Shame: Muslim culture's armour. Weapon? Humour.
By Nicolai Sennels
Time travelling is actually possible: If you want to know how the culture was one and a half millennium ago on the Arab peninsular, you just need to visit an Islamic country - or a Muslim parallel society in your own country for that matter. They may have cars, cell phones and Nike shoes, but it is all invented and created by non-Muslims, and does not change the essence of the original Muslim culture - which has stayed virtually the same since the time of their much beloved prophet.
Cultures need certain self preserving mechanisms in order to stay intact. One such mechanism, the feeling and celebration of national pride, is very low in Europe. One main reason is the European Union's steadfast work on substituting national identity with loyalty towards the bureaucracy in Brussels. Another is a widespread feeling of guilt over something, that completely other people in a completely other time did to the Jews in the early 20th century. Resistance towards the corrosive effect on our culture, safety and economy resulting from mass immigration from a very different culture is therefore dangerously low.
The Muslim culture on the other hand has very strong self preserving mechanisms. Some of the most important ones are of course the fact that taking up a non-Muslim lifestyle are often be punished by social isolation, violence or even death death and that Muslims are only allowed to marry Muslims, thus preventing non-Muslim traditions and values from entering the families and community. Marrying within the same family (despite the serious risk of mental and physical illness), wearing characteristic clothing (Islamic veils, niqabs and burqas), eating special food (halal), a strong identification with the umma which is opposed to the non-Muslims and not being allowed to have real friendship with non-Muslims also creates a culture and a identity that distance Muslims from non-Muslims. For these reasons Muslim culture has been able to stay the way it is the last 1,400 years, in spite of the breathtaking cultural and scientific developments that has taken place and is taking place all around it.
Shame
All this is common knowledge but as a psychologist I would like to emphasise the importance of a certain psychological phenomena: The feeling of shame. Shame is the feeling that appears when one break the social rules in the culture that one is raised in. The German professor in evolution history at the University of Kiel, Jörg Wettlaufer, claims that "shaming rituals seem to produce stigmatizing and exclusive effects which may hinder reformation and social reintegration". In other words: Shame is the antidote to cultural evolution.
The Department of Research in Humour (yes, we have such a thing) at the University of Aalborg, Denmark, have measured the degree of a neurosis called gelotophobia in 73 countries around the world. Gelotophobia is "the fear of being laughed at" and gelotophobics are thus very careful not to do anything that make them feel ashamed. It turns out that Danes are the least gelotophobic people in the world (1,67 percent suffers from mild gelotophobia), while the most gelotophobic people live in Middle East (33 percent suffers from gelotophobia).
The concept of shame is dominating the Muslim culture and makes Muslims prevent themselves from deviating from cultural norms and behaviours. Installing a strong concept of shame thus becomes a psychological armour protecting the Muslim culture from changing.
The best medicine against shame? The ability to laugh about oneself. This might be part of the reason for the obvious lack of self-irony in the Islamic world - even though it is much needed and often relevant. Except for consequence, humour is probably the most underestimated weapon against religious fanaticism and lack of integration among Muslims. It is needed for breaking open a culture mummified by shame and for pointing out weaknesses in its behaviour and religion. No wonder that a majority of the worlds' Muslims react so aggressively against the Mohamed cartoons and Islam-critical satire in general. Nonetheless, this is the medicine that is needed and this is what we never stop serving them. With a smile.
Nicolai Sennels is a psychologist and author who writes from Denmark.
"gelotophobia" -- not to be confused with "gelatophobia", which is the fear of Italian ice cream
I've always thought humour is one of the best weapons to use against islam. Bring it out into the open, ridicule it, mock it, laugh at it.
It makes muslims crazy.
Splendid.
This article explains something to me..
Have you ever debated a muslim eg on youtube? Their reply usually begins:..hahaha or lol..As if you will be floored by this. The assumption seems to be that you are terrified at being laughed at! Could it be that they are the one who are terrified at being laughed at?...
When you subject Muslims to mockery
They screech and they pout and break crockery
Then they get the press
To make its own mess:
A media multicultural jacquirie.
Excellent! I had the same reaction.
Seriously, I learned a new word today. Gelotophobia. It nicely complements Islamophobia.
Another thing this article brings to mind..
And that is I feel that psycholigists could make a valuable contribution to demolishing Islam. Mostly we here from experts from other fields: historians, theologians..
