Mozlems are humans too! Gasp!
12/21/06
I love listening to right wing radio and sometime surfing the web to just hear what people on the “other” side of the fence are saying about current events. Yes, it does make my blood boil (I haven’t mastered the art of remaining cool in front of particular brands of idiocy); and yes, sometimes I do turn it off in disgust, but I do appreciate being thrown of my comfort zone once in a while, and the thought processes that follow.
In discussing Islam and Muslims, there is a pattern that follows a predictable course of events. News stories are gathered far and wide, of every single foible that has been committed by someone whose religion happens to be Islam. The crime is discussed at length by experts who manage to draw in Islamic scripture (forever out of context) to justify where these people are getting their inspiration from. Maligning Islam and Muslims is the order of the day.
That Muslims do bad things is not exactly newsworthy though is it? Aren’t “they” (these Mozlems) humans too? And don’t humans have too many faults to bear witness to?
What would happen if a concerted effort was made to look into every criminal (street or at the state level) to tally up their crimes and their respective religions (whether they follow the particular religion or not). What would happen if we woke up one fine morning and decided to tally up all the crimes committed by followers of Christianity, Judaism, Atheism, Buddhism…What would happen if we started studying their respective histories and books to find those pesky passages that fit in with our preconceived notions of what we want them to be? Would it be acceptable? Would it even be rational to do so?
This same logic was used to denigrate African Americans, such that any time any crime was committed by a Black person, the whole race would be maligned because of it. The same racist tendencies were used to isolate Japanese people, Jewish people, the Irish, and so on and so forth.
Why is it acceptable to twist Islam and tarnish all Muslims with the same brush (because of the actions of the few); while it is now looked on as reprehensible to do so with any of the other minority/majority groups that have their own share of problems still.
It doesn’t help that Muslims are providing fodder for news worthy events; but under the same type of scrutiny what group of human beings will come out with a perfect record?
It’s heartbreaking to deal with this systematic dehumanization of Muslims.
I had a conversation with a Non Muslim Puerto Rican friend of mine and she started asking questions about why the Muslims over there, in the Middle East, loved violence so much? She proceeded to ask “Is it something of their philosophy that tells them it is okay to blow up their children and kill people?”
I tried to explain to her that I share the same religion and I don’t want to kill people (to isolate the politics of the region from the religion); she immediately clarified “Oh! not you! You are not like them at all!”
I had to laugh. The images of the “uncle tom” versus the rebellious slave came to mind. I am a “good” Mozlem after all and that is why I shun violence and I love peace; but from talking to her some more, I realized she thinks Muslims like me are an anomaly.
It made me really sad, because she knows me and the way she is dealing with the cognitive dissonance of my presence is by explaining that I must be “different.” I couldn’t imagine what happens with people who don’t know any Muslims at all.
It was even more telling to read Dr. Hassaballa’s beautiful piece on Mary /Maryam (peace be upon her), I hope to kiss her hand, and read some of the comments that followed. While the overwhelming majority of them were positive and some even expressed surprise that Muslim’s venerated the mother of Jesus (peace be upon him); one troll (there’s always one) said something along the lines of “I don’t care what you have to say, or any Muslims, if you don’t fix your actions in ‘your’ Mozlem countries, then your words don’t have weight at all”. While it is easy to shrug off this commentator, the attitude behind it is very pervasive. On one hand, “moderate” Muslims are chastized for not speaking up for their religion and on the other, when they do (and they do a lot), they are side stepped as being either dishonest or lacking in weight; since obviously the violent actions of the few have always spoken louder than the billion plus peaceful loving humans on earth.
But who is really to blame? In a discussion with my husband last night, I challenged him with a question: had you not been born Muslim, and all of what you knew of Islam came from the media, what would your thoughts be of this “blighted” religion be?
I admire truth seekers who attempt to find out what lies behind the media castigation of a particular group of people. I especially admire Non Muslims, who come to investigate and provide alternative voices and medium of discussion (and there are many in this category).
