Earlier this month a blogger in Egypt began promoting a film now called "The Innocence of Muslims", an anti-Islamic movie. By this writing, only about a week later, there have been widespread riots throughout the 'Muslim' world. Attacks on Christians are common and there have been attacks on embassies of western nations, the US in particular. Government leaders and Islamic clergy have been unable to stem the violence despite calling on their followers to remember that their religion is one of peace and good order. Quoting the Quran and even appealing to a sense of general human compassion have been ignored nearly entirely while every minority within these regions live in fear as they witness the shameless barbarism that a cheap, poorly made movie has unleashed. Yes, Islam: The way of Peace. How is it that so many leaders within these Islamic communities are unable to issue any semblance of calm and rational perspective? Aren't they the teachers of the core truths? Aren't they aware of and in touch with the mind set of their own subscribers? It sure as fuck doesn't look that way.
I realize Sam Harris has fallen under serious criticism for his calls for Muslims to be openly profiled at security checks. Though I disagree with this violation of the core principles of modern constitutional law, both for being ineffectual and for the deteriorating effect on the very principles of human decency that we who oppose religious violence claim as our primary motivation, it should be remembered that such misplaced proposals arise from unpleasant realities that threaten to grow in destructive intensity as technology continues to proliferate weapons of mass destruction. Just as Harris' proposals to discriminate based on appearance are misplaced so too is the oft repeated view that Islam is not violent. History shows that all religions generate an ingrained mentality prone to a host of destructive behavior in its subjects which are far less often present apart from religious factors. Less often and less intense. Islam is not alone with its propensity towards violence, rather it is in good company with all religious systems. Isolated? The room is crammed shoulder to shoulder with dictators of divine code. When someone sneezes the others get upset. And globalization is only dumping more of these absolutist once-upon-a-time supreme rulers into an ever smaller turf. A real game of imaginary thrones.
The reason store burning mobs don't form over the release of poorly acted B movies in the 'Christian' world is not due to less emotional incitement indigenous to the culture but it is thanks to the weaker level of active belief in the central texts and traditions of the faith due entirely to the controls and benefits of the secular state. Centuries of torture and murder terrorizing those on the fringes of society was readily tolerated by ignorant desperate parishioners but a century of Christian enmasse gang warfare was simply too much to bear and, digging into our forgotten past we rediscovered our finer human qualities. These completely non-religious elements allowed us to elevate society where superstitions weighed it down. Islamic regions have not shared in this transformation, though they might be starting down the path, but this only explains why they are more prone to this particular display of inhumanity. From attempting to deny basic dignity, through equality regardless of sexual orientation or a woman's safe control over her own body, to wars raged against non-Christian nations, the west has simply moved further away from animalistic fury as we increase our distance from religious zealotry.
But the same excuses usher forth from our religious leaders when things get out of control. Clearly the disconnect is a universal constant stemming from a total ignorance of the true nature of the system they perpetuate. The cognitive dissonance is impressive. As cars burn, as children mourn their murdered parents clergy continue to be taken by surprise.
So this is a message to every member of every priesthood, everywhere around our shrinking planet, from someone who once thought just like you, saw things in the very same frame: The people you depend on to be good devotees are not what you think they are.
No sublime nature. No supreme decency from God.
They are humans. Disturbed humans. And you are the one fucking them up.
It's time to take responsibility.
