Anti-islamism

It is hard these days to keep track of how to be open-minded, open-hearted, tolerant and kind. It is hard these days to remember those school-yard lessons of acceptance, of outcasting, of shaming and of helping. These days it gets harder and harder to remember what we meant when we said imagine a world...

Today(or yesterday), over 50% of the citizens in Switzerland supported a ban on the construction of minarets as part of the construction of a mosque building. There are several things at play here. Switzerland being an oldish country with a long and honourable history enjoys maintaining the symbols of its old and unique culture. There are already laws that suggest new building designs must complement and coinside with surrounding buildings. This kind of law is common in Europe, where my grandmother lived in England they have laws saying new buildings on the highstreet, along with all signage must be in a Georgian style as that is the predominant ethos of the community.

However, many citizens are quoted as saying, this vote is not just about maintaining community stylistic ethos, nor is it Muslims themselves being voted against, but against (sepcifically against)a building that symbolizes Islamisation. What does that means?

What is Islamisation? Presumably it is the gradual shifting of style, taste, and landscape to incorporate the styles taste and symbols of contemporary Islamic architechture. I don't know what it is like to live in a monoculture. That is to be raised in a monoculture. That is, I don't really know how it feels to distinguish my culture from another culture. Canadian culture is Islamisation, is hockeyisation, is maple syrupisation, is catholicasation, and protestanization and mormanization, creeation, and inuization, and hippization and the complex and unending integration of all cultures known to all the citizens of Canada. As an immigrant to Canada, I came to learn to be proud of my country as a complex mixing, blending and integrating of cultures, cultural symbols, cultural practices and so on.

That doesn't mean I wasn't glad a few years back when the Ontario high courts said no to Sharia Law. Not because of any fear os islamasation, simply because Ontario has laws, which all citizens of the province abide by (more or less) and that should there be parts of Sharia Law not covered by Ontario law, then those parts may be brought forward and proposed as new law in legislature. This is because no segment of society is different from any other segment of society. What I must abide by, you must abide by; what i am responsible for you too are responsible for. But it is for this reason that the double applicability of Sharia Law was refused in Ontario. Not because it was a symbol of Islamisation, but because it would act to segmatize our unified society.

But perhaps in countries like Europe, (for it is almost a country now...like Africa ;) where each state has for hundreds of years created unity through the sameness of culture, it must be hard to understand how all humans are human. How the symbols of any culture are merely a symbol with the meaning attached to it by humans. Treating humans as humans makes for humanely meaningful symbols (like the pyramids, roman ruins, crosses on churches, kimono, chopsticks and drums of the world). But treating humans like somekind of outsider, some different thing of less value, of less equality, of less right to belong, you associate those same treatments to the meaning of symbols.

Having been raised learning that we are all Swiss and Swiss looks a certain way, eats a certain food, builds buildings with plants in the walls, It must be hard to feel that identity changing.

Unfortunately (or well I think fortunately) all the votes in the world, all the public opinion in the world, all the generally held contempt for change will never stop change from happening. God made the world to change. That is the only truth in any religion, culture, or system of belief. Change is. And change is irresistable. Babies have to stop breast feeding eventually, people have to start earning money eventually, you will one day think it cool to wear neon green or velvet or pleather or fleece, and that horrible blocky retro building you once though to tacky for words will grow on you and soon become and important mark of your community.

Just as Swiss will immigrate to other countries, Muslims, Brits, people with 6 fingers will all emmigrate to Swizterland. And if they aren't welcome, well then I suggest looking west to Canada.

I know that it seems like a good idea

I know that the mass immunization of the whole world seems like the right answer. Seems like the right course to take. Like the best way to prevent deaths. I worry, however that it will become a "well it seemed like a good idea at the time". I worry this is another example of how our preventative culture is causing serious harm, and dangerously putting our health and well being at risk.

I don't think this vaccine is dangerous. I think it is pretty innocuous. It may help you not get sick this year. Good. It may even prevent 10,000 people from dying each week from flu related complications. Good. But, I think it is the wrong course to take and I think it is the wrong way to handle this situation.

And there are two reasons why: one Influenzas A B and C are easily prevented and treated though cheap and readily available means and practices; two it is misdirected effort that may have a "boy who cried wolf effect" should that really zombie virus ever rear its head.

Reason one.

Of course, we are scared with that big what if out there. What if I get sick? Or worse my child or my mother or my wife...but isn't it better to teach and find ways to deal with that what if? Wouldn't it be better to find out what are the best things to do when that what if comes to fruition? Why are we giving up on the sick so easily?

What are the complications that lead to death in people who contract this virus? Respiratory failure, electrolyte imbalance, dehydration... Why are we spending billions of dollars on vaccines, and the equivalent of trillions of dollars in lost productivity and time spent waiting at clinics etc...to prevent a very common, and usually innocuous illness. Why not spend half that money on more effective treatment? Isn't that the way to save lives? Treat the sick?

