In history lessons,
Christianity and Islam were mentioned together with Communism, Fascism and
Nazism in having caused the maximum number of human beings murdered
There is no doubt that
we have a problem in today’s world. It’s a big problem. The strange thing is
that apparently we don’t want to solve it, because we close our eyes to the
problem and to its root cause. This closing of our eyes is officially endorsed
by almost all governments in the world and is seen as politically correct.
Naturally, there is no chance to improve things but it’s likely to get much
worse.
The problem is a
faulty, black and white mind-set of a huge chunk of the world population and
the root cause is what these people were taught to believe as the truth. The
founders and subsequent authorities of those belief systems claimed that the
highest Himself has revealed it. This was an ingenious way to prevent any
criticism of the whole belief system, including those aspects of it which were
against common sense.
I have earlier written
on how Christianity was the first to cleverly claim that God Himself has given
the full truth only to the Church and everyone must believe it at the cost of
their lives. And Islam followed a similar claim. Terrorism in the name of God
started right then, by forcing “those who are wrong” into the “right” faith or
killing them. Millions of people were killed – from America to India and
beyond. In history lessons, Christianity and Islam were mentioned together with
Communism, Fascism and Nazism in having caused the maximum number of human
beings murdered.
In primary school I
learnt that Islam expanded through “fire and sword”. I remember this because
‘Feuer und Schwert’ was a meaningless phrase for me as a child. Only later, it
dawned that it involved tremendous cruelty. This cruelty was not restricted to
Islam. The Christian ‘expansion’ and the Inquisition were equally brutal.
In the 1970s when I
was in University, we debated why religion has caused so much bloodshed. The
debate was only on ‘why’ not on ‘whether’. In 2000, a change in this approach
became apparent. When the Pope John Paul II finally acknowledged the cruelty of
the Inquisition, and publicly asked forgiveness from God, he did not blame the
Church but ‘sons and daughters of the Church’ who committed ‘mistakes’. He
tried to absolve the religion and laid the blame on ‘misguided’ followers.
This same pattern is
followed today regarding Islam. When Jihadis attack innocent citizens shouting
‘Allah ho Akbar’, politicians and media are quick to declare that those terror
acts have nothing to do with Islam but are the handiwork of misguided or
deranged individuals.
The reaction is
meanwhile so predictable. The standard
version is:
The attack is
shocking, revulsive, a cowardly act, but we stand united, won’t allow another
attack, won’t be intimidated but continue with our lives, we won’t let them
win, etc…
Then Muslim
representatives come on air stressing that they also condemn the attack. It is
the act of a disturbed person, has nothing to do with Islam, there are 1,5
billion peaceful Muslims, which is proof of the peaceful nature of their
religions, etc…
Then in major cities
(provided the attack happened in the west) a landmark building is lit up in the
colours of the country where the attack happened, candles are lit…
We have gone through
these motions far too often and there is something fake about it. The pain of
those affected is real. Others may be grateful that it had not hit them – at
least not this time. Yet those, who are supposed to protect us, are not honest.
True, the attacks are
shocking and repulsive, but they are not cowardly acts. The Jihadi kills
because he is convinced that it is his duty to kill kafirs – and he is even
ready to die in doing what he feels is right. This shows courage. All those
terrorists are young. It is not normal, nor easy to risk one’s life by killing
others, unless he is absolutely convinced that the benefit is greater than the
cost.
And what does he
expect as benefit? Probably he was taught already as a kid or has read it later
on the internet that killing Kafirs pleases Allah. By doing so, he can make his
life truly worthwhile, and he will be richly rewarded: he will have a better
status in paradise than those who did not kill Kafirs.
Now here is where we
Kafirs are cowards. We don’t dare to point to passages in the Quran, which
support his expectation, for example Q 4.95 and ask what it means if not what
is written there.
“Those believers who
stay at home – having no physical disability – are not equal to those who make
Jihad in the cause of Allah with their wealth and their persons. Allah has
granted a higher rank to those who make Jihad with their wealth and their
persons than to those who stay at home. Though Allah has promised a good reward
for all, Allah has prepared a much richer reward for those who make Jihad for
Him than for those who stay at home. They have special higher ranks,
forgiveness and mercy. Allah is forgiving, merciful” (Q4. 95-96).
Imagine a pious,
young, hot-headed Muslim reads this – would he not be inspired to make his life
worthwhile? Even more so, if he has phantasies of becoming a hero with a
gun? He probably considers dying as a
small price for a greater glory. As Sultan Shahin pointed out, children in
madrasas sing songs with the refrain “zindagi shuru hoti hai qubr mein” (life
starts in the grave). See link at the end.
Curiously, old, sick
Muslims don’t seem to be interested in the “higher status in paradise” when it
would make much more sense for them. Does it mean, they are more mature and
know that the Quran must not be taken literally?
Is it not their and
our duty, to save not only the potential victims of future terror attacks but
also the young Muslims who are ready to throw away their lives for a promise
which may not be kept? After all, Christianity also claims that only those who
are baptised can enter heaven.
We need to ask probing
questions. Yes, it is difficult to believe that terror attacks have anything to
do with religion. Religion is understood to be something good. It connects us
with the Highest and is meant to make us better human beings. We want to
believe that the cause for terror attacks is something else. ‘All religions worship
the same one God. No religion can possibly condone killing others’, those of us
who have not been brainwashed into a dogmatic religions, will naturally
maintain. But is it true? We need to find out. If we don’t dare to do this, we
are cowards. Let’s imagine we come to the conclusion that indeed there are
passages in the Islamic texts that condone terror against infidels, what will
be the next step?
Then we need to bring
in common sense and reason and debate on the meaning of life and enquire into
the absolute truth. India has the knowledge and must take the lead in this,
because the Christian west is handicapped. Both, Islam and Christianity, divide
humanity into ‘us versus the rest’, which results in a divisive mindset.
Instead, another dividing line must be drawn which Prime Minister Narendra Modi
mentioned it in one of his speeches: It is the line between humanity and
inhumanity.
Terror and hatred for
other human beings is inhumanity. How do we know? Because we have a conscience
which tells us what is right and what is wrong. This conscience must be the
holy book for us. It is the voice of the Divine which guides us through life.
If we listen to it, we realise that the whole of humanity is one family. The
life in all of us comes from the same, most powerful yet invisible, source.
Anyone, who demands
that we ignore our conscience and instead believe blindly what he tells us, has
an agenda. He wants sheep who don’t think for themselves and who he can use for
his own purpose. Suicide bombers are not cowards, but they are not smart. They
got the purpose of life wrong.
By Maria Wirth, a
columnist
Courtesy: Organiser
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