Originally I wanted to focus solely on the guidelines of Sharia Law, but I managed to squeeze in one more Youtube video, so I think I have all my bases covered.

For the moment tho, I'll focus on the Islamic Elephant in the room.

You can easily sit at your desk all day and watch video after video, professor after professor, spewing fourteen different interpretations on the present day threat that religion holds over the western population. So that's what I did...cause I'm not very good at reading religious text.

The Muslim religion is certainly the younger sibling of Christianity and Judaism, but is it the misfit child that refuses to listen when it’s out of line? I don’t believe so. Every religion has had a period of growing pains; some still do for that matter. To understand the beauty of what being a Muslim has to offer, one can simply watch or listen to the teachings of Cleric Mufti Menk. Based out of Zimbabwe, he studied Shariah Law and runs an institution that has a more positive swing regarding the controversial topic, speaking publicly on several occasions that women are as equal to men under the guidance of the Prophet and that it’s the woman’s duty to correct the man if he is out of line. However, his comments in 2013 about homosexuality have certainly not gone over well with the progressive crowd. Calling the act of being with the same sex “immoral” according to the writings of the Qur’an. He has since retracted some of his statements and says he is not homophobic. Although his interpretation of the Qu’ran has drawn, in my opinion, some deserved opposition, his level view of how women should be treated under the Muslim religion is certainly a step in the right direction.

However I’m sure the Islamic State would have a different opinion than Cleric Menk when it comes to women. Where Cleric Menk isn’t at all dangerous to the progressive teachings of the modern world, The Islamic State, also known as ISIS, or as I prefer to call them “Dickheads”, would prefer that a woman never sees the inside of a classroom, a homosexual never see the light of day, and the Jews be killed as an example of those going against the teachings of Mohammed, The almighty prophet of the Muslim religion.

Actually in several interpretations, Buddhists are seen as more inferior than the Jews; which isn’t much comfort, but I figured I’d throw that in there so it gives you something else to google later. The thing is Judaism even all the way back in the Dark Ages, had a very high literacy rate for it’s population, rivaling only the clergy. So when it comes to education and religion, both can coexist and are essential for all religions that have since “grown up” over the centuries. With the exception of a few lunatic hokey bible thumpers, Christianity has made many strides to promote happy, healthy and loving families. Catholicism has made a decent effort to move away from it’s “doom n’ gloom” and   “your going to hell!” teachings, not to mention the whole priest pedophilia thing, to welcome a more diverse crowd into it’s churches. The new Pope has certainly played a hand in this recent development of welcoming all newcomers, although many challenges still lie ahead. Judaism still has a rift between the Orthodox and Non-Orthodox members, but this is old news and the assimilation into Western culture has been the key to a healthy Jewish population in the states, although as the older generations begin to die off, you may see a sharp drop in that statistic within the next 10-15 years. Time will tell if that is to be proven accurate though. The Mormons have developed a reputation for being overly kind and have a very healthy population in Utah.

Scientology is out of it’s goddamn mind, but this isn’t news to anybody…sorry Tom.

From the time of the Crusades to modern day ISIS beheadings posted on Youtube, most of the large religions have a solid amount of blood on their hands. During the Conquest of Jerusalem, nearly 2 million people total died. An area of the world that from first glance; has never seen peace. Israel and Palestine constantly at odds, surrounded by predominantly Muslim countries, Iran, Syria, Egypt, and Saudi Arabia.

The average literacy rate of the Middle East is just under 20 percent, meaning religion, oppression, and propaganda reign supreme in a population of well over 200 million people. Now these stubborn ideals are starting to bleed into progressive areas of Europe and North America. Unlike other cultures, they are not assimilating to our cultures, they’re creating large neighborhoods; which the police call “No-Go” zones and the population is managed in many ways against the laws of the country they have shacked up in. The reports of violence went mostly unreported until the 2016 terrorist attack in Paris where a half dozen locations were hit, resulting in 130 people dead and another 100 wounded. The terrorists were also of the Islamic State and amidst conflicting reports of No-Go zones also being in the city of romance, the police suited up and started raiding these areas, resulting in heavy firefights, arrests and more questions arising as to what these locations are and how they were allowed to flourish…if they officially existed at all.

Regardless of how it managed to fall out of Donald Trump’s mouth, Sweden has frequently documented as of late by freelance reporters going head first into new established locations in their own country. Sweden maintains that it’s a safe haven for all refugees from every country; this policy shall be tested over the next couple years as the violence begins to trend upward.

Assimilation and respect for a cultures foundation is key to maintaining the health of a country. If I was to travel to another country, whether it be temporary or permanent, I have a responsibility to learn their customs and attempt to blend in out of respect for their country and it’s people. I don’t land in Great Britain and start telling them what side of the road to drive on. With this silly example, I am an educated person from a first world country raised by Jewish mother and a Sicilian father. If that’s not an example of co-existing, I don’t know what is. More often than not, refugees are not well educated and have trouble assimilating into other cultures, but in this case, it’s from an area that has never seen peace. The violence seen during the early childhood of the United States when all the refugees poured in from Europe should be an example how we should keep a watchful eye on those we let into our countries. Anyone seeking residency in another country needs to learn how to follow the rules. Just like first grade, listen to the teacher or get kicked out of class. This seems like the birth of another crusade, only the leaders seem to be using more guerilla tactics rather than just lining up and charging into battle.

I’m well aware that there are various interpretations of Shariah Law and the Muslim religion, that’s not the point. The point is you’re a human being, in every literate country you have rights, but you don’t have rights over others. If you decide at any point that your beliefs override another man, woman or child’s ability to life, liberty and pursuit of independence, then you have forfeited the privilege of being a citizen in that country and you should be on the first train out of town.

Equality comes first…over any religion, no matter how it’s interpreted.