Allah Akbar

April  23, 2013  -- A few days after the Boston Marathon bombing

What has happened in the last few days hasn't totally jarred my constructive optimism that a reformation will take place in Islam soon whereby the supreme religious Imam (or Imams) will tell Muslims in general that Allah no longer requires them to sacrifice themselves while  killing non-believers that refuse to convert.

It is difficult for us realize that anyone can accept this tenant of their faith. It is already probably not accepted by many or even most Muslims but a religious dictator has a no more powerful weapon at this disposal than blind faith if he chooses to use it.

In my lifetime we saw such blind faith by the Japanese people who believed their Emperor wanted them to kill themselves rather than surrender.  Sadly it took the atom bomb and the threat of near total destruction before their god-like emperor    (over the objection or the military leaders) spoke to the people (the first time they had ever heard him speak!) and said they should no longer martyr themselves in his name.

My constructive (perhaps blind) optimism tells me that communication is so complete in the world today,  that the "people" will force a reformation before  truly new world -wide destruction occurs. It will take some time yet when you realize the fanaticism shown by the mother of the two Boston bombers when she shouted

"Allah Akbar" and was glad that one of her sons had already died in this killing of non-believers.