Stop "Stop Islamisation"

On September 11, some European right-wing forces planned a demonstration in Brussels about what they view as the islamisation of Europe. But the mayor of Brussels banned the demonstration fearing counter manifestations by migrants.

While being firmly opposed to the viewpoints of the organizers, banning demonstrations is never a good option. When there is a demonstration, there is always the possibility of a counter-demonstration. The best the authorities can do is to separate both demonstrations to avoid clashes. In the end even the main organizer withdrew his support for the demonstration and only around a hundred people turned up where about 20,000 were expected.

The leaders of law-and-order Vlaams Belang – who usually always defend an increase in police powers – were briefly arrested when they showed up to demonstrate. Now they claim to defend the freedom of expression, but if a left-wing demonstration would have been organized, they would be the first to support a police crackdown. Their hatred of migrants and Islam led them to break the law. (Al-Jazeera: “Clashes at Belgian anti-Islam rally”)

Believers in Islam should be allowed to practice their religions and customs.

The Red Mosque

Pakistani president Pervez Musharraf has ordered an assault on the Lal Masjid, the Red Mosque, in the center of Islamabad. The Red Mosque became a nuisance because students kidnapped seven Chinese from an acupuncture clinic (or perhaps a massage parlor). They were freed soon enough, but this led to calls by the Chinese government for better protection of its citizens. There are about 3,000 Chinese working and living in Pakistan. In their view, they are helping an ally and Third World country in its development, helping to build harbors, hospitals and oil fields. But some Pakistanis see them (correctly) as allies of the government. If those people are opposed to the government, the Chinese become easy targets to embarrass it.

That is what happened at the Red Mosque. Now look at it from another angle. We certainly may not like the Deobandi or Wahhabi variety of Islam with its medieval injunctions of no alcohol consumption, no images of living beings, no music or movies and the subservient position of women, forced to be covered from top to toe. But how did the fundamentalist islamist movement in Pakistan came to become so important? First of all it was supported by the state (the army and part of the government). The Taliban in Afghanistan were supported and nurtured by Pakistan's secret service. Many poor people did not have any alternative but to turn to the madrassas for an education, which unfortunately solely focused on the Koran. If the Pakistani government would have done a better job of helping the poor and fight corruption, the madrassas would have had no fertile soil to grow.

Musharraf is wrong to launch an attack on the Red Mosque. It will further aggravate tensions and could possibly lead to the overthrow of the government by parts of the army and the Islamic clergy. It would turn Pakistan into a nuclear armed Taliban-style country. Pervez Musharraf is playing with fire. (South China Morning Post: Chinese targeted to harm ties with Islamabad: analysts)

The Pope is a dictator

The Vatican is all up in arms because a bishop was ordained in China without papal approval. It urged that there be no more 'illicit' ordinations.

Ye Xiaowen, Director of the State Administration for Religious Affairs and officials from the Communist Party's United Front Department attended the mass to ordinate Wang Renlei as coadjutor bishop of Xuzhou in Jiangsu province. This is an indication that the central government recognizes the ordination. It is the third episcopal ordination in China this year the Vatican considers to be 'illicit', because the Pope didn't give his prior approval.

Bishop Zhao Fengchang, who celebrated of the mass, and bishop Wang, both face excommunication by dictator Benedict.

The Chinese Foreign Ministry urged the Vatican to view the ordination in a positively light and warned against interference in China's internal affairs.

While everybody is talking about promoting democracy, the Pope is acting like a dictator. Where is the proof that 'God' gave him the right to decide about bishop's ordinations all over the world?

Three religions believe in the existence of one God: Christianity, Islam and Judaism. Shia Grand Ayatollahs, Sunni Great Muftis and Orthodox Rabbis are only benevolent guides, they do not claim to be infallible dictators like the popes. The Protestants among the Christians also do not recognize a supreme representative of God on earth.

Which leaves us with dictator Benedict XVI. If God does exist, and if He recognizes the Pope as his earthly diplomat, and as the Chinese patriotic church disobeys the Pope, and as God is supposedly almighty, then why does he not strike down those blasphemous 'illicitly ordained' bishops with a bold strike of thunder and lightning? He is doing nothing of the sort, which only proves the Pope is acting as a petty dictator. Or perhaps proves that at least the God of Catholicism doesn't exist...

Shi'a muslims may follow the Grand Ayatollah Ali Sistani or Grand Ayatollah Fazel Lankarani, or Grand Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, or Grand Ayatollah Hossein-Ali Montazeri, or Grand Ayatollah Yusef Saanei or Grand Ayatollah Makarem Shirazi or Grand Ayatollah Sayeed Hassan Fadlallah. Or who knows how many others. Our Iranian brothers and sisters have the freedom to choose whom to follow in their quest for God. Catholics have only the freedom to submit to the whims of a dictator.

The Chinese Patriotic Church is right to resist the dictatorship of Benedict XVI. Amen.