Source :https://mt.m2day.org/2008/content/view/17362/84/
Why should I respect these oppressive religions? — Johann Hari PDF Print E-mail
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Thursday, 29 January 2009 15:49
(The Independent) JAN 29 — The right to criticise religion is being slowly doused in acid. Across the world, the small, incremental gains made by secularism — giving us the space to doubt and question and make up our own minds — are being beaten back by belligerent demands that we "respect" religion. A historic marker has just been passed, showing how far we have been shoved. The UN rapporteur who is supposed to be the global guardian of free speech has had his job rewritten — to put him on the side of the religious censors.
The Universal Declaration of Human Rights stated 60 years ago that "a world in which human beings shall enjoy freedom of speech and belief is the highest aspiration of the common people". It was a Magna Carta for mankind — and loathed by every human rights abuser on earth. Today, the Chinese dictatorship calls it "Western", Robert Mugabe calls it "colonialist", and Dick Cheney calls it "outdated". The countries of the world have chronically failed to meet it — but the document has been held up by the United Nations as the ultimate standard against which to check ourselves. Until now.
Starting in 1999, a coalition of Islamist tyrants, led by Saudi Arabia, demanded the rules be rewritten. The demand for everyone to be able to think and speak freely failed to "respect" the "unique sensitivities" of the religious, they decided — so they issued an alternative Islamic Declaration of Human Rights. It insisted that you can only speak within "the limits set by the shariah [law]. It is not permitted to spread falsehood or disseminate that which involves encouraging abomination or forsaking the Islamic community".
In other words, you can say anything you like, as long as it is precisely what the reactionary mullahs tell you to say. The declaration makes it clear there is no equality for women, gays, non-Muslims, or apostates. It has been backed by the Vatican and a bevy of Christian fundamentalists.
Incredibly, they are succeeding. The UN's Rapporteur on Human Rights has always been tasked with exposing and shaming those who prevent free speech — including the religious. But the Pakistani delegate recently demanded that his job description be changed so he can seek out and condemn "abuses of free expression" including "defamation of religions and prophets". The council agreed — so the job has been turned on its head. Instead of condemning the people who wanted to murder Salman Rushdie, they will be condemning Salman Rushdie himself.
Anything which can be deemed "religious" is no longer allowed to be a subject of discussion at the UN — and almost everything is deemed religious. Roy Brown of the International Humanist and Ethical Union has tried to raise topics like the stoning of women accused of adultery or child marriage. The Egyptian delegate stood up to announce discussion of shariah "will not happen" and "Islam will not be crucified in this council" — and Brown was ordered to be silent. Of course, the first victims of locking down free speech about Islam with the imprimatur of the UN are ordinary Muslims.
Here is a random smattering of events that have taken place in the past week in countries that demanded this change. In Nigeria, divorced women are routinely thrown out of their homes and left destitute, unable to see their children, so a large group of them wanted to stage a protest — but the shariah police declared it was "un-Islamic" and the marchers would be beaten and whipped. In Saudi Arabia, the country's most senior government-approved cleric said it was perfectly acceptable for old men to marry 10-year-old girls, and those who disagree should be silenced. In Egypt, a 27-year-old Muslim blogger Abdel Rahman was seized, jailed and tortured for arguing for a reformed Islam that does not enforce shariah.
To the people who demand respect for Muslim culture, I ask: which Muslim culture? Those women's, those children's, this blogger's — or their oppressors'?
As the secular campaigner Austin Darcy puts it: "The ultimate aim of this effort is not to protect the feelings of Muslims, but to protect illiberal Islamic states from charges of human rights abuse, and to silence the voices of internal dissidents calling for more secular government and freedom."
Those of us who passionately support the UN should be the most outraged by this.
Underpinning these "reforms" is a notion seeping even into democratic societies — that atheism and doubt are akin to racism. Today, whenever a religious belief is criticised, its adherents immediately claim they are the victims of "prejudice" — and their outrage is increasingly being backed by laws.
All people deserve respect, but not all ideas do. I don't respect the idea that a man was born of a virgin, walked on water and rose from the dead. I don't respect the idea that we should follow a "Prophet" who at the age of 53 had sex with a nine-year old girl, and ordered the murder of whole villages of Jews because they wouldn't follow him.