Yet I have often wondered about the psychology of someone like eg Tariq Ramadan. He seems to be an intelligent human being. So how is it that he does not see through the charade of Islam? How does an intelligent person adhere to the nonsense of Mohammad and Shariah?
I have often felt - and it is nothing more - that the Muslim prophet had no sense of humor. He was maybe very charming and affable with an easy smile, and he felt a great joy and erupted into a hearty laugh when seeing a dead enemy .....but a teller and appreciator of jokes, no.
On the contrary I am left with the impression - and again it is nothing more - that people around him took care to avoid all talk that was not completely literal and that might be open to misunderstandings. I think he very much was aware what was being said around him and took it very unkindly when it was double-pronged. We know he didn't like criticism, and that he was very much on guard against it. Combine this with his lack of humor quickly endemic among his companions - they learned this paid off, or else - and it becomes gloomy self-centered intolerant self-pity perpetuated by Mr Perfect himself.
Not a trait present in all and everyone, of course, but in sufficient numbers to make it a cultural difference, perhaps.
Well at least I now know I'm not a gelatophobic. I love Italian ice-cream!
Mohammad had some poets killed who had made fun of him. I don't get the impression that Stalin, Mao Tse Tung, Hitler and such were famous for their humour. Especially if directed at them!
This informative article made me think of another problem unique to narrow but "accepted" religions that have some severely negative effects on their members as a result of isolation, shame, inbred marriage patterns, etc. Most of them are non-violent and members wishing to get clear of them are not subject to physical threats, though they usually have to go through a lot of difficult psychological re-adjustment.
I used to investigate cults -- mostly smaller, non-sanctioned, very "outsider" religions. While I didn't do "deprogramming" I knew a lot of people who did (negotiated meetings, not the notorious "snatches" from the 1970s), and they considered re-connecting the cult member with his/her prior life, family, friends, interests, plans, etc. to be one of the most important factors in weaning them away from the cult.
But it won't work with Muslims who are not converts from other religions or who were previously non-religious. Because for a born Muslim the Cult IS their family, their "nation" (the ummah), their friends, spouse, and they have been told since childhood to trust no one else. In addition, their interests, future plans, and values have been molded by the cult and only the strongest have been able to build a separate "self" that can be a basis for a non-Muslim life. Every step away from the Cult puts them at risk for a barrage of shame-inducing responses from all sides. Those who choose to leave Islam deserve great credit for having created enough of a "self" to do this and being so determined to be free.
Sennels is right about the importance of humor in lifting the dead weight of Islam. At this stage it is probably much more important for us than for them. Political correctness and MC-fueled censorship must be fought because that use of humor to combat muslim propaganda/taqiyya/dawah is as important for us now as the avalanche of anti-Axis humor was during WWII.
Yes indeed humour is a survival mechanism. Look at Jewish humour for instance. Or the songs sung by the soldiers of WW1 "Oh What a lovely War!"
Yes, but how does one shame a muslim who considers it "honorable" to kill their own daughter or wife in the name of their "religion?"
Besides, everyone knows muslims don't drink, so you'll never hear about the rabbi, the priest, and the muslim cleric who stepped into a bar when...
Also of course comedians who make fun of Islam would be in fear of their lives and the networks wouldn't air it anyway.
I think we ought to make a start.
How about.."Did you here about the girl who joined a muslim hippy commune and got stoned?"
Small beginnings...
Or how about?..
"Did you here about the muslim who told his daughter a joke thinking she would laugh her head off? Well she didn't laugh her head off so he finished the job with a kitchen knife."
Meant "hear" of course. It's the Italian wine!
this is one of the best articles I have read here. as a former muslim i testify to this. like khomeini said islam is no fun>
It is true that ridicule is an excellent weapon against absurd Islam, but the problem is that there are very few in the major media (where we need them) who are brave enough to so ridicule. Death threats have taken their toll - just think of South Park - and I can only think of Bill Maher doing so occasionally. Muslims in general, IMO, like it this way and I would not trust the word of any Muslim who says he doesn't.
Rare people like Bill Maher should be thanked & encouraged to keep up the important ridicule.
"..this is the medicine that is needed .."
This is a picture of Muhammad wearing women's clothing. The problem is that this is mentionned in their own books. So, it's not satire anymore, it becomes HALAL!!!
http://crossmuslims.blogspot.com/2010/05/drawing-muhammad-dessiner-mahomet.html
Are armpit sounds ok?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uC8_1VP--k8
From the article: "...and that Muslims are only allowed to marry Muslims, thus preventing non-Muslim traditions and values from entering the families and community."
