For many years I worked in a special school and one fourteen year old boy, who was profoundly deaf and also had learning difficulties, would deliver a free newspaper to my desk each morning. He had a wicked sense of humour, or was maybe just fascinated by morbid things, and would often point out the latest murder or war story and ask, ‘Bad men?’ Because of the boy’s disabilities it was usually easier just to confirm or deny his queries than try and explain the complexities, especially at that busy time in the morning. After a while, as his delivery service became routine, we would begin the chant, ‘Bad, bad men!’ as soon as he entered the room, accompanied by much laughter.

Anyway, the thought began to occur to me that maybe, aside from all the politics and journalistic social analysis, there really was a very simple conclusion: namely, that violence is wrong, for whatever reason. Okay, sometimes we must defend ourselves against aggression but no theology, political or religious, that encourages terrorism or unprovoked attacks on innocent people, especially women and children, can ever be justified. Some people are just bad – or, at least, do bad things. My young student had put his finger on it – what more could be said?

Except there was something – to state the obvious in a song. The last verse I added recently. As many others have said, much of what Charlie Hebdo published was not to my liking but I would defend their write to be ‘wrong’ – it’s what democracy is all about. Though I’m sure most people would condemn the recent attacks as barbaric, the main reason so many demonstrated was to show our love of freedom. If extremists of any description attack democratic societies, then they should not expect us to do nothing. Too many struggles have been fought defending freedom over the years to let this attack make us afraid.

But one thing the demonstrations were definitely not against was Islam itself, especially as the terrorists targeted people of all religions and none. Islam is a great religion and, like Christianity, Hinduism, Judaism, etc, has been a great power for good in the world, but it has also been hijacked many times down the years by those seeking power, wealth and influence, as have the other religions. Beware all ideologies I say, be they religious, political or philosophical. Think for yourself is my creed.

BAD BAD MEN                   

Of all the lousy sinners you may have heard about,

Worst of all’s the cheating kind pretending they’re devout.

Standing up on a soap box, with love for everyone,

While underneath their holy robes is a loaded gun.

 

C: They’re just bad, bad, men.

     Bad, bad, bad, bad men.

     They’re just very bad men.

 

They may call themselves a Christian, a Muslim or a Jew,

But no amount of bombing will change a point of view.

A murder is a murder, no matter what they say,

And no religion in the world can make it okay.

 

We all know of Adolph Hitler, Mussolini and Pol Pot,

Saddam Hussein and Stalin, good riddance to the lot.

They may’ve had good intentions, but the power went to their head,

And soon came concentration camps and streets a-running red.

 

But you don’t need a history book to know that it’s all true,

Tyrants are still everywhere telling us what to do.

Give ‘em a little power, and before too long,

They’re executing anyone who says they may be wrong.

 

They may strike in Paris, in London or New York.

Behind their balaclavas – afraid of freedom talk.

But all around the world today, we hear, ‘Je suis Charlie’,

Good people are a-calling, away with tyranny.

 

Maurice Baker  © 2015