I don't respect the idea that the West Bank was handed to Jews by God and the Palestinians should be bombed or bullied into surrendering it. I don't respect the idea that we may have lived before as goats, and could live again as woodlice. This is not because of "prejudice" or "ignorance", but because there is no evidence for these claims. They belong to the childhood of our species, and will in time look as preposterous as believing in Zeus or Thor or Baal.
When you demand "respect", you are demanding we lie to you. I have too much real respect for you as a human being to engage in that charade.
But why are religious sensitivities so much more likely to provoke demands for censorship than, say, political sensitivities? The answer lies in the nature of faith. If my views are challenged I can, in the end, check them against reality. If you deregulate markets, will they collapse? If you increase carbon dioxide emissions, does the climate become destabilised? If my views are wrong, I can correct them; if they are right, I am soothed.
But when the religious are challenged, there is no evidence for them to consult. By definition, if you have faith, you are choosing to believe in the absence of evidence. Nobody has "faith" that fire hurts, or Australia exists; they know it, based on proof. But it is psychologically painful to be confronted with the fact that your core beliefs are based on thin air, or on the empty shells of revelation or contorted parodies of reason. It's easier to demand the source of the pesky doubt be silenced.
But a free society cannot be structured to soothe the hardcore faithful. It is based on a deal. You have an absolute right to voice your beliefs — but the price is that I too have a right to respond as I wish. Neither of us can set aside the rules and demand to be protected from offence.
Yet this idea — at the heart of the Universal Declaration — is being lost. To the right, it thwacks into apologists for religious censorship; to the left, it dissolves in multiculturalism. The hijacking of the UN Special Rapporteur by religious fanatics should jolt us into rescuing the simple, battered idea disintegrating in the middle: the equal, indivisible human right to speak freely. — The Independent
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written by Zym Zym, January 29, 2009 16:10:30
Of all the inventions that we human beings had invented thus far, religion is the most pathetic and the most destructive man-made concept in all of history. For the tyrannic leaders, it's some kind of oppression over the masses. Well, seriously, of all the religions that I wish that it could be wiped out from the crust of the earth once and for all is the theist religion! If you think that humans need religion to be good then you're dead wrong! Look at the Danes and the Swedes and check this out: http://www.slate.com/id/2203614/?GT1=38001
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written by Wisdom above, January 29, 2009 16:22:21
A explicit exposition on contemporary religious 'Righteousness'.
It helps to reflect deeper as to why 'Righteousness' was high-jacked by their elders.
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written by johntyc, January 29, 2009 16:46:38
Allowing religious authority to control our lives is so Middle Ages! I believe God is always fair to everyone but unfortunately, most religious authority are corrupt to the core, just like most politician. They 'modifies' bible or kitab to suit their own interests, and also their master's interests!
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written by Anti Relon, January 29, 2009 16:46:47
I never thought MT Admin would pick up this report from The Independent (UK.
Thank you
Links: www.independent.co.uk
Now that Admin has audiciously picked up this report, why not pcik some reports from The Freethinker
Links: www.freethinker.co.uk
Thanks again
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written by mountainking, January 29, 2009 17:04:12
it's the same thing in malaysia. Once you are accused/framed to be insulting the prophet Muhammad or Islam, you will be either in ISA or seditious charge. but you are free to condemn buddhism, hinduism, christianity, bash judaism to the max, making Jesus appears to be gay is non-seditious.
if there is a restriction on condemning/insulting the prophets/islam, the same rule should apply to other religions too.
my view, things should not be selective. either you restrict or you permit.
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written by Liberace, January 29, 2009 17:21:52
Mr Johann Hari,
If your faith is in the UN, you are no less misled than the practitioners of all those ideas and beliefs you don't respect. At the end of the day, it's just another idea, subject to manipulation by men as all religions are.
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written by jibbief, January 29, 2009 18:23:31
They has never been or will ever be a god. This god of the Jews, Christians, Muslims, Hindus, Sikhs, Bahais and what not is a man-made creation. All men of religion say that theirs is the true god but I ask, whose god is the true god? Till today no one has answered this question becos they know that they will never be able to prove it.
More men have died in god's name than for any other reason. If there relly is a god, he must reappear to us and put things right so that man can live in real peace. But we all know that this will never happen and so our suffering goes on and on and on.