At the same time, I fear this trend and I am distressed by the fact that so many self proclaimed disenchanted Muslims are joining the ranks of voices preaching hate, breaking bridges, and severing the ties that bind us as human beings. When this talk becomes so common and accepted, violent actions directed towards the demonized group are easily justified and even deemed essential given the “unique” set of circumstances faced.
This point takes me back to the tragic death of Alia Ansari and the fact that none of the major newspapers carried her story. Most Muslims I talked to had no knowledge of her death; and I just wondered for a moment, had it been a crazy Muslim who shot someone would the media have been just as quiet? Or is it the fact that this story does not fit into the nice convenient package we have boxed all Muslims in? I respect her family’s decision not to politicize her death, but as a Muslim woman walking the more politically charged streets of the Capitol, I can’t ignore this shadow that lurks over me. The refusal of my society to deal and discuss her death and implications on open terms, makes me worried, this silence is somehow coopting the hideousness of the crime.
Our turning away from her death, is perhaps akin to the manner we turned away from the hundreds of thousands who died (and are dying) in Iraq, Afghanistan, and elsewhere in the world. Some lives are just not worth the trouble of finding out what their loss means to the rest of humanity.
Sometimes I hold on to the hope that maybe, we’ll pass through this phase, and tomorrow when another “enemy” face pops up, we’ll be wiser as a community and less likely to join the fray.
But other times, I am faced with the certainty that this “war” will continue for a long time (as promised by the architects and masterminds behind it); and I worry for the increased number of young men who are to be conscripted in more acts of brutality, and I worry for my own children being born in this era of violent schisms and I know that the struggle facing Peacemakers will have to just keep continuing until time lays her hands to rest.
May we have the wisdom to seek that which brings people together, and the fortitude to continue building bridges and demanding beauty even when the world seems set on destruction and ugliness (amin).
12/21/06 at 9:22 am
Maliha, I have often thought about these very important points you raise. What’s the solution? I really want to help people understand us. I think I told you that a new colleague saw me praying in my office once and he was gob smacked. He kept saying, “But you are so normal!” Peaceful = Anomaly = Normal.
12/21/06 at 9:38 am
Truly a sad reflection, and a bit worrying too, given that History Repeats Itself.
12/21/06 at 9:43 am
amen to your prayer.
may the truth become plain and the negative coloring and deliberate branding of all Mulims as a whole come to an end.
12/21/06 at 10:08 am
Salamaat,
Suroor: I really don’t know, I have given up on the big thing and am trying to focus on the culmination of small deeds that will change at least my own circle of influence you know?
Mezba: It is…and unless the tides change soon, we are in for a long, weary struggle.
Sadiq: amin! and thanks for stopping by.
12/21/06 at 10:35 am
I listen to that stuff too. Here in GA we have a ton of local evangelical stations and i’ll tune in sometimes. I’ll never forget the show with a convert who recently converted back to Christianity and the things she was saying. My biggest wish in life is that all people can get access to a good education. It seems to be the biggest problem…that and close mindedness but they tend to go hand in hand.
12/21/06 at 12:34 pm
Its usually close-mindedness on all sides that makes people say things that they would otherwise not say.
12/21/06 at 12:47 pm
Salamaat,
Wayfarer: you touched on the base, having access to good education. It irritates me honestly when ex Muslims jump on the bandwagon of thrusting their hatred of Islam/Muslims on to the already simmering pot of hate/ignorance. Only because, the wider public loves to hear that perspective (it works well w/ their own prejudices) and even as they are applauded, we are that much further away from creating a beautiful habitable world for our children.
Saqi: yes, and that is just depressing to say the least.
12/21/06 at 3:20 pm
and i think the comments by rep. goode of virginia show just how deeply some of these blatant bigotries are ingrained in our society all the way up to the highest seats of gov’t. it continues to amaze me that a country that was basically founded as a diaspora movement continues, over and over throughout its history, to be so unwelcoming of other and new diasporas. we seem to truly be a nation that is defined by its determined forgetting of history.
