I was listening to this song last week:

Darkness falls across the land
The midnight hour is close at hand
Creatures crawl in search of blood
To terrorize y’alls neighborhood

The foulest stench is in the air
The funk of forty thousand years
And grizzly ghouls from every tomb
Are closing in to seal your doom

And though you fight to stay alive
Your body starts to shiver
For no mere mortal can resist
The evil of the thriller

Do you hear tha sardonic laughter……

I wondered if this is not going on in real life. Why? Because it seems to me two opposite views are struggling together for supremacy: One that really stand aquare for the freedom of speech, freedom of conscience and freedom of thought.  And one that is bent on making this freedom subjective to arbitrary and ancient views.

Within the UN, there is a faction of countries bend on curbing freedom of speech in such terms that any discussion of religion is silenced. (see the Cairo Declaration of Human Rights and the Resolution  “Combating Defamation of Religion”). 

Instead of reporting on the infractions of the freedom of speech now some reporters want to report on abuses of the freedom of speech. Although this major thrust comes from Islamic countries, high positioned politicians from other countries have already shown their interest in revising the declaration of human rights to fit their needs. I’m sure Torquemada would be rejoicing in his grave! These actions are counter to the universal declaration of human rights where article 30 specifically states:

• Nothing in this Declaration may be interpreted as implying for any State, group or person any right to engage in any activity or to perform any act aimed at the destruction of any of the rights and freedoms set forth herein.

Under the guise of the argument this declaration being “western” or not taking into account “cultural differences”, there is a large group of countries bent on curbing the basic freedom of speech and actively promoting the protection of religious powerhouses instead of induviduals.

Last week a chosen Dutch parliamentarian was refused entry into the UK in violation of the Schengen treaty and other European treaties and treaties between the UK and The Netherlands. Why? Because the executive branch was afraid the speech of Mr Wilders would invoke riots. You can find the contents of his speech here. hmmm, I wonder how Salman Rushdi, Ayaan Hirshi Ali and countless others would feel about that…..

Of course all kinds of opinion are floating around. From the disgust of this politicians hairstyle, the quality of his movie Fitna up to the value of the content of his political program. But it is not the latter that is top notch debated. No, one issue only in connection to his person is being hotly debated. Due to his controversial position on Islam as a religious faith, anyone defending a basic right on his behalf is immediately labelled as a fascist, nazi, dumb, a little Hitler, and other derogatory names.

In the Guardian there even was a columnist who wrote that there was a racist connotation since many Muslims are Arabic and therefore any critique on Islam is racist. I’d rather listen to an iron glove creaking on a chalkboard.

Another thing that is being said is that this politician is a self promoter. I’m sure that is a very, very bad thing. Name me one politician who is not…..all that is different is the way in which this self promotion is done. A politician who is not in the habit of self promotion……won’t stand a chance of being elected. …..Come to think of it….Did not the latest self promotion in the US cost 4.5 billion dollars? I dare say……Wilders attempts in self promotion must therefore come across as bleak and cheap.

What many people fail to see is that Jesus Camp is as destructive as Mohammed Camp is as destructive as Kali Camp is as destructive as Hitler Jugend, Comsomol or any other high control cult, whether political, religious or any other type. Even a high control family is destructive.

Before I continue I want to make one thing very clear. In The Netherlands, as opposed to many other countries, the book Mein Kampf, written by Adolf Hitler, is a black listed forbidden book. In effect, this blacklist cannot be maintained. Today’s communications make it possible to read this book in many languages on several websites. Wilders, like Churchill, has compared the Koran with Mein Kampf. Because of its (Koran’s) content it is argued the book is not so much a religious book, but a political ideology counter to anything that is considered in line with our current understanding of basic human rights and democracy. And therefore should be handled on par with Mein Kampf. i.e. forbid it.

A very controversial stance no doubt. But this rather highlights the pettiness of such a prohibition and maybe even the double standards in Dutch politics than anything else. A prohibition against the Koran will be as effective as a prohibition against Mein Kampf. A dead end. As a matter of fact: it is counter to the declaration of human rights.

But to be fair, the bible is neither a shining champion of basic human rights and democracy.  I would invite any person who thinks of our western society to be founded on Judeo/ Christian precepts to compare the declaration of human rights to the body of evidence called the bible. Although there are some texts than can be construed as meaning something analogous to some article in this declaration, the whole body of evidence points in another direction. Church history points in another direction. Even the JW history points in another direction.

What hardly is heard however is that freedom of religion only exists because of the freedom of speech. Not the other way around. If a person cannot express what he really thinks and feels about a subject, there cannot exist freedom of religion.

……Yes, as a JW or a former JW we have already seen it. It’s ok to discuss the bible……you may have doubts……but…..the conclusion you eventually have to reach is the WTS is God’s chosen channel of communication in this world today. If you do not come to that conclusion within a reasonable time span (6- 12 months)…..you are either DF-ed for causing divisions and apostasy or they will just stop discussing the bible with you (in case you are not yet a JW).

How different is this from being arrested, trialed and jailed for violating the unity, peace and harmony in a country for espousing your opinion?

Another thing that is bothering is this: Judaism, Christianity, Islam and all their off shoots have a doomsday scenario where the pious will be saved. How is it that as a pious adherent of such notions, you are able to treat other people with respect when you have to regard all those not adherents as fit for destruction?  How can you allow for the freedom of speech if you can’t get yourself to listen and to think about what others have to say?

Of course as a religious person, you have the freedom to express yourself. But so do non religious people. What is the difference between you religious ones reading about and rejoicing together in the destruction of all non fellow adherents AND those who say that your holy books have no value in this day and age and should belong in the curiosity cabinet? What is the difference between those pious ones who call unveiled women  ”whores” and those who consider veiling an act of suppression?

Let me tell you what the difference is: We do not rejoice in your backwardness by clinging to moral confines from the deserts of the Middle East Stone Age. We do not rejoice in the fact that you’d rather believe fairy tales than sound rational thought. Our hearts are bleeding because of this. Our hearts are bleeding because of the pain and suffering you inflict on yourself and others. Our hearts are bleeding for those bereft of husbands, wives, children and other people hold dear BECAUSE of some ancient precept that either prescribes to kill and die or prevents from getting proper treatment (be it medical, physical or emotional) and would improve the quality of life. Our hearts are bleeding for those who are being shunned, maltreated, prosecuted and killed for being of a different opinion.

Personally, I rejoice in the fact that, although many people suffered because of the problems in Gaza, the kids here in the country where I live collected money in order to built new schools there. 500 years ago this particular country has seen the most cruel and intolerant of Catholic invention: the inquisition. Now, this money was collected by kids of all kinds of backgrounds. A precious gift, a shining light of empathy transcending geographical, national, racial cultural and above all, religious differences……I hope the teachers who will be teaching there will realize that it is a gift made possible only BECAUSE of the freedom of speech. 

A freedom worth retaining.