Honour Killing: A Most Vile Oxymoron

Social Media is one of the two greatest gifts the Internet has given us.  The other is access to limitless information. It is almost impossible to imagine a world without the Internet.

Thanks to the pioneering work of Tim Berners-Lee and Robert Cailliau,  the founders of the World Wide Web, we know carry around smartphones with access to almost all of human knowledge.

Social Media sites are responsible for giving a voice to people around the globe, even those who live in closed societies. And with a voice comes debate, analysis and hopefully, enlightenment.

The more people on the Net, the more likely they will leave religion and discard antiquated cultural pursuits.

The more knowledge available for free, the more superstition and injustice will be eradicated. At least that's what I hope.

The greatest disappointment to me is that the Internet is still limited to only half of the world's population. Just as well the benevolent honchos at Google are intent on changing that fact and are planning to provide a truly global service.

The sooner, the better.

With information-sharing technology comes the daily flood of tragedies and wrong-doings by so-called human beings, to our attention. One particular injustice is "Honour Killing"

Above pictures depict India's crying shame. I must stress this disturbing subject is not unique to India and is reported from many other countries. To those of a delicate disposition I ask not to search Google on this topic, as the content is so abhorrent it is likely to traumatize even the hardiest of men.

These vile acts, often but not always perpetrated against young women, leave me in despair. I simply can't fathom what drives people to such action: to pay for perceived honour with the blood of their own family.

What honour is there among those callous and ignorant barbarians, that makes them kill?

What honour is there among cold-blooded sadistic criminals who have no sympathy or empathy toward their own flesh and blood?

What possible and justifiable honour can there be among those who carry out such vile acts? If they have 'honour' then that word has been hijacked by sick-minded and deluded people.

According to statistics these assassinations are on the increase, or at least as I suspect and hope, an increase in reporting the cases.

The saddest aspect of honour killings is the apparent lack of interest in the part of the authorities of such countries to combat this sickness.

Will the Internet bring education to the remote corners of the world where most of these executions take place? And will it help educate those who commit this most foul of murders?

I certainly hope so.

I can't wait, and neither can all the hapless future victims of this heinous and inhuman 'human value'.

:(

Fragmented World: And I'm Not Referring To Plate Tectonics

Mass immigration from poorer countries to Europe continues to make daily headlines and to bolster membership of the far-right parties of our continent.

It saddens me to think that those poor migrants risk their lives, day in day out, just to reach our shores and the promise of a better life.

From trying to hitch rides in or even under heavy-goods vehicles on the Ceuta-Spain ferry crossing, to attempting to cross the Mediterranean Sea in makeshift dinghies, the human tide of despair continues to pound the coast of Southern Europe.

"I have no choice" replied a sub-Saharan young man when asked why he risked his life to get to  Europe.

Another man said  " If I fail tonight I'll try again and again. I'd rather die trying than go back home and wait for death"

It would be good if the whole world took action to help the central African countries that are in disarray, plagued by war, famine and poverty. I know corruption in those states makes it almost impossible to get aid to the needy, but ignoring the problem is not going to make it go away. The West can only stem the tide of  African migration by helping those same countries to prosper and to offer their populations a way out of abject poverty.

A way to help would be to offer more lucrative incentives to European and multi-national companies to set up businesses and production in Africa, as China has started doing recently, albeit for ulterior motives, but that's another story.

Another way would be to provide more direct aid for education and health.  Healthy and educated  populations are much less likely to be enslaved by harmful religion and much more likely to embrace democracy and  justice.

Poverty really is the root of all evil.

And the only winners are the far-right parties whose inadequate and unsympathetic answer is to build more walls,  more segregation and more inequality.  Same old rhetoric.

Extremists of all persuasions, especially those on the far-right, have a knack of never learning from history. For if they did, they'd see the futility of their ideology.

I'd like to ask a neo-Nazi what is the appeal of worshiping someone such as Hitler. A leader who ruled by fear, murdered with impunity and became one of history's biggest losers. He not only lost a war, a country and his wife, but even managed to lose his own life!

Almost the same question I often ask God followers.

:)

When She's Your Juliette But You're Not Her Romeo

Solitude is therapeutic.

I have had the benefit of solitude's mind-healing remedy over the last three years.

It was a state of mind I had never experienced before. For one reason or another, all my adult life had, until recently, been shared with an intimate partner. Memories I cherish, still vivid in the recesses of my mind, kept alive by increasingly frequent trips to nostalgia-inducing past events.

Oftentimes the seclusion and detachment reaffirms my belief that personal freedom is indeed my most precious commodity, and of incalculable value. But sometimes, especially when the "party" is over and we all go our separate ways, I am overwhelmed by a sense of emptiness and isolation.

It is during those thankfully-infrequent spells that I find my mind wandering through vast expanses of wasteland, where the deafening cacophony of silence sends me crashing into solitary confinement.

Such as last night.

Hours in the presence of beauty, when fun and laughter overflowed and my admiration for a love I can not have, increased tenfold.

The sublimely adorable person I have secretly fallen in love with over the last year, continues to evade me in a way I know to be inevitable, but Yet, I stubbornly refuse to banish from my thoughts.

I can touch her fragrant and gentle hand, but not her heart.

The reality of her not being available, brought me crashing down to earth, again, flailing in protest at life's harsh injustice.

I will have to redirect my attentions, to find someone who is as free as I am and wants to be found, as I do.

Until then, the anguish of unrequited love will continue to cause havoc in my otherwise peaceful existence.

