Some people in the so-called Left seem to think that being tolerant and anti-racist means to accept all exotic superstitions, bigotry and intolerance, just because these are exotic and hence being against them could count as xenophobic.
I say that we should consider all religions for what they are and in most cases that means patriarchal oppression of women, children and men as well and ideological brainwashing in favor of the established powers (or an alternative power that is even worse). Hence Islam deserves no more mercy than Christianity or Judaism (or surely others) and must be criticized fiercely like any other dogma that serves to oppress humankind.
Furthermore, I understand that Christianity and Islam (and Mormonism and Baha'i and Sikhism...) are nothing but offshoots of Judaism, of which modern Rabbinic Judaism is also one, even if it retains a somewhat more direct identification with the original trunk religion of Iron Age Palestinians. Hence for me they are all the same religion and the same junk and deserve no respect, although all the tolerance, as long as they don't interfere with the normal development of a secular society, i.e. as long as they accept that spirituality and religion are personal, private matters and that society is for all purposes atheist: having no god.
So here is my stick figure version of Muhammad and his doctrine:
Happy Draw Mohammed Day, which was yesterday.
Where is my fatwa?!
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Notes:
Drawing Muhammad (Islam):
Back in the day drawing Muhammad was a common sight and even today some images of the Muslim prophet are preserved. The iconoclasm of modern Islam is not original but evolved and certainly it is not in the Quran (you can be Muslim and draw Muhammad: it's not haram - no sin).
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| Muhammad (right), Abraham, Jesus and other (Neo-)Judaistic holy men (Muslim miniature) |
Women's dress:
The Quran reads: "that they should draw their khimār over their bosoms". Covering the head or face is not a Muslim commandment, at least as Muhammad proclaimed it. Actually head-to-toe covering dresses are a Hellenistic "heathen" custom adopted by some Muslims later on, it has as little relation to Muhammad's concept of Islam as the crescent icon (which is a Pagan Turkish one in fact).
Fear God:
Years ago, I began reading the Quran (an authorized English version) and it was all "fear God", once and again. I quit after the 5th chapter out of boredom and, admittedly, a bit scared of such a doctrine of fear.
Armpits:
The white armpits anecdote is part of the Muslim imagery of Muhammed and seems based on some early account. I find it so freaky that I had to include it.
Idolatry:
I find quite ironic that Muslims claim to have no idols yet they prostrate towards a black rock which used to be an idol before Muhammad. Even more ironic is how they treat their holy book as if it was a revered idol. But the most unbearable of all idolatries, shared by all revealed religions, is their idolatry of words: they take the "holy word" as an idol instead of understanding that God (if it has to exist) is everything and not just that or that other thing, word or even idea.
From a Pantheistic perspective, all those sectarian beliefs are nothing but petty idolatry. In what regards to me, you can worship a pile of manure and prostrate towards it, it's as godly as anything else (not more, not less) but making an issue of your particular preferential iconography, be it plastic, ritual, verbal or whatever else, is just wrong.
