Karima Bennoune : When people of Muslim heritage challenge Fundamentalism

Before we begin fighting Fundamentalism, we have to first understand what it means

to be a fundamentalist. Fundamentalists are strict devout followers of scriptures and religion.
In modern times, these fundamentalists often come in the form of terrorists, and in this talk
she specifically talks about the muslim variety. Data concerning Fundamentalism is
particularly pronounced in muslim societies due to the increasing bias and discrimination
against said societies. However, their practices often result in armed conflicts and oppression
of anything that counters their scriptures or beliefs. According to Bennoune, in order to
combat this sort of anti-intellectualism, we must show a united front against such people with
those kinds of ideals. Terrorism is only effective if it inflicts terror unto the populace, by
showing bravery against such people, we trump the terrorists. It is not enough that we show
a united front, we must spread awareness against misinformation as well. By increasing the
opportunities for dialogue, we decrease misunderstandings that lead to miscommunication
and discrimination.

In the Philippines, we suffer the same kind of anti-intellectualism. This is especially

prevalent in our current political situation wherein there exists certain religious groups that
form voting blocs for specific prescribed candidates. Religion as of now acts as an obstacle
towards the practice of true democracy in the Philippines. The people blindly following
priests or rabbi simply breed complacency and neglect of their civil duty. However, I believe
that by respecting the proper role of religion as doctrine for morals, we can achieve something
greater for ourselves and our nation. The answer to this problem would be to begin proper
education of the youth of the importance of the separation of church and state. By
emphasizing this difference, we can teach the youth to truly appreciate Religion as a doctrine
of morals, and not as a measuring stick of a person’s worth.