Satire, critics or provocation?

A bit late, but here is the translation of my blog of 14 September 2012.

Once again, the Islamic world is upset about so-called critics against Prophet Mohamed. I’d rather reject the whole play as ridiculous, were there not casualties to be deplored and serious manifestations against Western institutions to be expected.

The video that is pretended to be the trigger for the protests is primitive, stupid and ridiculous. I watched for a couple of minutes but then stopped because I didn’t want to spend my time with so much goofiness. Meanwhile, YouTube has blocked it in Egypt; it cannot be watched here anymore.

It is disgusting. How can Egypt’s government (!) call for protests? The Muslim Brothers did so (for me, they are identic with the government); however, they withdrew the call for protests… yet too late, the damage has already been done. The expression of sympathy by the Prime Minister of the most populous Arabic country and strategic partner of the USA about the death of the American Ambassador in Libya followed only two days later. Stupidity or strategy?

The video in question was neither satire nor critics, but directed to provoke. Of course, the Islamists responded as if they had been waiting for it. Or not? Strangely enough, it started on the 11 September. It’s a game: one is lying in wait for his “enemy”, calls him names, the other one reacts disproportionally to get his revenge. And the game goes from pillar to post until there is blood instead of words.

And people do not realise that they are being manipulated by their “religious leaders”. They are not able to conceive it, because it’s always the huge mass of poor and illiterate that goes to the streets to protest. Mingle a few thugs whose job it is to throw stones and Molotov cocktails, to burn flags, to storm foreign premises and to use violence against “infidels”. Some do everything for a handful of banknotes, others for an afterlife in paradise. Somebody told me recently: “The prospect, to have plenty of food and ten virgins in paradise, is convincing enough for a suicide bomber. He doesn’t have anything to loose on earth but everything to win in afterlife.

As long as the majority of the Arab population has no access to decent education and has to live in poverty, as long this incited hate will never come to an end and there will never be peace among different religions. Among this class of population, religion is far too mighty and people comply with it blindly. Those on the top and those who are responsible, make use of this for their own profit. Religion equals power – nothing else.

From this point of view, Egypt has reached the Middle Age (at the point, where Europe and the Catholic Church were). “The Muslim Brothers are first and foremost businessmen” replied my interlocutor. I agree. Some days ago, the Washington Institute published a “Who is Who” among the Muslim Brothers on their website. A quick look proves: they are all top qualified cadre, most of them having studied in the USA (what irony), hold a chair at a University or are successful businessmen. They are well cross-linked amongst each other, often additionally by marriage. Business and power. They hide behind the curtain of religion; and nobody sees it. Almost.

 

This won’t change soon in the Arab countries. It needs more than to topple one or two dictators. A provocative cartoon, a ridiculous video, a critical book… they are enough to set the Arab world on fire and to disbalance the political stability between West and Orient.