Nicholas Barrett

Historically people who burn books are afraid of the truth.  Facts didn’t support the nazi “masterace” so facts had to be destroyed.  Fast forward to 2010 and almost 9000 people are planning to burn the quran on September 11th.  According to the facebook page “To bring to awareness to the danger of Islam and that the koran is leading people to hell” that’s a perfect quote by the way, obviously they burned all their school books as well.  

So why do I care about this group of idiots?  Because like lots of other idiots they shout loud.  The Tea Party, Fox News, Daily Mail, English Defense League, UKIP and BNP constantly spread fear, misinformation and hatred regarding Islam and it only serves to smear the intelligent criticism.  

I do blame Islam for most of the worlds terrorism, homophobia and sexism.  I also blame it for human rights abuses and ignorance in the face of science.  However if I was to say those things I would be branded “islamophobic” and be cast into the same category as the right-wing idiots above.  The difference between me and them is that while they attack Islam out of hatred and fear.  I don’t like Islam, mainly because its a religion but I don’t hate muslims.  Most muslims are decent people and many of them died to save our democratic society during the second world war, they just happen to be deluded and its a dangerous delusion.  The conviction of the fundamentalist and even the terrorist is supported by the sheer numbers of moderates.  

Back in the 1980’s Britain was united in its disgust at the racism of the government in South Africa.  Today the treatment of Women in Islamic nations is arguably even worse then the treatment of Black people living under apartheid and yet we say nothing.

Due to the right-wing nutters, sane people are slow to say anything negative about Islam, mainly because nobody wants to be on the same side as Nick Griffin.  There is a climate of fear.  The same is true of Judaism.  In its fundamentalist hassidic form it’s ridiculous.  Keeping children that segregated stands against the general morality of this country and yet again we say nothing.  I lost much of my family in the holocaust and have used youtube to speak out against neo-nazi’s but would not dare to make a video about Judaism.  

Far-right politics has inadvertently granted these religions an effective immunity the pope could only dream of.