11th September 2001
Today I spent a little time alone with my thoughts at lunchtime. Went up to the top deck of one of our multi storey car parks and leaned on the edge, looking out at the world from my concrete perch, quietly remembering the terror attacks on the World Trade Centre in 2001.
Thinking about what happened in New York five years ago, and the recent Mumbai train bombings, Bali Bombing, London's 7/7 attack and subsequent Afghan and Iraq wars since; I tried to work out what is at the root of all the irrational hatred which kicked it all off. Apart from population driven power games.
I found myself reasoning thus;
There are people out there who think that how God is worshipped is more important than the concept of God. Too many of them I thought as I watched the streets diversities from my vantage point. Most of these schisms seem to be (Historically at least) driven by petty jealousies and ego trips. It’s all so tribal. I don’t think God has much to do with it at all.
This thought followed;
No man, or woman, is God, or speaks for him (It? Her? Whatever). No priest has a direct hotline to the Supreme Being, no matter what they say and no matter what God turns out to be. All a priest can ever do is convene a meeting and he or she is less than worthless without a congregation.
Consequently;
Our enemy’s (For this is what they have made themselves) stated aim is to ‘restore the Caliphate’; their particular fantasian utopia. Presumably so they can have power over everyone else, lord it in jewelled palaces and have people put to death / promoted at their merest whim. This being the case they are very poor fantasists. The saddest Swords and Sorcery anorak has more imagination and ability than they. Besides, the various leaderships of the Islamic regimes (Saudi Arabia, Iran, Pakistan, Qatar, Oman, Syria etc.) that their influence might supplant are hardly likely to step aside without a whisper.
They appear to hate the west because the idea, nay the dream, of individual liberty and prosperity is in direct opposition to their totalitarian fantasies. This said, the world cannot support such lunacies; at least not for long. Dictators always fall in the end; both in the political and corporate arena. Castles in the air cannot be established in reality without foundations mortared with the blood of innocents. Regimes built thus always pass eventually and are eventually forgotten by those not addicted to the History Channel. Percy Bysshe Shelley encapsulated their pointlessness, as with all hubris.
To claim that their dreams of carnage are God’s will is the highest of blasphemies.
In conclusion;
The enemy do not really care about their purported religion. All they want is power without real responsibility. Just like any other inadequate.
Postscript;
As for me I’m just a fortyish mildly unfit bloke, leaning on a lichen crusted concrete parapet, wondering at the futility of their dreams, watching the diverse and multi faceted world of the English streets I patrol. I’m just one of thousands who enforce parking restrictions and these are my thoughts on the matter, for what they’re worth.
As for God? Well, I’m sure he’s quite busy enough without me bothering him overmuch. Besides, it’s been a nice enough day, the rain has (Mostly) held off, no one has dropped dead in front of me, no RTA’s, few insults and I haven’t had to issue many parking tickets; for now that’s blessings enough.
Thinking about what happened in New York five years ago, and the recent Mumbai train bombings, Bali Bombing, London's 7/7 attack and subsequent Afghan and Iraq wars since; I tried to work out what is at the root of all the irrational hatred which kicked it all off. Apart from population driven power games.
I found myself reasoning thus;
There are people out there who think that how God is worshipped is more important than the concept of God. Too many of them I thought as I watched the streets diversities from my vantage point. Most of these schisms seem to be (Historically at least) driven by petty jealousies and ego trips. It’s all so tribal. I don’t think God has much to do with it at all.
This thought followed;
No man, or woman, is God, or speaks for him (It? Her? Whatever). No priest has a direct hotline to the Supreme Being, no matter what they say and no matter what God turns out to be. All a priest can ever do is convene a meeting and he or she is less than worthless without a congregation.
Consequently;
Our enemy’s (For this is what they have made themselves) stated aim is to ‘restore the Caliphate’; their particular fantasian utopia. Presumably so they can have power over everyone else, lord it in jewelled palaces and have people put to death / promoted at their merest whim. This being the case they are very poor fantasists. The saddest Swords and Sorcery anorak has more imagination and ability than they. Besides, the various leaderships of the Islamic regimes (Saudi Arabia, Iran, Pakistan, Qatar, Oman, Syria etc.) that their influence might supplant are hardly likely to step aside without a whisper.
They appear to hate the west because the idea, nay the dream, of individual liberty and prosperity is in direct opposition to their totalitarian fantasies. This said, the world cannot support such lunacies; at least not for long. Dictators always fall in the end; both in the political and corporate arena. Castles in the air cannot be established in reality without foundations mortared with the blood of innocents. Regimes built thus always pass eventually and are eventually forgotten by those not addicted to the History Channel. Percy Bysshe Shelley encapsulated their pointlessness, as with all hubris.
To claim that their dreams of carnage are God’s will is the highest of blasphemies.
In conclusion;
The enemy do not really care about their purported religion. All they want is power without real responsibility. Just like any other inadequate.
Postscript;
As for me I’m just a fortyish mildly unfit bloke, leaning on a lichen crusted concrete parapet, wondering at the futility of their dreams, watching the diverse and multi faceted world of the English streets I patrol. I’m just one of thousands who enforce parking restrictions and these are my thoughts on the matter, for what they’re worth.
As for God? Well, I’m sure he’s quite busy enough without me bothering him overmuch. Besides, it’s been a nice enough day, the rain has (Mostly) held off, no one has dropped dead in front of me, no RTA’s, few insults and I haven’t had to issue many parking tickets; for now that’s blessings enough.
2 Comments:
Our enemy’s ... stated aim is to ‘restore the Caliphate’; their particular fantasian utopia.
And how exactly is this different from the fundamentalist views of those in power in the White House? Bush et al. truly believe the time is nigh and Armagedon is approaching, and that Bush has direct, two-sided conversations with his Invisible Sky Giant who most assuredly wants him to beat the other guys' Invisible Sky Giant.
...the various leaderships of the ... regimes ... are hardly likely to step aside without a whisper.
White House. Propaganda. Diebold.
Another Crusade... because the last dozen or so were such stunning successes.
Because the West repects the right of other people to think differently; Middle East does not. You go and try to preach Christianity in Iran or Saudi Arabia and see how quickly you get arrested.
Anyway, that was a very worthwhile article.
Post a Comment
<< Home