Fundamentalism Is An Obsession
Fundamentalism is not mere point of view
characterized by rigid adherence to fundamental or basic principles.
It is an obsession with some activity, not only religious but anything
like socialism, ethnicity, football etc. to the point of taking
unnecessary risks, creating animosity or abhorrence, neglecting one's
obligations towards all or some of such things as career, family,
hobbies, home and community or mankind. So different types of
fundamentalism require different treatments.
Christian Fundamentalism
The word fundamentalism was coined
because of the Conservative Protestant movement in the United States,
beginning in the late 19th century. It emphasized the following
beliefs as basic to Christianity: the infallibility of the Bible, the
virgin birth and divinity of Jesus Christ, the sacrifice of Christ on
the cross as atonement for the sins of all people, the physical
resurrection and second coming of Christ, and the bodily resurrection
of believers. A series of Bible conferences in the late 19th and early
20th centuries.
Christian fundamentalists wanted
tough measures to be taken against alcoholism, drug addiction,
prostitution, adultery, corruption, nudity and what is now known as
MTV culture. They rejected Darwin's theory of evolution. The movement
lost momentum in the early 1930s, primarily because most Americans
accepted modern scientific theories and liberal religious doctrines.
Zionism As A Fundamentalist
Movement
It was Zionism - a fundamentalist
movement of world Jewry that arose in Europe in the late 19th century
with the aim of reconstituting a Jewish state in Palestine. Islamic
Fundamentalism arose in its reaction. If the European Jews had settled
in US, Canada and Australia they would have made much better
contribution towards world peace and economic development of the
world.
Jews of Arab origin -- Sephardi Jews --
have been living side by side with Muslim and Christian Arabs for
centuries in peace. It was the influx of European Jews in the newly
found state of Israel that gave rise to militancy among Palestinians
whose lands were grabbed by Jewish migrants.
Power And Influence Of Jews In
Western Societies
There are 2 billion Christians, 1.2
billion Muslims, 780 million Hindus, 360 million Buddhists and only 18
million Jews. Such a small group to have such a great influence on
America and the world.
http://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/jsource/Judaism/jewpop.html
http://www.religioustolerance.org/worldrel.htm
Because of their generally higher IQ
level and organizing mutual help in money making the Jews have also
been central to all the important events of the twentieth century.
Jews were important component of the Bolshevik revolution that created
the Soviet Union, and they remained an elite group in the Soviet Union
until at least the post-World War II era. They are regarded as prime
movers of the post-1965 cultural and ethnic revolution in the United
States.
During the British occupation of
Palestine the Yishuv, or Jewish community, in Palestine increased
manifold when large numbers of Jews fled Nazi persecution before and
during World War II (1939-1945). The development of extensive Zionist
agricultural and industrial enterprises in Palestine also took place,
in spite of Arab opposition to British rule and to Zionism's designs
to establish Israel.
n 1947 Britain decided to leave
Palestine, and the United Nations (UN) passed a resolution calling for
the partition of the area into Jewish and Arab states, with Jerusalem
as an international zone under UN jurisdiction. Israel's development
and power continued to increase as the rich Jews in US and other
Western countries gave them massive aid. Hard working and enterprising
European Jews turned underdeveloped land into a modern and progressive
state.
First Arab-Israeli War
Arab resentment for partition erupted in
violence, leading in 1948 to the first Arab-Israeli war, called the
War of Independence by Israel. American Jews gave massive financial
aid and supplied modern armaments. The war involved Egypt, Transjordan
(now Jordan), Syria, Lebanon, Iraq, Palestine, and other Arab armies
battling against Israel, and it ended in 1949 with UN-arranged
armistice agreements, including defined frontiers, between the
countries. In later war Israel grabbed more Arab land and has ignored
the United Nations resolutions on return of conquered territories, it
continues to ignore the settlements on the West Bank of the Jordan
river and has annexed Jerusalem as its capitol in defiance to UN
resolution. Independence of Palestine has not been possible due to
dilatory tactics of Israel and the support of US.
The hard-line and imperious policies
of Israel and unprincipled support to Israel by US have created
terrorist groups like Alquida and Hamas.Their fanaticism and misuse of
the word Jihad has tarnished the image of Islam and delayed the
independence of Palestine and vacation of Arab territories occupied by
Israel besides thwarting the economic progress.
Middle Eastern Terrorists Are Not
Islamic Fundamentalists
The recent rally by Christians in
Lebanon in favor of Hizbullah demonstrates that Arabs are Arab first
and Muslim or Christian second. Use of such terms as Militant Islam,
Islamic Fascism and Jihadi Terrorists depicts not only misconception
but also offends Muslims all over the world. .
