1.16.2010

Sorry, but: There IS a difference between Christians and Muslims

Every day or two, I receive a request on Facebook to join a group dedicated to all those who love God, or to all those who love the prophet, or to the first 1000 who love the prophet, or to those who are against differences between Muslims and Christians, or that group about uniting Muslims and Christians, or those who hate Israel, or those who want to save Palestinians, or those who want to change the image of Islam by "showing the world how real Islam is" on Facebook walls. I'm sure that there are plenty of those groups for all religions, and all types of religious conflicts, but since My circle of friends happen to be centered in the Arab world, I receive mostly those who "tackle", if that's what they think they're doing, the Muslim-Christian issues, or the Israel-Palestine issues.

Of course, like all other requests, they annoy me. In fact the only groups I join are for those supporting young talents from my friends, or a friend's friend who opened a restaurant. Not that I've been in any of them, or seen the work of any of them, but it's just to show some support. And I leave other 1000 people other than me, show their love to this or that.

But what really strike me most of the times are those very patriotic group, who tend to show how solidly united citizens are (especially in Lebanon) by saying "there's no difference between Muslims and Christians" or vice versa. I just don't see how that can help people come closer together. This slogan of "no difference" what does it really bring to people? Why isn't it "there is a difference, hell yeah! But that's not the problem"? Is it just me who really strives to be unique in my own way in a world of over 6 Billion people? Or is there other people who also are proud of their differences? But anyway, it's not about individualism. It's about ideologies.

So what is exactly the problem if two religions are different? What is the problem if someone is a non believer and the other is a believer? In What way does that make one or the other less human? The problem is not the difference, the problem is the tendency of people to alienate everything that is different from them. First, they run to label themselves in groups, then they try to make everyone else seem stupid for not seeing that they're the right group, the chosen one. Then oh chosen ones, decide to be generous with people, in order to help them find peace, or sometimes to be in peace themselves, and they pretend that we are not different. That we all believe in the same thing, that we are alike.

What I still don't understand, is why do we label people based on beliefs? And why do we strive to be unique, then kill it all by wanting unity, by resorting to similarity. This need to belong, to be homogeneous, to be part of something bigger, to be part of a group. This basic human need that made the first man carve in a stone to create a statute to worship, to feel that he's not alone. This need, is really something intriguing, in this is what still stands, after years and years of evolution.

4 comments:

Unknown said...

i couldn't agree more...

Mohammad said...

Reminds me of the fuss about Egyptian IDs a while ago. Nobody, even the most liberal, talked about the necessity of the possibility of a religion-less National ID!

The Fabu. said...

EXCELLENT! Finally, someone that can see the world clearly!

Rawaa said...

thanks, unfortunately not a lot can see it.. but i still have hopes for humanity..