The dilemma of understanding religion

Three stories dominated the papers last week, and all of them have a connection despite the involvement of three different countries. The common denominator is religion.

In Paris, the virtually unknown armed French Islamic Front made a series of demands that included the release of two convicted extremists from jail, a ban on publications aimed at "sabotaging" Islam in France, and the scrapping of a law banning Muslim head scarves and other religious symbols at schools, lest they take action -- bloodier than ever -- in France.

In Afghanistan, more than four million Muslim women were registered to vote in the country's first ever presidential election despite clear threats made against them. Some of those women will be braver than others, which is why one voter said she was relieved the Taliban's draconian interpretation of Islamic law had been swept away. I'm not quite sure whether she is right in saying that.

The third story was the latest debate between George W. Bush and John Kerry over domestic issues in America when Bush said that the American Constitution guaranteed religious freedom and that included the right of people not to worship or believe in any god at all.

Another connection between all three stories is the great divide between the thinking of human beings that sees veiled women in Afghanistan huddled together in fear their voting will backfire on them. The French connection is an Islamic group that is trying to blackmail a nation because they do not agree with certain decisions made by the French government.

The American dream of personal freedom and gender equality is one of the main reasons why Iraq, Afghanistan and other troubled regions are suffering almost beyond human belief because the cost of that freedom is being quadrupled and more by fanatics who are determined that democracy will not prevail. When you consider the tremendous differences, no wonder so many of us are divided in a world where some put religion in front of humanity while others put out-dated beliefs before common sense. When will we ever learn?

DAVID WALLIS Medan, North Sumatra