12 September 2007

Open Letter to Osama Bin Laden

Dear Mr. Bin Laden:

You recently called for us to convert to Islam again. You are persistent; I will give you that. And you have been patient with us as you have time and time again asked us to convert to Islam. You have even given us warnings.

Yet, I have to admit I am confused. Which brand of Islam should I convert to? Should I convert to the moderate, mainstream version of Islam? You know the peaceful one. Or should I convert to your violent brand of Islam? Should I give myself to the brand that makes women second class citizens? Should I give myself to the brand of Islam that worships wonton death and holds life in contempt? Should I give myself to the brand of Islam that hides behind religion to justify acts of atrocities? Or should I give myself to the brand of Islam that merely teaches religion without all that pesky mathematics, science and philosophy? I suppose those that cannot think for themselves are easier to control.

Does the West have it right? No, the West is imperfect. The West has been consumed by want and they will be overrun by it soon enough, with or without your help. Does your brand of Islam provide a respite from that want? No. All your brand of Islam does is take that desire and channel it to conduct immoral acts. Your brand of Islam is used to justify those immoral acts. Your brand of Islam and the immoral acts you carry out in the name of it shed a bad light on the rest of your peaceful Islamic brothers and sisters.

Being a rather independent minded person I can tell you I have very little patience with religion. I do not believe some omnipotent being would waste time telling us what to believe. That being would let us be to find our own way. I believe that the human race is a wonderful creation. I believe that we have yet to find our true potential. And I believe religion, especially your brand of religion, is holding us back from finding that true potential. Your brand of religion, and others like it, is used to control people, and the only thing you want to do is to control us. We should be reaching for the stars. Yet, because of people like you, Mr. Bin Laden, we remain anchored to this planet. We cannot see beyond our differences of religion, race, gender, or socio-economic class. Your violent brand of Islam will not change that. After all, you kill your own brothers and sisters because you find their brand of Islam does not agree with your own.

You do not need to be a religious person to know right from wrong. You do not need to pray to an alter or a direction to be a moral person. You do not need a religious text to show you how to be a moral person. I consider myself to be a moral person, and I know that I am a more moral person than you are or will ever be. I do not need some nut job; waste of skin; holed up in a cave telling me what I should and should not believe in.

When will you understand that violence only begets violence? Peace begets peace.

Peace be unto you!

KCThinker

Photo by KCThinker, Clouds