This post concerns religion and may offend persons who are sensitive about religion & zealots. If you are one, read no further >:-/
The last seven days has seen two actions of personal violence against prominent personalities who held liberal views and the violence has been because of their liberal, forward thinking views on religion or socio-political issues.
The first was Salman Taseer who was killed by his own bodyguard for openly talking about and working to amend the blasphemy law in Pakistan. Now we all know that most Pakistanis have a screw loose and are ever willing to take up violence at the drop of shalwar. So this killing was not such a surprise.
Of mild surprise was the attack in Tucson, Arizona on the Democratic Representative, Ms. Gabrielle Giffords. Only a mild surprise because even Arizonans are not surprised by the violence as their state leaders have been pouring vitriol into political issues.
Even without such political animosity, the mad.madrasi take is that both the Taliban and the Tea-party are alike - fundamentalists wanting to go back to an era, which in their opinion was utopia. Their religions are basically of the same book with a different cover; as is Judaism (no pun intended); the so called Abrahamic religions. They all believe in essentially the same book - the critical division being the question of ‘who-was-the-last-prophet’?
I know it is over simplifying things, but ‘which prophet one believes’ is the last of the prophets - Moses, Jesus or Muhammad determines which religion he/she belongs to. You could be able to bridge all other differences, but this question of the last prophet is the crux of their belief.
And where the fight erupts, most of the time.
It is for allegedly raising this question Aasiya Bibi was to be punished with death, then pardoned (??) and whose case Salman Taseer himself took up; to pay with his life.
But then, if you ask an American which religion he belongs to?; You’re likely to hear that she is a Methodist or a Lutheran or an Episcopalian or a Presbyterian or some such other - not Christian.
:-P
So let us just try and understand what this blasted blasphemy means? It can be broadly defined as ‘a contemptuous or profane act, utterance, or writing concerning a sacred entity’. As such a law does not exist in India or in liberal democracies, citizens of these countries should breathe free.
But wait a minute. Doesn’t my country has a law which says ‘offending religious sentiments of someone is criminal’ under which former cricketer Ravi Shastri was to be charged for eating Beef (which is against some Hindus belief) in Johannesburg? I mean, look at this, a man eats beef in Johannesburg and he could be charged in India?
The original law givers in India, the British themselves abolished the blasphemy laws in 2008. But nearby Ireland enacted a blasphemy law which came into effect on 1 Jan 2010. So much for liberal democracies.
Seriousness apart, one Mr. Montek Singh Ahluwalia has been repeatedly promising and talking of low inflation rates in 3 months or 6 months for the last year and half -
My Wicked Half whispers,’Can’t his repeated abuse of common man’s patience and intelligence termed as outraging the sentiments of people and action taken against him?’
Once more, this Subhani cartoon fits the picture (originally published Nov 16, 2009) and also my earlier post.
The last seven days has seen two actions of personal violence against prominent personalities who held liberal views and the violence has been because of their liberal, forward thinking views on religion or socio-political issues.
The first was Salman Taseer who was killed by his own bodyguard for openly talking about and working to amend the blasphemy law in Pakistan. Now we all know that most Pakistanis have a screw loose and are ever willing to take up violence at the drop of shalwar. So this killing was not such a surprise.
Of mild surprise was the attack in Tucson, Arizona on the Democratic Representative, Ms. Gabrielle Giffords. Only a mild surprise because even Arizonans are not surprised by the violence as their state leaders have been pouring vitriol into political issues.
Even without such political animosity, the mad.madrasi take is that both the Taliban and the Tea-party are alike - fundamentalists wanting to go back to an era, which in their opinion was utopia. Their religions are basically of the same book with a different cover; as is Judaism (no pun intended); the so called Abrahamic religions. They all believe in essentially the same book - the critical division being the question of ‘who-was-the-last-prophet’?
I know it is over simplifying things, but ‘which prophet one believes’ is the last of the prophets - Moses, Jesus or Muhammad determines which religion he/she belongs to. You could be able to bridge all other differences, but this question of the last prophet is the crux of their belief.
And where the fight erupts, most of the time.
It is for allegedly raising this question Aasiya Bibi was to be punished with death, then pardoned (??) and whose case Salman Taseer himself took up; to pay with his life.
But then, if you ask an American which religion he belongs to?; You’re likely to hear that she is a Methodist or a Lutheran or an Episcopalian or a Presbyterian or some such other - not Christian.
:-P
So let us just try and understand what this blasted blasphemy means? It can be broadly defined as ‘a contemptuous or profane act, utterance, or writing concerning a sacred entity’. As such a law does not exist in India or in liberal democracies, citizens of these countries should breathe free.
But wait a minute. Doesn’t my country has a law which says ‘offending religious sentiments of someone is criminal’ under which former cricketer Ravi Shastri was to be charged for eating Beef (which is against some Hindus belief) in Johannesburg? I mean, look at this, a man eats beef in Johannesburg and he could be charged in India?
The original law givers in India, the British themselves abolished the blasphemy laws in 2008. But nearby Ireland enacted a blasphemy law which came into effect on 1 Jan 2010. So much for liberal democracies.
Seriousness apart, one Mr. Montek Singh Ahluwalia has been repeatedly promising and talking of low inflation rates in 3 months or 6 months for the last year and half -
- he promised low inflation by Dec 2010;
- instead we had food price inflation of 18.23%;
- his latest is the assertion that food prices will come down by February.
My Wicked Half whispers,’Can’t his repeated abuse of common man’s patience and intelligence termed as outraging the sentiments of people and action taken against him?’
Once more, this Subhani cartoon fits the picture (originally published Nov 16, 2009) and also my earlier post.
God is not above criticism. :)
ReplyDeleteShouldn't be and HE must be feeling the same way. Oops! Is that blasphemy?
ReplyDelete;-)