Those Who Know Better: Extremism Hindering Debate on Human Rights

We must not allow Fundamentalism and/ Extremism to take hold of our consciousness whether it be Faith based or otherwise; history has proven that crusades only ensure the victory of one side and the mass slaughter of the ‘enemy’ but Jamaica is better than this backward stepping series of events that may see us regurgitating our past of violent intolerance of our differences including religious. 


When we speak of tolerance or equality we need to include all the other forms of prejudice and narrow-mindedness that Jamaicans have not properly addressed because we can’t hide behind our ‘Christianity’ when we speak of things like racism and xenophobia.

With both sides of this ‘war’ being guilty of the same sins in order to win the propaganda battle of words and conviction, its certain that anyone caught in the middle will be placed on either side by those ardent on seeking and subduing the ‘enemy’ based on the appalling belief of “If you’re not (entirely) with me, then your (entirely) against me”. 

Middle Ground

I refused to be told that, I, a young supporter of Human Rights and Equality am immoral and confused because American right-wing influenced and funded Christian groups relating all Human Rights as “Gay Lobby” and “Gay Agenda”.

I refused to be forced or morally ‘brainwashed’ to accept conduct contrary to my personal belief and crosses my particular red line that may or may not align with popular or unpopular behaviour and doctrine. 

Many young people like me have slowly realized that we are all individuals; and as much as we want to generalize gays, Christians, women and men; there is no oversimplifying the extraordinary human experience.So even now, when Gay Rights activist label Christians as Homophobes and Christians return to the dangerous narrative of linking Homosexuality and Paedophilia – We know better. 

Finally, Government cannot escape from this melee of social issues blameless; there is no leading from behind for a Jamaican government and most importantly a Jamaican elected representative on these issues, specifically Sexual Education. Don’t kill the messenger, because you don’t like the message – Where were you when the message needed to be delivered?

As a Human Rights supporter I must compel the Human Rights lobbyist to get the Jamaican Government to put a non-binding referendum to the people, so we can get a proper understanding of where we stand now and how we proceed.

ISIS Attack Caused by Inaction in Syria

 

As the Al Qaeda linked terrorism organization ISIS makes their presents known across the middle east especially in the nations of Syria, Iraq and Libya – all three having varying degrees of intervention from the International community led by the United States of America whether from the front through an Invasion based on a hubris in case of Iraq or from behind as not to directly be involved with the disposing of an ally who had fallen from grace in Libya.

With the Syrian civil war being the worst and longest of any of the Middle East uprising mainly due to the influence of the jihadist belonging to those familiar terror groups we associate with the word terrorism, with all the attention that the ongoing crisis in Syria had received before; with the whole world pushing for an international consensus to go into Syria with as much force as the allied nations did in Libya to force President Bashar al-Assad out of power. 

Unfortunately, Jamaica’s new best friends in the form of Russia and China decided to block any action that the UN security council would have taken to earlier in the conflict and possibly would have found that ISIS growing and taken decisive action.

 Geo-politics and capitalism have been the grim reaper for over 150, 000 lives in Syria thus far, will Western and Eastern powers take responsibility for their inhumane blunder that will now threaten their precious Middle East oil fields that fuel their economies – now that the US has resend troops to Iraq after a full withdrawal following a decade of war. We could applaud Syria’s denuclearization but the Olympus-like hypocrisy hangs too low.

ISIS is now the main threat and International community, including Russia is beginning to throw everything but the kitchens sink at Iraq, Syria and ISIS strongholds in neighbouring territories be it military or diplomatic help – but the truth is the real Syrian crisis will remain intact and bloody.