I've woken up this morning to news of the appalling events in Norway yesterday. No amount of sympathy is ever going to be enough for the victims and their families, but, for the little it's worth, I add my condolences to those of, no doubt, millions of others worldwide.
What happens in the aftermath is significant, too. The immediate suspicion after the car bombing in Oslo was that Islamic extremists were involved, but after the shootings, a Norwegian, described as a 'extreme right-wing, fundamentalist Christian and Islamophobe' has been arrested as the prime suspect. When Islamic groups have been involved in similar atrocities in the past, there have been widespread, and sometimes justified, calls for groups espousing hatred to be banned, and in cases where foreign nationals have been involved, for people to be deported. I wonder if there will be any equivalent groundswell for bigoted, hate-mongering 'Christian' organisations to be outlawed? Why do I suspect that no such thing will happen? Call me cynical, but I suspect that this event will put down to the actions of one deranged individual (which it may be, of course), whereas if Muslims were involved, it would have been portrayed as part of a worldwide conspiracy. And the 'Christian' haters will be left free to carry on poisoning the world.
Love & best wishes to all
Sammy B
I hate people who hate.
ReplyDeleteI defend minorities - providing my own prime minority group gets special treatment ahead of other minorities.
I think it's the easiest thing in the world to go for the scapegoat. Remember JFK's 'lone assassin'? Remember the Birmingham Pub Bombers? and there's countless other examples in a host of countries worldwide.
But religious bigots outshine us all - with only sexual bigots running them a close second.
Go on - stick a Bigots League on your blog! There's loads of reasons for most of us to hate those who hate us and I'm absolutely certain that you'd be an excellent bloke to come up with most of them!
Hello Micky
ReplyDeleteI hate bigotry and self-righteousness, the 'I'm better than you because....' brigade, I hate stupidity and lazy acceptance of 'the norm', and, perhaps most of all, I hate the way 'the average person' (whatever that means) is manipulated by the way contentious issues are discussed and reported by those with, often, hidden agendas linked to preserving power, wealth and privilege for a self-appointed elite, using fear of 'the other' as a major weapon of that manipulation.
But a 'hate the haters' campaign? That does seem to me to have the potential to escalate the 'war' rather than promoting understanding. Or am I just rationalising cowardice?!
Love & best wishes
Sammy B
I have no idea how to respond to the whole sorry mess. As you point out, there is little chance that there will be any groundswell of protest over the fundamentalists.
ReplyDeleteI just hope that Norway has a truly miserable jail cell for this clown.
Peace <3
Jay
Hello Jay
ReplyDeleteThe Norwegians are far too civilised to deal in 'revenge' justice, as far as I can see - much of what I've read coming out of the country over the last couple of days should serve as a lesson to many other 'advanced' countries in how to react sensibly and proportionately to a dreadful but hopefully isolated event. I hope at least a few of the so-called 'Christian' bigots out there might think about consequences before they pontificate in future, but I'm not holding my breath in anticipation of such an eventuality.
Love & best wishes
Sammy B