September 11, 2014
Mark Rushton’s September 10 column is timely. On two counts, however, I question his assertions.
First, Mark states that “In fact, it is not religion that drives those to commit terrorist acts or slaughter innocent people, but a quest for power and control of people’s lives.” The evidence suggests to me that it is, in fact, a specific religion that motivates these terrorists. When terrorists flew their hijacked planes into the World Trade Centre towers 13 years ago, they shouted “Allahu Akbar” and other Muslim slogans. They were not trying to seize political power. They were trying to promote Islam, embarrass the US and, as Mark correctly asserts, instil fear. I would add, fear of Islam.
Second, Mark attributes guilt to religious “extremists”, those who hold to “the belief of religious supremacy”. The accusation is too inclusive. It is not religious extremists, in general, who fly planes into buildings, behead journalists, and shoot prisoners of war. Let’s not be so politically correct, that we actually blame innocent people.
In Abbotsford, and elsewhere, we have millions of people who hold to “the supremacy of religion”. If you want to know what these religious “extremists” are like, read a biography of Mother Teresa, listen to the speeches of Martin Luther King, visit a local Sikh Gurdwara and observe that free meals are offered to anyone at any time, or visit the present MCC Festival for World Relief at the Airport Tradex.
Mark, you typically write with insight but please don’t put all true believers in the same category.
John H. Redekop
Abbotsford