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written by densemy, January 29, 2009 18:37:17
Read this article alongside Doctor in the House... and cry for insanity that plagues Malaysia
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written by Kopi37, January 29, 2009 18:48:55
I am a free thinker, I don't believe in any religion but do believe in the Deity. The Deity is omnipotent which is symbolic of a good character - philanthropic, compassionate, empathetic and kind-hearted and all these are omnipresent in my heart to feel and in my mind to think of what the dos and not dos in my life as a human being, as the servant of the Deity!
I don't listen or trust the words of the evangelist or the preacher for I regard them as salesmen who are out to hard sell their product which they relied on earning a living or earning fame! I hate those behave hypocritically who preach for one thing and do another totally controversial to what they preach as much as I hate the politicians who are hypocrites in masquerade of a pious religious preacher! They are the insults to their God who virtully have betrayed the product - the religion - they are promoting! How to trust them?!
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written by razzwill, January 29, 2009 19:00:57
Thank you for reproducing this article in all its controversial and provocative glory. Indeed, if we were approached by an insurance company (for example) which demands that our trust in it was based purely on faith, we would chase it out of our sight with brooms and sticks. Yet, with religion, which operates on a similar basis of faith and nothing else, human kind, from the lowest rung of society to the most educated and intelligent, do not question it's motives but accept them wholesale.
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written by lynn, January 29, 2009 19:30:10
Religion had been one most useful tool for politicians in Bodohland, to divide & rule, to brainwash the masses, threaten the non-Malays into supporting BN by warning them abt Hudud law if their votes went to PAS. Yet no one from PAS or Umno had ever educated us abt what kind of punishment they intended for corrupt politicians & cronies, if any..
razzwill, strange you mentioned insurance ... other Atheists I had met were like me: we despised insurance agents & their smooth talk which gives one goosebumps. The worst combo would be an agent who is a extreme x'tian. That's when I promise them faithfully I would bring out my brooms if they come to my door to preach.
This Almighty God's existence can only be accepted with concrete proof. After all, seeing is believing. You see the sun rises every morning without fail. The sun's existence is self-evident & the sun don't make demands on us, nor preach abt hell. But not this God theory; x'tians asked me to prove God's non-existence. Of course I can't prove it because He just doesn't exist! Besides all religions are man-made. The word "faith" is an insult to my intelligence. The only time one uses that word is when we end our letters politely with "Yours faithfully,".
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written by InEffective, January 29, 2009 19:59:14
From time immemorial, men have leveraged and used religion for their personal gain.
(and many have suffered their terror).
What is so disappointing in Malaysia and a total letdown, is that those entrusted with the preservation, application, and the custodians of religion failed miserably to defend religion and prevent it from being abused and leveraged by politicians.
So who is the self-proclaimed custodians of religion in Malaysia ? - why its our privileged rulers of course.
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written by varvoom, January 29, 2009 20:10:55
Religion: Roots of all evil...watch this video and be enlighten http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=I_1Gpt6dKFo
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written by cabearth, January 29, 2009 20:16:12
To start off with, most of the questioning of religions are false anyways. And, as if the Humanists are free from faults.
All of the so call questions against Islam turned out to be a figment of liberal's imagination which forced Muslims to write their own version of Human Rights declaration.
The Islamic Human Rights declaration are more humble and respectful to human nature, that is submission to creator.
Libeals on the other hand are arrogant. They think God does not exist and as such God should not play a part in our daily lives.
So, the motivation of this article is the feeling of regret for their arrogance are now being stimied.
One question: Why do we need to question religion? Is there a pressing need for it?
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written by Tompios, January 29, 2009 20:43:08
Well done Johan! Anyway, I still need religion and the philosophy of the religion. Without religion, most of the Borneons including me will hunt your head for fun!!
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written by born2reign, January 29, 2009 21:26:17
The way humans are behaving you'd have to agree we are worse than animals and are not eligible to enter the animal kingdom. Therefore we cannot be of animals.
We are just the opposite of good humans. We are by nature, evil. Islam will create such a dark world (sorry for those who believe that it is a beautiful religion) mainly because the Muslims do not crucify their cancerous brothers, but allow these men in robes to rule with free hand. What's the difference between Nazi Hitler leading the Germans to murder, and the Muslim cleric leading the entire Muslim population to degrade and kill women and children? Same action, different leader.
