By: Ahmed
ELNAHAS – Montopoli, August 8th 2014.
To those who believe that what’s happening in that
boiling and tumultuous region, known as the Middle East, is nothing but the
repercussions of an old unsettled business.. One that ‘History’
baptised “The
Crusades”; to them I say that the
appearances may seem perfectly symmetric, but only in one single
aspect: the use of religion as an accelerating factor to ignite larger fires, more
difficult to tame and much longer to last. So let us agree to what we know in
that regard, before jumping to some quick conclusions which could lead us to
the wrong decisions. Five successive generations have already had their share
of that.. Hasty wrong decisions I mean.
The Colonial campaigns – known as Crusades - were
fought mainly by Roman Catholic forces against Muslims for a mixture of
religious, economic, and political reasons; and they have produced far-reaching
political, economic, and social impacts, some of which have lasted into
contemporary times.
The immediate
cause of the First Crusade was the appeal of the Byzantine emperor ‘Alexios
I’ to Pope ‘Urban II’* calling for mercenaries to help him resist Muslim
advances into territory of the Byzantine Empire. In 1071, at the Battle of
Manzikert, the Byzantine Empire was defeated, which led to the loss of all of
Asia Minor.
And that is what History keeps telling us. But today,
I fear that the drums of another “Holy War against the Infidel” are once
again beating loudly in either sides, the Christian as well as the Muslim.
Now that the Roman Catholic Church, having temporarily
shelved the “Cultural Dialogue for
Consolidation”; to thrive harder and unite with the Eastern Orthodox and
other Christian churches to contain the tidal wave of conservative extremism,
presented by a more radical right all over the Christian world, before resuming
its intended Dialogue with Jewish and Muslim world; we observe that Western
Geo-political aspirations dictate another agenda where dialogue was never a
topic on its priority list. The agenda, as always, is set to: a) aggravate religious differences and use that to; b) stimulate cultural and sectarian adversities in order to;
c) destabilise
areas of strategic interest so that, d) armed conflicts become inevitable, and e) the immediate intervention would be a must. Under
whichever name: Humanitarian Aids, Technical Assistance, Intelligence
Gathering, Training, or simply “Protect
our Nationals working and living there”. Anything except the truth.. That it’s
all about “Possession and Control of
RESOURCES”.
In both sides, the matter was never, and will never
be, Faith or Religion.. Not even to ensure Justice.. It’s only about power. And
Religion alas is only a perfect cover-up.. A pretext.. An incentive.. A
motivation.. Nothing more. Just look at this figure (representing the “Nations where Christians are menaced or
persecuted and haunted”) to realise
how media use misinformation techniques to
mobilise the lazy and unaware public opinion to doubt and fear the “Muslim Next Door” who’d soon be turned
into the “Terrorist Next Door”.
But then, I have to admit that the root cause of such
a permanent incurable “Chronic Hang-Over” is the only
expected result of man’s persistence on getting drunk of an ancient heavy blend
made from emotional judgement seasoned with ignorance mixed with poverty
all shaken well then aged in old tribal cult casks by a shrewd Bartender who’d
carefully pour it inside the Indifference Cup. Cheer up and raise your glasses,
you’re most welcome at the Globalisation
Bar open 24 hours 365 days.
Right or wrong, sacred or profane, the conflict is
decided and is on.. Just take a look at the head-lines of the press in any
camp: Christian, Muslim or Jewish; in West or in the East, North or South..
You’ll find an aggravated exchange of the exact same words here and there..
Terms like: Infidels, Holy War, Devil Worshipers, Apostles
of Satan, Criminals, Assassins, Terrorists, Good vs. Evil, Hell, Paradise…etc.
Both demanding “Plenary Indulgence” and
promising an eternal infinite life in Paradise.
I say that those who believe and follow such ‘Propaganda’
(whether Jews,
Muslims or Christians) may have read their “Holy Book” or even recite them in full blindly; but haven’t
understood a single syllable of their teachings. And because only the “Merchants of the Temple” are the ones collecting
gains out of war, better a Holy one; as long as they keep blowing strong gusts
of hate over its fires. But your son and my nephew
will aliment these fires burning under the crucible of that boiling hate.
Can’t we all have some time to take a closer and wiser
look into our BOOKS, and try to really understand what Allah actually expects
from us; instead of cancelling our brains and lending emotionally
our ears to a handful of unscrupulous ‘Pastors’ preaching prejudice, hate,
intolerance and exclusion of the ‘Other’!! And for what? Not for the Eternal
Paradise, but for Oil, Gas, Water, Diamond, Uranium, Food, Power,
Territory…Etc.
Believe me, your son and my nephew will not have a
share in any of those.
Pass On The Word.
PS:
·
When two forces grow strong, their conflict is inevitable..
·
When a Catholic Hitler, preaching his “Aryan Supremacy” above
every other race or belief, forced his Reich over Europe, and aimed at the rest
of the world to become his Empire, he called it sacred to pursue Evil; but no
one called his mad slaughter “Conflict of
Cultures”.
·
When the Soviet American 40 years power race was named “Cold
War”; though apparently it seemed a confrontation of the Western Roman Catholic
before the Eastern
Byzantine Orthodox doctrines; not a single historian, scholar
or analyst referred to it as an ideological or a
religious struggle.
·
But whenever, throughout many human civilisation’s life cycles, the Arabs (or any population in Africa or Asia) got strong enough to reach higher helms than Western
expectations (in arms,
in science, philosophy, resources, culture, politics…etc.) or possessed larger fortunes; the war drums beats got stronger,
and the blood spelled filled wide green valleys creating large crimson lakes breeding pain and
cultivating hate, thus corroding the banks of faith and drowning reason. And of
course religion, belief and faith will remain the centre-stage protagonists smartly exhibited under blinding bright spot lights,
just to keep anything else hidden in the shadow.
Name it as you
wish, but be certain that all of that is, and will always remain, nothing else
but the old Western Empires’ Geo-Political Hegemony race, triggering an
emotionally volatile Oriental reactions.
Otherwise why Hate Crimes are punishable in every
Penal Code, and Hate Wars aren’t??
*In November of 1095,
Pope Urban II initiated the first
European attempt at colonising the Muslim world - known in the West as the Crusades - by
drawing this fateful picture:
“For you must hasten to carry aid to your
brethren dwelling in the East, who need your help, which they have often asked.
For the Turks, a Persian people, have attacked them I exhort you with earnest
prayer - not I, but God - that, as heralds of Christ, you urge men by frequent
exhortation, men of all ranks, knights as well as foot soldiers, rich as well
as poor, to hasten to exterminate this vile race from the lands of your
brethren Christ commands it. And if those who set out thither should lose their
lives on the way by land, or in crossing the sea, or in fighting the pagans,
their sins shall be remitted. Oh what a disgrace, if a race so despised, base,
and the instrument of demons, should so overcome a people endowed with faith in
the all-powerful God, and resplendent with the name of Christ. Let those who
have been accustomed to make private war against the faithful carry on to a
successful issue a war against the infidels. Let those who for a long time have
been robbers now become soldiers of Christ. Let those who fought against
brothers and relatives now fight against these barbarians. Let them zealously
undertake the journey under the guidance of the Lord”.
Extracted
From: The Utility of Islamic Imagery in the West (Part 2 of 4) Author: J.A.
Progler
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