Manhattan-Kaboul

December 3, 2009 fuzzylogic1206

During the holidays, as I was looking for some new music to spice up my itunes, I came across a French song by Renaud and Axelle Red, called ‘Manhattan-Kaboul’.  I’ve been listening to it on repeat for ages.  Anyway, the song really hit to me because it’s kind of about something that I’ve felt strongly about.

So, basically it’s about how on September 11 and in it’s aftermath, the lives of ‘deux inconnus, deux anonymes’ (two strangers, two anonymous people) came crashing down- one was a New Yorkean man who was killed in the tower collapse, and the other a little Afghan girl whose village was bombed in the American war on Afghanistan. 

‘pulverise sur l’autel, de la violence eternelle’-  sprayed on the altar, by an eternal violence.  Indeed, religion is causing so much bloodshed and anger and animosity between people.  All these wars going on, everything has its roots in religion.  You’d think that religion is supposed to bring people together- yet it always seems to do the exact opposite- tear people apart…The fights between Protestants and Catholics, Sunnis versus Shiites, Jews and Christians, Jews and Muslims, Muslims and everyone.

I was born into a family that follows a religion that has been extremely negatively portrayed in the media.  And for good reason too.  I’ve always tried to see the good and bad sides of all religions, and having gone to a Christian school for so long, I’ve learnt to appreciate, respect and at times believe in what it teaches.  But with Islam,  I feel ashamed to be a part of it.

This is the religion that oppresses women, views them as a ‘piece of meat’ and causes women to cover themselves from head to toe simply because men can’t control themselves (let them cover their eyes).  This is a religion that has come to embrace ridding the world of non-believers.  This is a religion that cuts off a person’s hand for stealing, and flogs a woman because her husband had an affair.  This is perhaps the most misogynistic, inhumane and ridiculous religion to ever have its naissance.  But the thing is, I believe in Allah or God or whoever it is that’s up there.  I believe whatever He/She/It is wants us to be good people.  It’s all thoses priests and Muslim teachers over the eras that have exploited the words of the Koran and tweaked them to suit their desires and needs and to benefit them.

Which leads me to the thought- is anything in any religion actually the true word of God?  So many people have had the chance to alter the words and the beliefs- how do we know that what we believe in is the truth?  My mother once told me that the most important thing in the world is to stay true to yourself, and to always endeavour to be the best possible person you can be.  And that, in my opinion is the crux of any religion.  So wouldn’t it be easier if we could all see beyond these labels that we brand ourselves with and became one big happy family of the world?

And for a closing thought, here’s a quote from Voltaire,

“If God didn’t exist, it’d be necessary to invent him”.

More about this later!

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