The obscene thing is that a Muslim will kill a non-Muslim for questioning Islam, but will stand by cowardly while a Muslim man rape and rob a non-Muslim.
Race and religion are just an illusion. It is a fantastic divider, and one that gives absolute power to the leader. I for one believes God has the absolute power, and yet He gives us the power to choose and decide. Man on the other hand, should never, ever, ever be given absolute power. There must always be check and balance (and sack the bugger who fails)
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written by crazygweilo, January 29, 2009 23:15:16
The 20th century, has been the most bloody and vicious in the history of mankind, and the 21st looks no better so far. Religion can be a force for good, and it is divine in its best form. The problem are people, seeking power, wealth, and land. Selective interpretation results, and religion is used and abused as a lever towards power. It must be avoided at all costs, and the proven solution, despite my studying the Shariah Law option is a secular state, with respect for freedom of worship.
One night at my local pub I ordered a Jug of Tiger beer. My friends and I drank most of it initially. We were on the topic of "Religion is bad"
I demonstrated. "See that Jug, we have almost drank most of it"
Yes.
The amount of beer remaining represents the amount of people who died due to religious conflicts in the 20th century to date.
I called - Lagi Satu Jug.
Along it came.
In this Jug, THIS represents the amount of people murdered due to regimes that had no respect for religion.
I finished the last of the first Jug and said:
"I'll take some religion before no religion"
Is'nt ironic that those who profess to love God, are those who seek to oppress their fellow man. Is'nt it ironic that those who profess to hate their enemies do not love their children enough. As a result, conflict continues.
I do not single out Muslims or Islam alone in this. I can certainly point out the Ku Klux Klan in America. I can point at the anti protestant pogroms in Ireland and the anti Catholic pogroms in Northern Ireland, and Scotland. I can point at the continued oppression of the Thai Muslims. I can point at Spain and Italy abusing religion under Fascism. The wars in former Yugoslavia. AND that, is even before I start pointing fingers at Predominantly Muslim nations.
Meanwhile, without religion, who got power.
Mao Tse Tung, Pol Pot, Josef Djugashvili Stalin, Vladimir Lenin, Adolf Hitler, Slobodan Milosevic.......between them they account for around 100 Million people.
The religious regimes barely account for a fraction of that. Perhaps 5 Million if you are unfortunate. Thats in 109 years.
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written by AsamLaksa, January 30, 2009 00:07:28
Cabearth, who cares if the questioning of religion is false? Just tell me where in the primary sources of Islam does it definitely tell you that no one can question Islam? Tell me with any evidence you have that the Prophet forbid anyone from questioning Islam?
The questions on religion are not the problem. It's the people who get offended with the question that are the problem. Are they the worst kind of fools; those that do not know that they do not know?
Please tell me why is questioning any religion a big problem?
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written by Davy McChester, January 30, 2009 04:41:47
Money talks,UN has been sold out to the highest bidder. We will see the emergence of a new world order which will possess all the qualities of tyranny. If ex UN chief Kopi Anan could find ways to circumvent UN embargo on Irag to help his son,you can also expect the unthinkable from UN: Curtailment of speech freedom through charters created to protect religion, something which caused,and still causing, most deaths to mankind,committed in the name of God. So,people,we are back again to reinforce justified killing machine called "religion". It is time to throw out "religion" that deprives human of their fundamental rights:Freedom of conscience,freedom of choice,freedom not to be killed in the name of religion. We need to speak up against pea-brain religious zealots who wish to control and divide and suppress new thoughts that challenge their stupidity. They want to control you ! It is about control ,not about finding salvation,here on earth. The retards want to control the masses and divide them whenever the retards feel threatened. Most retards,today, run the Middle East countries
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written by varvoom, January 30, 2009 05:28:45
Here2 Davy McChester, we conscious educated earthlings will continue to make this planet a better place for all star dust to propagate as we have the universe to colonize.
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written by Rozlan, January 30, 2009 09:06:42
dear Johann
You can always aked for a public debate with muslim scholars for anything you wish to criticised about Islam.YOu are free to choose a topic..Anyway I am not so sure you are free to debate with other religion..
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written by Littlebird, January 30, 2009 09:29:17
For thousands of years no one has seen god yet billions believe in him. How could so many people believe in something which no man has seen or heard or even performed any direct intervention to save so many suffering people?
