Russell Brand brilliantly explains the main purpose behind the Islamophobia Industry and the double standards of State Violence vs. Individual Violence.
Russell Brand brilliantly explains the main purpose behind the Islamophobia Industry and the double standards of State Violence vs. Individual Violence.
Last Wednesday (Jan 17th, 2018) – A Saudi Scholar was shot and killed in West Africa. Watch for more info.
At 3:03 am on Wednesday, former New England Patriots super star Aaron J. Hernandez was found hanging in his cell by one of the correction officers at Souza-Baranowski Correctional Center, where he was serving a life sentence for murder. On his head, a law enforcement officer mentioned, was scrawled the words “John 3: 16” a very well known passage which reads:
“For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.”
Now the question everyone must wonder is “Why did Hernandez choose specifically this passage as his last will and testament?” Well, it’s quite clear that in doing so he’s making a statement that he believed his actions (or sin), wouldn’t have merited him to receive God’s wrath.
But what does Christianity say about this?
According to Robert L. Deffinbaugh, a pastor at Bible Chapel in Richardson Texas, Hernandez’s actions were not enough to make him fall from God’s grace. He says:
“Suicide is sin. God forbids murder (Exodus 20:13) and taking one’s own life is murder.”
He then goes on to say:
“While suicide is [a] sin, it is not the unpardonable sin. The only unpardonable sin is attributing the miraculous work of the Holy Spirit in Jesus to Satan (Mark 3:20-30).”
Now I’ve listened to a number of debates where Christian Apologists try to argue that not having Guaranteed Salvation is what leads many Muslims to negative things like Terrorism and Murder, yet interestingly enough, here we see almost the exact same concept being played out in the opposite direction. Here, we observe an individual committing one of the most grievous sins (i.e. suicide) and in the process leaves for us clear indication as to why he wasn’t’ prevented from this action.
John 3: 16 (i.e. that he believes he’ll be saved no matter what.)
So this takes me now to the title of this article, “Aaron Hernandez’s suicide is no different than a Suicide Bomber.” Why do I say this? Well, the first reason is because as stated by Pastor Robert above, “Suicide is Murder.” So whether Christians want to admit it or not, in their god’s eyes, Hernandez killing himself was no different than if he had killed someone else.
That’s the first problem. The second problem here is the clear consequence of having a Theology where the concept of salvation is guaranteed. If our Christian friends stopped and thought about it I’m sure they’d realize all the horrible consequences that could arise when someone doesn’t fear God’s wrath. Christians, Muslims and Jews alike all argue these concepts when addressing Atheists and their lack of any concrete moral laws. So if we were to go down the Theological Rabbit hole of guaranteed salvation, in theory, if Hernandez or any other Christian were to go on a murderous rampage ending with a Suicide Bombing, then according to Christian Theology they would all still be saved and guaranteed paradise.
Now I know that using such a tragedy to make this point might seem a little insensitive, but bare in mind that in the field of Apologitics we Muslims have seen Christian Islamophobes almost foam a the mouth every time an Islamic Terrorist attack took place, with many jumping for joy at the occasion to be able to throw a few more cheap shots at the Muslim community.
So it might seem like I’m being hypocritical here, but trust me I’m not. Instead of exploiting tragedies to gain a fake sense of Moral Superiority like many Islamophobes do with Terrorism, what I’m doing is using an incident to wake Christians up to the reality of their own position in the discussion. (i.e. instead of propping me up, I’m bringing them down into the real world. Which is needed if we’re ever going to be able to have a real fruitful discussion about our faiths.)
So to conclude, the reality is that both religions can be misused and misinterpreted. And from the Theological perspective both beliefs, be it Guaranteed Salvation or Salvation based upon works, can have positives and negative consequences. And in the field of Apologetics, anyone could spin the other person’s Theology to prove that it possibly had some influence in the crimes committed by their adherents.
For example we could argue that had Hernandez been a Muslim, he would have never committed suicide in first place. This is because Islam teaches that killing oneself out of distress will merit God’s wrath, and such a person would have to enter hell for some time as a punishment. Later though, if he believed in Tawheed (i.e. Monotheism), then he would eventually be removed from hell and be able to enter Paradise.
The point I’m trying to make is that a religion which has rewards and consequences based upon acts can create a lot of positives and prevent a lot of negatives things within a society. And clearly there is a reason why God warns us in the Old Testament and the Quran that if we do sinful actions, then we’ll be punished, and if we do good actions, then we’ll be rewarded in this life and in the next. Allah says in the Quran:
“And he who comes before Him as a believer having done righteous deeds, exalted ranks are for such people, evergreen gardens beneath which streams flow. They shall abide therein forever and this shall be the reward of those that keep themselves pure.” (20:75-76)
Written by Abu Ayoub
As most Right Wingers do, Theresa May on Tuesday decided to make her trip to Saudi Arabia into a publicity stunt. And of course the subject of the Headscarf is like throwing chum into the sea of Islamophobic sharks which tread throughout the Right Wing in the UK. So apparently Theresa May had refused to wear the Hijab on her visit to Saudi Arabia. But one must ask, was her action unique? Had no other women before her dare to show their lovely locks in front of the dreaded Saudi King who himself has female family members who have traveled to Europe without the Headscarf?
Well, if you were to follow the Tabloid media in the UK and US you would think so. But the reality is a lot less dramatic than our friends on the Right try to make it out to be. Creating a mountain out of a molehill seems to fit well in relation to Theresa May’s visit to Saudi Arabia. Where her bold statement of showing her grey streaks appeared to be nothing more than business as usual the Saudi Monarch who has hosted a number of “Bareheaded” women diplomats over the years.
Take for instance Michael Obama’s visit to Saudi Arabia last year. She neither choose to wear the headscarf, nor did she use her trip to make some bold statement against Islamic culture. You know why? Because she isn’t a politician that exploits every possibility to spread hate and fear of the other. Sadly though, many in the Right just seem to foam at the mouth and salivate like dogs whenever they hear anything that has to do with attacking Islam.
And let’s not pretend that Theresa May actually cares about women or their overall safety and well being. Just look at the horrendous lifestyle women who work in the sex industry have to live in Europe and South East Asia. Do we even hear a peep from the likes of Theresa May or her party about those women and their Human Rights? Do we hear anything at all about the constant “Date Rapes” that happen across the UK to girls that go to night clubs, become overtly intoxicated and then are essentially raped by men because they’re to drunk to consent? No.
So to Theresa May and the rest of her party, please stop trying to mask your attempts to make yourself appear to be Racially and Culturally superior to Arabs and Muslims and first fix your own house before you go and try to criticize someone else’s religion and culture.
Oh and by the way, you didn’t seem to mind wearing the Hijab when it could get you votes in your own country. Again double standards.