This was a hot lunch debate last week with Pete, Graham, Robin, Matthew, Neil, et al.
Something I was talking to my friends the other day – a pessimistic view. 1,000 years ago, we didn’t have lots of good things we take for granted today – education for the masses, science, technology, medicine, you-name-it. In 1006 A.D. we were fighting for religion in Jerusalem; fast-forward and come to 2006, we are still fighting in Jerusalem, for religion. What happened to the education? What happened to oneness of god – something that every religion preaches? It gets thrown out of the window and we are back being savages. It appears to me that rate of progress made by us as individuals in the last 1,000 years is far more than the rate of progress made by us as collections/groups/communities. We as groups are as dumb as groups in 1006 A.D.
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5 comments:
I would not call it a pessimistic view but there are some misconceptions.
1. 1,000 years ago, we had ALL of good things we take for granted today – education for the masses, science, technology, medicine, you-name-it.
I am not a good researcher but if you read the history, masses were educating themselves with the latest science and in every field advances were being made. Please log on to (www.muslimheritage.com) to get a glimps of what was happening at that time. Al-Khazani - Merv's Physicist, Bone Fractures in Ibn Sina's Medicine, The Machines of Al-Jazari and Taqi Al-Din, Al-Kindi, Cryptography, Code Breaking and Ciphers. These are just a few people who exceled in those so called 'dark ages'. If one reads about them without the prejudice of religious belief then it becomes clear how advanced humans were during that time.
2. In 1006 A.D. we were fighting for religion in Jerusalem.
Again, in 1006 A.D. we were fighting for the trade routes (Silk route). Religion only played its part because the head of states/armies were loyal to religious heads to get more support/supplies.
3. fast-forward and come to 2006, we are still fighting in Jerusalem, for religion.
Unfortunately, todays media has given this twist to a baseless story that we are fighting for religion. Palestine is a question of right of 3.5 million muslim/chirstian palestinians who were driven out of their own land after the WW-II by the allies. The reason was simple, Euroup had to get rid of there own problem with Jews. Although muslims have fought against Jews in the past but we were never blood thirsty for them. The blunt injustice against the muslim community in Palestine obviously angers muslim around the world. This is a completely political issue which has been given a religious touch for the right reason. When the politicians become unjust then the religious ones have to intervene to bring peace. To call this a religious war is to play in the hands of World Media.
4. We as groups are as dumb as groups in 1006 A.D
Well, I don't think i'm afraid. Our forefathers existed in groups and evolved and changed. If today we can survive on our own does not give us the right to criticies the people/groups who brought today to us.
I personally think that today we have to have such discussions as religions and war/terrorism is because unjust is being faced by over 1 billion of world population at the hands of one super power and there is no one to question its authority.
Will you call William Wallace of Scotland a 'Terrorist' or a 'Freedom Fighter'. Today you might get away by calling him a 'Freedom Fighter' because times have changed. Only time will tell if 'Terrorists' of today were 'Freedom Fighters' or NOT. I wouldn't even want to go in the debate of 'Define a Terrorist/Terrorist Act' either. So please don't bother. At the end of the day, justice needs to be served, that is what World religions preach and that is what will be asked of us at the day of the judgment.
My Allah give us the courage to stand firm in the face of injustice and mould the heart of the undoers to see the ultimate truth.
IN ALL THE RIGHT SENSE, WE ARE SAME AS WE WERE 1000 YEARS BACK AND FOR ALL THE RIGHT REASONS.
Best regards,
Wamiq Ansari
Wamiq,
Thanks for your comments. I still feel a need for humans to feel humans, and not Muslim, Hindu, Jew, Christians; or Israeli, American, etc. Humans need sense of belonging to fit in, and religion, nationality, fav. cricket team, etc. are merely tools that provide this. For me, creation of god is far more imp. than mundane man made divisions. My two pence.
Warm regards,
Saket
Well, if we look at it in another way, perhaps some of us if not all of us have learnt a lot in the last 1000 years. Which is why there are blogs like these from people like you. :)
But talking about people who haven't really learnt much, well, I'd call it the Karmic chain, which in other words is just us giving in to our bad instincts screaming inside of us, rather than listen to the meek-little good voice from within. :(
I guess we have learned that humans will be humans (and not Gods!), and therefore although we may advance with Science and Technology, we will still be greedy, jealous, power hungry animals at heart (in general). All the conflicts we see around us are a result of us trying to advance ourselves, or those who believe in what we believe in (again benefitting us as individuals in the process).
Once the current problems in Jerusalem get resolved, I have no doubt that the people there will find something new to fight about (as will probably be the case in other conflicts too!). Even in places where one might say there is relative calm, violence and crime continue to exist.
Star Trek is the way forward! ;-)
We need a united federation where people work for the advancement of all, and first of all people should stop believing in Allah, Jesus, et al and Judgement Day, etc the sort of poo that is propogated through religion! Hopefully then we will all realise we have an inner voice of goodness and the ability to do wonderful things without having to fight over religion etc.
Thanks Roshan for your comments.
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