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ARE YOU BRAINWASHED? PLUS A PETITION. AND AL WALAA WAL BARAA

I'm writing to you because I was asked an excellent question - how can you tell if you've been brainwashed? I also have 2 requests: please sign a petition, and please send an email. The petition and the email: they're to stop a a bill - M-103 - that would take Canada a big step closer to criminalizing criticism of Islam. I'm going to end with one of the essential Islamic concepts: al Walaa wal Baraa.

Everything in a nutshell. Two big signs of brainwashing: over-reaction (often massive) and certainty of one's rightness. Harder to spot, if you're looking for signs of your being brainwashed: illogical arguments. These tend to sound logical to the brainwashed.

And how is brainwashing best countered? With facts - which brainwashing builds a wall against. We can also directly address that we see evidence of brainwashing.

Why focus on brainwashing? The inroads by Islam - such as the bill coming before the Canadian parliament - depend on the brainwashing of non-Islamics, including members of parliament.

If you're in a rush and just want to sign the petition against the bill, jump ahead to the first link. To send emails to Canadian MPs, go to the third link. Right after that is my open letter to MPs and senators. You're welcome to use all or any of it.

Finally, what is al Walaa wal Baraa? The person who introduced me to the concept, Robert Frankling, sees awareness of it as the magic pill that will awaken non-Islamics to Islam's having no place in the West. In brief, it's against one of the things most valued in the West: tolerance. Al Walaa wal Baraa, a core concept of Islam, demands the hatred and denigration of non-Islamics.


Now, more detail re signs of brainwashing. When I was asked if there is some way you can tell if you've been brainwashed, I had an almost instant answer. I thought of my inside hissing, for instance before I watched FrackNation, a pro-fracking film. I'd seen Gasland, an anti-fracking film, a couple of years earlier, and was sure the evidence proved conclusively that fracking was destructive of human health and the environment in general. But I was at an event where FrackNation was being shown, so I watched - nice and relaxed on the outside - while having a hissy fit just under my calm exterior. I ended up being astounded at the evidence presented - and my inside hissing subsided.

My sister remembers an overt hissy fit of mine from a couple of decades ago. She was in favor, she announced, of the Austrian Freedom Party, an anti-Islam party. I cut her off, as if she were in favor of devil worship or Hitler. My sister has never stopped reminding me of that incident.

So how can we tell if we've been brainwashed? One answer: our response is out of line - emotionally over-intense. Instead of checking into what is being claimed, and exploring the evidence, we're sure we're dealing with someone on the side of evil. Another answer: the best way may be to look back at brainwashing that we've somehow managed to escape - like by somehow coming to learn facts that brainwashing makes it hard for us to hear.

Here's another answer, from a friend. It fits with mine. Robert Madore: if we're open to exploring, we're not brainwashed. The brainwashed mind is closed - it is, in essence, akin to the mind of a religious fundamentalist. I Know The Truth. I have Right on my side. Robert cited Thomas Aquinas, a Catholic philosopher from the Middle Ages, who held that certain rights are inherent by virtue of human nature and can be reached universally through human reason. Aquinas was for questioning everything.

So if you're not open to questioning something, if instead you respond vehemently, there's a good chance at least some brainwashing has happened.


Note: sometimes we aren't willing to go over the same terrain yet another time. No, the earth isn't flat. No, Islam isn't a religion of peace. Islam means submission. Being unwilling to repeat facts we've presented a hundred times isn't evidence of brainwashing. If we're dealing with someone brainwashed, chances are they won't hear whatever we have to say anyway. And even if the person is asking sincerely, we may want to pass on some resource (a great post or video), instead of repeating ourselves.


For the outsider, another common sign of brainwashing is the illogical stuff people utter, as if these were words of wisdom. For instance, at least one Canadian MP, Deepak Obhrai, has claimed that all religions should be respected. What? What about the Greek religions, where many of the gods went around raping? What about the Aztec religion, which practiced human sacrifice? The problem with this sign of brainwashing: most of those who utter illogical nonsense as if it made sense are unable to see that their thinking is severely flawed (to put it politely). They're also likely to disappear when confronted. For instance, when I sent an email to Obhrai, asking him to explain how one is to respect some verses from Surah 9 - verses such as "Slay the idolaters wherever you find them" (9:5) and "Idolaters (including Jews and Christians) are filth – najisun." (9:28) and "Islam must be triumphant over all other religions" (9:33) - he did not answer.


Sometimes, by the way, someone does concede something is amiss, when brainwashed nuttiness is pointed out. A few days ago, I was chatting with a university student, when she started going on about how she would love to get rid of money and go back to the old barter system - so much better - more humane and connected. Like you have a chicken and . . . "Well," I answered, "I do stuff like web design. How am I supposed to trade that for, say, lunch? I need to find someone who has lunches and needs web design. That may take all day, and I will end up very very hungry. As for the person with lunches - they can't sell them. They get offered socks and books and web design and maybe a spare tire. Really time consuming and cumbersome and generally ineffective for everyone."

