It is better to die (laughing) on your feet than to live on your knees

I blogged before about reactions to a proposed small Manx mosque, and in particular the lack of moral fibre from ‘people of faith’ and some possible reasons (see Lies, more lies and moral cowardice ).
As I said, I never expect Manx biblebashers to show solidarity with folk of another faith, so their silence confirmed all we already know about their bigotry, moral cowardice and grasping attitude to everything.
Risk taking a moral stand and ruin the chance of more public funds? Not likely!
But at least, finally, the letter representing local minority faith views about a proposed mosque got printed (see http://www.iomtoday.co.im/your-letters/Isle-of-Man-Examiner-June.5343489.jp). Sadly, that was a disappointment too.
What does it tell you when a letter, supposedly representing the views of numerous faith groups, appears without a single named signatory? To be credible, it could and should have been signed by people representing all the traditions involved in the group.
If they can’t speak ‘officially’ for their groups, they could have signed as individuals, and any local would recognise the faiths of at least some. I know, from my own experience dealing with them, that some of the groups involved are as riddled with racist white flighters as any other section of the community, but this was pathetic.
It’s a bit like the reaction of mainstream political parties to the BNP. ‘Deny them the oxygen of publicity’ and ‘Don’t share a platform with racists’ are the official line. Just stay silent, don’t talk about the issues and it will all go away.
No it pigging won’t!
If we’re ever to drive racist rats out of their holes and work out the balance between ‘respect’ for others (however crazed their beliefs) and abolishing the religious privilege which diminishes the quality of all our lives we need a stand-up public row every time an issue like this arises.
We won’t find the answer to social issues in the Bible, the Koran, Das Kapital, Mein Kampf – or even The Selfish Gene. We have to be prepared for the fact that we don’t get any answers at all except those we work out between ourselves in proper, adult, public debate.
On the Isle of Man all the political or social debate I’ve experienced for years is sub-kindergarten foot-stamping and ‘I’m taking my ball home’ nonsense, so ending that could, on particular days, either cause us to despair of humanity or die laughing. But if anyone else is as bored as me of geriatric racist retirees and superstitious halfwits running this place they’re welcome to join in.