12/21/06 at 7:06 pm
Amin to your prayer, Dear Sister:
I just deleted a long diatribe comment on Rep. Goode, because he is his own worst enemy and does not need my two cents. The Radio Talk shows are almost all white men who make a living spewing this verbal garbage, as if they will never be held to account for it. May Allah forgive them in their ignorance.
I am reminded of Dicken’s A Christmas Carol, in which the ghost of Christmas Past opens his robe to reveal two children huddling at his feet. He says: “The boy is ignorance, the girl is want (poverty). Fear them both, but most of all fear the boy.”
And so it is.
Ya Haqq!
12/21/06 at 9:27 pm
this “war” will continue for a long time (as promised by the architects and masterminds behind it); and I worry for the increased number of young men who are to be conscripted in more acts of brutality, and I worry for my own children being born in this era of violent schisms
So sad, but true.
12/22/06 at 12:52 am
Peace, Maliha,
Living in a relatively out-of-the-way area of Japan, where there are very few foreigners (and almost no Muslims, so far as I can see), it’s frustatingly difficult for me to get a real sense of the seriousness of this problem in the US and Canada (my home). It’s only from getting information and insights from a variety of sources (like your blog, Maliha!), and actually knowing (ie. meeting and talking face to face) a few Muslims that I’ve been able recognize that what governments and mainstream media put out is at best misleading and at worst outright lies.
I honestly don’t know what I could possibly say to comfort anyone who has suffered discrimination, racism, war, oppression, etc. I do know this, however: the vast majority of all people everywhere are basically decent human beings. I’m not a religious person, but I do believe the truth will be known and there will be a reckoning for all the “white men who make a living spewing bile” that Irving talks about (to avoid any possible confusion: I’m about as lily-white as they come, but I understand Irving’s point).
I don’t know, Maliha, maybe things are worse back in good ole N. America than I imagine. I hope not. Irving’s Dickens quote is very appropriate, for ignorance is surely the most dangerous (and unfortunately most common) currency in circulation.
12/22/06 at 8:04 am
Salamaat,
Loa: “we seem to truly be a nation that is defined by its determined forgetting of history.”
-really true and deep. Amazing even on a global level how we allow history to keep repeating itself. Is it just our blindness? Our collective amnesia? defiance?
Irving: Rep. Goode is not alone, at least in sentiment if not in words…and that is what really freaks me out too. Words are really powerful and especially in this time of 30 second snippets where no one has time to think about it.
Kyklops: I believe in the basic decency of most humans, and this also gives me hope. But it’s always a minority of powerful ruthless people, that have swayed the majority and this is what scares me a bit. You’d think that five years removed from 9/11 and it would ease up, but it seems like with every new war that’s going to be justified and the more Iraq is going down the drain, the more militant the “anti islamic rhetoric” becomes.
I don’t want to sound too mushy, but people like you Kyklops, are the reason why I can’t lose all hope.
12/22/06 at 11:21 am
I don’t want to sound too mushy, but people like you Kyklops, are the reason why I can’t lose all hope.
You’re very kind, Maliha. Really, it’s younger people like you who give me hope! You aspire to truth and beauty, and you know how (or at least can learn!!) how to have fun!
12/22/06 at 1:16 pm
Salamaat,
Kyklops: Mozlem women do know how to have fun, you’d be surprised
I am in love with Keith Ellison, for those who haven’t seen his dignified response to the crazy bigot (and yes I am name calling) Goode, check this out:
http://www.cnn.com/2006/POLITICS/12/21/quran.congress/index.html
12/22/06 at 8:37 pm
“I will not be putting my hand on the Quran,” Goode said.
What an utterly contemptible, bigoted, moronic, and completely uninformed idiot.
One of the good things about being an atheist: no injunctions against name-calling!!