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written by mawi, January 30, 2009 09:52:40
The song's lyric ask humans to imagine that there are no religions.Then , the song went on to ask us to imagine that there is no war, no hunger, freedom etc etc. But this can only remain as imagination because even when there are religions, devastating wars still lingers. There is hunger everywhere and humans are still suspicious of one another. The writer lives in imagination. Confined to his own world or probably within small groups of people, his imaginations pictures reality and reality in the making justifying imposition on to the human race across the board.But the reality is, he has no answer to all the complexities that faces human beings ever since time immemorial. He has no right answers as any answers bears no right and no wrong, the very basis of human collusion and the very fact that this has been the only reason, ever since on why humans degrade and exterminate each other.
The answers are in religion.
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written by batsman, January 30, 2009 09:55:45
The US uses Human Rights to attack weak nations. You are joining the pack of dogs controlled by the US.
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written by mawi, January 30, 2009 10:06:22
Deat Littlebird,
I guess you do not believe that the wind exist as you can't see it. Nor would you believe that air exist since we also cannot see air. But one may argue to say that we can "see" wind when it sways trees, moves objects and we can even feel it when it gushes across our face.You can't see god as how you see an object but you can "see" God as how you see the wind or the air exist.
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written by panca, January 30, 2009 10:10:37
Perhaps go sit under a tree and do some good quiet thinking by yourself!
Feel the lovely breeze that caress your face.
Know what is an illusion and be disillusioned!
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written by mawi, January 30, 2009 10:18:11
Assam Laksa,
There is a contrast between questioning Islam and ridiculing it.Is flushing the Quran in the toilet bowl for the Muslims to see or painting Prophet Mohammad in a degradable manner; questioning Islam? Muslims are open to questions and Islam requires its followers to open the religion to questions. But you have to draw the line between what is questioning and what is bashing.
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written by temenggong, January 30, 2009 11:41:40
Excellent article and excellent discussions. Let me add.
"You see the sun rises every morning without fail. The sun's existence is self-evident.."
In philosophy and metaphysics this is called Axiomatic Truths. Any religion or philosophy that is not built on axiomatic truths is a camoflaged lie. Which is most of the religions today (but not all). Faith without such truths is superstition. Today Faith is a synonym for Superstition.
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written by hellosunshine, January 30, 2009 11:54:33
I do believe there is a God but why did he only appear to the people thousands of years ago and not now? His messengers could have passed on to their disciples down the lines, distorted and altered messages over the years, as can be proven by present day management trainers where trainees changed a basic message completely from the original. These trainees are mostly uni-grads compared to the disciples, mind you. Go figure.
Man has killed each other in the name of their Gods over the centuries and it is a good time now for God to appear since we can now spread His message and photos over the internet in an instant.
Or with the present signs, are we heading towards Armageddon?
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written by CPY, January 30, 2009 12:02:41
Not all religions are bad. Though there are theological disagreement, they have at least 1 common point, that is 'do to others what u want others do to u'. Obviously some are misused, & deviated too.
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written by tan_eng, January 30, 2009 14:40:08
Hi Everyone,
The conclusion is all religion are cult. There are no exception, its just that after so many years believing in a religion, majority humans find it hard to accept the fact. :-)
To Cabearth,
You asked this question...
1. One question: Why do we need to question religion? Is there a pressing need for it?
My answer ...
1. Yes there are. You see my brother, people are being deprived of their basic rights because of religion.
2. Wars are happening in the name of religion
3. People are being killed in the name of religion
4. People are being sidelined in the name of religion.
5. Humans are not being treated equally because of religion.
And the list goes on. Humanity must prevail so whenever Palestine or Israel gets bombed then every human will cry for them. Now we live in the age of hypocrisy because religion blinds our mind.
Malaysian fighting For Malaysia
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written by kavidibaku, January 30, 2009 15:00:05
Well said tan_eng.
Religion should be left at home and not to be brought to public or politics.
written by Tompios, January 29, 2009 20:43:08
Well done Johan! Anyway, I still need religion and the philosophy of the religion. Without religion, most of the Borneons including me will hunt your head for fun!!
Tompios, religion is not only to prevent you from chopping other people's head for fun but also to treat every human equally. If a religion doesn't promote that, that's when all the problems starts. Religious extrimism is the root cause for every single problem.
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