Cherry-picking religious texts to validate hate

Wisconsin Public Radio’s To the Best of Our Knowledge (TTBOOK) recently replayed an episode about building a new mosque in the Chicago area (http://www.ttbook.org/book/building-mosque-america).

One of the anti-mosque people quoted the Q’ran about killing idolators.  Knowing that Mohammed and his followers were constantly harassed by idol worshipers (who made a lot of money selling statures of idols, I knew there was a larger context.  Rather than offer my own explanation, I suggest you read “Does the Quran Really Sanction Violence Against ‘Unbelievers’?” by Kabir Helminski, Huffington Post, 2010-09-24, updated 2011-05-25.

One could cherry-pick the Bible and show that Judaism is a religion of hate: “But of the cities of these people, which the Lord thy God doth give thee for an inheritance, thou shalt save alive nothing that breatheth.” King James Bible, Deuteronomy 20:16.

History is filled with “Christians” who tortured and killed those they even suspected of not being Christian enough: Torquemada and the Spanish inquisition, burnings at the stake, and more.  Even in our recent history many who call themselves Christians feel no remorse in lynching or burning churches.

Buddhism is supposed to be a religion of peace, but “Buddhists” are killing Muslims in Burma and Sri Lanka.  Do you really think the Buddha would approve of such hateful actions?

Quote of the Day: On Violence

"...but violence only strengthens your enemies and weakens your cause."

- Charles M, Blow, "Violence Is Never the Answer", NYT 2016-05-26, http://www.nytimes.com/2016/05/26/opinion/violence-is-never-the-answer.html.

How to protest successfully

Many people are showing up at Trump rallies to show their opposition.  However, their actions often just rile up the Trump supporters.  A much more effective tactic would be to show up and do nothing.  A quiet audience is the worst possible insult to the likes of Donald Trump.

By wearing anti-Trump T-shirts or carrying anti-Trump signs, protesters just energize the Trump supporters.  But if a large part of his audience never applauded, never jeered, but just remained quiet, Trump wouldn’t know what to do, nor would many of his supporters.

Passive resistance like this can defuse many situations and make those who are the targets of the resistance feel very uncomfortable and unsure of their own positions.

I was very disappointed when Occupy Wall Street changed from lots of people carrying signs to a few people camping out in public spaces.  These squatters generated more antipathy than sympathy.

When somebody is shot, whether by police or by a bad guy shooting a cop, riots or demonstrations are not the answer.  Riots reduce the sympathy for the victim, and even distract from getting justice.  The best possible response is flowers at the site of the shooting.

Gandhi and King led the way on non-violent protest.  We dishonor them by even unduly disruptive behavior.

You know whodunit, but...

...how many will he kill before he is caught or killed?

That is my take half-way through Benefit of Doubt by Neal Griffin.

My wife picked it out for me when she went to the library.  She thought it would be similar to novels by John Lescroart.  I think she was going by Joseph Wambaugh's review on the back cover:

"A complicated killer seeking revenge is hunted by a complicated lawman in this unique and suspenseful debut novel by a cop-turned-author who knows the turf."

Hank Phillippi Ryan wrote that it would keep you guessing "to the unpredictable–and completely surprising–last page."

I'm about two-thirds the way through and keep wondering why I put up with all the gratuitous, graphically-described violence.  Two corrupt police officers who break the rules to line their own pockets don't endear me to the book.  However, some good guys and gals who break the rules to promote justice keep me going and guessing.

I'm tempted to stay up until I finish it, but I have lots of things to do tomorrow.  Like on the first night I started reading Benefit of Doubt, I'll probably lie awake mulling over what I read.  I do know I won't set the alarm.

The crime of war

"That’s because war — no matter how justified or unjustified, noble or ignoble — is always a crime."

David Brooks, "The Moral Injury", New York Times, 2015-02-17

The victims of war are not only those who are killed or maimed, but those who were put in a position of killing.

Is no "religion" free of violence against "others"

I recently wrote "Criminals hiding behind religion" and "Saints to emulate", about the good and bad done in the name of religion.  Included the Dalai Lama in the second article as a Buddhist to emulate, but even though I knew there were Buddhist terrorists, I didn't take the time to note when and where they were doing their dirty work.

Today, Nicholas Kristof reminded me of where: Myanmar.  See "Obama success or global shame". 

Sometimes these "Buddhists" seem to be in butchery contest with those defilers of the name of Mohammed, Boko Haram.  The Dalai Lama has called for an end to this corruption of Buddhism, but he seems to be having as much effect on reconciling differences as Mahatma Gandhi did on violent Hindus and Muslims.