How I would love to steer my passion with reason, as I do all other aspects of life!  To desist from pointless and fruitless pursuits.

Where in the dark recesses of ones mind, does the indulgence of procuring and persevering with destructive self-chosen pain stem from?

Is mental masochism a by-product of empathy and social evolution?

If, as I suspect, it is, what possible benefit can an emotional parasite be to us, mere fragile hosts and willing carriers of such burdens?

Intimate love is, after all, nothing more than friendship with the added bonus of meeting man's undying physiological need to send forth his DNA!

Or is it?

And who am I kidding?

Intimate love may just be much more important to me than that, and sadly, much more than the mere basic mechanics such a union brings.

When I think of her, which is usually once a day but never stops, I know it is much more than a matter of life and death.

Much much more.

:(

Defending The Indefensible

I follow with great interest fellow blogger and ex-Muslim, Narwa, author of  "between a veil and a dark place" and, since her blog doesn't accept comments, I feel the need to reply to her latest post "The racism of the white wolf who cried Islamophobia".

Narwa is a brave young woman with the necessary literary atributes to write about her early life experiences in the Lebanon, in an honest and poignant way, and hence my interest.

A brave woman indeed, considering the inevitable backlash and retribution the evil mullahs dish out to all who dare turn against Islam. Needless to say, it wouldn't be advisable for Narwa to ever set foot again in her home land or any other country shackled to Islam. It wouldn't be safe.

What I find ironic but somehow disconcertingly understandable, is that Narwa still feels the need to defend Islam against Islamophobia.

In my view, everyone should condemn all injustice, and there are no greater injustices than those endorsed by religions.

I was born into the Christian culture but feel no need whatsoever to protect it. I am vehemently opposed to all world religions.

Narwa displays that all too common misconception of  "only I or those who belong can criticise  what's ours". If anyone other than an ex Muslim criticises Islam, Narwa labels it Islamophobia.

Incorrectly.

Islamophobia is growing, as are the numbers of people around the world leaving their religions and denouncing archaic indoctrination. And that can only be perceived as good news for humanity.

We all know what is fuelling Islamophobia. We all know it is the acts of aggression of some Muslim fundamentalists who are alienating their people from the rest of the world.

We all know that not all Muslims are terrorists but almost all terrorists are Muslim.

We all know that cultures who endorse and live in "An eye for an eye" culture, are relics of the dark ages of humanity and such ways should have long been consigned to the dustbin of history.

As Gandhi once said and I quote; "An eye for an eye makes the world go blind"

We all know what is fuelling Islamophobia and it's not the "racist white wolf" who is merely taking advantage of the present anti-Islam wave to justify its prejudice.

Islamophobia is growing daily due to the increasing abundance of news through the internet's social media depicting Islam as being synonymous with; Misogyny, Intolerance, Aggression, Homophobia, Female Genital Mutilation, Child Marriage, Child Abuse, Slavery and, the most dangerous of all, Sharia Law.

Narwa, it is absurd for you to consider Richard Dawkins as a racist white wolf. He has as much right to speak against the indefensible as you have.

Narwa, I urge you to continue the fight against theism - but don't waste time fighting the minor imperfections of your true allies.

And, lastly, don't let your innate anger "alienate" you from the debate.

:)

Empathy is 'Blurring The Line Between Self And Other'

After a hard day's work and a rush through the friday night traffic I got home around 7pm. By 8:30 I was on my way to Basingstoke for a weekend of socialising with friends and stopped at a Shell station for fuel. When attempting to pay I inserted my debit card in the reader and it was promptly declined. I insisted there were ample funds in the account and suggested the teller tried inserting the card a second time. Declined again.

I asked directions to the nearest cash point and was told of a location 10 minutes walk away. Walk because I was told in no uncertain terms to leave the car at the station.

To say I was annoyed is an understatement. The inconvenience and delay I faced when I was sure it was the station's card reader at fault made it that much more irritating.

As I went to the car to get my jacket a young chap ran out of the shop and called me over. He offered to pay my bill and told me I could transfer the money later.

"But it's a fair amount of money, £42" I replied.

He said "that's Ok, no trouble" .

As we walked back into the shop I gave him my iphone to enter his phone number. We exchanged numbers and he paid my bill. I offered to transfer the money there and then but he said he was running late and on his way to meet his girfriend in Farnham.

James, a person I had never met before was trusting me to the point of incredulity. Despite my insistence he gave me a few minutes to transfer the money he again reitterated how late he was and that I could do that later.

We went our separate ways and I felt humbled and at peace with the world. The selfless act of a total stranger had turned an annoying incident into a pleasent one.

Later that evening, after telling my friends about James' act of kindness, I texted him, thanking him again for his kindness and asked for his bank details.

To my surprise James didn't reply until next morning. This is what he wrote:

"Morning Joe, not a problem at all, doesn't hurt to be human, just hope you got to where you needed to be. (account details) Have a lovely weekend buddy..."

I transferred the money and sent him a message of gratitude, to which he replied:

"thank you Joe, really appreciate that mate, couldn't just leave you stranded. Hope you have a good weekend mate, take care"

I had a wonderful weekend, thanks to James generosity. The prospect of walking through dark alleys in a strange neighbourhood at night in West London to an unknown cashpoint wasn't my idea of a good night out.

James, a stranger who offered to pay my bill so as not leave me stranded, has reinforced my belief in humanity.  Kindness really is all around us.

Thank you James, once again, for being kind, generous, and most importantly, for demonstrating the special human quality I admire the most.

Empathy.

:)