It's been so fascinating to me to watch the controversy surrounding September 11. Some of the controversy began earlier this year when it was announced that a mosque would be built within a few blocks of the former site of the World Trade Centers in New York. The controversy and conflict continued to grow at the announcement from a pastor in Florida that he was planning an event where he and his congregation would burn copies of the Qur'an in commemoration of the September 11 terrorist attack.
So many thoughts and feelings have been stirred in my own mind and heart in the face of these controversies, and it is clear that I am not alone.
However, I find it an extremely sad commentary on our own society that many among us appear incapable of entering into rational and open dialogue on this issue and instead resort to vitriolic attacks, hate-filled epithets, and symbolic gestures that seem designed to inspire rage. The rationale behind these activities is often unclear, although I've heard people use the following arguments: burning the Qur'an is acceptable because others burn the US flag; violent attacks on Muslims here in the US are acceptable because Muslims have attacked Americans; and religious intolerance is acceptable vis-a-vis Islam because Islam is not a peaceful religion and its scriptures are filled with violence.
But in my mind, these arguments have little weight and each is easily overturned. When I was a little girl and I did something wrong, my mom would ask me why. Often, I would respond that Becky did it or Julia did it, so I thought I should do it too. Of course, my mother then asked, "If Becky or Julia jumped off a cliff, would you do that too?" Even as a child, I learned that just because someone else does something, it doesn't make it right for me to do it too. So just because I've seen videos of others burning my flag or flying planes into buildings in my own country, or even attacking random Americans on the street, I still shouldn't just run out and commit those same acts against others. There are other ways to deal with the problems.
Growing up in a family with six brothers was also a good learning experience for me. Personal space was a big issue and when one of my brothers poked me, I'll admit that I poked back. My parents, however, responded in a very appropriate manner. If the incident came to their attention, both my brother and I were punished. After all, as they said, "Two wrongs don't make a right."
Maybe this seems to be a simplistic approach. But I don't understand why people keep trying to make simple things seem more complex than they are. We are all people, and at an individual level, we are more similar than we are different. If we keep that in mind, it becomes so much easier to be kind to others.
The comparison between religions has been especially interesting to me. I've heard countless Christians comment that the Qur'an is full of violence and therefore Islam cannot be considered a peaceful religion. I'm always surprised by this because the Bible, particularly the Old Testament, is so full of violence. As a child, I frequently questioned my mother on how Christianity could have been based in so much violence. How many times did the Israelites, under the command of God, invade a land, kill all the men and often the women and children? Even when they were not at war.
And violence was not limited just to the Old Testament: the Crusades conducted in the name of Christianity in the Middle Ages were also horrifically violent and included enforced conversion.
And what of the more recent religious wars and tensions such as in Yugoslavia between the Bosnians and the Serbs? In some areas, religious genocide was committed against Bosnian Muslims (according to a ruling by the International Court of Justice). Genocide is pretty huge and genocide based on religion is the ultimate intolerance.
Having worked for the last several years on programs specifically designed to showcase the interfaith cooperation in America, and through it, having interacted with Muslims all over the world, I have to say, I find our similarities more compelling than our differences. And I really hope that we can work together to make the world a better, more loving and forgiving place. I hope that my Muslim friends will not hold me accountable for acts of violence committed by other Christians and I will not hold them accountable for acts of violence they have not committed.
So many thoughts and feelings have been stirred in my own mind and heart in the face of these controversies, and it is clear that I am not alone.
However, I find it an extremely sad commentary on our own society that many among us appear incapable of entering into rational and open dialogue on this issue and instead resort to vitriolic attacks, hate-filled epithets, and symbolic gestures that seem designed to inspire rage. The rationale behind these activities is often unclear, although I've heard people use the following arguments: burning the Qur'an is acceptable because others burn the US flag; violent attacks on Muslims here in the US are acceptable because Muslims have attacked Americans; and religious intolerance is acceptable vis-a-vis Islam because Islam is not a peaceful religion and its scriptures are filled with violence.
But in my mind, these arguments have little weight and each is easily overturned. When I was a little girl and I did something wrong, my mom would ask me why. Often, I would respond that Becky did it or Julia did it, so I thought I should do it too. Of course, my mother then asked, "If Becky or Julia jumped off a cliff, would you do that too?" Even as a child, I learned that just because someone else does something, it doesn't make it right for me to do it too. So just because I've seen videos of others burning my flag or flying planes into buildings in my own country, or even attacking random Americans on the street, I still shouldn't just run out and commit those same acts against others. There are other ways to deal with the problems.
Growing up in a family with six brothers was also a good learning experience for me. Personal space was a big issue and when one of my brothers poked me, I'll admit that I poked back. My parents, however, responded in a very appropriate manner. If the incident came to their attention, both my brother and I were punished. After all, as they said, "Two wrongs don't make a right."
Maybe this seems to be a simplistic approach. But I don't understand why people keep trying to make simple things seem more complex than they are. We are all people, and at an individual level, we are more similar than we are different. If we keep that in mind, it becomes so much easier to be kind to others.
The comparison between religions has been especially interesting to me. I've heard countless Christians comment that the Qur'an is full of violence and therefore Islam cannot be considered a peaceful religion. I'm always surprised by this because the Bible, particularly the Old Testament, is so full of violence. As a child, I frequently questioned my mother on how Christianity could have been based in so much violence. How many times did the Israelites, under the command of God, invade a land, kill all the men and often the women and children? Even when they were not at war.
And violence was not limited just to the Old Testament: the Crusades conducted in the name of Christianity in the Middle Ages were also horrifically violent and included enforced conversion.
And what of the more recent religious wars and tensions such as in Yugoslavia between the Bosnians and the Serbs? In some areas, religious genocide was committed against Bosnian Muslims (according to a ruling by the International Court of Justice). Genocide is pretty huge and genocide based on religion is the ultimate intolerance.
Having worked for the last several years on programs specifically designed to showcase the interfaith cooperation in America, and through it, having interacted with Muslims all over the world, I have to say, I find our similarities more compelling than our differences. And I really hope that we can work together to make the world a better, more loving and forgiving place. I hope that my Muslim friends will not hold me accountable for acts of violence committed by other Christians and I will not hold them accountable for acts of violence they have not committed.
No comments:
Post a Comment