Middle Eastern terrorists are not
Islamic fundamentalist but fundamentalist of freedom struggle. They
are an exclusive group that regards the Israel, US and its Allies as
usurpers and enemy. Those in Muslim world who are not terrorists -
especially the Middle Eastern Muslim and Christian Arabs also view the
Israel and its supporters with some antipathy. Al-Qaeda is
opposed to the USA and their Allies in particular, not the west in
general. Western countries that do not interfere with Islamic
countries and their interests are not targeted with terrorist attacks.
Since they don't have missiles,
artillery brigades, tanks and air force, they use gorillas and suicide
bombers. William Blum in his book defines a Terrorist as: "A
person who has the bomb but does not have the air force."
The Cure
Though the beliefs as well as the ways of
prayers, meditation and worship differ, in almost all religions great
emphasis is laid on believing in the equality of man; and the things
that are considered essential parts of religious duties include doing
justice, loving mercy, charity, respect to different cultures and
faiths and cooperation with people of different races and religions
for the good of society and the mankind.
In his Inaugural lecture at the Center
for Psychoanalytic Studies, University of Delhi. Dr. Salman Akhtar who
is an eminent psychoanalyst, an award-winning professor of Psychiatry,
Jefferson Medical College, a lecturer at Harvard Medical School and a
well known author and poet, and scholar in residence at the Interact
Theatre Company, Philadelphia, USA) asked that if fundamentalism and
terrorism are pathology, what is the solution?
In his view the solutions reside in
addressing the pathology. We have to make it possible for people to
bear the burden of sanity. And how can we make people bear the burdens
of sanity?
By offering them compensating factors,
such as a feeling of safety. And if the feeling of un-safety is real,
then we have to restore a feeling of safety. If the feeling of
un-safety is manufactured for political purposes, then we have to
teach, ignore and fight against it and inform people that this is a
manufactured dread not a real dread.
In my view equally important are
factors for equal opportunities for economic activities, better
education and skill development programs, elimination of corruption,
assistance for generating and enhancing economic activities for
alleviation of poverty, fair dealings, a sense of participation in the
affairs of the State and justice in pluristic environment.
We must also realize, as the author
Bob Burg has pointed out that our belief system is first given to us
by our family and then finely chiseled by our environment. Once
formed, our basic beliefs are extremely difficult (though certainly
not impossible) to change because they are carried primarily on an
unconscious level.
As we get older we seem to believe less
and less and yet to believe what we do believe more and more. But we
have to keep on sharpening our reasoning powers just as a woodcutter
sharpens his saw from time to time for the process of learning
continues from cradle to grave. Unless we maintain objectivity and
neutrality in every matter, we would not be able think correctly.
Reason can function properly only in an atmosphere that is free of
selfish desires and motives.
As Bertrand Russell said, "Those
who forget good and evil and seek only to know the facts are more
likely to achieve good than those who view the world through the
distorting medium of their own desires."
Truths could be classified in two
kinds - those of reasoning and those of fact or appearances. The
truths of reasoning are necessary and their opposite is impossible;
the truths of fact are contingent and their opposites are possible or
they differ from person to person according his perception or
circumstances. For instance if we write a figure of 6 on black paper
and give it another person turning upside down, it may be read as 9.
If you draw an arrow on windowpane inside a room, it would point to
right to those who see it from outside.
Do unto others as you would that they
should do unto you may usually be a good rule but not always. From
different alternatives we must choose the best that would be
understood and considered as of mutual benefit or would be of help in
creating harmony and understanding or eliminating hostility or
tension.
American Zionist Lobbying Groups
In the contemporary world, organized
American Zionist lobbying groups and deeply committed Jews in the
Pentagon, Bush administration and the media are behind the pro-Israel
U.S. foreign policy that is leading to war against virtually the
entire Arab world. That is why the critics like Wilbur Sensor opine:
"Zionism will never become a
democratic movement because it is a doctrine of divine right. It is
rooted in blood, mysticism and return to the soil."
"Zionism has forged its case. It
has used deceit, broken promises, backroom diplomacy, violence,
blackmail and terrorism to achieve its ends. It has slept with the
Devil while posing as an angel."_Wilbur Sensor
British Journalist Robert Frisk
wrote:" A growing number of Americans know they are being
suckered by their own government and their own press, that their
country's foreign policy is being manipulated to give maximum support
to one and only one country in the Middle East. So will
"certain aspects of its sovereignty".
Solution Of Core Problem In Middle
East
Both Arabs and Israelis have to make
compromises to arrive at a lasting peace and UN peacekeeping force
need to be deployed to ensure safety of Israel instead of collective
punishment of entire Palestinians by brutality of Israeli bombers and
army. And all the Arab territories occupied by Israel should be
vacated unconditionally and the suspected terrorism prisoners
released. Jerusalem is given back under the control of UN. That will
make it easier for Islamic States to recognize Israel.
