Salmaan Taseer, governor of Pakistan's Punjab province, was recently assassinated by one of his own bodyguards, one of the latest victims of the forces of religious fundamentalism and intolerance. His killer was angered by the governor's opposition to Pakistan's notorious blasphemy laws, which orders life imprisonment for defiling the Quran and death for defaming or insulting their prophet. The blasphemy laws are criticized for being used to settle scores and persecute minorities. The governor had spoken out in support of a pardon for a Christian woman in prison and under a death sentence for supposedly insulting the Prophet Muhammad.
A recent news headline said, "Muslim scholars praise killer of Pakistan governor". The article said that as the killer was lead into court a rowdy crowd at the scene patted his back and kissed his cheek as lawyers showered him with rose petals. He reportedly proclaimed himself a proud slave of the Prophet and testified many times that "God is great!". Regarding a Jared Diamond observation that sub-Saharan Africa never produced an advanced civilization because, "you can’t saddle a rhinoceros and ride it into battle", Sam Harris said, "Religion is like a rhinoceros. It doesn’t do much useful work for you but up close it makes some rather spectacular claims upon your attention".
I would venture to say that two of the greatest threats to human survival are the forces of nationalism and religious fundamentalism. Both are inherently divisive in ideology and dangerous in passions aroused. Nationalism is tribal thinking in a world increasingly globalized. The certainity religious fundamentalists have about their imagined after life does not allow for tolerance in this one. We should strive to fully comprehend the forces that channel and focus the beliefs that threaten our survival so we can formulate strategies to dismantle and defeat them.
Entry in my journal a couple of years ago:
December 2, 2008
Just read in the news that a bipartisan study panel is warning that a nuclear or (most likely) biological attack on America is likely by 2013. That’s not far away. It got me to thinking about the nature and origins of the threats to our future. I’m quite comfortable with the fact that my interests and concerns are largely selfish. Humanity, collectively and individually, seems, at times, to excel at being its own worst enemy. On a personal level, I want to be around to enjoy the heights we can reach through science and learning if we ever grow a collective brain and put aside our dangerous toys, our dangerous nationalism, our dangerous tolerance for religious fundamentalism. The world has gotten much too small, crowded and well-armed to indulge those who hate and fear and obsess about other people’s morals.
Some people have always been willing to kill or die for what they believe. And strong beliefs, especially those infused with moral claims, are often granted a certain nobility of purpose. We might be better served if more of those who wear their beliefs and convictions like a suit of armor would spend a bit more time reflecting on the long history of humankind believing things without evidence that turned out to be wrong. A little more humility and a little less certainity could go a long way.
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