From Mikeb's blog, by way of Immoral Minority and Al Jezeera:
America's Own Taliban
Incredible picture of idiots with guns spotted at the Immoral Minority.
via Al Jazeera, a fascinating op-ed.
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| That's Texas Governor Perry, speculative right wing Presidential Candidate, viewer's left |
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 destruction of Bamiyan was a terrible loss. Although, all material things are impermanent, but it is impossible to kill the dharma.
ReplyDeleteStill, it is a shame for the world to lose a world heritage site do to religious intolerance.
Likewise, it is repugnant that the US religious right would follow in the footsteps of the Taliban by engaging in ethnic cleansing of Native American sites.
This attitude is yet another demonstration of the terrible ignorance which is being allowed to destroy the United States. It show historic ignorance of European Religious intolerance as well as what happens when religious intolerance is allowed to take over a nation.
That is theocracy.
The United States was founded as a secular republic.
Thus Americans should run whenever any politician invokes religion or patriotism since that politician clearly does not want to address the issues.
Thank you Laci, I agree.
ReplyDeleteIf the definition of where one person's rights end is the tip of antoher person's nose, this would seem to cross that boundary.
The destruction of those artifiacts, apart from being a bloody damned crime against human history and culture, violates the rights of native americans to practice their own religion. You can be reasonbly confident that these religious articles were not handed over willingly to these ignorant religious right racist bigots. I'm sure that the native american community would 1.wish to see them treated with the respect they deserve - which is not THIS; and 2. that given the opportunity, they would include them back into their own religious tradition, as part of their free exercise of religion.
These arrogant, ignorant bastards presume they know what is best for all of us, and force that on us at every opportunity. They pursue a superstitious appease-God approach to relgion that posits stupid ideas like the ones espoused by the Westboro (Not Really) Baptist church. They are destructive, dangerous, deniers of our freedom; and we should all unite to push back against this conduct.
right-wing politico-religious presence
ReplyDeleteI wrote a piece on the Christian-Taliban some months ago in which i could not distinguish too very much the differences in the ideology of either group.
Obviously, when one puts 'faith' and trust in some invisible being, then their sanity comes into question.
I've known for the past decade that the Taliban are nuts. I've known even longer that many fundamentalists are equally nuts.
My definition of 'nuts' is anyone who believes in imaginary stuff to the extent that that imaginary being controls their actions.
There are specific wards in hospitals designated for these people.
Yet the GOP embraces such people [any pig in a poke]. Scares the HELL out of me!
Just because I live near where that picture was taken I would like to point out the race car in the background and the Texas Motor Speedway logo on the podium. A yr or so ago the Nascar track in Fort Worth got a second Nascar race added to their schedule. The gov and the mayor of Ft Worth were announcing it with pistols loaded with blanks. Not sure what Al Jeezra said was going on but it had nothing to do with any religion unless you are one of the local rednecks that considers nascar a religion.
ReplyDeleteCan you show me anything from your local press that indicates this is a picture from that event, and not something else Tuck? If so, that is a fantastic insight into this op ed.
ReplyDeleteThe destruction of native american artifacts by Christians, bragging about it, that still parallels the Taliban, as does the attempt to make this a specifically Christian nation by the right wing Christian fundamental theocrats, regardless of the photo of Perry - another religious nut job, imho.
ReplyDeleteSince TTUCKER mentioned it, the Texas Motor Speedway sign ...
ReplyDeleteWonder how much this cost the taxpayers to put on this event ?
Since 2004, Texas Motor Speedway has collected a total of $1.8 million from a Texas trust fund ... plus for two weekend events, the taxpayers ponied up about $341,000 in waived fees for police overtime and extra sanitation services, among other expenses ... up from $90,000 in 2007.
And Minnesota Vikings fans will remember the name, Red McCombs ... he saw the state taxpayers as easy prey sought $25 million annual subsidy from the Major Event Trust Fund to bring races to Texas.
Nothing like watching our taxdollars at work