Sadly enough
From Peshawar to Paris
While so many people are in hunger or poverty, want a better world, or 'fight' for health of themselves or others, I did see a lot of google posts these weeks about "for" or "against" certain religions or their followers. Sometimes very violently. This can work as magnifying glass with boomerang effect, or as 'oil on the fire'. Your opinion or knowledge about your own religion or that of others, will not save our world. Sadly enough, as ex army medic, i have been crying every day for 1 month now due blood-shedding in our world going on. Perpetrators often use a religious mask, flag or book as smokescreen to get in mainstream or social media, which do not reflect reality. Today a comedian in France was arrested for his statements on facebook. His lawyer said it was freedom of speech. What's funny about blood and death, while tears of the bereaved have not even dried ?. What's good about radicalization on behalf of yourself?. I have not seen the statements, but it could be incitement to violence / terror / hatred / sedition. We ( read; the law ) in Netherlands are very strict with weapons. You may only use an object as thus in extreme case of self-defense. We have learned this the hard way. We are not innocent. Hundreds of years ago we conducted crusades and wars with spears and swords because of a belief. If someone would not listen to the word of God and the Bible, heads were chopped off.
Nowadays some religious people read all the 'books' - as robots - for years. Books are made of paper and thus potentially fungi. Words are dust, deciduous, it does not matter if the book is thousand years old, appears as a magazine every two weeks or on internet. It is better to read just one book and get back to work. Example; 30 years ago - i was 16 - i met an 55 year old monk fled from Tibet. He studied 'the book' for 30 year. I asked him; ,, Buddhism is about letting go ?. Can you not let go the religion first ? ". The monk did not know what he should answer. Yet the solution is in this thought. Read and Let Go. A religion should be a guideline for a 'good life' for you and our fellow human. Remember the Radicalization Theory, which i saw in 1993. The theory was developed in 25 years since the 70's by two professors, one from Israel and one from Gaza. Their formula they then tested on multiple conflicts in the world. The formula holds the following;
2 % is radical and may proceed to commit extreme acts. Up to 5 % is follower and could possibly commit extreme actions.
Fine. At least 93% is just a good human being. Do not lose hope, mercy, acceptance and compassion for each other.
Be wise, have patience and keep an open mind. Don't close your door for strangers.
Not A Child Anymore