No matter what faith group they belong to, they are the same
Mike Ghouse | 07- 05- 06
In any write-up on radicals, you can simply substitute a few names or leave them blank to be filled in by each religious radical group. All hues will fit right in.
The Christian right in the US is exactly the same as the Indian right. Every now and then, I have discussions with some of them boys. They are indeed shunned by the silent majority as they do not represent the Christian and Hindu values respectively.
I ran into a National corporate trainer a while ago, who consults and coaches companies on multi culturism, ethnicity etc. He didn't mince any words to tell me that the Hindus Jews and Muslims cannot be on par with the believers, as they don't believe in Jesus. Yet he claims he teaches equality of mankind. This prejudiced man probably sells it to the gullible out there.
The Extremist Muslims want to annihilate every one who disagrees with them. The silent majority of Muslims is waking up now at the same pace as all others. We cannot take them extremists any more.
The extremist Jews in their zeal to preserve their homeland, have bulldozed their silent majority. Zionist is the word used by non-Jewish to describe them - However, to Jews it means going back to Zion, their homeland, hence the word Zionist is not the same as extremist Jews.
The radical Hindus have no doubt terrorized all other Hindus with false propaganda to no end. The silent majority of Hindus are as chicken as Muslims, and thank God they are awake.
By the way, the radicals in all religions behave the same way, shamelessly they are a part of the religion they claim to belong, and are they are the most vociferous of them all. Their formula is exactly the same.
The real fight is not between the common people, it is between fanatics of one religion with the other. It is a crime that this one percent of fanatics rules at this time.
The 1% of radicals offer an unshakeable fake confidence to the 99% shook-up followers, that makes the ordinary fellows want to be with them for elusory protection. They concoct the fear and dream up guileful camouflage. They frighten the existence out of everyone. But all the radicals would take the world to destruction, if we don't struggle with them and ebb their influence.
Muslim radicals like Osama, Ahmedinejad and several others frighten the Muslim crowds and gain their support.
Jewish radicals like Emerson, Pipes and several others frighten the Jewish crowds and gain their support
Christian extremists like Roberston, Falwell, Ashcroft and others frighten the Americans and gain their support.
Then you have the Hindu radicals like Venkkaiah, Joshi, Modi and several others who frighten the Hindu crowds and gain their support.
These radicals have to keep the fear as a constant factor for their own entertainment. If there is no war and no fear, their existence is meaningless. They have no qualms in manufacturing fear. God forbid we don't need another 911 and that legitimate fear breeds uncertainty and the radicals offer an unshakeable but foundationless certainty to have the silent majority look up to them. In reality they are the pied pipers.
WHAT IS COMMON BETWEEN ALL THE RADICALS?
INSECURITY
They are the most insecure individuals about themselves and their faiths. They feel some imaginable enemy is out to get them, and they have to destroy them at the root. Some become experts and as I watch the experts talk, I hear the phrase dime a dozen, make them more.
LANGUAGE
One writing fits them all. Write one story about Muslim radicals, take the name of Muslims off and substitute with either Christian, Jewish or Hindu, the story is same.
ONE WAY COMMUNICATION
Radicals never read any thing intelligent, they are too eager to send their limited 50 words any time. Try sending them a blank email, they will respond even to that with the same 50 words in a different combination.
LOW COMPREHENSION
Many of the radicals (including radicals from your faith) have Doctorates and are very literate, but still do not have the ability to comprehend the difference between: Islamists and Islam; Hindutva and Hinduism ; Fanatic Jews (Zionist is not the word) and Judaism, Neo cons and Christianity. If you criticize about any one of these radicals, they will lift up the shield of their religion to gain support from the gullible. They need to know that they cannot use the religion as their shield. They are responsible for their ugly deeds and not their religion. Let them learn to own it up.
Religion is never a problem, it is the individuals like the ones mentioned above who have created the chasm and the fear. As long as one exists, the others exist too.
Religion is never a problem, it is the individuals like the ones mentioned above who have created the chasm and the fear. As long as one exists, the others exist too.
HOPE FOR MANKIND
We, the silent majority, have to just speak up. The radicals are like the classroom bullies who can be silenced by a few united voices. When you hear wrong things, just tell them that they are wrong. The good things about the majorities is that we do not fabricate lies and live an honest life.
Let me share two short stories to make the point.
Where I grew up, Monkeys ruled! They were every where and would walk to you and snatch things off your hands, usually near vegetable and fruit markets on the street side. They were big monkeys, no one dared challenging them except my brother in law, he would grab them and throw them, and they were afraid of him... I learned the life's biggest lesson then. When that Monkey is challenging you and you are challenging him - there is a tense pause for a few seconds that feel like eternity. In those few deadly moments - if you, even think of taking a step back, not really taking, but thinking or blink your eyelids... that Monkey reads the fear in you and is all over you. On the other hand if you stay firm and dare stare him... he will walk away. Humans are monkeys, when two bad guys do wrong - our silence and our fear will make them rule... just dare them, they will run. It has never failed me. Now, I apply that technique against bullies - I just have to say firmly no... and If I get two more to back me, they monkeys will run.
Now let me share its real application: - About January this year, we were invited to a house warming party, the blessing were done. Just before the dinner, people gathered in small groups. There is a young man who had presided the blessings and obviously a group poured over him. The stories of defeat and victory or conspiracy makes one very popular. The following story in variations has been confronted by me with Hindu, Muslim, Christian and Jewish groups. All of us have a few real extremists and some shallow ones. No one needs to gloat on this story, as I have one on every group. I get around quite a lot.
The man told the story of a Synagogue for sale in Virginia some place... and the "JEWS' did not want to sell it for a mosque instead sold it to some business. They could not run the business as they did not get the permit to sell alcohol in that area and had not choice but to sell the place. We "GRABBED" the building and today it is a Mosque" His head was high up, I did not waste a second and said - That is wrong, there is no need for you to talk hatred and Mosque together, No Muslim is suppose to hate any one..... there was that deadly pause again which I have gotten used to. Finally after six or seven seconds, which appeared like eternity was broken by two guys, who jumped on that religious man. The man was honest enough to apologized and promised me never again, would he tell a story that captures base sentiments of people. Had one single Monkey said one word to stop me... the crowd would probably gone the other way. May God forgive me for underestimating the goodness in humans. But it went the other way. The man has not spoken hatred again, God bless him.
If you are watching the television and they show some one in bad-light and you happen to hate them, but you know the information is factually not correct - at that time if your kids express hate towards the group, as opposed to the individuals, as a parents you have a choice to gloat and let your kids also hate or have the guts to keep the child's heart pure. The decision is yours, the change begins with each one of us.
There are people who make it a business to promote hate against each other, as if that is their sustenance. Please stop them or ask them to provide proof, most likely they will back off. We have to stop people from promoting hatred and teaching hatred, at our own level, in our own groups.
Let's not count on some government or some central body to do it. Each one of can do it, we have to match our talk with our work.
Mike Ghouse
www.MikeGhouse.net
www.FoundationforPluralism.com
www.WorldMuslimCongress.com
www.DallasDesiCalendar.com
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