PREFACE
As I began writing this, I got this feeling...it was almost like I felt I shouldn't be writing this, because I'm an ally, an outsider attempting to speak on an issue with which I have little experience. Then I thought: How would I feel if a straight person, non-black person, or man were writing about issues pertaining to my respective communities? I think as long as they are not attempting to write from the perspective of a queer person, person of color, or a woman, or with a paternalistic point of view, it is something that is greatly needed. We need our allies in all movements.
IGNORANCE IS BLISS...AND IGNORANCE
Over the past few months, I've watched the news unfold. It almost seemed like a wildfire, with embers burning secretly and then bursting into flames without warning. I am not Muslim, so I cannot say with certainty when this year's obsession with rekindling fires began, but for me, it started with a noble idea conceived by a man name Imam Rauf (or "Iman", as Pastor Jones would say). It was a simple enough idea: an Islamic cultural center and Muslim prayer room in lower Manhattan--beautiful leaves on the autumn ground. Then out of nowhere, sparks began to fly. Protesters at an anti-cultural center rally held up signs that said in red ink (made to look like blood): SHARIA (referring to Muslim civic law). Panelists and politicians took advantage of the media, alleging everything from terrorist training to comparisons to Hitler (that gets old, you know). The fire was beginning to burn, and the heat was about to be felt beyond the borders of The Big Apple.
And then...vandalism from California to Tennessee, a stabbing in the heart of the beast, and a planned Qu'ran burning in Florida. I couldn't believe my ears and eyes. I could not, in my wildest dreams, believe history was repeating itself in such a way. According to reports, fear was in the voices of many Muslim Americans. I remember reading one quote where someone said they were more afraid now than they were after 9/11.
Besides unfounded and offensive allegations, most people frame anti-center arguments around the 9/11 victims and their families. The site of this future center, they assert, is "too close to Ground Zero". Not all 9/11 victims and families are against the center I soon learned, so I began to wonder why this was being used as a reason. As I began to come to a conclusion in my own heart and mind, I began to realize that no matter how I said it, this would probably be considered insensitive, and perhaps even offensive (not toward Muslims, in case you were wondering), but I am convinced:
No matter what one may say outwardly, the only truly logical reason for being against this center on the grounds of its proximity to Ground Zero is our human inability to separate emotion from reason - in this case, consciously or not, associating all Muslims, in some way, with the people who orchestrated the 9/11 terrorist attacks.
This realization made me very sad. Not simply because it's sad on its own, but also because I believe in my heart that many people will reject my opinions - perhaps even some of you. Maybe you'll assume that I think you're a bad person, or an extreme Islamophobe. Maybe you'll wonder how the hell I could be so insensitive to the victims and families of 9/11. But the fact of the matter is, if a church, synagogue, Hindu temple, library or even an adult video store were being built two blocks from Ground Zero, no one would be batting an eye. I could understand if it were extremists trying to build a center - they were the perpetrators. But regular Muslim Americans? Really?
What exactly are we afraid of?
In my first blog, "Not Gay (Enough) Part I", I briefly mentioned binaries. Binaries perpetuate cultural norms by pinning one abstract idea against another: black/white, gay/straight, female/male, non-believer/believer, etc. What binaries also do is solidify the belief that things are only this or that, when life teaches us that there are many gray areas. (In fact, I am of the belief that most things in life are gray.) So when it comes to oppression, often binaries creep up again, in a more unusual way.
With respect to Islamophobia, I found, both on internet messageboards as well as comments on TV by political pundits, it was often said that most anti-center folks weren't Islamophobic because they weren't extreme "Qu'ran burning" types. In this scenario, the binary is "Islamophobe/Islam-friendly" or something to that effect. Of course, as I said earlier, most things are not that black and white. There is a spectrum of prejudice, if you will (and not just in regard to Islamophobia), and I think this needs to be acknowledged for progress to be made. Just because you wouldn't support Qu'ran burning doesn't mean you don't get nervous when boarding a plane with someone who "looks Muslim". Just because you don't think it's right to bully a Muslim high school student doesn't mean you don't see a Muslim man and assume you know how he views and treats women.
You may be thinking, "Thoughts are irrelevant. They have no effect on people's lives." But they do, all the time. They have an effect on how we interact with others (or don't interact with them) and how we treat them, consciously or otherwise. And perhaps most importantly (and that's a big 'perhaps'), thoughts have an effect on the person doing the thinking. I can say this from personal experience, but I'll be discussing that more in-depth in a later blog.
