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Peter Joyce writes and I quote
"Dr Sohail mentions Christian and Muslim
fundamentalists as if they are similar, but I do not believe that they are;
in fact, they are poles apart. The most obvious difference is that the
latter are much more violent and dangerous.
To those who protest, "What about Bush and his
cronies?" I suggest that Bush's personal religious beliefs have not
shaped any American policy in as comprehensive a way as parallel beliefs do
in Islamic theocracies"
Dr Sohail seizes upon Bush's use of "crusade"
in reference to the attack on Iraq. Those hostile to the US
frequently quote this word as evidence of the supposed religious nature of
the outgoing administration's motive. However, this charge is a piece of
sophistry. It was very clear that this word in its context was used
according to its secondary meaning. My local paper reported recently that
the city council was going to start a crusade against vandalism. I have no
religion myself, yet I too have used the word "crusade" to refer
to anything I carry out with some determination and conviction"
Regardless of Peter's claim that he has no religious
orientation his defense of Christian fundamentalism shows where he is
coming from. It is wrong to argue that Christianity has played no part in
promoting violence around the world. Church has always been in the
forefront to sanctify all means, even violence, to promote economic and
political interest of the Christian nations. The word Crusade is not the
only "slip". Here I give you a few examples:
- Describing the war
against terrorism a "calling" does not need any explanation;
God is assigning this task to the Christian nations to fight against
the Muslim terrorists, of course led by the American power. In this
war, America
is not only using the term Crusade but also using the Biblical expressions
like "evil" and "evil doers" to label the
opponents who happened to be Muslims.
- Like Peter, I can also
claim that equating "jihad" with violence is a "piece
of sophistry". Jihad means struggle and mostly it is peaceful. In
Muslim societies, we for instance call for jihad against poverty and
hunger or jihad for self-control etc.
- When Bob Woodward asked President Bush if he asked his own father
for advice about going to war against Iraq. Bush replied that he
had not asked his father for advice because, "He is the wrong
father to appeal to for advice, the wrong father to go to, to appeal
to, in terms of strength. There's a higher father that I appeal
to." It is obvious that Bush took advice from a
"higher father" before waging the war against Iraq.
This reply shows the extent of the separation of church and state.
- The night before
invading Iraq in 1993, causing over 200,000 Iraqi deaths the famous
priest-in-chief Rev. Billy Graham stayed overnight in the White House
to bless the decision of the senior George Bush. That is how the
Christian church had blessed the slaughter of Muslims. However, Islam
is "more violent and dangerous" in the eyes of a
self-proclaimed secular Peter Joyce.
- The
"beneficiaries" of Christian blessings are not just Muslims.
Jews and Muslims were both targets of inquisitions in Europe that were sanctioned by the church.
- Colonization and
plunder of almost entire African continent and most of the Asia had the support and approval of the church.
- Christian churches
actively promoted racial divisions through the political philosophy of
apartheid. The largest of these denominations was the Dutch Reformed
Church (Nederduitse Gereformeerde
Kerk--NGK), which came to be known as the
"official religion" of the National Party during the
apartheid era. However, in the eyes of white supremacists, ANC and its
black leader Nelson Mandela were the real terrorists.
- In August 2005 Pat
Robertson, a well-known TV evangelist and a staunch supporter and ally
of George W. Bush, said killing Chavez would be cheaper than starting
a war to oust him. He said; "We have the ability to take him out,
and I think the time has come that we exercise that ability. We don't
need another $200 billion war to get rid of one strong-arm
dictator." What was American administration's response; Pat
Robertson was exercising his right of free speech. Had he been a
mullah calling for the assassination of a western leader, he would
have been tried as a terrorist.
- Zionists, though
proclaim to be non-religious like Peter Joyce, rest their claim on the
Palestinian land based on Biblical injunctions. What Peter Joyce would
call me if I had the means and power to throw him out of his house and
produce my holy book as a title deed?
- Why is there
manifestation of violence by Muslims and not Christians or Zionist
Jews? The reason is simple: they want peace because they are happy
with the status quo, they are controlling the Muslim lands with the
help of powerful armies and Muslims on the other hand have no hope to
get their rights peacefully. Why should young Christians or Israelis
indulge in a despicable and uncivilized act like suicide bombing when
their army can easily kill "Muslim terrorists" by dropping
bomb from the sky? If Muslim armies had similar power then the fight
would be between armies, not their armies and our
"terrorists".
Peter
Joyce, please note that this is not a cold war between the west and the Soviet Union as many western commentators lead us to
believe. The west is stuck in a self-destructive exercise. There are no
territories to conquer and no armies to defeat. Already there are signs
that the western economies are losing breath while the their
armies are engaged in hot pursuit of shadows around the world.
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