I think that belief is the basis of life. Even if the belief is not proven and has no base, it invigorates a person to do something for it.
– Vishnu Mugundan
I’m sure all the youngsters flocking to the Islamic State would agree with that. Just because belief and purpose are powerful motivators, that doesn’t mean they are always good things.
May 31, 2015
“Belief is in ignorance. If you know, you know. And it is good that if you don’t know, know that you don’t know — the belief can deceive you. The belief can create an atmosphere in your mind, where, without knowing, you start thinking that you know. Belief is not trust, and the more strongly you say that you believe totally, the more you are afraid of the doubt within you.”
~ Osho.
I think that the context that Mukundan talks in , is in the belief one has in oneself and one’s abilities to achieve results. The youngsters rushing off to join the ISIS do not believe in themselves. They have been brain washed.
“Two trends are at work here: humiliation and atomization. Islam’s self identity is that it is the most perfect and complete expression of God’s monotheistic message, and the Quran is God’s last and most perfect word. To put it another way, young Muslims are raised on the view that Islam is God – 3.0 Christianity is God – 2.0 Judaism is God – 1.0 And Hinduism and all others are God 0.0.
One of the factors driving Muslim males, particularly educated ones, into these acts of extreme, expressive violence is that while they were taught that they have the most perfect and complete operating system, every day they’re confronted with the reality that people living by God2.0, God 1.0 and God – 0.0 are generally living much more prosperously, powerfully and democratically than those living under Islam. This creates a real dissonance and humiliation. How could this be? Who did this to us? The crusaders! The Jews! The West! It can never be something they failed to learn, adapt to or build. This humiliation produces a lashing out.”
Thomas L. Friedman, The New York Times. July 4, 2007.
OMG what is this world coming to because of…do I dare say religions? No I didn’t say that. Also the have-nots wanting more. Why doesn’t everyone think like me? That’s a joke 😀 (And like Rummuser & Cheerful Monk)
I don’t understand the Osho quote. You’ve said before that you don’t believe, you know. A lot of people with deep beliefs/whatever feel the same way. What would Osho say about that feeling that you know rather than believe? Would he say you were deceiving yourself?
Friedman’s quote makes sense when talking about males raised in the Middle East. It doesn’t explain the Western kids who were raised non-Muslim or as moderate Muslims. They’re just examples of teen brains being idealistic and trying things that are different from the way they were raised. That’s the opposite of being brainwashed.
I think love is the basis of life, not belief. Love is such a powerful spur to nurture and appreciate both things and people. Belief may spur people on but as you say, it can justify the most awful and life-threatening behaviour like the barbarism of Islamic State.
Unfortunately that barbaric behavior is effective in demoralizing the people the Islamic State is trying to conquer. They massacre the people against them and are giving carrots in support services to people who don’t fight them.
I wish I could agree with you about the power of love. It seems to me that in history the peace-loving people were eventually conquered by the more warlike.
If you are interested, I will let you have the link to the original article from which I quote.
“The wave of young Western people flocking to fight with this notorious organization begs the question – why are they leaving behind comfortable lives of privilege to join one of the most violent terror organizations in history?
Christopher Dickey, a foreign editor of The Daily Beast, recently said on CNN that many recruits are young men in their teens and 20s. What draws them into the fight is a combination that he calls “TNT,” which stands for Testosterone, Narrative and Theater.
They are “almost all young guys,…they passionately identify themselves with some oppressed people,” and “they want to project themselves on the world stage,” he explains.
Their drive is a deadly combination of youthful fantasies and aspirations to “be someone.”
The Christian Science Monitor elaborates on the reasons why young Westerners would become attracted to an Islamic terror group:
1. Appeal to sense of identity and place – According to news and FBI reports, IS typically preys on Western youth who are disillusioned and have no sense of purpose or belonging. Much like criminal gangs, IS offers disaffected teens a chance to join a group that gives them purpose and meaning.
IS offers structure and a defined place in the Caliphite society they have created. Such a surrounding can be appealing for someone who feels he is adrift in the world.
2. Appeal to a sense of religious obligation – IS appeals to a sense of religious duty and a youthful desire to express religious sentiments that make people feel connected to each other.
Many of these young people are new converts to Islam. Fighting a Jihad with IS serves as a proving ground for their new beliefs and, if they survive, a confirmation of the new “higher power” at their extremist fingertips.
Furthermore, IS’s publicized successes and their declared aspirations to dominate the world and impose Sharia law appeals to these young religious zealots.”
And let us face it, whether it is in the USA or Europe including Britain, the Muslim youngster is subject to racism and ridicule/hatred at some levels. It is not easy being a Muslim anywhere in the world today, including the Muslim nations. The hardest place to be a Muslim today, funnily enough is
The Islamic Republic Of Pakistan!
?? It should be clear from my post and my comment I have no trouble understanding why some Western kids do it. You haven’t answered my question, what would Osho say about your statement that you don’t believe, you know?
That Muslims face discrimination and hatred overt and covert in the USA can be seen from this article – http://mic.com/articles/119736/a-muslim-american-woman-claims-united-airlines-racially-profiled-her-on-a-recent-flight
Osho would say that there is no need anymore for me to attend his lectures or read his books. Just like my own Guru here told me. What I have to do now is what is called Nididyasanam in Sanskrit. This is the last stage in learning the first two being Shravanam and Mananam.
“Shravanam means to listen/analyse and understand the simple truth – the Truth of detachment. It is further explained that it is best to get to know about this simple (but absolute) truth through a Guru.”
“Mananam is the re-iteration and the following of the Jnana (the understanding) in real life. This understanding is vulnerable and if a person does not re-iterate the understanding time and again, there is a chance that he will go back to his dark days.”
Nidhidhyasanam refers to the contemplative state which is induced by the learning.
So he’s saying it is all right to “know”. Which presumably is what a lot of devout people believe, even though their truths are different than yours. It does make for a lot of drama in the world, which may end up helping ease the overpopulation problem. 😉