There is some disagreement about whether Muslim men are allowed to marry any other than Muslim women, but the predominant view is that Muslim men are allowed to marry women who are of the "People of the Book" (primarily Christians and Jews). The disagreement probably comes from inconsistent hadiths, and the argument over whether Christians are polytheists in the full sense. (Muslims are not allowed to marry polytheists). In addition, since strength or quality of faith is a valued attribute in potential brides, this would tend to compel Muslim men to favor marrying Muslim women more than Christian or Jewish women.
Muslim women are not allowed to marry any other than Muslim men. The classical sharia penalty for marriage between a Muslim woman and a non-Muslim man is death. If a Muslim man who has a Muslim wife apostatizes, the marriage is nullified.
p.s., the Quranic verse used to support those who allow Muslim men to marry Christian and Jewish women is this:
5:5. "This day are (all) good things made lawful for you. The food of those who have received the Scripture is lawful for you, and your food is lawful for them. And so are the virtuous women of the believers and the virtuous women of those who received the Scripture before you (lawful for you) when ye give them their marriage portions and live with them in honour, not in fornication, nor taking them as secret concubines. Whoso denieth the faith, his work is vain and he will be among the losers in the Hereafter."
On the other hand, other verses (e.g., 9:30) suggest that some Christians and Jews are guilty of shirk and are thus polytheists, and this idea is also expressed in the hadith.
"Mohammad had some poets killed who had made fun of him. I don't get the impression that Stalin, Mao Tse Tung, Hitler and such were famous for their humour. Especially if directed at them!"
Mohammad is a myth, but the Arabic factions who constructed Islam and the prophet of Islam were fundamentalists, and humor, sarcasm and satire has no place in a serious religious endeavor because it causes doubt about the truth of the dogmas.
Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini said it well:
“Allah did not create man so that he could have fun. The aim of creation was for mankind to be put to the test through hardship and prayer. An Islamic regime must be serious in every field. There are no jokes in Islam. There is no humor in Islam. There is no fun in Islam. There can be no fun and joy in whatever is serious.”
In the Middle Ages Christian fundamentalists shared the same view expressed by Khomeini.
One of the many themes in Umberto Eco's novel “The Name of the Rose” (1980) is the conflict between dogmatic belief and humor. Eco seems to have been aware of Rudyard Kipling's short story “The Eye of Allah”, which touches on many of the same themes - optics, manuscript-illumination, music, medicine, priestly authority and the Church's attitude to scientific discovery and independent thought - and which includes a character named Jorge de Burgos:
“Jorge de Burgos: Laughter is a devilish wind which deforms, uh, the lineaments of the face and makes men look like monkeys.
William of Baskerville: Monkeys do not laugh. Laughter is particular to men.
Jorge de Burgos: As is sin. Christ never laughed.
William of Baskerville: Can we be so sure?
Jorge de Burgos: There is nothing in the Scriptures to say that he did.
William of Baskerville: And there's nothing in the Scriptures to say that he did not. Why, even the saints have been known to employ comedy, to ridicule the enemies of the Faith. For example, when the pagans plunged St. Maurice into the boiling water, he complained that his bath was too cold. The Sultan put his hand in... scalded himself.”
Tyrants have a twisted sense of humor. Hitler definitely got humor and even used it to ridicule Roosevelt, Churchill and political opponents. But his favourite victim was the Luftwaffe chief Herman Goering, who was notoriously fond of awarding himself medals and decorations.
Hitler recounted how Mrs Goering found her husband waving a baton over his underwear in the bedroom and asked him what he was doing.
“He replied: 'I am promoting my underpants to OVERpants', Hitler then joked.
Hitler was said to be so proud of his joke that he had medals made from gold and silver paper for Goering to wear on his pyjamas.
Even Stalin got humor. Here some funny quotes:
I trust no one, not even myself.
The Pope? How many divisions has he got?
The people who cast the votes don't decide an election, the people who count the votes do.
We don't let them have ideas. Why would we let them have guns?
The most hilarious episode when Stalin demonstrated his black humor was when he first met Churchill face to face:
When Churchill first met Stalin in Moscow in 1942, he tried to explain to the Man of Steel how the terrible toll on British ships and sailors had forced a pause in convoys to Murmansk. Stalin responded by insulting Churchill to his face:
This is the first time in history that the British navy has ever turned tail and fled from the battle. You British are afraid of fighting. You should not think that the Germans are supermen. You will have to fight sooner or later. You cannot win a war without fighting.”
