I know this is bit of a jump from my usual entries, but it's something I've been thinking about since the bombings in London...
Growing up, I thought the terms "Muslim," "Arab," and "terrorist" were pretty synonymous. I didn't actually learn anything about Islam until I got to college and made some Muslim friends/took some classes on the Middle East. The biggest eye-opener, though, was when I went and did a study abroad in Syria and fell in love with the people over there. Arabs are warm-hearted, hospitable people -- in a large part because of their religions and culture. For the most part they are also faithful and dedicated adherents to their religions, whether they're Jewish, Christian or Muslim. I especially noticed this with the Muslims.
Unfortunately most of the people I met were also extremely emotional and irrational. It's difficult to debate with them because they see things so one-dimensionally. At times, even the most common people can scare you with their bouts of extremism. I remember when it was published that Palestinians killed three Israeli soldiers by pushing them out of a window: one of my friends was reveling. I told him that was monstrous of him and he shrugged.
I guess this is bringing me around to my point. I cannot understand how a people can be so pleasant and faithful and yet so bloodthirsty and blindly zealous at the same time. Believe it or not, I get the same feeling when I talk to Israelis about their occupation -- only Israelis are cold and pragmatic about it instead of passionate...it's almost like you're talking about the weather with them.
With Muslims, their faith is so monochromatic that there is no room for debate or discussion. This is why there is no real moderate movement in the Middle East and an open society turns to Fundamentalism (ex. the Iranian Revolution) so easily: the extremists brand anything remotely moderate as "Western" and the masses are too cowed to say anything. Moderates are imprisoned and silenced.
It's not the fact that so many terrorists happen to be Muslim that frightens me about the religion. It's the fact that so many mainstream Muslims don't seem to care.
7 years ago
2 comments:
old testement vengence....gotta love it.
irrational? most of us are in some way or another, whether we realize it or not.
Yeah. Don't get me wrong. I think Muslims/Arabs are extremely good people for the most part. I think, however, that they find themselves in a situation where political/cultural idealogy taints their religion (and uses religion to a political end)...like you were saying, Glasnost.
I think the main thrust of my argument, here, was to say that it's very difficult to be a moderate Muslim. Fundamentalism is frightening in its insistence and its ability to dominate the mainstream populace. I have felt the same thing, sometimes, when I talk to someone who is more fundamentally Mormon than myself.
For example: I have no real hangups with homosexuals getting married. That runs smack into fundamental Mormon beliefs. So I tend not to argue my point with fellow Mormons because they can be pretty dogmatic on the issue. Whatever the case, my views remain unchanged.
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