All foreign troops in different Middle
Eastern countries must go back. Let the Iraqis solve their own problem
with the help of forces from Islamic countries if requested by Iraqis.
And a long-term agreement with OPAQE countries is reached for
stability of oil prices.
Muslim Fundamentalists
As compared with European Jews the
general IQ level of Arabs is lower. Muslim Fundamentalists constitute
not even 1% of total Muslim population but their Mullahs preach
against rationalism and liberalism. More than 40% Muslims are ignorant
and illiterate. And the surprising thing is that many of such
fundamentalists Mullahs are badly educated. They rely on ancient and
out dated books of traditions and interpret literally the things
described in them metaphorically, without deducting the underlying
principle with reason or logic. Their knowledge of Islamic history and
philosophy and even doctrine is garbled. But that does not mean that
there are no authoritative books and outstanding scholars. The
literature about Islamic ideology, history and biographies of Holy
Prophet (sws) and his companions in different languages including
English is very rich and detailed and of high standard.
Moderate Muslims
Enlightened Muslims are in overwhelming
majority and they know that Islam is not opposed to modernism and
multi-culturism and great emphasis is laid in Quran for acquisition of
knowledge, kindness, charity and above all Justice without any
discrimination. But organizations like Alquida and Taliban have
tarnished the image of Islam. If we Muslims have friends like them, we
don't need enemies.
Here is an extract from Edward Montet,
'La Propaganda Chretienne et ses Adversaries Musulmans,' Paris 1890.
(Also in T.W. Arnold in 'The Preaching of Islam,' London 1913.)
"Islam is a religion that is
essentially rationalistic in the widest sense of this term considered
etymologically and historically.... the teachings of the Prophet, the
Qur'an has invariably kept its place as the fundamental starting
point, and the dogma of unity of God has always been proclaimed
therein with a grandeur a majesty, an invariable purity and with a
note of sure conviction, which it is hard to find surpassed outside
the pale of Islam.... A creed so precise, so stripped of all
theological complexities and consequently so accessible to the
ordinary understanding might be expected to possess and does indeed
possess a marvelous power of winning its way into the consciences of
men."
Soft-Spoken,
Self-Effacing Fundamentalists.
As one American journalist said there are
plenty of soft-spoken, self-effacing examples of the fundamentalists.
It isn't a question of style. Nor is the opposite of fundamentalism
lukewarmness, or the tiresome liberal prejudice that the truth always
lies somewhere in the middle. Tolerance and partisanship are not
incompatible.
About Christianity he goes on to say
that The New Testament author known as Luke is presumably aware that
Jesus was actually born in Galilee. But he needs to have him born in
Judea, since the Messiah is to spring from the Judea-based house of
David. A Messiah born in bumpkinish Galilee would be like one born in
Gary, Indiana. So Luke coolly invents a Roman census, for which there
is no independent evidence, which requires everyone to return to their
place of birth to be registered. Since Jesus' father Joseph comes from
Bethlehem in Judea, he and his wife Mary obediently trudge off to the
town, where Jesus is conveniently born.
Many fundamentalists do not pose
danger to the world peace if they belief that religious duties consist
in doing justice, loving mercy, and endeavoring to make our
fellow-creatures happy. I admire Buddhist and all those
fundamentalists and Sufis who preach peace and love but not hatred.
The Popes Against The Jews
There was a time when books like 'The
Popes Against the Jews': Before the Holocaust by GARRY WILLS and The
Vatican's Role in the Rise of Modern Anti-Semitism by David I. Kertzer
were published and described the Jews as -- eternal insolent children,
obstinate, dirty, thieves, liars, ignoramuses, pests and the scourge
of those near and far . . . managed to lay their hands on . . . all
public wealth . . . and virtually alone they took control not only of
all the money.
The discovery of Dead Sea Scrolls in
1947 helped in softening attitude of Roman Catholics towards Jews. A
few skeptics say that these scrolls are fake. That is a collection of
about 600 Hebrew and Aramaic manuscripts, discovered in Jordan, at the
northwestern end of the Dead Sea.
Late Malachy Martin SJ was said to be
in the liaison with Jewish authorities at the Vatican Councils that
expunged criticism of the Jews from Roman Catholic teaching etc. After
reading 2-vol of The Palestine Diary Malachy Martin is attributed of
saying to the author Robert John that if he had known what he now knew
from the book he would not have undertaken that mission. (Robert John.
14 Oct. 2001 as quoted in a post by Ichee@aol.com)
There was uproar among Jewish people,
though the story depicted in Mel Gibson's movie "Passion of the
Christ" gave unbiased account of the crucifying Jesus Christ.
Gibson had to prove that he is not anti-Semite by tendering an apology
to Jewish people for hurting their feelings.