This abuse exceeded anything Chamberlain had taken from Hitler and came out of the mouth of a Bolshevik butcher who had been Hitler's willing partner in the rape of Poland and Hitler's enabler in his attack on the West. When Britain had been fighting alone, Stalin was aiding Nazi Germany and accusing Britain and France of having started the war.
When Stalin brought up Churchill's role in 1919 as the champion of Allied intervention in Russia, Churchill asked, “have you forgiven me?”
The ex-seminarian replied, “All that is in the past. It is not for me to forgive. It is for God to forgive.”
On his return from that September 1942 trip to Moscow, Churchill told in Parliament that his countrymen were truly fortunate to be allied to so great a man:
“... Above all, he is a man with that saving sense of humor which is of high importance to all men and all nations, but particularly to great men and great nations. Stalin left upon me the impression of a deep, cool wisdom, and a complete absence of illusions of any kind.”
Churchill was right about that last part. As the Man of Steel used to say: “A sincere diplomat is like dry water or wooden iron.”
So give Islam and the Muslims some time to move from boring dogmatic belief to making fun of their own religion. I have heard that Muslim stand up comedians do exist and some of them make fun of Islam, and have managed to stay alive by a miracle:
"Last year, I went to Mecca to repent my sins, and I had to walk around the black stone. All the women were dressed in black, you could only see their eyes. And I felt a hand touch my bottom. I ignored it. I thought, 'I'm in Mecca, it must be the hand of God.' But then it happened again. I didn't complain. Clearly, my prayers had been answered."
"And I'm sure that, you know, Prophet Mohamed, peace be upon him, he laughed, everybody laughed. I mean, how are you gonna get through life if you don't laugh? … I'm sure that God has a sense of humor. I hope he finds my jokes funny."
I quoted Shazia Mirza the world's only female Muslim stand-up comedian (still alive), which sounds like a joke in itself. So maybe there is still hope for Muslims and Islam. Just give it some time and together with the Muslims we can all enjoy a healthy laughter over the Muhammad cartoons.
As Voltaire said: "God is a comedian playing to an audience too afraid to laugh."
Good job Nick!!
I believe shame is not merely...' the feeling that appears when one break(s) the social rules in the culture that one is raised in...'
Shame is the personal sense of betrayal, of oneself, by one's own acts or actions. That is not merely as the psychologist measures it, but one of the ethics and morality of humans.
Why is this distinction important? Because to a psychologist or sociologist of mostly secular bent- it is merely the group dynamic that is the determining factor(s) in the source of shame.
But the importance of west cultures, of Judaism, and then Chritianity and buddhism, hinduism later- all these developed the ethics of do unto others as you would have others do unto you..... That is ALL OTHERS.
Islam, has no such ethical development. It's 'profit', It's 'theology' has a dual standard- one for them, and one for all others. And all others are less, are to be submitted and or killed if needs be to prevent their inhibiting the Islamic theology and civilization from dominating.
My point? It's OUR shame that I'm worried about- not THEIR'S!! Or rather our lack of shame and the numbing of our ethics that allows up to be politically correct, always inoffensive and morally neutral and without any backbone to actually stand by our values and standards that allow for the individual to have freedom, freedom of conscience, freedom of pride, and self worth and yes.... of shame.
Muslims can't change, but we can and it is us... the non muslims who's lack of shame will bring us into inevitable terrible wars to revive our freedoms that we gave away, give away, along with our dignity, our freedoms and our liberty- of course, in the name of 'pluralism'
The humorless character of Muslims and Islam is indeed striking.
As for taking advantage of it tactically, I would propose the following:
An official European wide "Laugh at Religion Day", with contests, prizes, and all kinds of festivities devoted to making fun of all religions, including Islam (then no one can claim discrimination).
Something I find just as breathtaking as the humorless and sheer brutality, narrowmindedness, and lack of joy in Islam is the lack of creativity in Europeans who are trying to resist Jihad.
What is required in Europe is a series of bold initiatives designed to assert European values in the face of Jihad:
An official "I love Israel" day, on which tens of millions of people where "I love Israel T-shirts" to their places of work, etc.
Marches through no go zones:
thousands of Europeans need to march through these Muslim enclaves on a regular basis with banners and music and speeches reclaiming them as European territory.
An official day devoted to the rights of European Muslim women.
An official European wide "Welcome to Europe Day" for immigrants designed to explain to them European values and the European Way of life.
