I cry. I cry a lot. It’s not because I’m an emotional wreck or have a particularly bad life, it’s because I can’t stop myself, crying is part of me and I’m not ashamed to have a good gurn when I need it or when I encounter a piece of news that makes me upset, sad or ashamed.
Browsing through Facebook on Christmas Eve I found an article that set the waterworks off, my heart sank as I read and I cried in empathy and shame. The night before, someone – or a group of people, had taken it upon themselves to throw pig meat at the door of the Belfast Islamic Centre. It may be a seemingly harmless thing to do but it’s cultural and religious significance makes it a hate crime.
The Qur’an states:
“Forbidden to you (for food) are: dead meat, blood, the flesh of swine, and that on which hath been invoked the name of other than Allah.”
[Al-Qur’an 5:3]
And as a result Muslims (followers of the Islamic faith) choose to abstain from consuming any pork products in their diet.
What I fail to understand is the thought process behind the attack. Are these people acting in the name of “Christianity”? If so, are they completely oblivious to what being a Christian actually means?
I’m struggling to comprehend what they thought it would achieve. Maybe they’re just trying to impress Britain First Deputy Leader Jayda Fransen who has decided to spread her particular brand of racism and xenophobia across Northern Ireland in recent times.
Regardless of their motivation, part of me thinks it wouldn’t matter. Some people are just pre-programmed to hate and the Islamic faith is just the latest fad in their hate-filled lives.
Belfast also has a well known Jewish Synagogue in North Belfast and in 2016 it was covered with grafitti two months after 13 Jewish graves were vandalised in the west of the city.
Interestingly Judaism also prohibits the consumption of pork as per the Old Testament which states:
“And the swine, though he divide the hoof, and be cloven footed, yet he cheweth not the cud; he is unclean to you”.
“Of their flesh shall ye not eat, and their carcass shall ye not touch, they are unclean to you.”
[Leviticus 11:7-8]
The Old Testament also reinforces this in Deuteronomy 14:8 and Isaiah 65:2-5. In fact some branches of Christianity still adhere to this and choose to abstain from pork.
But this never really was about whether or not people eat pork. The pork meat was simply used as a weapon of intimidation towards the Mosque and those who use it.
This is about religious and cultural intolerance. It’s about ignorance and hate. And it’s perpetrated by thugs who make up a minority in Northern Ireland. No one is saying we shouldn’t have freedom of speech, that we can’t stand up for what we believe in and speak out against that which we do not agree with. However, to be given a right to freedom of speech means you have to also grant others that same right – it’s not a one-way street.
For me education is at the heart of all of this. If we don’t educate ourselves about what others believe how can we ever expect to understand it.
Personally I recommend a fantastic show on Netflix at the moment called “The Story Of God” where Morgan Freeman explores the global fascination with God and faith and delves into a wide range of modern and ancient religions. It is a real eye opener and helps to see the commonality in religions across the world rather than the divisions.
As for the people who attacked the Islamic Centre, you didn’t do it in my name. And I reckon you’d be hard pushed to find many people outside your hate circle who would condone what you did.
Wise up and get a life. #NotInMyName
Follow Tina Calder on Twitter.com/tinacalder or connect with her on Facebook.com/tinacalderjourno
First published in City Belfast Newspaper