Prevention:
I know none of us like to miss work (especially those of us who are paid by the working hour, rather than a set salary). But we need to change that mentality. Further, I know none of us like to accept we are sick and that perhaps we have to do something about it, something that will take time and effort. (we have to drink lots, we have to eat lots, we have to deal with the discomfort of illness). but we need to come to accept this discomfort. And i know that none of us wants to die, or wants anyone we know to die. But it is time we accept the truth about life being the deadliest of all sexually transmitted diseases. (I don't think life is a disease, but i think it is a funny way to think of life as an STD with 100% mortality rate...no one gets out alive...but many people get out happy...and we should embrace this and accept it as the best we can hope for. I can't live forever, but at least I can be happy).

We need to accept that even though we CAN keep working in those early hours of a flu or cold, we shouldn't. At the outset we should take some rest. A good 12 hours of sleep can do amazing things for your immune system. We should be justified in taking it at the onset of a cold. We should be supported and encouraged in it. Because this early treatment can be the difference between heading off an major infection and causing it to develop into a possibly fatal illness. Maybe it feels silly when you aren't seriously ill but stay home, and the next day wake up healthy as ever, and go to work, people think you were just skipping off. Well we should allow this not to make us feel so guilty (unless you were skipping off of course, cause then you should feel guilty it is very inconsiderate of your customers, coworkers and employer who all support your life everyday). That day of rest at the onset of illness is vital. And we must value it. And we must take it.

Next, as I said before, we really need to make hand washing the coolest thing on the block. You aren't lame if you wash your hands. Daily. Hourly. Often and thoroughly. You are clever. You are kind. You are considerate for it. And I thank you. Because you are helping keep yourself healthy, and helping keep me healthy, and together we can help take care of all the sickies out there. You don't have to wash your hands. We should want to wash them. It is proven effective. When surgeons started washing their hands and tools before surgery success rates and survival rates multiplied exponentially. Hand washing prevents contamination. It is inexpensive, and above all it is absolutely safe...no one has ever died from complications due to hand washing (unless they really deserved it) and it has a long long track record of complication free users (unlike most vaccination programs). And you don't need anything fancy. A little bit of water. Maybe a squidge of soap, if you have some to spare. Finally you can do it yourself, which is empowering. And self empowerment if key in all forays of life.

It is the best preventative medicine for an array of illnesses (unlike a vaccine which targets one small group of illnesses at a time). What is more, it also improves your public image, making you more likely to get a higher paying job, find a good spouse, raise well bred children, and have useful ways to contribute to society. There are numerous useless studies that say so..."women like men with clean fingernails" "don't judge a book by its cover, check out it's hands" etc etc.

Next we need to learn about advanced stages treatment. How do you treat a flu that is advancing to higher levels? How do you treat a fever? Respiratory distress? Diarrhea? Of course this is why we have hospitals, but this is knowledge for the masses not just the specialists. We should all know about electrolyte balance, it should be the general knowledge of school-children things like if you drink 7L of water you can die because you electrolyte levels will be too low. Or the reason you feel sick from drinking too much sweet stuff or milk is again that imbalance. We should know about respiratory distress and how breathing exercises are important and can help stage off this distress. We should also feel free to talk about our bowel activity, because if our caregivers don't know the extent of our diarrhea they might not notice our level of dehydration. We should better know how to recognize the signs of dehydration. This should be household knowledge. We shouldn't need specialists for this stuff.

Of course we need the specialists, too. Because we don't have this knowledge. Because there are myriad complications. Because there are many other illness that also signpost the same symptoms. And we are very fortunate that there are specialists in this world who can help us. But we need to help ourselves too.

Reason two:

Will this kind of hysteria and back and forthing lead to public apathy about global health, so called pandemics, and communicable diseases? Can taking a fairly innocuous illness too seriously lead us to underestimate another illness when it presents a more serious threat. Or another illness that may actually call for a medical intervention like vaccination rather than an lifestyle intervention...like hand washing...

There are a myriad of science fiction novels that take on this theme. Perhaps with good reason. To keep us on edge. We do have the knowledge, the skills, the tools and the imagination to handle this catastrophic situation...but I'm not sure the that swine flu pandemic is the monster illness set to wipe out 90% of the world's population...I worry that we are wasting resources and creating a bad mindset with this kind of treatment of the pandemic...

Is it ironic?

Is it ironic that the steel taken from the twin towers after they were collapsed nearly a decade ago has been turned into a warship. It was a very sad day, a very sad series of decisions, a very sad set of circumstances and in the end a number of people lost their lives, NY lost its iconic towers, and the world in so many ways lost all sense of perspective.

Why did we build warships?

That building could have been recycled into anything. And it was recycled into an instrument to continue the pain, suffering and oppression of people at home and around the world. An instrument that continues to uphold the beliefs and values of a world that we must let fade into the past. Humanity has for tens of thousands of years been becoming less and less violent; and we are coming to a time when we will no longer need mass violence to exert change, renewal, morality and equality. Why couldn't the steel have been used to embrace this bright future? Why once again have we chosen the path of violence and war?

It's a shame. Better luck next time, eh?