Of course, in all the rhetoric, many things get lost in misunderstandings, and there is one aspect of this misunderstanding that I would like to address, assuming I still have your attention. Around the time that Pastor Terry Jones, of the Dove World Outreach Center in Florida, first announced that his church would be doing a Qu'ran burning as part of what he dubbed International Burn a Qu'ran Day, he gave an interview with CNN's Rick Sanchez during which he emphatically says, "Islam is of the devil." among other atrocious things. Understandably, many Muslims were highly offended by Jones' association of their faith with someone most would consider the most evil figure in history (whether you believe he exists or not). But I found myself seriously thinking about that whole situation, which is what leads me to add this to my blog, which otherwise would have ended with the above paragraph.
"Islam is of the devil." What does that mean exactly? On the surface, it seems like Islamophobic rhetoric. And you know what? In the context of the other things that Jones has said about Islam and Muslims, it is exactly that: Islamophobic rhetoric. However, I would like my Muslim siblings to understand this, before I address my Christian siblings: I grew up in the Black Church. I was raised to believe that God has certain characteristics and Satan (the Devil, Lucifer, whatever you wish to call him/it) has certain characteristics. Essentially, one is the antithesis of the other. God wants what is best for us, and Satan only wishes to "steal, kill and destroy" (John 10:10) As I'm sure any believer of a monotheistic religion knows (or those knowledgable about monotheistic religions understands), by believing one god, you reject all others, as well as doubt and non-belief. For most Christians, this means rejecting Islam (and Judaism, and Hinduism, and atheism, and agnosticism, etc.). Now, with the theological understanding that Satan does not want what is best for humanity, and that only the Christian God is the God that wants what's best for humanity (and only the Christian faith is what's best for us, and so on and so forth), it stands to reason that Christians would see other religions, as well as other things that line up with the theology, as "tricks of the enemy", as per Matthew 7:13 (New International Version): "Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it." If Christianity is the only way, Jesus being "the way, the truth, and the life" and the Christian God knows what's best for us, and Satan wants the opposite of what's best for us, and therefore as the one who wants to destroy us has ways to trick us into going through the "wide gate", it stands to reason that all other religions, including Islam, would be considered by most Christians to be a tool of Satan, no? Regardless of whether or not one agrees with this theology, everyone is entitled to their beliefs. Within the specific language, "Islam is of the devil", it is the above theology wrapped up in culture--Southern culture, evangelical culture, African-American culture. In my experience, even people who no longer practice Christianity within the African-American community (or no longer practice it in a traditional/mainstream way) still use phrases like, "That's the devil!" (or sometimes "debil"). This phrase is generally used in a joking way, though not always. There is also the phrase "The devil is a liar!", also sometimes used in a joking way, though less so in my experience. Of course, being that I do have the privilege of being a Christian (though most Christians I know would take issue with that) in a nation that is predominately Christian. If any Muslims reading this take issue with my above readings, feel free to espouse your opinions on the comments (either here or on Facebook). I believe that with any privilege we may have, we need to constantly confront that privilege, and I would be a hypocrite as a black bisexual woman from a poor background to ask whites, heterosexuals, men and the well-off to acknowledge and address their places of privilege without acknowledging my own.
That being said, however, it is now time for me to address my Christian siblings, of all flavors, though mostly targeted toward communities that tend to use language like the above described: I'm family, so I'm just going to keep it real. If you are a Christian, particularly if you have mainstream beliefs (anti-LGBT, anti-abortion, etc.) you have social privilege in a country that is predominately Christian, in a world that is predominately Christian. What does that mean you may ask? It means that when you watch TV or film and people make references to "the trinity" or lions and lambs as symbols, you know what it means. It means that most politicians identify in some way with Christianity, and as such politics is colored by your beliefs, and that the views of people of no faith or other faiths don't have as much of a voice, if any at all, in politics. It means that only God knows when we'll ever elect a Jewish, Muslim, Wiccan, or atheist president. (Look how long it took us to elect a Catholic one--remember, just like the Civil Rights Movements, that was only 50 years ago.) I could go on, but I have more to say and this thing is already too long. Because of that, the language you use when discussing your beliefs (to which, again, you are entitled) has an impact on things beyond the immediate space around the sound of your voice (particularly if you have access to forms of media, and you don't necessarily have to have access to institutions like CNN). Whether you like it or not, words have an impact on people. Ask anyone who has been called a nigger/lover, a dyke (myself included), or a cunt. Not only can it affect those at whom the language is directed, it can also affect those reading or hearing the language. Simply put, choose your words carefully. No one is trying to censor you; no one is trying to take away your freedom to believe what you want. But the fact is, you do not live in your own little bubble. Yes, the Bible says that although you may be in this world, you are not of this world, but within the context of this issue you must remember that you are in this world, whether you like it or not, whether you're "of" this world or not. Your words and actions affect this world, as do mine. In all of this, please remember that, and everyone, treat others with love.
