On Facebook recently I posted an article by London resident Johann Hari and was criticized for my 'blatant bigotry' toward Muslims. The article highlighted the issue facing Britain of Islamic homophobia and the resulting bigotry taught in Islamic Schools and vicious physical attacks on gays in the street and even inside meeting places. Coupled with this accusation were comments about the Christan faith and its teachings in the Old testament on many thing which vary from the consumption of seafood to sexuality. I was once a fervent Christian I know the teachings in Leviticus well. I look at them as rules for a small band of desert dwellers written to ensure their survival at the crossroads of great civilizations.
Thankfully most modern Christians follow the second testament, the teachings of Jesus in which the founder of the faith says loudly the need for tolerance, compassion and support especially for those condemned by authorities and the majority. This has lead to the vast majority of Christian influenced nations have relatively open societies in recent times.
So the question is should we ensure that the liberties gained in western nations for minorities be protected and is the a warranted fear that these liberties are at risk from increased Islamic populations in the west?
Yes, Islamic Governments around the world DO Stone, Hang, Murder, Beat and Denigrate their own people based on their sexuality. http://www.religionfacts.com/homosexuality/islam.htm.
Yes, Islamic Governments are actively seeking to ensure that peoples sexuality is controlled around the world through the UN. Controlled on the basis that same-sex attracted people are not protected in countries where they are not condemn by the government which would allow religious zealots in those countries to do as Islamic controlled countries do..... harass, Stone,bash and denigrate. This occurred in 2003 when Pakistan, Egypt, Libya ,Saudi Arabia and Malaysia used their influence to kill a UN resolution that had been sitting by the table for 60 years which would have given protection to people based on sexuality. http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2003/apr/25/gayrights.andrewosborn
Yes, Britain has since 2007 accepted Sharia Law courts and Homophobia and Anti-antisemitism is being taught across the British Isles in Schools. http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/comment/faith/article4749183.ece & http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/top-stories/2010/11/22/british-children-taught-brutal-sharia-law-in-weekend-schools-across-the-country-115875-22730937/
Yes, the Islamic theocracy of Iran (that is where the Islamic religion controls the ideology of government) punishes homosexuality with death and human rights groups claim between 4000 and 6000 Iranians have been murdered by the state as a result of their sexuality. The case of two teenagers who were hung to death made world wide headlines and sparked much debate of the theocratic laws and how it deals with minors. http://www.charonboat.com/item/56
Whilst I don't want to be saying some theocracies are better than others what is clear on evidence is that Buddhist and Christian theocratic states do not murder their vulnerable citizens on account of their sexuality. Theocratic and fundamentalist states are ones in which victims are an assured result as has been seen across the globe after all the basis of their foundation is adherence to set rules many of which go against basic human nature. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/LGBT_rights_by_country_or_territory
In this age of enlightenment and the individuals ability to access uncensored information from outside their control group it has been in fact Christian nations who have surged forward toward individual liberty. I don't pretend to ignore hate within Christian groups and the existence of fundamentalism. However thanks to a progression of abilities of the individual to make an informed choice which began with literacy through to the protestant reformation and the translation of religious texts in to common language and more recently the Internet and social networking people in christian countries have been allowed to seek an understanding and acceptance of themselves and those around them with less and less interference from others.
Fundamentalism exists through out the world, it comes in many forms.... and in my belief is a result of evolution....those in the gang are protected and therefor pass on their genetics with a predisposition to fervour and adherance to a group mentality. The tighter the adherence to the group the greater the possibility for a combined effort to survive challenges. This can be seen with great success in the recent few hundred years of Jews and Mormons who have dramatically increased their populations despite at times persecution from their neighbours, whilst I don't mean these groups are fundamentalist.
Fundamentalists in my opinion are those that ignore reason and replace it with passion. I have met many in my life, and they are Gay, Muslim, Pentecostal, Buddhist, Agrarian, Unionist, Catholic and French. They give up on knowledge which they have access to and use instead what they are fed from others and join a mob mentality.
I have done it. I have bought a shitty piece of gym equipment at 3am off the TV. I think we are susceptible to it..... that is fads, those things that we are told are good and we rush for it like sheep....it can be simple as a marbles craze at school, a property boom or a hairstyle...for me this is evidence we all have the ability to be lead within us....as was the case for the very free and liberal peoples of Germany which were transformed in a decade to adherents (willing and forced) of the Nazi ideology.
For me the only thing that separates free thinking humans from fundamentalists is this... A freethinker will change his mind based on evidence, a fundamentalist will not.
All I ask is that we keep our minds open and free and ensure that we don't blindly accept that a gay man can be bashed to death by a Muslim as retaliation for his harsh treatment in Holland by native dutch people, or a British school girl told by her state funded teacher she will burn in hell if she acts on any gay tendencies. If we don't the evidence is there for what will become of a society that is led without reason and compassion.