Is It All Really Worth It?

Today's Irish Times carries a picture of a young Lebanese Muslim Shia child beating himself with a razor - A RAZOR! - during a religious ceremony in Nabatiyeh, South Lebanon yesterday.

Has anyone else seen this photo? The child's face is drenched with his own blood, drawn from the self-inflicted scars that cover his scalp. His eyes stare vacantly at the camera, his mouth is open wide as he wields his razor over his head.

The poor, poor child. No religious ceremony, image or tradition can justify what he is doing to himself. It is barbarous. Absolutely barbarous.

To those who might criticize me for being disrespectful towards Islamic culture, I ask this one simple question; if you were aware that this was happening as part of a Catholic ceremony/protest in Drumcondra, Rathfarnham, Mullingar, Castlebar, or any Irish town, can you honestly say that you wouldn't be outraged?

It's a bad world. And as always, it's the kids that are caught bang in the fucking middle