via Al Jazeera, a fascinating op-ed.
Prior to 9/11, the Taliban government in Afghanistan did not register very much on American radar screens, with one notable exception: when it blew up two colossal images of the Buddha in Bamiyan province in early 2001. But destruction of treasured artifacts isn't just limited to the Taliban.
There's a right-wing politico-religious presence centred in the US, but with a global reach, engaging in similar practises, destroying religious and cultural artifacts as a key aspect of its ideology of "strategic level spiritual warfare" (SLSW).
Until recently a fringe evangelical movement, warned against as deviant, "spiritual warfare" is rapidly positioning itself within America's mainstream political right. It's well past time for political journalists to start covering what this movement is up to.
As an example, leaders have bragged online about the destruction of Native American religious artifacts, which their twisted ideology somehow sees as a liberating act, promoting "reconciliation" between estranged groups of people. Critics, however, see it as reflecting an eliminationist mindset, while traditional conservative evangelicals have denounced the ideology as un-biblical. Some even claim it is actually a form of pagan practice dressed up in Christian clothes, according such artifacts a spiritual power that the Bible itself denies.
The religious right is very much like our own version of the Taliban, although unable to get as much traction with their violence. If you want a comparison, look at the violence advocated by some of the right wing militia / sovereignty groups, or the bogus claims about this being a Christain nation promoted by any number of far right wing extremists, including our own Minnesota Moron, Michele Bachmann. This bunch of people toss around the word freedoms (it should be freedom, singular, something which irritates me every time I hear it as an example of their freakish illiteracy) while taking every possible step to elminate and destroy other people's choices and liberty. They try to shove their culture wars down are throats, regardless of how unpopular, in an attempt to impose their religious views -largely ignorant, factually challenged, and ill informed - on everyone, in the arrogant and unfounded belief they know best. They are far too eager to force everyone to their way of thinking and their way of living, a standard that most of them dont live up to either, failing regularly to practice what they preach. Look at Ensign and Vitters, as just two examples; there are many many more. The religious rightwingers in the U.S. are just as bad, and would be AS oppressive if they could get away with it. They don't, but not for lack of trying.
ReplyDeleteThat's funny, Al-Jazeera calling the US religious Right the American Taliban.
ReplyDeleteNot too far off though. Americans in their historic ignorance are hainling the same forces that brought about the British Commonwealth.
There are two things which should make an American run like hell when they hear them invoked by a politican--religion and patriotism.
But, it's easy to trick Americans into doing stupid things against their interest.
Just tell them the politicians are going to take away their guns...
Don't you find it weird that Rick Perry does stupid shit like that with a gun, which by the way violates at least one of the 4 Rules of Gun Safety, while he's trying to go national. I could see that working for him in Texas, but doing that while running for President??? I just don't get it.
ReplyDeleteThe Samaria Military Court on Tuesday convicted 18-year-old Hakim Awad for the murder of five members of the Fogel family in the Itamar settlement - three children aged between 3 months and 11 years, and their parents, Ehud and Ruth.
ReplyDeleteIgnore the real scumbags....