12/22/06 at 9:52 pm
What also scares me is how the Americans so fully and faithfully “believe” in their government. The education is terribly lacking (even of their neighbour to the north) that is a shame. To me it seems that the ignorant are so easily brainwashed. As a Canadian I have openly said on many occasions that I’m glad I don’t live in the US. But with the direction our own government is taking now, I fear, we are slowly trending towards the american “ideal”.
12/23/06 at 7:39 am
Salamaat,
Kyklops: What trips me out is that NO ONE told him to touch the Quran….I heard Sean Hannity say of the above incident “Well, he is not against Legal immigration, he didn’t say anything bad about hispanics, or black people or gay people…or any other PROTECTED Minority” (Meaning Mozlems are fair game and that Mozlems could be black or Latino is also irrelevant here).
I was Livid. Just to think, it’s okay to do something so publically insulting to a huge constituent group (there are LOTS of Muslims in Northern VA…
and expect to get away with it…its just sad.
I try not to name call, but some people deserve it for sure.
Moushunter: Welcome to my blog! We’ve joked about seeking asylum in canada, but man that cold does turn me off…. and yes, the American ideal is spreading…*shudders*
12/23/06 at 6:34 pm
Salaam,
Amen to your duas! I know it is very frustrating watching the media paint all Muslims as bad and Muslims have to put up with a double standard. I have hope inshallah this will slowly change but it seems a long way off.
12/26/06 at 2:20 pm
Salaam interesting post, I think sadly we are in for the long haul. Matters are not helped in Iraq, Palestine or in Afghanistan where culture, greed and politics have givabelen rise to a deadly diet of bombs, bullets and dead bodies.
Who knows when this violence will be abated but until then the media will cover such stories with ignorance and perhaps label it as Islamic Fundamentalism.
12/28/06 at 6:27 am
Maliha, I feel sorry, that this conflict between Islam and pretty much the rest of the world is touching so many innocents. It seems you are one of the moderate Muslims and you do express your opinion. But why do so few do so?
Forgive me for pointing out some flaws in your argumentation:
Islam is not a race. It is a religion. Furthermore it is a religion that imposes its will in an unusual manner for a religion. A secular Muslim society is not possible as far as I can understand. When religion becomes politics or when religion causes human right infringements, then not only will it be criticized, but it must be criticized. That is not racial hatred but civic duty.
And pray do explain how thousands or even millions of Muslims will go to the streets to demonstrate against a few miserable Danish cartoons, but not a single demonstration when gays or raped women are executed in Iran or when peaceful citizens are attacked in Europe just because the have a Jewish surname? How can 10% of all Muslims living in England support terrorist attacks in England? Even when the victims are Muslim there is silence. The suicide rate of young Muslim women in the West is extremely high. 4-5 times higher than expected. One of the reasons is families asking their daughters to commit suicide for the sake of family honor.
And all this in the name of Islam.
A worn out statement, but nonetheless thought provoking: Not all Muslims are terrorists, but nearly all terrorists call themselves Muslim.
How come?
How come the lack of peaceful and truly democratic Muslim countries in the world?
How come the lack of Muslim achievements in the world? Where are the great scientists and engineers? Where are the poets and the artists? Where are the Nobel winners and patent applications? What does the one quarter of the world population calling themselves Muslim give the rest of the world?
You see attacks on Muslims in the MSM - I see exactly the opposite. Even in the face of millions of people who like nothing better than to exterminate me, my family, my friends, and my culture - the whole western civilization - the MSM continues to play down the risk and continues to call Muslim terrorists for attackers, activists or even just youths.
I also find it difficult to find abundant and recent examples of people killing innocents in the name of Christianity or Buddhism.
The major hatred I see is Muslim. Racism against Jews is abundant and innocents are the preferred target of so called holy warriors. Beslan being one horrific example.
I have no doubt that, at this very moment, Muslim terrorists are trying to obtain weapons of mass destruction. Were some terrorist group to obtain a virus that would kill a large percentage of the world population - they would not hesitate one moment to apply it.
You can not understand our resentment and fear?
12/28/06 at 7:30 am
Salamaat Von,
I wrote a whole post here…enjoy.