Caliph Donald Trump and The Rise of the Christian Taliban

Caliph Donald Trump and The Rise of the Christian Taliban June 23, 2018

Can you imagine the reaction if congressman Keith Ellison, the first Muslim in the U.S. congress, proclaimed that he is a Muslim first and American second? How about other Muslim, Jewish, or Hindu leaders stating that they are working to establish the Sharia law, the law of Moses or Gita in the United States? Yet the current administration is doing exactly that: establishing a theocracy based on ultra conservative Christian beliefs. But few people are as alarmed as they should be.

The title is taken from a video by Mehdi Hasan- an award-winning British columnist, broadcaster, and author based in Washington, D.C. He is the host of ‘The Intercept’ podcast “Deconstructed” and also hosts “UpFront” on Al Jazeera English. He has interviewed, among others, Edward Snowden, Hamid Karzai, Ehud Olmert, and Gen. Michael Flynn.

Mehdi’s short video (link at the bottom) sheds light into an alarming trend in the U.S. politics- the rise of Christian fundamentalism. From Jeff Sessions, to Ted Cruz to other right wing Christian leaders all the way to the top, calling Donald Trump ‘Caliph’ (tongue and cheek but it is remarkably close to being the truth except in the nomenclature).

The latest example of using Bible to normalize the cruel treatment of the immigrants and children at the southern border is a sobering reminder how myopic and distorted the fundamentalists theology is. Separating the children from their parents is harsh and heartless in itself. To then claim it is in line with the teachings of the Bible is distortion of the whole faith tradition’s teachings. It is really no different  than the Muslim, Buddhist, Hindu, Jewish extremists using Scripture to justify their narrow-minded worldview.

At the end, Mehdi Hasan draws parallel of this situation with the Muslim fundamentalism in the Muslim world.

As I have said it numerous times on my blog and my presentations, the struggle is not between Jewish people, Christians, Muslims or Hindus. The real struggle is between fundamentalists of all faiths(and no faith) on one hand and the descent silent majority of all faiths (and no faith) on the other hand.

 


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