The shocking thing: the person who wanted to revert to the barter system was, as I've said, a university student, not someone with a severe intellectual disability. It seemed that no one had presented her with my very elementary thoughts on the subject. She also clearly hadn't thought about what her vision called for. In this case, she didn't refuse what I said. Instead, confusion.


Why this interest in recognizing brainwashed-ness, starting with our own? It may help us figure out how to reach others. Perhaps most, instead of trying to counter the specific indication of brainwashing - like blanket horror at the thought of Trump - we can say: hey, do you know that you're showing a major sign of brainwashing? We can talk about the signs of brainwashing, and our own experience of being brainwashed, and what helped. We can tell the person they seem to be having difficulty hearing what we're saying - an almost sure sign of brainwashing.

Is this likely to help? Or will it just lead to more upset? I don't know.


Right now I'm faced with the fact that almost the entire Canadian government is showing signs of brainwashing: they're likely to pass a bill in just a few days - February 16 - against Islamophobia. As everyone at all alert to the threat posed by Islam knows, this is yet more groundwork for imposing what is essentially a Sharia anti-blasphemy law on all of Canada. If that happens, criticism of Islam would constitute a speech crime in Canada - though, according to what I've read, there are twice as many anti-Semitic incidents than incidents against Islam.

My experience: I see signs, not of Islamophobia, but of Islamo-catatonia. That is, most people don't react to the content of Islam, don't explore, don't read the Quran. They appear catatonic in the face of islam. They spout inanities about the virtues of tolerance, totally disregarding, for instance, that Islamic ideology is inherently intolerant, and stops all and any tolerance of non-Islamic ideologies when it has the power to do so.


Here's link to the petition I'd like you all to sign, to stop M-103:
https://www.ipetitions.com/petition/protecting-canadian-free-speeech-rights-from

And here is excellent coverage of what is going on, what the bill is really about, and much more. Wherever you are in the world, please read - and write against Bill M-103.
What to write? There are lots of suggestions:
http://www.actforcanada.ca/wp-content/uploads/PENDING-BILL-M-103-REQUEST-TO-WRITE-LETTERS.pdf

To make it easy to send emails to all Canadian members of parliament, as well as to the senators, here are links so you can send in batches of 50:
http://elsasblog.com/170212-write-to-canadian-mps.html


NOW, MY OPEN LETTER TO CANADIAN MEMBERS OF PARLIAMENT AND SENATORS. Feel free to use any of it that suits you, or to add my letter to yours.

M-103. Inherent Dangers, Signs of Brainwashing, & al Walaa wal Baraa

Dear MP,

I am very concerned about the potential passage of M-103, a big step toward a law being passed against freedom of speech, namely against criticism of Islam. All the evidence indicates that, for MPs even to consider M-103, this shows the serious extent of brainwashing among Canadian MPs.

Why do I claim brainwashing is at work? I will give an example of an exchange with one member of parliament, Mr Obhrai. He claimed to believe all religions deserve respect.

The words may sound good if someone does not do any thinking whatsoever. However, what about the Greek religion (Zeus, Apollo, etc), where many of the gods went around raping? And what about the Aztec religion, which practiced human sacrifice?

In case you may say, but those religions no longer exist, let's turn to the one and only religion Mr Obhrai expressed any concern about, Islam. I wrote back to him, asking him to explain how one is to respect some verses from Surah 9 - verses such as "Slay the idolaters wherever you find them" (9:5) and "Idolaters (including Jews and Christians) are filth – najisun" (9:28) and "Islam must be triumphant over all other religions" (9:33). Note: Surah 9 is especially important within Islam - it is widely known as Mohammed's last will and testament, as it is one of the last things he wrote.

Anyway, how did Mr Obhrai respond? Silence.

This makes no sense. Does he not want anyone to respect those verses? Or does he hold we should all respect these verses, though they claim Islamics should slay idolaters whenever they find them?

That is not my main point.

My main point is this: if you want to pass any motion, it should be an affirmation of our right to explore, to examine, to question everything - and that includes each and every religion. That includes the right to be against part or all of any religion or of all religions.

Even Thomas Aquinas, a Catholic philosopher from the Middle Ages, was for such questioning, rather than for regulating questioning and criticism. He held we are to explore and question everything.


In connection with the proposal to condemn Islamophobia, I ask you: have you read the Quran? If not, I strongly recommend you do so, especially before favoring any law against something like Islamophobia. As you may or may not know, you are playing into the hands of those who would stop all criticism of Islam, which is considered blasphemy within Islam.