In Solidarity,
D
"Islam is of the devil." What does that mean exactly? On the surface, it seems like Islamophobic rhetoric. And you know what? In the context of the other things that Jones has said about Islam and Muslims, it is exactly that: Islamophobic rhetoric. However, I would like my Muslim siblings to understand this, before I address my Christian siblings: I grew up in the Black Church. I was raised to believe that God has certain characteristics and Satan (the Devil, Lucifer, whatever you wish to call him/it) has certain characteristics. Essentially, one is the antithesis of the other. God wants what is best for us, and Satan only wishes to "steal, kill and destroy" (John 10:10) As I'm sure any believer of a monotheistic religion knows (or those knowledgable about monotheistic religions understands), by believing one god, you reject all others, as well as doubt and non-belief. For most Christians, this means rejecting Islam (and Judaism, and Hinduism, and atheism, and agnosticism, etc.). Now, with the theological understanding that Satan does not want what is best for humanity, and that only the Christian God is the God that wants what's best for humanity (and only the Christian faith is what's best for us, and so on and so forth), it stands to reason that Christians would see other religions, as well as other things that line up with the theology, as "tricks of the enemy", as per Matthew 7:13 (New International Version): "Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it." If Christianity is the only way, Jesus being "the way, the truth, and the life" and the Christian God knows what's best for us, and Satan wants the opposite of what's best for us, and therefore as the one who wants to destroy us has ways to trick us into going through the "wide gate", it stands to reason that all other religions, including Islam, would be considered by most Christians to be a tool of Satan, no? Regardless of whether or not one agrees with this theology, everyone is entitled to their beliefs. Within the specific language, "Islam is of the devil", it is the above theology wrapped up in culture--Southern culture, evangelical culture, African-American culture. In my experience, even people who no longer practice Christianity within the African-American community (or no longer practice it in a traditional/mainstream way) still use phrases like, "That's the devil!" (or sometimes "debil"). This phrase is generally used in a joking way, though not always. There is also the phrase "The devil is a liar!", also sometimes used in a joking way, though less so in my experience. Of course, being that I do have the privilege of being a Christian (though most Christians I know would take issue with that) in a nation that is predominately Christian. If any Muslims reading this take issue with my above readings, feel free to espouse your opinions on the comments (either here or on Facebook). I believe that with any privilege we may have, we need to constantly confront that privilege, and I would be a hypocrite as a black bisexual woman from a poor background to ask whites, heterosexuals, men and the well-off to acknowledge and address their places of privilege without acknowledging my own.
That being said, however, it is now time for me to address my Christian siblings, of all flavors, though mostly targeted toward communities that tend to use language like the above described: I'm family, so I'm just going to keep it real. If you are a Christian, particularly if you have mainstream beliefs (anti-LGBT, anti-abortion, etc.) you have social privilege in a country that is predominately Christian, in a world that is predominately Christian. What does that mean you may ask? It means that when you watch TV or film and people make references to "the trinity" or lions and lambs as symbols, you know what it means. It means that most politicians identify in some way with Christianity, and as such politics is colored by your beliefs, and that the views of people of no faith or other faiths don't have as much of a voice, if any at all, in politics. It means that only God knows when we'll ever elect a Jewish, Muslim, Wiccan, or atheist president. (Look how long it took us to elect a Catholic one--remember, just like the Civil Rights Movements, that was only 50 years ago.) I could go on, but I have more to say and this thing is already too long. Because of that, the language you use when discussing your beliefs (to which, again, you are entitled) has an impact on things beyond the immediate space around the sound of your voice (particularly if you have access to forms of media, and you don't necessarily have to have access to institutions like CNN). Whether you like it or not, words have an impact on people. Ask anyone who has been called a nigger/lover, a dyke (myself included), or a cunt. Not only can it affect those at whom the language is directed, it can also affect those reading or hearing the language. Simply put, choose your words carefully. No one is trying to censor you; no one is trying to take away your freedom to believe what you want. But the fact is, you do not live in your own little bubble. Yes, the Bible says that although you may be in this world, you are not of this world, but within the context of this issue you must remember that you are in this world, whether you like it or not, whether you're "of" this world or not. Your words and actions affect this world, as do mine. In all of this, please remember that, and everyone, treat others with love.
