Re: What is the psychology behind persecution?
- From: Daniele Futtorovic <da.futt.news@xxxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Tue, 19 Jun 2007 16:35:46 +0200
On 18/06/2007 04:59, meraypass@xxxxxxxxx wrote:
Hi
I do not have a psychology background and if I am posting it in the
wrong place then please point me to the right direction.
In my country Pakistan, there is a very small Islamic sect which is
bitterly persecuted by the majority. This sect is non -violent and in
fact one of the excuses given for persecution is that they do not
believe in Jihad (the holy war). The level of persecution is amazing
in that even state officially discriminates and punishes the sect for
their beliefs and laws are enacted that actually mention the sect by
name and disallow them from calling themselves Muslims and do the
rituals Muslims do under the pain of punishment. To ensure that they
are easily recognised, every form of official form such as those for
IDs, Passports, Voter Registrations etc have sections for religion
and sworn statements have to be signed saying I am not from that sect.
My question is; what is the psychology behind this persecution? How
can a very large majority be so fearful of a very small peaceful
minority that it derives the majority to take such extreme measures?
If it is not fear then what is it?
Many Thanks
Regards
Hi merypass,
I think you're taking the wrong approach on that problem, inasmuch as
you assume a psychological background where _social_ reasons are at
stake, IMO.
Religion in itself is self-abdiction, that is the contrary of
self-determination -- the submission under a given authority,
uncounciously identified with one's parent's. Religion relies on faith,
not on ratio and judgement. When the pope, the imam, the bible or the
Alquoran say: "Kill", then the faithful must go and kill, whatever he
may think of it (he's not supposed to think), whether he may feel fear
or not (the reality may vary, but the stronger the religion, the closer it will be to this).
It is true that religions are a very efficient way to a) /generate/
irriational fears and b) /channel/ those fears towards a given goal. But
they are accessory, secondary at most, not the original impetus.
In that sense, I don't think that sect you're speaking of (could you
tell us its name, and maybe a webpage?) is being thus shamelessly
discriminated because "a very large majority [is] so fearful of it", but
rather that that sect is being persecuted on orders coming from above,
and that, as a result of this, being marked as politically incorrect, it
draws and nurses the scum's aggression and like the iron rod draws the
lightning (the iron rod does not nurse the lightning, the similarity
stops there).
I can't tell you /why/ that group is being persecuted, for I lack even
the slightest knowledge of Pakistani society. I know of similar cases,
though, and maybe these will help you find an answer.
I live in Western Europe, and Europe as well as the U.S. of A. have
witnessed, in the past decade, one of the most disgusting phenomena:
witch-hunts. It didn't go as far as what you discribe (religious
statements in official documents and sworn oaths), for, or so I suppose,
what happened to the jews in and around World War 2 is still quite near
(judaism is a *religion*, not a race, and so the "Holocaust" was a
*religious* presecution, not a racial one -- whatever the politically
correct might think and whatever the official ideology might have been
at that time). But those witch-hunts were nevertheless a disgusting
resurgence of the darkest middle-ages when held against the achievements
of the Great (french) Revolution of 1789.
Those witch-hunts were (and still are, to a lesser extent) directed
mostly against Scientology, and a bunch of smaller groups (Sannyasins,
etc. -- I don't know the names). You may have heard of it.
The instigators and perpetrators were, like in the "good all days" of
serfdom, the church (mainly the catholic church) and the governments
hand in hand.
As for the "worldy" institutions: in a religiously-dominated society,
political dissidence begins regularly with religious dissidence. The
History of european middle-ages provides a lot of examples for this, and
maybe that's what Marx meant when he said "All criticism begins with
criticising religion" -- it applies, at any rate. Consequently, rulers who have allied themselves with a given church do not accept sectarism all too eagerly.
The case is even stronger with the church leaders. See, if you witness somebody claiming aloud, and seeming thoroughly convinced, that there happens to be some supernatural, allmighty, whatever, being which keeps tracks of every time you touch your genitals for your very own pleasure -- then, as an unbiased person, you might give it at least /some/ credit. Can't be too sure, after all. But know imagine you have /two/ people, both speaking in the same way about an eternal and utter truth, but both /contradicting each other/ and telling two totally different, mutually exclusive stories, then you won't care a pair of a dingo's kidneys what those psychopaths mumble, and will go living your own life. This is the key to why churches have to fight each other (whenever they can). It is much more than a race for the people's souls.
This last point is also the very reason why any atheist movement must /defend/ sects against the aggressions from the dominant churches.
Regards,
DF.
.
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