HARMONY INCLUDES ENCOMPASSING DIFFERENCE

Recent activities within the ultra Orthodox Jewish Belz sect would not normally warrant national news coverage or a mention in this blog.  It is a miniscule minority within a minority of observant Jews who arguably are a minority of  this country`s Jewish population of 263,000.  The advisory letter regarding mothers who drive their children to school draws immediate comparison with the rules enforced by the Wahabi interpretation of Islam as practised in Saudi Arabia where women are forbidden to drive. Indeed it is likely that if  similar "advice" were given by governors of a Moslem school the headlines would be much more strident.  Even allowing  for those Jews who live a ghetto style life in this country  it must be a disturbing event to their co-religionists who have a large variety of institutions to cater for their varying levels of religious devotion.  Perhaps if  Islam could cater for the very same differences in observance that Christianity also offers disharmony would be less likely to occur within our society.

Section 4A religiously aggravated  of The Public Order Act is defined as religiously aggravated disorderly behaviour with intent to cause harassment, alarm or distress.  Apparently calling two Muslim men “terrorists with guns in their pockets” constituted the offence committed by a 65 year old  female pensioner of previous good character. Notwithstanding the fact that the group to which the offender was apparently affiliated would arguably appear to be of a non denominational messianic variety which holds the Jewish people and the Land of Israel as crucial in the Second Coming (a common belief amongst many on the right wing of the Republican Party in America)  the basis of a finding of guilt might be on shaky ground.  If the lady involved does indeed go to appeal the result will be of some interest.

The murders committed by Islamists  in Paris and Toulouse  France  of Jews simply for being Jews is a warning to all of us that we in this country are not immune from the 2000 year old virus.  Activities such as those described above do not IMHO assist those within Moslem communities here who strive to live in harmony with their monotheist and atheistic co citizens.