Opiate of the masses

Karl Marx, that father of communism and its chief atheist, called religion the "Opiate of the masses". I suppose what he believes is that religion is a drug that the masses are driven to take and in the process, becomes addicted to it. Non-religion is therefore the only rational process and thought that mankind should adopt, if not believe in. I do not agree with this sage (as some still consider him to be one). His own 'religion' today is in shambles. It has not withstood the test of time.

On the other hand, I am horrified to learn that schools in Saudi Arabia, which is supposedly friendly to the West, routinely teaches its young ones to, among other things, hate Christians and Jews, and advocates Jihad, or Holy War against all infidels, of which Christians and Jews are identified as. If this is what is being taught systematically in Saudi Arabia's public schools, then I cannot imagine what schools in Iran teach their young. In fact, I am now paranoid of every Muslim school, official nor non-official, sanctioned by the state or not and even if that school is located and administered in Muslim countries that are considered to be moderate in the practice of Islam. It is no wonder that terrorists run amok so freely nowadays and this will not abate so long as young, impressionable kids are taught routinely to hate, that Allah wants Muslims to hate. The message I am getting is that Islam teaches hate, is intolerant of other beliefs and peoples, and is a law unto itself.

All the defences thrown up by countries to defend themselves from terrorist attacks will be ineffective so long as you have waves of youths who are ready to die for their Islamic religion the way they are being trained and intoxicated in schools in Islamic countries. What can you do when leaders in the community, the teachers, the adults, use a religion's holy book to teach such frightening things, not only sanctioning acts of violence against infidels, but actively promoting it? The only problem with Osama Bin Laden is that he brought Islam's teachings to its only logical realisation. With generations of Muslim youth raised on these beliefs, it is not difficult to see that peace will never come to Israel, not in my lifetime, not ever, in spite of the bests efforts of sincere, peace-loving peoples.

Perhaps Karl Marx was right, in some cases, after all.