that they don’t know if he’s really from Afghanistan. Discussions on possible exile are currently taking place.
State sanctioned murder isn’t about punishment. It doesn’t matter if the state is being “tough on crime” as the US loves or being “tough on infidels” as is apparently the fashion among the Sharia, it’s about power.
Rahman’s real crime was hanging out with people that happened to practice what they preach. He like their work and decided he wanted to be a part of it. He made that decision using his head and his heart. Like most rational persons, he didn’t feel the need to consult a mullah about the decision.
If Sharia is so pious and pure, why do they need to fear someone that decides they can’t take it anymore? Why do they need to make Rahman’s death an example? If Jesus is a pillar of Islam, why can’t the Sharia check out the parable of the prodigal son or toss around a few metaphors about lost sheep and loving your brother no matter how he strays from Islam?
I’m a Buddhist. That makes me guilty of apostasy from Catholicism I suppose. Regardless of my opinion of organized religion, I rank Jesus of Nazareth—minus anything from the Book of Revelations—as one of the most important stories of this world. It’s a story that is misunderstood and severely abused and hopelessly distorted but here’s one attempt at the straight story:
Christianity was based on a Jewish brotherhood in the land of Palestine. These thirteen radicals wanted to tell the world that the God of Israel loves all of creation. Not just the aristocracy, the clergy, the government or the healthy. God loves you even if you are blind or lame. God loves you even if you are poor. God loves you even if you aren’t a part of the Israelites. Things happen. It’s not because you’re a sinner or divinely black-balled. God loves you even if you walk away from him. God loves you because he created you.
It’s powerful stuff because it requires an individual to think about their relationship with God. If they walk away and do whatever they want, God still loves them but whatever happens will happen. If they devote themselves to God, they will be protected in that love and become an instrument of that love.
Persons becoming an instrument of anything that doesn’t answer to a higher authority beyond “God” is dangerous to the state and even more dangerous to organized religion. Jesus was crucified for what can pass as essentially thinking for yourself.
Getting back to reality, over the past two millennia, that concept has become a textbook example of “fucked up beyond all recognition” or FUBAR for short.
Elements in Afghanistan are plotting to kill Abdul Rahman. It would be a great tragedy for Sharia Islam if members decided that Sharia is just a bit too hardcore and that maybe killing people isn’t a good thing. It would be a great tragedy for Sharia if members decided that what one person chooses is their business and inconsequential to anybody else. It would be a great tragedy for Sharia if members decided that Sharia doesn’t qualify as any form of religion except perhaps Satanism. It would be, however, wonderful for the human race.
Education is the only way to blunt religion. That takes time. Meanwhile, we can find the American asshat that is responsible for Afghanistan’s theocratic constitution and send him packing to find a new job. Speaking of American asshats, where is Pat Robertson? He’s got a big mouth. Why isn’t he defending Rahman? Probably because he’s jealous that he’s not allowed to order anybody’s execution for apostasy to Islam. Christian fundamentalists are as selective, racist, bigoted and psychotic as their Islamic fundamentalist contemporaries.
If Rahman gets killed, Sharia will die with him.
