Craig Murray suggested earlier that the UK terror attacks might not have been done by Muslims. Now it’s clear that they were.
But my question cui bono? was also helpful in pointing out that these terrorist attacks are not only callous and inhuman, but extraordinarily stupid. Islamic terrorism fills those who hate Muslims with unholy glee. You only have to surf the internet for five minutes to prove that. At the same time it sends those of us who try to improve community relations, and it sends the established Muslim communities in the UK, into deep despair. Those in the security, weapons and mercenary industries who make billions from continued War are rubbing their hands and counting the cash.
How religious faith can lead people into such a mix of depravity and counter-productive stupidity is impossible for the sane to fathom, even acknowledging the depths of despair caused by the carnage our country has caused in Iraq. I can do nothing today but issue the anguished cry of the liberal in a brutal, unlistening World.
Religious faith has also led US religious and political extremists to blow up a federal building in Oklahoma and murder an abortion doctor. Don’t blame the religion for how followers can twist its precepts to justify the unthinkable. This happens in any religion, Hindu and Buddhist included. Let’s not have any illusions here.
The problem with the anguished cry of the liberal is that it too often ends there. Action is needed. End the wars now. That will do more than anything else to end terrorism.
The problem is that such actions are rarely about religion. Rather, religion is twisted to support the political goals– which themselves arise from concerns not only political but economic as well.
My personal belief is that such actions in the name of religion are only possible when religion becomes a household (i.e. casual) affair. Religions arise from a spiritual teaching, usually one that requires some effort and sacrifice to follow, and almost without exception teaches respect for life and jstice for others. But as the teaching degrades into a household affiliation, it gets easier, further from its essence, and (IMO) easier to pervert. Thus we see Christianity going from a religion that forbade military service to one that required military service within a single generation, under the influence of Constantine.
This “easy” religion falls prey to extremists who often pervert the teachings into the opposite of what they used to be. (Buddhism teaching violence in Sri Lanka, Christianity teaching hatred in the U.S., Islam teaching terrorism in the Middle East, etc.) Those who follow this perverted religion point to the “easy” version of religion as inadequate (as in fact it is), and thereby claim that their religion of extremism is the true path– which it isn’t, but in the absence of a significant number of those who follow the true path, the extreme path may appear to be true.
Just today we had a discussion on how to bring Buddhism back to its true nature in Sri Lanka. We didn’t come to any answers as yet, but it is clear that as long as Buddhist extremism holds sway, peace remains unlikely.