Anti-Fundamentalists
On the other side, Anti-fundamentalists
are not people without passionate beliefs; they often misconstrue not
only religion but also science and think that human reasoning is
infallible. Atheism is spreading fast in the Western world and
the belief in existence of God is declining. But agnosticism is
found among people born as Christians, Muslims, Jews or Hindus etc.
and they believe that the existence of God can be neither proved nor
disproved. Many people have incorrectly been called atheists merely
because they rejected a popular belief in a particular form of
divinity. With the increase in scientific knowledge and the consequent
scientific explanation of phenomena formerly considered supernatural,
atheism has become a less controversial philosophical position.
Bertrand Russell regarded religion as
a disease born of fear and as a source of untold misery to the human
race. The most vocal critic of religion Richard Dawkins writes, “
Theology is a field in which obscurantism
is the normal path to success, and a favorite trick is to insist that
religion has its own 'dimension(s)', completely separate from those of
science; science and religion are about different kinds of truth and
you cannot use the criteria of one to judge the other; religion
answers those questions which are outside the territory of science.
On the other hand many scientists
regard religion as meme as miraculous cure and achievements have been
possible with the individual’s own power of faith. Religion’s role
in enforcing moral standards for the good of society is also
acknowledged by many social scientists but few thinkers like Ludwig
Feuerbach, The Essence of Christianity Opines, “Whenever
morality is based on theology, whenever right is made dependent on
divine authority, the most immoral, unjust, infamous things can be
justified and established.”
Fundamentalism In The Westernized
Countries
Almost all the Western countries are well
developed not only in industrial and technological fields but also in
education, art and literature. The importance that is given their own
country on justice, multiculturalism, freedom of speech etc. is
admirable. Despite over 90% literacy rate the development of petty and
unrealistic prejudices in some segments of population in supposedly
most liberal and most developed secular societies is not surprising
because of inherent weaknesses in human nature. That appears to be
reason why GBW said:
"You are all fundamentalists with
a top dressing of science. That is why you are the stupidest of
conservatives and reactionists in politics and the most bigoted of
obstructionists in science itself. When it comes to getting a move on
you are all of the same opinion: stop it, flog it, hang it, dynamite
it, stamp it out. "_George Bernard Shaw
The belief that secular and democratic
State is ideal for peace and progress needs to be reviewed. Secularism
and democracy cannot guarantee good governance, law and order or
progress and prosperity. That is merely a method for the transfer of
power according to popular mandate allowing maximum participation of
the electorate. Everything depends upon the character and ability of
the leaders elected!
Good democracy is said to be
commensurate with good education, class, wealth, and occupational
convergence. Quite a few Western scholars lament that
less-than-perfect democracy has been achieved. Some think that the
cure for evils of democracy is more democracy. But my view is that
there should be stricter qualifications for the candidates as well as
the voters. Jerks, prostitutes, criminals and convicted persons should
be debarred from voting. John F. Kennedy said; "The ignorance of
one voter in a democracy impairs the security of all."
Ignorance, illiteracy and poor civic
sense among the masses obscure the democratic values and prevent
election of the right candidates. That is why democracy has not been
as beneficial in Asia and Muslim countries as it has been in the West.
But the West does not owe its progress and prosperity solely to
secularism and democracy. It was the attitude of their people towards
work, law and order, mutual cooperation, exploration, education,
research and training that has contributed in over all progress in all
spheres including sports, literature, leisure besides trade, industry
and commerce as well as science and technology. But their material
progress has not been without loss of spirituality to some extent and
morality to great extent.
Power
Many social scientists agree with
Bertrand Russell that the fundamental concept in social science is
Power, in the same sense in which Energy is the fundamental concept in
physics. But regrettably few politicians do not realize that the power
has only one duty-to secure the social welfare of the People.
Joseph S. Nye Jr. dean of the John F.
Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University discusses American
supremacy and how long it will last. The United States has
unprecedented military power, but the sword alone won't ensure
American preponderance in the long term, he argues. "If the
United States wants to remain strong, Americans need to pay attention
to our soft power" -- our ability to attract others to our way of
life and get them to want what we want, Mr. Nye argues. "Soft
power arises in large part from our values," he writes.
Many American intellectuals have been
critical of such unrealistic Foreign policies but their voice does not
reach the American masses in the din of rhetoric of selfish
politicians. For instance Noam Chomsky, U.S. linguist, political
analyst (and a Jew) has plainly ascribed the terrorist attacks on US
as the reaction to imperious foreign policy.
"U.S. international and
security policy … has as its primary goal the preservation of what
we might call "the Fifth Freedom," understood crudely but
with a fair degree of accuracy as the freedom to rob, to exploit and
to dominate, to undertake any course of action to ensure that existing
privilege is protected and advanced."_Noam Chomsky
(The end)
