Tikun Olam-תקון עולם: Make the World a Better Place

Geert Wilders of Fitna fame: picture of smug self-promoter

Yes, I know Geert Wilders’ anti-Muslim diatribe, Fitna, has been watched by 400 zillion YouTube viewers. That must make it right, right? Wrong. I watched the first minute or so at the behest of a very nice fellow who’s been helping me upgrade my Wordpress installation. As soon as the first panel from the Koran was displayed on screen quoting a verse that threatens death to all and sundry and was followed by the 9/11 plane flying into the World Trade Center, I knew what I was in for. That was enough for me. Do I hear Islamophobia, anyone?

For those of you who have friends, relatives, co-workers, ex-lovers, exogamists, enemies, bores or boors urging you to watch this piece of dreck, read Ali Eteraz’s clever evisceration, Fitna Farce.

And by the way, if anyone thinks you couldn’t make the same film about Judaism or virtually any world religion, they’re sorely mistaken. Do you know how many acts of war, murder, fratricide, genocide and terror there are in the Bible? Many. So many they make my skin crawl. Do you know how many villainous acts Jews commit in the Bible? Many. Does this mean that Judaism is evil? Of course not. Does is justify the hatred of anti-Semites? Of course not.

Does any of what I’m saying justify any of the heinous acts or images seen in Wilders’ film? Of course not. Islamist extremism is no more justified than Jewish extremism.

Every religion contains messages of hate, intolerance and violence. Every religion contains message of love, hope and grace. If we condemn Islam and say it is all bad then let’s condemn every religion and say they’re all bad every one of them. I don’t believe this proposition. I make it just for the sake of argument.

Islam, like all religions, is a reflection of human nature. It seeks perfect faith but is full of imperfections. Aren’t we all?