Bush & The Borg: "Resistance is futile — You will be assimilated"

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Every time I am confronted with another book hot off the press or articles on what is wrong with Islam, Muslims or Arabs — written by authors with hidden religious and political agendas — I find that the script is virtually identical. Only the narrative varies from book to book and article to article ,depending upon the current political and religious climate and what kind of propaganda Israel and America needs to cloak their barbaric and insane acts against innocent people in the occupied territories and Iraq.

The choreographed marching order for Islam is to "reform itself," a euphemism for assimilation by the ‘Israel-can-do-no-wrong" gang of writers and commentators. These so-called experts on Middle East and Islam, along with right-wing Christian evangelists, are backed by American military might and arrogance that brings to mind the mantra of Star Trek’s intimidating Borg warriors — "Resistance is futile: you will be assimilated."

The Borg are a race of cybernetic robots — mostly machines with human limbs — whose collective consciousness eliminates human emotions and feeling. They can neither think nor act individually because they are programmed to obey mechanical impulses devoid of any moral or ethical considerations. In other words, they do not exhibit any human qualities of self-awareness or harbour any feelings of right or wrong. Yet they are a technologically evolved culture capable of surpassing the most advanced human technology and science. The main reason for their existence is to destroy and assimilate all species in the galaxy who are not "like them" (humanoid races, for example) because they challenge the Borg mentality through their persistent will to exercise independent thought, freedom and free will. The Borg are programmed to regard human qualities as a threat to their collective power.

Once human, the Borg also understand the human desire to struggle (ijtihad) against all oppression, tyranny, exploitation, and particularly against religious and cultural assimilation. They know that in order to have full control over all the worlds within their galactic territory, they must not allow human beings the luxury of rebelling against the Borg way of life — a life in which there is no compassion, care, justice, economic equity, human equality and wisdom. As the Borg have no need for individual thinking and belief, or for human dialogue, U.S. president George Bush seems to subscribe to the same line of thought: "If you are not with us then you are against us." In Borg language, "Resistance is futile — you will be destroyed and assimilated."

The Borg message is consistently being delivered to 1.5 billion Muslims in the Middle East and the rest of the world, via Israeli and American atrocities, humiliation and in-your-face attitude and behavior. The Bush collective, American and Israeli, sounds very much the same as the Borg’s message to Captain Picard of the peace-keeping Federation starship Enterprise: "Resistance is futile: you will be assimilated." In essence if the Muslims do not give up their genuine struggle against occupations, economic exploitation, humiliation, and wanton disregard for human lives by the Israeli and American "Borg" they will either be destroyed through the use of military power and economic strangulation, or will be culturally assimilated into the Bush collective.

The Bush collective, like the Borg version, has a job to do if it is to maintain its control over Middle East resources. It must eliminate the threat of Islam, a much more powerful liberating philosophy and thought than the combined armies of Israel and America, by assimilating Muslims into the Israel and Bush collectives. Ironically, the Bush collective, like that of the Borg, possesses highly advanced technology and firepower, with the awesome ability to destroy ships, galaxies and civilizations. This human-made machine power gives the Bush collective the right to pretty much dictate to Muslims their terms of surrender.

In their repeated encounters with the Enterprise and Capt. Picard’s crew, the Borg always present a singular message — Resistance is futile… — with no room for dialogue or negotiation. But after many a battle and close call between the Enterprise and the Borg hive-ship it is human beings, with their diversity and individuality, who prevail over the predictable Borg collective mind. The reasons are obvious: even though the Borg have far more advanced killing machines, they eventually lose out to human logic, feelings, dialogue and flexibility. The Borg act only on predetermined directives and repeatedly fail to deal constructively with their most difficult and dangerous situations.

For Muslims today, the Borg collective consciousness is unfortunately alive and well in the pro Israeli Jewish and Christian Zionist movements, the North American media, and the self described non-Muslim "scholars" of Islam. They think alike, talk alike, write alike, and preach to Muslims not to resist occupation, invasion, military attacks, sanctions, exploitation, racism, and injustice. According to this Borg mentality, Muslim resistance to assimilation by Americn via brutal occupation and religious and cultural subversion is futile; they will be assimilated.

History itself has witnessed that Muslims rulers also took the same road as the Americans and Israelis when they had their chance to "do good" as the Qur’an had clearly asked them to do. Sadly, they opted for power, wealth, cruelty, injustice, racism, and arrogance. Look around; what do you see in the Muslim world?

Whenever I hear George Bush or encounter monolithic views on Muslims, Islam and the Qur’an, I cannot help but wonder in amzement whether all of America really thinks that way. I am a Science Fiction "junkie," drawn by the struggle between overwhelming alien powers and the human will that always triumphs over such incredible odds.

The Qur’an clearly states that it is during the difficult and trying periods that a true believer emerges because he/she puts their faith in God with patience and perseverance. Everyone can be religious in times of peace and power; it is when the chips are down that the true faith of individuals comes to the fore.

However, Muslim must also remember that without planning and actions nothing will change. "Allah does not change the condition of people unless they change their thinking." We all must strive against injustices and suffering before we begin to lose our humanity and end up being assimlated into Bush/Borg collective. What a horrible thought!

I believe hat it is up to Muslims to convince American collective that it can never ever extinguish the light of the Qur’an or assimilate Muslims into some collective consciousness that is losing it is own humanity.