How different?

Hello there,

Yesterday I got to know a woman from Somalia. She is 21 and orthodox Muslim, highly intelligent with languages seeing she has learned Dutch in less than a year and speaks it really well. Very friendly lady with a sense of humor which I can appreciate. We differ in many ways though, I am an atheist and from a so called modern family. She the opposite and to her it is strange that a 29 year old woman is not yet married and lives in a country without her family. I can´t even imagine how it would be like to live with that expectation, that if you do not get married before this or that age you are a failure. She asked me about it and I just laughed and told her welcome to the Netherlands anno 2016! 

We laughed about my little comment and drank coffee and tea and spoke about how things were in Somalia after she did her prayers. She had a zip out of her cup and asked if I had any friends from Somalia. I had to think but I really do not think so. Since a guy from Somalia tried raping me about 8 years ago I have not really met with people from Somalia that much. Not because I was scared, I kind of just did not hang with that crowd at all. But it is nice to get to know someone from such a different culture and religion, I believe it makes my knowledge base greater and it helps me see a different perspective. I mean it is not like Norway or the Netherlands were that much different 200 years ago in the sense of religion nor traditional views. Sure it was a different religion, but if you look at the history there was a lot of shame connected to not be married by a certain age as a woman or have children at a certain age. We too were so tied up in a religion that almost any means possible to make people convert was used and could be justified by the religion. But our culture modernised and adapted to capitalism and science and now these are our scapegoats or excuse to hide behind. After great new thinkers and scientists like Spinoza and Darwin wrote their books on their views and findings for example, it influenced how artists thought, how the media wrote and how political parties use their influence But of course it is not as simple as that, many revolutions had to happen, poverty and war had to happen.....The result though was, people in power of media and capital at some point got more and more independent from the church as result and viola ! A new era consistent  of  a society with less religious influence. But a big thing like religion has to be replaced by something and history shows that capitalism is just another political skirt to hide behind in the big picture. If not problems like global warming would have already been dealt with, and we all know it. If intelligence really was all that mattered, humans would have done something collectively to save the planet and erase all the troubles that come between us and work towards a sustainable way of life where money did not matter.

Even if I am an atheist I respect that other people think differently I terms of religion. All I kind of demand in return is to get that respect back. Respect is important to me and if I do not have it be it from anyone no matter what point of view they have or where they are from I kind of move on. No need to spend time on such people, but if it comes from ignorance or social awkwardness I do feel the obligation to try and enlighten people. 

I really like to learn new things from others and I believe that even if I think differently than many other people it does not mean I cannot learn from them. Giving someone respect is the first step towards stopping the unthinkable things that is being done for capitalism, religion and any other big cause that people tend to hide their horrid actions behind. Respecting others is what makes us human, that makes us people instead of monsters. It has nothing to do with being perfect nor right or wrong....it is purely gaining some kind of understanding about the other and accepting that we might differ in some ways. Whilst if you look at the big picture we are not that different at all and that with mutual respect and understanding we would have saved our planet already, God or no God, rich or poor.

xx Viking