In Solidarity,
D
Good stuff.
ReplyDeleteThe problem that I have with the whole notion that Christians would see Islam as a tool of the devil is the fact that in their own holy book which they use to live their life by, it says "love the sinner, hate the sin" so to make comments like this, which they know would upset or offend other people, then they aren't 'loving the sinner'. Instead, they are pointing at the 'sinner' and judging them. Something that they would hate to have done to themselves. But with current news events and the overall feeling towards Muslims in the world today, it's more accepted than if a Muslim was to go on the news and point out the mistakes in their religion, or what they perceive as mistakes.
The whole Ground Zero 'Mosque' situation is nothing but a tool of Islamaphobia. It's not a mosque, nor is it on Ground Zero, like certain people are claiming. It's a 3 minute walk away and behind some buildings, and it's a community centre which just happens to be owned by a Muslim group of businessmen and has a prayer room inside. My university had a prayer room in it, so using their logic, my university was an Islamic place of worship.
I myself am a Christian and I do believe whole heartedly in "loving the sinner and hating the sin". I do not agree at all with how others who claim my faith have been conducting themselves, with Qu'ran burnings etc. However I believe and know that Islam is a peaceful religion as is Christianity in their purest forms. I have good friends, who are Muslim, who do not agree with the building of this "Community Centre". Not because of its proximity to Ground Zero but because of the chaos it has caused. It is a sad truth but to keep peace here in New York and in America it is better for it not to be built in that location, at least until their can be some kind of resolution agreed upon. Keep in mind just as the whole of Islam is not represented by the groups who are doing wrong and hiding behind the name Allah and Islam their are those in Christianity who do the same. I would hate for anyone to go away with the assumption that all are the same.
ReplyDeleteThe same is said for the society of homosexuals and bisexuals. Though we do not agree with that lifestyle we do not close our doors nor our arms to you. If Jesus Christ can change a drug abuser, a liar, a sex addict,He is more than able to change you, that is if you desire change. Though God loves EVERYONE He DOES NOT love EVERYTHING.
This comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDelete*NOTE* Had to delete the comment and repost it because of a stupid, obvious typo.
ReplyDeleteTo Paul: Thanks for commenting!
To B:
I know that not all Muslims agree with the center (and I don't know why you felt the need to put it in quotes, since that's what it is) just as not all victims and families of 9/11 are against it. I also know that not all who are against it, Muslim or not, are against it for its proximity to Ground Zero.
However, the main purpose of this particular blog post was to point out, for those who ARE against it on the grounds that it is "too close" to Ground Zero, the need to acknowledge those who are simply hiding behind their fears and prejudices, which is why I talk about the "spectrum of prejudice" among other things. That is not to say that I believe that EVERY person who is against it on those grounds truly holds the feelings I talk about, but unlike many political commentators, and even some regular folks like us, I do believe that it is not simply some "fringe" element; it is much more prevalent than many would like to believe.
As per your comments about Christians and Muslims and not painting them all with the same brush, I'm not sure if that comment was directed at my post or at Paul's comment, but I would like to point out that technically, I greatly defend Christianity as far as the belief system. My comments toward my "Christian siblings" toward the end were not meant to paint all Christians with the same brush; if the shoe fits wear it. If you are not using that type of inflammatory language that can incite people to anger, then it does not apply to you. But Christians who are like Pastor Jones, and even those not as extreme as he is, but simply don't think before they speak--they need to hear things like that. Honey works better than vinegar; alienating folks gets you nowhere, and that doesn't just apply to religion. That being said, I explained the religious and cultural language (and did that part first) precisely so that Muslims that come across this don't automatically jump to conclusions when they hear language like that. The only reason I consider Pastor Jones' use of it as Islamophobic is because I also know the other, not-so-Christian things he's said about Islam and Muslims.
But the fact of the matter is there are plenty of Christians who DO need to hear what I said, and most need to hear what I said about privilege, because it's true, in this world.