Burma is not about religion

The military junta's clamp down on protests - prominently led by Buddhist Monks - has been characterised as a battle between the atheistic junta and the pacificism of Buddhism. Let's be clear about this: This fight is about freedom versus oppression. The fact Buddhist monks are leading this is partly cultural (the deference and respect monks receive) and partly because of the repressive junta's unreasonable oppression of buddhist traditions in Burma. Regardless of your stand on religion - the awful events unfolding in Burma should be condemned.

And Saudi Arabia staves off moving into the 16th century

Saudi Arabia is often described by the American media as a "moderate Arab state". Let's be absolutely clear about this; the only thing that is moderate about the Saudis is the Kingdom's tolerance of the Americans. Saudi Arabia is a very conservative country where crazy-ass Islam has the upper hand. In fact, compared with countries often portrayed as being at the radical end of the spectrum such as Iran you'll find the Saudis are, in many ways, more conservative and fundamental in their views.

So it was with interest I noticed the recent BBC story about a group of Saudi women lobbying the "government" to allow them to drive. Islamic scholars argue the prohibition on women driving is a social issue and not a religious one - given the Qu'aran is silent on the issue of motor vehicles. Technically speaking, it may not a religious issue, but the concerns about the highly protective aura thrown around protecting women's dignity and chastity are deeply embedded in Islamic culture. So, in this sense, the treatment of women as second class citizens in Saudi Arabia is a religious issue.

It's pathetic that half of Saudi Arabia has its freedom of movement curtailed because of fears about the corrupting influence of women being able to freely mix with men. What makes it worse is that women have their freedom of movement restricted because men cannot control themselves. It really is medieval thinking.

The first openly nontheist Congressman

Meet Representative Pete Stark (D-Cal) - the first openly nontheist US congressman on record. In some places being a non-believer would be unremarkable. But not in the States where it's long been said a non-believer would be unelectable.

But Rep. Stark was outed by the Secular Coaltion of America who held a contest to identify the most senior elected non-believer.

It's ironic really. It is long known some of the greatest figures behind the republic like Thomas Paine and Thomas Jefferson were strongly anti-clerical - but were still essentially Deists. Since those early anti-clerical days, the United States has steadily drifted away from the principled separation of church and state to the present situation where the presidency is pretty much a theocracy.

How is this not child abuse?

The Crossroads Counselling Center offers parents help with dealing with their wayward kids. It all sounds very benign. Only it's not. As the Executive Director of the Center told the Lancaster County Times, parents need help to foster the spirituality in their children. In a spookily frank moment, counsellor, Sharon Wegman said,

"Most children's worldview is formed by age 9...we really have a short window of time to be impacting a child and shaping their worldview."

Which sounds remarkably like the Jesuit's dictum, "give me the child and I will give you the man".

Basically, this counselling service is about helping deluded Christian parents to indoctrinate their poor children with the medieval mind virus of religion. Depressingly, many of the kids will be excluded from actually living in the universe. Instead, with their brains successfully washed by the happy clapping counsellors, life in the universe will become nothing more than a depressing curtain raiser before an eternity of cumbaya. How is this not child abuse?

Here we go again...

The humourless bastards operating the al-Qaeda franchise in Iraq have doubled the US$100,000 for anyone who slaughters Swedish Cartoonist, Lars Vilks, "like a lamb". Nice. Once again proving Islam as the religion of peace.

Vilks' offence was to pen a cartoon featuring Muhammed's head on a dog. Doubly offensive to Islamists, apparently, because any representation of Muhammed is offensive and dog's are unclean beasties. Well, I've got two big drooly dogs, so I can kind of understand the unclean thing!

You may recall Iranian President, Ahmadinejad, identified the real culprits behind the cartoons. Rather predictably, Ahmadinejad hilariously announced it was the fault of Zionists, apparently. Damned Jews and their cunning manipulation of the Swedes!

Ironically, if you check out Vilks' cartoons, you'll see his style is, how can I say this politely, not exactly detailed. How anyone could take too offensive to some scribbled lines of art is anyone's guess.

All hail, Ram's Monkey Army

The BBC reports that India's culture Minister, Ambika Soni, has offered to resign over a religious legal scandal involving in a stretch of limestone shoals between the tips of Southern India and Northern Sri Lanka known variously as "Adam's Bridge" or "Rama's Bridge."

Rabid Hindu adherents believe the Hindu God Ram and his monkey Army built a massive bridge and the shoals are the remnants of that bridge. However, they were formed, the shoals are a bit of a nuisance for shipping as they are barely submerged. In some places the shoals poke out of the water in places but are generally between 3 to 30 feet below the surface.

According to the Hindu fairystories, Ram constructed this "bridge" between India and Sri Lanka a million or so years ago. The "bridge" also figures in Islamic folklore as it was used by Adam to get into Sri Lanka where he stood repentant on a mountain top (Adam's Peak) on one leg.

The Archaeological Survey of India had the audacity to tell India's Supreme Court the shoals were natural formations and did not consider the religious texts to represent evidence of supernatural construction. The Survey was testifying in a case involving dredging of the shoals. Nutbar Hindus on hearing of this evidence were predictably rabid about this impudent science and reacted as most reasoned religious people would do when confronted with evidence contrary to their religious beliefs - they went on a violent rampage. In reponse to the protests, the Minister jerked the Survey report and has offered to resign.

The Minister's actions were cowardly and the rabid Hindu fanatics protesting this need to get with the modern World. The only redeeming feature of this entire sorry story is the idea of an army of monkeys. I don't know about you but there's a touch of the Homer Simpson about the idea of having an army of monkeys to do your bidding!

I am a terrorist...

According to The Guardian, global bureaucrat (read UN expert on racism), Doudou Diene, defamation of religion - particularly negative portrayals of Islam was undermining World Peace. Diene believes, `Islamophobia today is the most serious form of religious defamation'.

Diene was appointed by the UN to look at racism and somehow has fallen ass backwards into talking about religion. But what's the connection? Racism and being against a religion are not synonyms. I don't dislike Arabs or Middle Eastern cultures. But I think the way Islam has been twisted by a minority of religious bigots is wrong. And, despite what Diene says, I am going to keep saying so.

Try this on for size - it's not being rude about religion that's dangerous - it's religions that's dangerous. You don't think these thousands of young men pouring out of the Middle Eastern Madrassas with bombs strapped to their chests or sitting under their car seats are doing this because of some Danish cartoon about Muhammed? That would be insane. But I think it is true that these misguided idiots actually believe the fairy story. I think they want to commit these barbaric acts because they believe the Qu'ran. They believe they will be martyred and be rewarded for eternity in paradise. Only severe mental disorder or the mind virus of religion could distort someone's perception so badly that they would commit self-immolation.

And let's not just point the bone at the Muslims. Do you think George W Bush and the rest of the neo-cons peppered through the senior US military/executive apparatus would be playing so hard in the Middle East if they did not in their heart of hearts believe that Jesus's rapture was nigh and they have to protect the chosen people of Israel as part of some kind of crazy end of days novella?