Of Breivik, Wilders, Spencer....... and Islamophobia
Islamophobia, defined: ....... is prejudice against, hatred or irrational fear of Islam or Muslims. Over two-and-a-half years ago, I posted: No one is born racist or prejudiced; we are brought up, from birth, with time, and made to be so. From childhood, after being told over and over – that he or she is superior in one way or the other, one in the end believes in that. This can be in the form of indoctrination, which fascists excel in. I may add that, the media: Hollywood movies, news articles in papers and programs on TVs, and for some years now, the Internet - all play a powerful role in setting up and prejudicing minds against a certain person or group of people. Any civilized and wholesome person should in no way be prejudiced against another human being or any group of people. Prejudice and bigotry in or of any form, should not be encouraged by any one. For some times now, one of the worst and most common prejudices, is that against Islam and Muslims.
In an article just published by the Center for American Progress, it is frightening to know that - there are many who not only fervently encourage the hatred of Islam and Muslims, but there are many too, who fund such bigotry. Incredibly, this is happening in America. A land that is supposedly the 'best' place for freedom of worship and human rights. As with all people who preach hatred against others, they always do so in a very calculated and cunning way. They do so, by picking on certain characteristics or qualities of the hated people and blowing this up, so as to frighten and build hatred. Quote:.......should any one want to pick on any of them, all other great religions and ideologies can be tarnished or dehumanized. In fact, should any one want to, one can easily, in a calculating and cunning way, make some people hate even children. All it requires is for some to listen.
I remember, years ago while a young boy in Kenya, there was this man who hated, and was so intensely against, women that he even went as far so as not to have any female animals on his land. Even, then: I wondered at what could have made him so hateful. A man who kept only roosters, bulls and only male dogs. The man lived alone in a nice house on a large piece of land; and he had no children. Me and two friends, loved going to his place for the fruits. He was always friendly to us and would always give us fruits, but he never welcomed any girls - however young - or women to his estate. He would always go on and on at how 'evil', 'filthy', 'smelly', 'nauseating', 'selfish', 'predatory' and 'destructive' women are. He would say that all women and all things female are 'cursed' and are 'leeches'.
I never did ask him at how he could have been born and alive if it wasn't for a woman. But, I once made the very big mistake of asking him at how he differentiated male fruit trees from female ones. My two friends made the even bigger mistake of saying: 'Yes, how do you know the difference?' I have never forgotten the look he gave us. He was terrifying. I thought he was going to slap me. To him no questions should be asked. In his extreme hatred, he was utterly blind to any reasoning. To him: he was right and whoever wanted to be friends with him, had to accept his beliefs. After that, I and my two other friends never returned to his place. Even when we met him in the streets, we would avoid him. We never did find out why he loathed women and every thing female so intensely.
It is the same with all forms of bigotry or prejudice: those, believing or perpetrating in it, would never believe in reason. How could any one have told Hitler or Goebbels or Goering or the Hitler Youth, that they were wrong? In Rwanda, in 1994, how could any one tell the hateful Hutus that there wasn't really much difference between them and the Tutsis? For those, like Anders Breivik, Geert Wilders, Robert Spencer and such, who are now preaching and advertising the hatred of Islam and Muslims, they can learn from history and at what such beliefs can lead to. Very hopefully, Islamophobia as preached and spread by some, now, will not lead to another Rwanda or Auschwitz.
In an article just published by the Center for American Progress, it is frightening to know that - there are many who not only fervently encourage the hatred of Islam and Muslims, but there are many too, who fund such bigotry. Incredibly, this is happening in America. A land that is supposedly the 'best' place for freedom of worship and human rights. As with all people who preach hatred against others, they always do so in a very calculated and cunning way. They do so, by picking on certain characteristics or qualities of the hated people and blowing this up, so as to frighten and build hatred. Quote:.......should any one want to pick on any of them, all other great religions and ideologies can be tarnished or dehumanized. In fact, should any one want to, one can easily, in a calculating and cunning way, make some people hate even children. All it requires is for some to listen.
I remember, years ago while a young boy in Kenya, there was this man who hated, and was so intensely against, women that he even went as far so as not to have any female animals on his land. Even, then: I wondered at what could have made him so hateful. A man who kept only roosters, bulls and only male dogs. The man lived alone in a nice house on a large piece of land; and he had no children. Me and two friends, loved going to his place for the fruits. He was always friendly to us and would always give us fruits, but he never welcomed any girls - however young - or women to his estate. He would always go on and on at how 'evil', 'filthy', 'smelly', 'nauseating', 'selfish', 'predatory' and 'destructive' women are. He would say that all women and all things female are 'cursed' and are 'leeches'.
I never did ask him at how he could have been born and alive if it wasn't for a woman. But, I once made the very big mistake of asking him at how he differentiated male fruit trees from female ones. My two friends made the even bigger mistake of saying: 'Yes, how do you know the difference?' I have never forgotten the look he gave us. He was terrifying. I thought he was going to slap me. To him no questions should be asked. In his extreme hatred, he was utterly blind to any reasoning. To him: he was right and whoever wanted to be friends with him, had to accept his beliefs. After that, I and my two other friends never returned to his place. Even when we met him in the streets, we would avoid him. We never did find out why he loathed women and every thing female so intensely.
It is the same with all forms of bigotry or prejudice: those, believing or perpetrating in it, would never believe in reason. How could any one have told Hitler or Goebbels or Goering or the Hitler Youth, that they were wrong? In Rwanda, in 1994, how could any one tell the hateful Hutus that there wasn't really much difference between them and the Tutsis? For those, like Anders Breivik, Geert Wilders, Robert Spencer and such, who are now preaching and advertising the hatred of Islam and Muslims, they can learn from history and at what such beliefs can lead to. Very hopefully, Islamophobia as preached and spread by some, now, will not lead to another Rwanda or Auschwitz.
