Nothing to See Here

Sales of "Mein Kampf" are soaring in Muslim-majority Turkey--along with a wonderful little novel about a Turk nuking Washington D.C. But the Turkish authorities claim they see no connection at all between their wacky belief system and that of Hitler. No reason for concern. Move along.

Let me see if I can find a connection. For starters, Hitler's autobiographical hate-rant bears more than a passing resemblance to the Koran. Misogyny and anti-Semitism run rampant in both, not to mention borderline schizophrenia and a general atmosphere of wild-eyed mouth-frothing. Mohammad was a pedophile, and while no direct evidence exists that Hitler was one, he certainly surrounded himself with them--Hermann Goering being the most notorious. Worst of all, both men thought they had a Batphone to God hardwired into their brains. Generally speaking, that is not an indicator of mental and emotional stability.

In brief, I see very little to recommend Mohammad over the most vile and (second) most successful mass-murdering asshole who ever walked the face of this planet. Judging from book sales figures, Turkish Muslims are in tacit agreement with me.

I saw a bumper sticker on a car this morning on the way to work. It was advertising some website for American Muslims, and the catch slogan was "Stop Stereotyping." Okay, I have a bargain for you: stop being misogynistic, pedophilic, Jew-hating, conversion-crazed, theocratic assholes, then we'll discuss intellectual and moral parity. Deal?

I have little use for religion of any kind, and Islam is right down at the bottom of the dung heap--a position that is well-earned through both historical evidence and current practices. Islam actually makes Mormonism look sane and well-adjusted; that takes some doing. If one accepts--for purposes of debate--the positions of William James and Sigmund Freud on strong religious convictions as a form of mental illness, then Islam is the mental health equivalent of the bubonic plague. So until you decide to move your belief system into the modern world, stop acting like a horde of medieval barbarians, and start playing nicely with others, you will continue to be "stereotyped" with complete legitimacy.