Dear white people.

We know you feel bad about all the colonialism, slavery, and general racism. The White Australia policy, the culling of indigenous populations, etc. We know.

But I'm here to tell you that you don't need to feel guilty anymore. It's in the past, we understand. That's not to say that you shouldn't still be aware of the sensitivities of black/brown/other non-white people with regards to racism.. but you don't need to 'make up for' the past anymore.

You need to shake off the white shame that you have been saddled with ever since the first history lesson which opened your eyes to the racism of your ancestors. Please, take the lesson, and leave the guilt behind.

Because you're going to the other extreme.

Case in point; Chris Hedges. Here is what he has to say about islamic terrorism in light of the recent bombing/shooting in Norway.

"The gravest threat we face from terrorism, as the killings in Norway by Anders Behring Breivik underscore, comes not from the Islamic world but the radical Christian right and the secular fundamentalists"

I mean, really.

I stand in awe at the kind of mental gymnastics one must perform to arrive at the conclusion that Christianity and secularism are a bigger threat to civilisation today, than Islam.

Now, I am no fan of any organised religion, but come on. This grand conclusion is hastily jumped to because of A SINGLE shooter in Norway? Really?

A single Norwegian who killed about 90 people

VS

 The 9/11 attacks, where a little under 3000 people were killed, multiple bombings in Mumbai, the most recent of which claimed at least 20 lives and injured 100 more, suicide bombings in London, which killed 52 and injured 770, the stabbing of Theo Van Gogh, for the heinous crime of producing a film that criticized the treatment of women in Islam, the killing of 8 UN workers in response to some pastor burning Qu'rans in the US, the bombing of and setting fire to Danish embassies in Pakistan, Syria, Lebanon and Iran, as well as violent protests, in reaction to a Danish cartoonist depicting Muhammad, resulting in over 100 reported deaths. Then there's all the people who live under threat of being killed for speaking out against Islam, Salman Rushdie and Ayaan Hirsi Ali come to mind.

So, final scores?

Christian terrorism: 90 lives lost.

Islamic terrorism: 3181 lives lost.

Secular 'fundamentalists': 0 lives lost.

And that's just off the top of my head. Is there even a comparison? What complete lunatic feels more threatened by Christian and secular 'fundamentalism' in today's world than Islamic fundamentalism?

I pondered this apparent insanity for a long time, until I realised... some white people now, especially those identifying as liberals, are just too scared of being called racist or xenophobic to openly criticise Islam. It's simply not 'politically correct'! Much easier for them to criticise Christianity, or those evil secularists, and get away with it, because these are largely 'white' groups, and nobody can be 'racist' towards whites!

You're taking the whole 'acceptance of other cultures' thing a little too far.

Just what exactly must a non-white group adhering to an ideology DO in order to draw criticism from you? Making their intentions to spread Islam all over the world and institute Sharia Law everywhere known hasn't worked (Islamic Emirates in the UK). Suicide attacks haven't worked, rejection of western values *while residing in western countries* hasn't worked (40% of young british muslims saying they would like to see Sharia law implemented, and 36% saying that a Muslim who converted to another religion should be put to death). Murdering/calling for the murder of people who dare dissent (Theo Van Gogh, Salman Rushdie, Ayaan Hirsi Ali, Kurt Westergaard) hasn't worked, subjugation of women (50% of the human population!) hasn't worked...

Just what MUST they do in order for you to see the threat here?

Anders Breivik, to my knowledge, did not say that he killed all those people because of his christianity, or neo-naziness. But most people acknowledge that his religious fundamentalism probably informed his actions (even though his religious conviction can be questioned upon reading the manifesto he posted online).

Yet, Islamic suicide bombers and terrorists explicitly tell us that they kill infidels in the name of Allah, that they behead people for insulting Muhammad, that they bomb hundreds for not following Islamic law... and yet people like Chris Hedges search for other reasons they might have done these things?

Why don't we simply believe what they are telling us?

It's okay to acknowledge that European/western culture today is the most progressive culture around. Really, it is. It's okay to acknowledge that democracy beats theocracy. It's okay to say that a religious ideology is wrong, even if the typical holders of this ideology aren't white. I promise you, it's okay.

PS: If you want to read Sam Harris's rebuttal of Hedges, it can be found here.