I ask you instead to have the courage to stand up for freedom of speech.


It may seem outrageous, but at present it takes courage to stand up for freedom of speech, to stand against forces favoring silencing exploration of Islam and the right to speak of what we find.


And that brings me back, once more, to brainwashing. People who think they are on the side of human rights have come to be brainwashed into thinking that cutting the human rights of all people - including Muslims - to evaluate Islam and come to negative conclusions, is good, and allowing freedom of thought and speech in relation to Islam is somehow Islamophobic.

However, we may negatively evaluate all other religions, as well as atheism, and this is considered fine. No one will criticize us if we say we don't believe in reincarnation. We are not designated Hindu-phobic or Buddhist-phobic.

I will end with a link to a video - THINK OR SINK. The main point: we think, or the West is sunk. If you are for a motion specifically against so-called Islamophobia, this is a sign that the West is in serious danger:
http://elsasemporium.com/good-thinking.html


I will end by calling on you to become more informed about Islam, specifically how it is inherently against one thing highly valued in the West, tolerance. There is a core doctrine, al Walaa wal Baraa. This is the doctrine of adherence and dis-association. It's the best-supported doctrine within the Quran (and, for those who look further, in the Hadiths and the Sira).

It is the doctrine of Islamic apartheid. Muslims are to have their separate socializing, free from the contamination of kafirs (a very negative word for non-Islamics) who tend to weaken their faith and make them adopt the lifestyle of disbelievers. In other words, Muslims are to have a separate, parallel society.

If it were only separation, it would be one thing. But it is not enough for Islamics just to hate kafirs, they must - according to this core aspect of Islam - show disdain, and humiliate kafirs. This is established in the Quran, Hadiths, Sira, and the Tafsirs (Islamic 'canonical commentaries').

It is important to note that al Walaa wal Baraa is an essential doctrine - literally "essential of the faith" (usul ud-deen). This means that Muslims who do not believe and practice it cannot go to paradise. They are called hypocrites (murtad) in the Quran.

This doctrine is the opposite of the Golden Rule.

Al Walaa wal Baraa is also the reverse of the modern Western concepts of tolerance, and of celebration of diversity.

So Islam is inherently intolerant of any ideology other than its own. Islam celebrates uniformity and compliance.

(The scholarly writings of Robert Frankling are a source for more information on this core concept of Islam.)


All this indicates all non-Islamics need to be very careful before any step that in any way lays the groundwork for imposing what is essentially a Sharia anti-blasphemy law on all of Canada. If that happens, criticism of Islam would constitute a speech crime in Canada.

Please let me know that you will not support M-103.

Sincerely,

Elsa Schieder, PhD


PS. One of the subjects I have most enjoyed teaching is Ethics, where the emphasis would be on thinking critically about ethics.


**

AND NOW
. You may be wondering how I came to know and write about al Walaa wal Baraa, which may be considered the doctrine mandating Islamic apartheid.

It's something I have never written about before - because I didn't know of it.

My thanks go to Robert Frankling. According to Robert, awareness among non-Islamics of al Walaa wal Baraa is the magic bullet that will end Islam. Robert has been trying for over a decade to find that magic bullet. One shot. Over and out.

His thought: if we can reach people about this fundamental unchangeable foundational Islamic doctrine, even the most brainwrecked brainwashed dhimmi kafir will be unable to deny that Islam has no place in the West. He also believes that people who are Muslim-in-name-only, who are fundamentally opposed to the doctrine, who are for tolerance and acceptance of difference, will leave Islam.


A question: how do we get heard? As Robert noted, almost everyone in the West now knows the word, jihad, and also knows that jihad does not refer mainly to inner struggle. Maybe people in the West can now be taught the term, al Walaa wal Baraa.


I have a further thought: that we work to remove the blockages keeping people Islamo-catatonic. I have long been interested in "energy" - which flows freely and which may also be blocked. Most "energy work" is on the individual level - people freeing themselves from personal inner blockages. My sense is there are huge societal blockages that need to be undone, so there is a free flow of attention to the reality of Islam. Ideally, many of us will do this together. Stay tuned.



And with that, all the best to all of us who care and dare,

Elsa



PS. You're welcome to post any of this on Facebook, Twitter, etc. Please include the link: http://elsasblog.com/170212-are-you-brainwashed.html

PPS. If you want to post just the letter to MPs, here it is: http://elsasblog.com/170212-open-letter-to-canadian-mps-re-m-103.html

THE SITE:
http://elsasblog.com




posted Feb 12, 2017




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Open Letter to Canadian MPs:
Are You Brainwashed?
Bill M-103,
Islam,
Brainwashing
and the Islamic Concept of
al Walaa wal Baraa.


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