Erosion of Basic Human Precepts and the Collapse of Conscience

تآكل المبادئ الأساسية للإنسان وانهيار الضمير.

Erosion of Basic Human Precepts and the Collapse of Conscience

"There is no doubt about degeneration: the only question is whether it will terminal." Here we look at the collapse of conscience, all around. Clerics in Iran, Arabia, Israel and the United States all hate each other, and make their congregants hate also. In doing this, they betray their own spiritual precepts. The imagery and narrative of the bible features genocide, an extreme demonization of your neighbor and your cousin (as Jews and Arabs are), serving aggressive state land theft or outright extermination of all those different from you. The Book of Revelation preaches genocide, a big war in Meggido, Armageddin,  against those who do not accept Jesus Christ as God himself.

Today, the most important question is why clerics, men of God, serve the darkest forces known to man - genocide. In Iran, in Gaza, in Israel and the United States, scriptures are being used tochart poklicy. This temptation is part laziness, part delusion. Because the USA backed and still backs, the Israeli settlement of the West Bank of Palestine, many bad things happen in response to that obvious aggression and land theft. Iran is building  nuclear weapons, ballistic missiles, chemical toxins, radioactive devices, plus new prisons to house dissidents.  Foolishly, the Palestinian clerics in Gaza keep proclaiming that they will drive Israelis into the sea, and kill all the Jews, playing right into the hands of the Jewish land thieves. Such genocidal talk is also found widespread in the United States. The clerics there will even talk about it before their congregations, or on the radio, with a flicker of shame.

But victims of such dark forces do not go down easily. If you were stripped of your land and other immovable possessions, you would fight, too. You would also fight if your relatives were blown ujp by terrorist bomb directed at innocent civilians.

This identification with biblical or Qur'anic imagery leads to 'a casual routine genocidal demonization of your neighbor and your cousin,'  Darkness grows in the minds of many clerics, and their people follow.

These extremists always end up fighting their own co-religionists, and their own congregation, because their paths to power are false and ultimately suicidal. Take the case of the United States in 2011. The Libyan civil war prompted jitters in the markets, the price of gasoline went up a third. The Saudis easily could have pumped more crude petroleum, bringing the price of gasoline down from $3.85/gallon back to $2.85, where it was when fighting erupted in Libya. But unhappy with America's long-time acquiescense in Likud's theft of  Arab Palestine, King Abdul-Azziz decided to... just do nothing. The economic fates of some 200 million Americans were sealed. The high oil prices pushed the prices of all commodities up and up.

In Arabia, the clerics are once again pushing scripture as a blueprint for genocide. In the United States, the lead Republican candidates support a war against Iran and will start one if elected 'to save Israel.'  All the Iranians have to do is dump a daily truck load of sea mines, and they'll float into the main channel of the Strait of Hormuz, cutting all tanker traffic. All the world's economies would be drastically affected. But again, scripture is operative.

The bible and the Qur'an include some genocidal passages, which now are being used, not just to justify violence against innocents, but as a blueprint for genocide and occupation. The Torah is actually quite clear: "Do not you use my name to cause harm: if you do, I will punish you most severely."   (Exodus 20:7)

Israel -

We are nearly finished with a 20-page paper entitled “A Phalanx of Lies: How Falsehoods Bedevil Peace in the Middle East.” The paper documents the role(s) of clerics, in Gaza, Israel, Hizbullah, Iran, Turkey, Saudi Arabia, and in the USA as well, as they enforce the genocidal passages in their scriptures. All the scriptures feature genocidal passages, directives. This is because proto-states used their religion to make the waging of war possible. War had long been seen as 'poor form' in the Middle East, but today, revenge has replaced restitution.

Usually, secular governments had mitigated this demeaning racism, this vicious disparagement and demonization of those from other religions. But times have changed. Now scripture seems to offer a blueprint for political action, being it the theft of a country, Arab Palestine, or the murderous targeting of innocent civilians by Islamist and secular Arab terrorist organs. The evangelical Christian Zionists in America use the scripture to goad the Israelis on, to seize Arab land and drive those evil people out. The fact that they render life almost impossible for Christian Arabs as well, does not phase them. The bigotry is not just sectarian, but also racial. This is foolish, and a big lie: we are all closely related, come from the same source.

