Why do we ignore Arab influence on the West?

Forgetting the influence of Islam and Arabic scholars on Western culture and demonising them is not very clever. We need to recall the fact that Christianity started in the Middle East – among the Semitic people (those very same people - Jews and Arabs that history now condemns) so why demonise them? They are part of us. If we complain that “they” think and do things differently from “us” remember that “we” think and do things differently from “them”! So who is right? And does it really matter?

The current rigidity of political agendas, media alignment or religious thinking – be it Islamic, Christian or Judaic and the rise of the fundamentalism,  is a strong indication of desperation and a lack of desire for change – even an inability to see the need for change. A “them or us” or the even  more divisive, “are you with us or against us” attitude is grounded in ideology, in ignorance and lacks common sense. This malicious talk gives rise to the false belief that “my” religion is better than yours – therefore yours is inferior to mine; therefore, by default, I am better than you. This is dangerous thinking and gives rise to many of the problem that beset the world today. What concerns me is the  injustice that this type thinking engenders which, unfortunately,  is prevalent everywhere.

What is the difference between extremists of whatever faith, Christian, Islamic or Jewish? There are none that I can see. All worship God – by that name or by any one of many “sacred” names. God is God, but they are all blind to the fact that life, in whatever form, is a dynamic process.

In the11^th century Pope Urban II promised Christians an “eternal” reward if they joined a crusade against the Muslims to help “restore” the Holy Land to Christianity!! I wonder where I have heard this before? Don’t forget that the current crop of Muslim clerics (some of whom advocate violence against the “great Satan” – America)  make the same promises for those who sacrifice their lives for the “cause”. Violence of any kind is the result of moral bankruptcy.

The 11^th Century Crusaders shouted “God wills it” as they attacked Arab fortifications – the current 21^st Century Muslim Jihadist shouts, “It is the will of Allah” as he detonates a bomb!

So what is new?

Did you know that about the year 960 AD the Arabs were performing successful cataract operations with sharpened fish bones; that their knowledge of mathematics, astronomy, agronomy and science in general was centuries ahead of the “West”? Similarly with their manufacturing skills and philosophical understanding – they were way ahead of us “Westies”.

At this same time in history Christian clerics where arguing about how many angels could dance on the head of a pin (I kid you not)!!

At this time in history (the 10^th Century) the favoured  “Western” form of justice was a trial by ordeal – a brutal and crude judicial practice by which the guilt or innocence of the accused was determined by subjecting them to an unpleasant, usually dangerous experiences. In some cases, the accused were considered innocent only if they survive the test or if their injuries healed.  At that period of history the Arabs had a complete legal system and while we might not agree with all aspects of the way it is interpreted and applied, it is still operating today.

Laws and institutions have to adapt with the developments in our understanding. As we become more enlightened in our thinking, as new discoveries are made, new truths disclosed, and manners and opinions change according to circumstances, institutions must advance also, and keep pace with the times.  To do otherwise is to condemn our “civilised” society to remain forever under the regimen of our (possibly) less enlightened ancestors.  Fundamentalists, with their avowed intention to “go back to basics” and apply religious dogma according to a strict, literal, interpretation of the written word are a road block to this progress. This is possibly what has happened in the recent history of the Arabs and Islam and the Catholic Church.

There is also the fact that human activity will always – over a period of time – revert to the mean. By this I suggest that the swings from extreme left wing political views to extreme right wing political views will, over time, become more moderate and revert to the centre.

Over time the same will happen with any human activity. Corrupt authorities will give way to extreme puritanical regimes, which will in turn, over a period of years, change to a less extreme and more tolerant form of governance. But without a revolution (the Arab Spring?) or enlightened leadership this will take generations.

Rigid thought patterns and fundamentalism is the same however it is practiced. Really there is no difference – human nature is, after all, human  nature!!

(I am indebted to the author Jonathon Lyons  and his interesting book entitled  “The House of Wisdom” – subtitled ‘how the Arabs transformed Western Civilization’  which vastly increased my knowledge on this subject.)

Is Judicial Killing right?

Why kill someone? What makes judicially sanctioned killing ‘better’ than normal (if that is the correct term) killing? What brought this to mind is the immanent execution of the people known as the Bali Bombers. No one can offer any excuse for the abominable deed that they carried out – killing over 200 innocent people – but does executing them help anyone?

Not having followed very closely the trial which led to the conviction and sentencing of these people I cannot comment on the detail. All I know is that they were motivated by religious conviction and believed that what they were doing was ‘right’. Right in that they would please Allah, because they were removing ‘unbelievers’ from the earth. Now being a relatively straight forward thinking man I find this difficult to understand – killing something God made will please Him?

This is where I tread on thin ice – religion and spirituality are not the same thing (vide priestly paedophilia). A religious person may well be very spiritual but just because one can recite the Koran or the Bible or the Bhagavad-Gita from memory does not make you a spiritual person. In my understanding a religious text gives guide lines for living a ‘good’ life. These texts are stepping stones to union with God, Allah, Vishnu, Krishna, the Absolute or whatever your name for God is. 

All these texts tell us that union with God is the purpose of Life – after all He made us for some purpose. But they all stress that followers need to actually live the way the texts show – not just to memorise them and then do something else. To do that is being hypocritical – “I believe in God, but I know better.”

To be religious is to follow the letter of the texts – this is the dogma. This is what various interpreters of the texts say it means. In other words you are told what to do – don’t think for yourself – just do as you are told. This sort of mentality is very common and leads to all sorts of problems and misery and unhappiness. Quite the reverse of what it is supposed to do.

This is why I say that religion and spirituality are not necessarily the same thing.

To be religious you follow a creed; without thought on your part, you just follow and do what you are told. This leads to differences – “My religion tells me that I am right and you are wrong.” This mentality gives rise to entrenched attitudes, to wars and death and destruction.

Spirituality in inclusive and unifies. Religion is exclusive and divides.

Spirituality is not dogmatic – there are no rules. Religion is dogmatic – there are rules.

Spirituality recognises that ALL life arose from the one source. Religion teaches differently.

Spirituality loves all sentient beings. Religion loves only those that follow the same texts.

Spirituality encourages thoughtful reflection. Religion does not.

Spirituality is Love. Religion espouses love but doesn’t always show it.

So, while I am desperately sorry for those that lost loved ones ( I lost my only brother in Zimbabwe – killed on his farm by armed insurgents). I am also sorry for the bombers. In their ignorance they thought they were doing the right thing – for their religion.

In this case everyone loses.