Frankly, the very prospect of commenting on the Islam debate to me seems incredibly fruitless and boring, but my level of frustration with having to hear about Islam in general day after day in media is, I believe, enough of a reason to say something terse. Even writing this bores me, but I’ll carry on anyway.
Aside from the beautiful views and rational people, one minor, but important reason I moved away from the United States and to the Glorious (and I do mean, Glorious) nation-state of Iceland is it’s utter lack of fixation with religion. God…what could be more boring than to have commentators in media endlessly spew verbiage about religion, the most inane, insufferable tug-of-war of debates, about arguably the most uninteresting subject of all. It’s as if this nation is re-enacting the ending scene of the film adaptation of H.G. Wells’ “Things To Come” (1936), wherein a small group of knowledgeable, scientific elite repel the ignorant, afraid religious masses in a final attempt to escape the doomed planet. Check it out, it’s cool.
It’s not the fact that such a debate is being waged, but more so that it’s been WAGED FOREVER, and it won’t ever stop. Meanwhile, humanity makes no progress trying to reconcile hardened positions and in the end, the only thing that shocks anymore is violence. Of course I mean violence occurring in Western Europe, though. No media outlet gave as much as a shit about the massacres in Nigeria last week.
I am, quite proudly, an anti-theist, but the laziest of sorts. Religion, to me, should be passively, gracefully eradicated from this earth, and human solidarity should firmly take its place. I don’t give two shits about adding my voice to the chorus of loudmouths at all times, but once in a while, something beckons you from within to at least yawn loudly. My position is clear, and is in line with Michel Houellebecq’s (the man whose book was commented upon on Charlie Hebdo’s cover on the day of the fatal attack). I think all religion is stupid, with perhaps some more stupid than others, and to cower and offer no response to this debate, or to remain silent, is just as bad as letting fear conquer your heart.
It’s to say that the sword is mightier than the pen. It’s to say that might can make right. With that said, back into the catacombs I go. I don’t want to say any more, and I won’t respond to any comments because I don’t really give a shit about what you have to say. The only person who said anything of merit to me was Mansoor Ahmad Malik, but that’s only because he seems like a good man trying to relax and pacify burning hearts. I can’t do the same, as I have no respect for religion, but I can call a decent person when I see one.
I also pride myself on living in a country that doesn’t shout too loudly about it’s opinions to other nations, and doesn’t invade them when they want something to feed their plutocratic economic structure. Iceland is beautiful, not only for it’s mountain ranges, but because IT MINDS IT’S OWN FUCKING BUSINESS. But in this debate, can we please, please do the same when it comes to religion? Believe in whatever nonsense you want, but please, stop polluting my Facebook wall with Islamophobic or anti-Islamophobic rhetoric and articles. Honestly. Honestly. Who. Fucking. Cares.
In the end, I say, long live Free Speech, and death to bullying. Maybe even death to my bullying, but I don’t see it as such. Being offended and not getting killed is the Enlightened position to take, here in Free Europe. Solidarity with France, the victims of political and religious oppression in Syria, those who practice faith (or whatever) peacefully, wherever, love, Chris
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