Why clerics get away with promoting, advising, directing, genocidal acts, is best addressed by examining those very early biblical images of the Middle East which float freely in our own divided psyches.

Even if Jewish fanatics manage to slay the other, the land will always remain 'stolen.' And thus cause more terror and war and poverty. 

Israel is of course a Muslim country as well as a Jewish one, but this is may change. Clerics in NYC are talking about 'opening the land' and 'cleansing all of Israel.' Political representation for the Arabs in the Knesset – some 2 members out of 120 – is just symbolic, a token. But still Americans are instructed  that "Israel is the only democracy in the Middle East.” That is simply not true. Arabs have their own traditions of democracy, expressed most locally in the local elections of the bedouin chief. Muhammad successors (the first four caliphs) were all elected. In village councils decisions are made in consultation. The showing of hands, which is voting, is often used.

In the Muslim world, violent Jihadists and terror-planning mullahs have been rolled back just about everywhere. The late terrorist Anwar al Aswlaki believed those Yemeni tribes in the east would protect him.

But why fight Arab terror organs while letting the much stronger Israelis take their land?  Isn't such an 'alliance' counterproductive to Israel?  By acquiescing, are not the Americans hurting themselves?

The destiny olf Israel is not to lord over others,  taking their land. It is to be a nation amongst other nations. That is where prosperity and mental health lies.

Right-wing Jewish settlers are now routinely targeting Arab Palestinians, not just in the West Bank, but inside Israel itself. An Arab mosque in northern Israel was recently burned down. Every time President Obama made a move for peace, these biblical fanatics announced more settlement housing around East Jerusalem and in the West Bank. If you want to see what these crazed mean people do to American Jews who talk of peace with their Arab neighbors, log on to www.massada2000.org.

Observers often mention the right-wing Likud and religious parties as being committed above all to a Greater Israel. International law and humanistic norms are seen as threats, obstacles. Such a naked seizure of land, required force, violence, surveillance. Of course these fanatics: falsehoods, selfishness, short-sightedness, injustice, oppression, the utter demonization of your neighbor and cousin, plus slow motion genocide of their Arab cousins.

The radical Jews enforce these lies: that Israel first developed monotheism. That the orthodox Jews are God's chosen people; that Jews are smarter than others; that clerics represent the human spirit; that scriptures provide morality and historical truth; that the bible is an accurate record of the Canaanite Hebrews; that Jews are the natural leaders of the West; that driving out the Arabs will solve anything; that American politicians are free from prejudice, such as to be an arbiter between Arab and Jews.

Peace talks have been going on and off for some four decades. Israel is about a hundred times more powerful than the Palestinian Arabs, so how can there be any fair, impartial justice through negotiations?

The Americans claim that status – impartial arbiter. Indeed, they have facilitated meetings between Arab and Israeli leaders. The Interim agreement of 1996 was a start, but this was rendered null and void by the Likud bullies led by the great whiner, Bibi Netanyahu. But what can the majority of decent Israelis and American do? The politics of symbolic appeal have led to genocide – terror, eviction from homes, teaching school children to hate – and these fanatics will viciously try to hurt anyone talking of peace.

Racism and sectarian bigotry is rising across the region. All Abrahamic religions revere scriptures that feature, even advise, genocide. Those of other faiths, even of other Abrahamic faiths, are demonized and disparaged – rejected. Why is it that it is the clerics who instigate and justify and even direct this aggression?

Radical fanatic clergy have taken over many mosques as well. All Mid East countries, except perhaps Saudi Arabia, have strong secular traditions; but these enlightened traditions are weakened when right-wing bigots are allowed to seize the commons, steal the debate. They are ,loud and pomp;ous and ignorant of their own scriptures. Nor do they access and build on science. To understand any of the three religions, one needs access to some 12 different social sciences, from evolutionary psychology to comparative religions to history. Physical sciences are needed as well: neuroscience, social neurobiology, pathological psychiatry, genetics. All these sciences have potent lessons, based on truth. They show the religious fundamentalists to be incompetent in their own domain.

A religious group becomes spiritually when it is used to bolster egos and dream. When a religious group becomes exclusive, telling its people that it is the only way to God, or that they are God's chosen, then we know it is a false way, possibly dangerous.