Muslims do speak out

Many have complained that Muslims aren't speaking out about violence perpetrated by some Muslims.  Do all whites speak out against violence against blacks?  Do all blacks speak out against blacks who commit violence?  Do all... speak out against violence or hate spread by people like themselves.  No, most of us try to quietly go about our business, partly not wanting to be involved with hate, partly fearing the haters, partly feeling we don't have the right words, and partly believing we won't be heard.

Here's how two Muslims have spoken out.

"An unlikely fact-checker, an 11-year-old girl, Malala Yousafzai, stood up and defended her right to an education, exposing Taliban’s biggest whopper. In an online blog for BBC, she wrote, 'I will show them the Quran, what Quran says. Quran didn’t say that girls are not allowed to go to school.' Malala also remembered Prophet Muhammad’s advice that, 'Seeking knowledge is obligatory on every Muslim man and Muslim woman.' Using her knowledge and unparalleled courage, Malala repeatedly pleaded with the world to help her people get rid of ignorant and barbaric occupiers." - M. Imran Hayee

Malala Yousafzai, now 14, was shot by Taliban extremists who felt threatened by a girl who threatened their skewed view of their religion and of the world.  How many brave children must be wounded or die before all perpetrators of violence, state actors or not, will see that "Peace is the way."

For more of how important education is where there are few fact checkers who can counter lies, see

"Spreading education in Pakistan harms Taliban", M. Imran Hayee, Duluth News Tribune, 2012-11-06.

If you want more "speaking out", read Dawn of Pakistan, Al-Jazeera, and The Daily Star of Lebanon, all in English.

Attacks against the "sacrilegious"

I never understand why those who profess a theistic religion feel compelled to attack those who they consider "sacrilegious" or "blasphemous". If their God is so all-powerful and all-knowing, cannot He do something about this problem. Cannot this God just boom down from Heaven to these blasphemers to shape up?

I think the attackers themselves are insecure in their own beliefs and are the "sacrilegious" or "blasphemous" ones. They think beliefs different from their own are threat to their beliefs. They have the hubris to think they know better than God.

They also are the greatest threat to their own beliefs. Why would peaceful people follow their beliefs? Or why should peaceful people of any belief respect and tolerate the beliefs of the attackers?

Taxes might have saved the rich from the guillotine

In 18th Century France, the church and the nobility were not taxed.  The burden of taxation was on the bourgeoisie, the laborers, and the small farmers.  As the court became more extravagant and the government more costly, the taxpayers became more dissatisfied.  Eventually the anger grew to the point of revolution, a revolution that often was mob rule*.  Mob rule led to false accusations, and heads rolled.

Even the Tea Partiers of the day, like Robespierre, were not immune to the anger of the mob and to infighting among those who assumed control of the government.

We may see a parallel in the flood-ravaged parts of Pakistan.  The government is not very effective in bringing relief, partly because of so much posturing for power and partly because there is not enough money to do much of what needs to be done.  Oh yes, many of the rich in Pakistan pay little or no taxes.

This situation is providing a huge opening to the Taliban, which is providing relief in some areas.  How much this will increase the overall power of the Taliban remains to be seen.  Remember though, many revolutions were started by small bands, Mao Tse Tung or Fidel Castro.

* Mob rule was one of the things that Founders of the United States feared greatly.  Their distaste for mob rule led them to distrust French innovations, such as the metric system.

Mark Trail did it again

As I assumed, Mark Trail used violence against a bad guy. Yesterday he kicked in the door of the bad guy's house. Today, the bad guy took a swing at Mark Trail; Trail swung back and knocked the bad guy off his feet.

Lone wolf policing and fisticuffs is not my image of a conservationist.

Wrong responses to a wrong action (re: Bhutto assassination)

Violence is erupting all over Pakistan in response to the assassination of Benazir Bhutto. What does this prove? It may prove that people are distraught. It may prove that criminals and hooligans are using the assassination as an excuse to do mischief. It does prove that the many who had nothing to do with the assassination are going to suffer the actions of the few. The people who depended on buses are now going to have fewer buses because mobs have burned buses; these are most likely the poorer people. The middle class who had saved for a car now have lost much of their savings. People of all kinds who need the paychecks from their jobs are not going to be able to get to their jobs.

A more proper response would be vigils around the headquarters of those who preach hate.

Former prime minister Nawaz Sharif threatens to boycott the Jan. 8 election. A boycott of an election throws the result to those you oppose. A more proper response is to get out the vote. Make sure all your supporters show up. If you don't show up, you can't be counted. Make sure news outlets know your supporters are showing up. Make sure they are interviewed at polling places. Pakistan still has some media independence. See http://www.dawn.com

Hold the government's feet to the fire on the investigation. Provide all the information possible. Ask for frequent updates.

Hold the extremists' feet to the fire on their actions. If they truly believe in Islam, show how their actions are contrary to Islam.