Mo Farah

This morning I had confirmation that I didn't dream it as the newspapers are full of pictures of Mo Farah winning the 10000 metres.
It's one of the enigmas of our times watching a clearly patriotic individual, not only win another Olympic Medal but clearly and emotionally dedicate his win to his family, his fans and the nation. There has been no other athlete as keen to sing his patriotism and he seems to epitomise the good guy, the once in a lifetime person who seems, amongst his fame and celebrity to be a centred family man, who clearly defines his special talent with his faith. He always parades his faith after passing over the winning line by supplicating to his God in the way Muslims do and we, at that moment are confronted with the dilemma of facing in part our ignorance and prejudice. Suddenly all Muslims are not identified by the savagery of ISIL or the patriarchal influence we believe is the relationship between men and women living in the faith and, exemplified by the Burqa. Suddenly he is one of us and the arguments about fear for our future, our fear of being overtaken by a culture and a religion which is very different from anything we understand as being part of the norm we seek to identify "us".
Should we tear ourselves apart with this contradiction, should we become schizophrenic when we address the two images, one of Mo clinging to his flag, our flag and a Middle East rooted society which has arrived on our shores with values and rituals which we don't understand.
If there are answers please send them on a postcard.
Diversity which as the world shrinks becomes a feature of our lives and here is a difficult dilemma, the give and take seems to come from one side.
Religious observance is inflexible, the tenants laid down centuries ago which reflected life at that time, has no way to adapt because it relays on a scrip purporting to come directly from God and who can argue with that.  Well of course every secularist to start with, and in the specifics of the message, every other religion and belief system has a different view. This is what make religion inherently dangerous. Not the ideals proffered but mankind's susceptibility to make it a "them and us" issue.
Mo Farah for a moment combines us all in saluting, not only his achievement but also his humanity.