The Muslim faith? Now, lets think about that. What is it all about? Is it good, is it bad? Is it intellectual or is it not? Should I fear it or should I accept it? Unfortuantly, I haven't the answer to any of the before because I know next to nothing about the religion.
Over the last few years the Muslim faith has become noticed by none-Muslims, partly, by forcing attention on itself. Some minority members of the faith who have chosen the path of expressing their devotion to their religion through violent means, have made the Western world sit up and pay heed. Most of us really, 'sat-up' when 9/11 happened, now that was a blood thirsty, cold hearted and vicious way to make a point. The murdering of innocents always is but it was hardly original. Throughout history there have been those, (usually followers of some religion), who have decided that it is alright to kill innocent people to make their point or to gripe their gripe. Appalling!
The Muslim faith has also come to the Western worlds attention due to our insistance of going to a Muslim country and sticking our noses in. Sometimes I really wish we would just leave other counteries alone. Okay, so maybe there's a dictator, okay so maybe people are dieing, okay so maybe we want their oil...OKAY! Do I care? Not anymore I don't. The Middle East has survived for centuries doing things it's way whether 'it's way' is a good way or not, (no more or less good then the way the West does things), it is no business of mine. I would like to care about the welfare of other people from these far flung counteries I would love to say democracy and the Western life style will cure their problems but the harsh fact is that that is unlikely. They will just be exchanging one set of problems for some others. Demoracy has it's own evils.
I want to be fair minded and understanding towards people these counteries. I want to be tolerant of other religions. I do not want to dislike people of the Muslim faith. The trouble is that when someone straps a bomb to themselves and then goes for a walk amoungst woman, children and old people then blows themselves to Hell my tolerance buries itself deep.
And now, some cartoonist draws a few cartoons depicted The Prophet Mohammed,( a long with a few religious 'heads'), and a few extreme members of the Muslim faith set fire to embassies and threaten peoples life. I haven't seen the cartoons but I know that the reaction of these few is completly out of line. It must be because the majority of Muslims are as appalled,(according to the press), by such reaction as none-Muslims.
If the cartoons were truly offensive then the cartoonist should apologise and that should be that. I have a sneaking suspicion though, that the cartoonist knew sod all about the Muslim faith and had no idea his cartoons would cause all this. If that is the case his only crimes are ignorance and insensitivity.
The reaction though is worthy of more damnation then the cartoonist deserves. The signs and banners that I saw on the news features, written by some of these people, shows clearly that there are some out there who will use any excuse to stir up hatred and fear.
I suppose though, that we can take come comfort in one thing. No matter what religion we follower, no matter what the colour of our skin, no matter how many generations live and die the human race mantains the same level of illogical and senseless behaviour that would make a four-year old seem wise.