What the internet and social media have done to the status of Middle East clerics is quite revolutionary. For the first time in generations, they are losing their artificially constructed status of authority and reverence. The Middle East regime elevated those kooky clerics to a high status because they served the regime and produced edicts convenient to their interests. Not anymore. Young Arabs (especially those engaged in secular and atheist agitation) are going after those clerics on social media exposing pedophilia in the church in Lebanon and mocking the rulings and opinions of various (Sunni and Shi`ite) clerics. The misogyny and sexism of clerics are being exposed and attacked. Just last week, a Shi`ite cleric produced a ruling about how women should talk and walk in the market. This brought so much insults and attacks on the cleric that he had to close down his Facebook page and rail against communists and atheists in his farewell message. He even reminded readers that clerics used to have respect. I commented on the matter and said that the cleric should be saluted with a...shoe. Another Shi`ite cleric (a more prominent one who used to give lessons on Al-Manar TV of Hizbullah) came to his defense and decided to focus on me, reading his viewers that I am an atheist (he said that he verified that from Wikipedia) and claimed that I called for beating up clerics and even killing them (I merely called for bringing down the clerics from their status and depriving them of social respect and reverence). He also said that I hurled obscenities at the cleric in question, which I didn't. He did mention that clerics are under attack. Well, I responded to his attack on me here.
PS I am told that the page is now showing. Try this one from my public Facebook page.
PS I am told that the page is now showing. Try this one from my public Facebook page.