The key, of course, is to turn millions of passive Europeans and activists devoted to the survival of European civilization in the face of the time.
There is no point moaning about how few people are engaged in active.
It seems to me that if people are given something concrete to do on a daily basis, people will join in and our ranks will grow.
“…humour is probably the most underestimated weapon against religious fanaticism and lack of integration among Muslims. It is needed for breaking open a culture mummified by shame and for pointing out weaknesses in its behaviour and religion.” - Sennels
Only Islamophobes crack Muslim jokes.
A mosque in Denmark has been adorned with the Muhammad drawing by Kurt Westergaard. It would all be good fun except the perpetrators are a few people who have confused nationalism and love of your country with reactionary racism. And it would all be good fun except the major media are in hysterics describing it as "vandalism" and an "attack on a mosque". And it would all be good fun except the Imam is milking it for all it is worth, "love not hate!".
A wonderful start to the humorous side of Islam, Mohammed and the Koran is to be found at faithfreedom.org/comics. I suggest to start with "Mohammed's Believe It or Else !" comic book. The illustrations fit the topic and it is a production both accurate textually and quite on the point of the ridiculous nature of many aspects of Koranic teaching.
Happy Humorous Reading JW crusaders (mhbwu = may humor be with you).
Our Amish are similar, but not as violent to others, except their immediate family.
"An Islamic regime must be serious in every field. There are no jokes in Islam. There is no humour in Islam. There is no fun in Islam." --Ayotollah Khomeini
The mullahs know how their grasp would be broken - DON'T EVER LET THEM SEE YOU LAUGHING! So the rest of us must do it all.
A muslim kid can't find his mother in the supermarket. The manager asks, "What does she look like?" The kid says, "I don't know."
Good 'un!
Hey, Jim. I was in London 40 years ago on my honeymoon. It was very English then. Imagine there are a lot of walking tents there these days!
There are DWS. .the swelling of the number of tents would not be of particular concern, save for the rather grim fact that most now are residents as opposed to tourists. Add to that the phalanx upon phalanx of buggies and it's not hard to forsee a looming crisis of major proportions.
So, the Prophet walks into a bar;
The bartender sez, "How bizarre --
I'll be damned -- there's a rumor
You've no sense of humor."
Sez Mo, "That's so true, and you are."
. .ol' Mo was infamous for his deadpan quips.
Fellow posters, stop being such provincials. We need to celebrate our cultural similarities, NOT highlight your differences. Just last week I was honored to see a group of Muslim mothers exchanging stories and photos of their children. One of them remarked, "They blow up so young, don't they?"
I CAN'T TELL A JOKE TO SAVE MY LIFE. CORRECTION TO ABOVE:
"They blow up so FAST, don't they?"
Obviously, Ole Hartling, peddling the myth of humourless medieval Christianity (but why then did the Church happily allow and elaborate the Feast of Fools? and why did it, and does it, allow the festivities of Mardi Gras? these things are not mere pagan survivals or rebellions, anyone who has understood the Magnificat, and God's banana-skin approach to the pompous and the proud, can understand why these feasts found a home within Christendom) is unfamiliar with G K Chesterton, one of the wittiest, funniest, and most deeply Christian writers of the late 19th and early 20th century.
If Christianity is against humour and wit, how could Chesterton - who had a pretty good knowledge of Christian history, write *this*?:
"The giant laughter of Christian men
that roars through a thousand tales
where greed is an ape, and pride is an ass
and Jack's away with his master's lass,
and the miser is banged with all his brass,
the farmer with all his flails.
"Tales that tumble, and tales that trick
yet end not all in scorning -
of kings and clowns in a merry plight
and the clock gone wrong and the world gone right
that the mummers sing upon Christmas night
and Christmas day in the morning...".
PS - It was a Christian writer who said, "The Devil is a proud spirit and cannot abide to be mocked".
I believe there is a stand-up comic in the US, called Ahmed Ahmed, who is an Egyptian-born muslim.
One of his 'jokes', is '' An Arab invented the original mechanical clock. Which is odd since Arabs are never on time.''
Goodness, I was rolling on the floor with that one.
There is a book: "The Humor of Islam... You'll Die Laughing!", by Az-Zaqqum. It looks phony, meaning it looks like a clever way to get the unspeakable news out; there are lots of Koran numbered verses some with the author's punchlines. Available online. Probably a good book to have, at least for its collection of verses worth referencing.