Mecca Mosque Disaster and Religious Doublethink

The crane collapse at the Grand Mosque in Mecca two days ago that killed 107 people and injured 238 was a tragedy for the victims and their families. It was the type of disaster that sets one to thinking “what if?” and “if only . . .” In this case, “If only there were some kind of omniscient, omnipotent, loving entity that could have foreseen and prevented this disaster . . .” If only.

But wait! It was a disaster, but it wasn’t a disaster! A report in The Independent quotes Dr. Hojjat Ramzy, “an imam and director of the Oxford Islamic Information Centre,” as saying that he was “very saddened” by the deaths and injuries, but that he also wanted “to congratulate those people who lost their lives for going straight to heaven without any question.”

Oh. That clears up everything. Except perhaps why Ramzy was “very saddened” if the victims were “going straight to heaven.”

Ramzy adds, “This is [a] great honour from God that every one wishes for but not many will be granted.”

Really? Everyone? At this very moment I can think of at least one blogger pounding away at his keyboard who would happily forego that “great honour.”