The Israeli government is also moving against the Arab Bedouin. These wanderers have never been much of a problem for the Israelis. But such is the control mania that these 'illegal' non-Jews, the original inhabitants of the land, are being forced to settled down in planned villages which can be watched and controlled. Of course the original Hebrews were nomads, too.

Since Israel is leading the (unthinking) American public, we need examine how the knee-jerk support by Republicans for Israel's annexation of Jerusalem and the West Bank, plays into and validates Al Qaida's accusations about the US – that it is Jewish controlled, aligned with the right-wing Israelis.

Note what happened, however. The Saudi king was supposed to pump more oil to keep prices down, but opted not to do so. So Americans pay $3.50 a gallon when it should be $2.65. The very life of the American people is now challenged.

Remember what God says about all this: “Do not use my name to cause harm. If you do, I will punish you most severely.” That's from the Book of Exodus, 20:7.

Egypt -

Big demonstrations in Tahrir Square in Cairo, against the military's attempts to become the main power in Egypt from here on in. The army is trying to put itself above the law. They forced the interim government and the Supreme Council to utter principles permitting the army to disband parliament, iof it wants. The army also wants command over its own budget. The military has been quiet, but such direct challenges to their undemocratic privileges, have never been tolerated by the Egyptian armed forces.

Syria -

Violence increases with some 73 killed on November 15, 55 on the 18^th, and many more after Friday prayers on the 18^th of November. The Al Asad regime has de-ligitimized itself by firing into its own unarmed citizens. Still, it commands considerable popular support, in Damascus and in Aleppo (Haleb).

The decision by the Arab league on Nov. 12 to evict Syria, caused such vitriole and anguish in Syrian officialdom, that the League opted to give Syria another three days to cease and desist its attacks on protesters, before enforcing the eviction.

The Syrian regime is running out of money by which to pay all its henchmen. For example, over a million Syrians work for various 'intelligence' organs and police. The army is savagely controlled, since the lower ranks are largely Sunni.

Meanwhile, living conditions in Homs, Hama, Latikia, Dera'a, Suweida, Ar Rustan, Deir az Zaur,Ar Rakkah – have deteriorated such that life is challenged. Some of the sanctions prevent supplies reaching the people. Turkey is about to turn off the electricity to northern Syria, which will impact squarely on the loyal upper middle classes of Aleppo. The Syrian regime turned off electricity to Homs and Hama and Dera'a, some six months ago.

The reader can follow the Syrian crisis back to the winter of 2011 by accessing the articles listed on the right margin. You will see how afraid we were, are, that the unrest in Syria will turn into a sectarian civil war.

The protesters in Syria have recently been provided security by defecting soldiers. From what we can determine, these are the weapons used by the opposition (to protect itself), not imports of assault rifles and RPGs from Lebanon by the Muslim Brotherhood. Back in the spring, Al Asad ordered shipments of automatic weapons and ammo to Alewite and Christian communities, to defend themselves. But there are Christians and Shi'a in the opposition movement. No doubt some of those arms are seen today guarding peaceful protesters from the murderous response of the crazed authorities.

Even as the Syrian conflict festers like a wound, threatening to grow into a war, we remain strangely optimistic that Al Asad will eventually stand down his forces. But we find no mystery in the regime's rationale: they really do believe they are up against the Brothers. The Syrian leaders are well aware of the primacy of revenge in their societies. They've killed too many to now stand down. They see their survival is at stake. So any ceasefire agreement would need to have an agreement by the democratic opposition, not to stage occupations or riots or attack or tie up government buildings, while the ceasefire is in effect.

In the posting before the last one, Nov.4, we laid bare the sequence of events that need happen for a protest group to evolve into a functioning democracy.

By John Paul Maynard

The author is, amongst other things, the moderator/instructor for the on line discussion group on Islamic civilization, for the Graduate Alumni Association, Harvard University. He has worked in Israel and Palestine on a variety of projects relating to archeology, land law and theomania. He has also studied in Jordan and Syria, and earlier, in the 1970s, he received a Watson foundation fellowship to study the nomads in Afghanistan, Uzbekistan, Iran and Turkey. His doctoral work is on land law in the Middle East. The author's study of reforms in Islamic law can be read at www.middleeastspeculum.blogspot.org. His translations of Arabic and Persian literature can be found at www.hafizshirazi.blogspot.com.