THE AL-SHABAB, A POLITICAL ORGANISATION OR A RELIGION?

I have read a lot of articles and comments on the internet as well as the social media concerning the barbaric and grotesque attack at the Kenyan West gate shopping mall on Saturday, 21 August 2013, which had claimed at least 62 lives according to the guardian report: "Kenya's interior minister Joseph Ole Lenku said that it was unlikely that any more hostages were being held in the mall where the attack killed at least 62 people, including at least six Britons". Victims came from many countries including Britain, Australia, Canada, France, China, India, Ghana and the Netherlands. For Ghana, we have lost an illustrious son Kofi Awoonor Williams; a poet an author, diplomat, academic and a former chairman of council of state. May your untimely soul rest in peace and for the mind that masterminded the mysterious gun never have peace on this earth and the hand that pulled the trigger be torn to shreds. Those idle brains who clandestine their acts under the umbrella of religion knows nothing but misconstrues the scriptures. The more I read them the more I become sad and sad. Then I begin to think and ask God a simple question, when is the judgment day? Why is God not giving instant judgment and to punish those who takes the lives of their fellow innocent human beings? are we safe in this world of ours? I had a heated argument with some of my colleagues the other day concerning wrong doers and the judgment day. My point was that God should have made heaven and hell visible to mankind for at least it will instill much fear into the hearts of men when they think evil. Their point was also that no matter how horrible hell will look like if it is visible, some people will still opt to go there (hell) and will therefore do evil. God has actually hidden something from us I concluded. Man do not believes God's word, it is a fact, not even the religious leaders, some of them rattled the scriptures with their tongue not in their hearts and when they retire to bed they think differently. Some of the comments or reactions that at times we hear from our religious leaders on sensitive religious issues only add more confusion to our already blogged mind on religion, disgusting and leaves much to be desired. So the question again is, are we being deceived or mislead? It is a fact again that majority of people in the world (with the exception of Africans because we believe in the goodness of everything the Whites brought) believes that the scriptures were written by men and they were NOT even inspired by God to write it but something to deceive. Yes, you can call me a shallow thinker, an atheist or whatever for I will not take a religious stance here but as a social commentator, I free my mind of all impurities with impunity. Just like my friend's article on GhanaWeb yesterday, The Al-Shabab, the ugly side of religion, he was attacked from all corners from both Muslims and Christians, chided and some calling him names just because he expressed his opinion on religion. Why are we so fixated on religion like that? Isn't it a delusion that we believe.....? I concur with my friends words "... none of the founders of these so-called religions ever preached based on religious followership. They all preached on the love for one’s neighbor, tolerance, and peace". So where is the love? Where is the peace of your religion? The scriptures cannot walk and talk peace, it is you who have to practice what you preach! - Peace. Whether the scriptures were written by man or not, has religion not done more good than harm? Is Al-Shabab a religion or a political organisation? When the name "Al-shabab" is mention, what readily comes to mind in sequence is Arabic language - Islam - Muslims - suicide bombers and terrorists. Is everything in Arabic Islamic? And therefore must be perpetuated by Muslims? I do not want to defend any religion but help me distressed my boggled mind, where do rebels get their funds from? There must be someone facilitating their activities. Is it from the politician or from a religious body? It is an undeniable fact that both the Quran and the Bible have verses or chapters that if we want to follow them or put them into practice we will only end up harming ourselves and denying peace in our existence, nonetheless there are avalanche of chapters and verses in our scriptures that speak and teaches love, peace, unity and forgiveness among mankind. Why chose to practice the few ambiguous ones that never makes the world a better place to be? I came across a farcical article purported to have been reported by one Elijah Lamau to the BBC on the shooting incidence inside the mall, that the gunmen had told Muslims to leave and said non-Muslims would be targeted and that the gunmen further said, “If you are a Muslim, stand up. We’ve come to rescue you.” “The Muslims left with their hands up.” Why did the others also not stand up and raise their hands and left free since proclaiming as a Muslim by standing up and raising your hand could set you free? Or they wanted to defend their religion? This is not convincing in all human senses. It is sensational journalism and nothing else. I was expecting to read something like they (the gunmen) inspected their ID card to confirm their Muslim names before letting them go. Gruesome attacks likes this and the like of the activities Boko haram should be condemned in totality rather than attributing it to the believes of a religion, but for me it is more political than religious. Article by Chibaro Ali