Duopoly

Subject: A duopoly.

Following my last blog on the difficult issues of identification amongst the Muslim population  living in this country and their dilemma and psychological schizophrenia  forcing many peace loving Muslims into having to analyse the political issues effecting their Muslim communities in countries across the globe, and end up treating it as a personal affront.

'Any congregation' will see itself as unified and the troubles inflicted on any congregation particularly a Muslim one becomes shared.  A Religious congregation  is a tight congregation, its affinity is based  on religious text. The Koran belief that Gods word  comes direct to them through the words of their Prophet Mohammed means that what the Koran states, much as the Bible to a Catholic, is  an incorruptible truth

This 'exclusivity' allows them to use scripture to take the place of 'national identity' and since it becomes, a state within a state any action taken for what ever reason against a Muslim country is "my 'bothers'  problem" and by religious osmosis, "my problem also". 

British foreign policy has much to answer for but it is unique that, whilst non Muslims would protest at the ballot box, there are significant numbers of Islamic believers who would go further and use force to make their dissatisfaction known. Added to this is the fact that the non Muslim is outside the proverbial tent, and his or her value, as a person is different and categorised as kafir, an unbeliever, a second class human.

Given that the latest atrocity  in Manchester perpetrated against such young innocent people, it has to be this "disconnect" which gives the bomber an excuse to pull the trigger.

This type of religious terrorism can have no end since the history of Mohamed is seeped in conflict and violent acts of survival. There is no equivalent of a pacifist Jesus dying on the cross to save mankind. There is no doctrine of turn the other cheek when your oppressors seek to harm you. There is certainly no equivalence of the violence if a religious image is importuned !!

Religions were fostered to meet the needs of the community.  

From the settled, centuries old, Hindu religion, idealised to meet the needs of India, to Judaism which grew out of tribal displacement and reunion. The Muslim faith, born amidst conflict, the conflict was very much part of its armoury for survival.

Mohamed was first a leader of a persecuted tribe before he received the dreams on which the teachings of Islam is based. He never claimed to be the 'son of god', simply a Prophet and as such his attitude towards the protection of his followers was pragmatic. He would fight his ground where ever and whenever required.

In today's Jihad the fight for survival is no less relevant and it emphasises the intrinsic difference between the three monotheistic faiths. 

Abraham is the common patriarch between Judaism, Christianity and the Muslim faith but each, although monotheistic, has its own way of interpretation.

To the Jews, Abraham is the founding father of the special relationship between them and god. To the Christian he is a prototype believer for both Jewish and Gentile unity.

In the Muslim faith he was a Prophet, a link in the chain between Adam and Mohamed.

The definitions are important since they signify the relationship between God and man. From the special relationship the Jews profess to have through Abraham, to the unifying element between Jew and Gentile in the Christian faith. The importance the Muslim gives Mohamed as one of equal importance to Abraham, he was the final conduit of god's word to his people. Both the Muslim and the Jew are exclusive, their tent is closed whilst the Christian purport to be, "all things, to all people".
A Theocracy has no room for counter claims, it's regime is strict and given the importance of dogma, the penalties are harsh for anyone stepping out of line. This is the implicit danger we all face as Islam secures an ever stronger hold over communities in the West and particularly in this country. 

As Christianity retreats for lack of consistency, the hardliners build their Urban fortress with Sharia Law, already the un-proclaimed legal arbiter in the inner Muslim community in sections of our country.

A society is built on a basis of legal certitude and it had better guard that foundation of consideration and restraint, before we give way to a duopoly under which no society can exist for long.