All this trouble because of politics, because religion has become the scapegoat for politicians who can't stand on their own two feet, so they stand on the shoulders of religion. Extremist muslims are as bad as extremist christians, which might actually be worse because they pretend like they're not extremist. That god, the foundation of love, could be blamed for creating this rift in humanity has got to be disappointing and condemnable to him, but who am I to judge? I don't think there's that much measurable difference between muslim and christian beliefs... both believe in Jesus, both believe in the ten commandments, at their core they are the same. Like the Bible goes one chapter further than the Torah, which the Jewish faith is based on, the Koran goes one chapter further than the Bible.
But these religious differences aren't something that keep people apart. I've drunk tea in muslim homes in Morocco, walked in muslim downtowns in capri pants and a tank top and had people whose language I didn't understand show me pictures from their family's recent wedding, had muslim taxi drivers watch over me while I waited for Mack to come back, and watched very white people who were raised with the father, son and the holy ghost forfeit their Western wear in favor of a head scarf. In my mind, to each his own. In the minds of the muslims I've met, to each his own. The only reason religion gets infused with hatred is politics.
Politics start using religion as a platform and cause deep, personal rifts between societies. It sums up people and cultures and breeds fear among them, which perpetuates ignorance. I'm not exactly a muslim, I'm not exactly a christian, I'm not exactly jewish or buddhist or hindu or wiccan. Each has words of wisdom worth living by, each has strategies for living that are better than my own, each has love and respect at its core. So none are bad. What is bad is how we let politics corrupt our religions, especially when there is text that exists in all of them that command a respect for life and a love of thy neighbor.
To go to Iran, I had to submit a photograph in which I "respected Islamic dress," which basically translates into "put on a disguise before you come over." Iran's government is more strict about dress in public than Morocco is, but the people are not the government. And it's the people that have made every place I've ever been worth visiting.
1 comment:
Here, here Melissa. When we were in Spain and Morocco last summer the only English channel was the BBC, where we learned that the Chinese were pulling out of the American dollar (which affects us majorly but we seem to not think is that important) and that the Irish Republican Army was surrendering after decades of terrorist attacks on their own people. Back at home, we've got NBC, CBS, and ABC and not a one of them mentions other countries unless we've pushed war on them. And no matter where went, people knew Kentucky Fried Chicken when we told them we were from Kentucky. I didn't even know what languages they spoke, who their leaders weer or where in the world some of their countries were, let alone their states/villages. Okay, now rant over!
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