I was out of the country recently, and as is my habit in the mornings, even when I'm traveling, I cuddle up with a morning coffee, my Kindle, iPhone, Blackberry, and scour whatever news sources I can get my hands on - especially the International papers. And so it happens that I latched onto the Saturday-Sunday, December 5-6th Global Edition of the New York Times and International Herald Tribune. Three coffees later, I had read the disturbing analysis of why the kidnapping business is booming, a discourse about America's proposed timeline for the Afghanistan conflict and how it interacts with the Taliban's, with Pakistan, and for that matter, the rest of the world. I made note of the reasons why Chinese students weren't allowed to ask how President Obama gets along with Hillary Clinton at his town-hall stop in Shanghai, and was interested in a piece written by Judith Warner, entitled "Feminism at middle age." I study and write about women's issues, so this particular piece was right up my alley.
With that said, the state of affairs of women's health and welfare is not what compelled me to open my laptop this time. When I arrived at the Commentary Letters section, I landed on a piece entitled, "The price of being born Muslim," by Tariq Ahmad. I read it twice, and was fully engaged, though not entirely encouraged. His piece reminded me of some of our most glaring societal failings.
While the subject of how moderate, secular Muslims could potentially impact policy change is not new, Mr Ahmad's brief but informative letter made me ponder how enmeshed cultural mores and religion -- in all its forms, impacts us all, whether we're religious or not.
Mr. Ahmad writes about his own upbringing, a mostly secular Muslim perspective, and his membership in the relatively quiet Muslim majority, which he feels has no voice, no representation, no 'portfolio.' Clearly, it would be wise for all of us to remember that the fanatics of the world are not fully in charge, despite their many bloody messages to the contrary. Yet, those who live outside of moderation, those who have unyielding viewpoints, and rigid, blindly intolerant religious beliefs have the loudest voices, make the biggest messes, and hurt the most people. What's a moderate to do? Mustn't moderates of all beliefs and religious perspectives speak out? Mustn't those of us who abhor this escalating violence say something? Do something? But what can change unchangeable minds? How can society temper antiquated, misguided religious fervor?
This short letter in the Commentary section of the paper persuaded me to ponder all of these questions at a time which seems ironically appropriate. We are now fully into the holidays, when Christmas and Hanukah brush shoulders, and the concept of Peace is on everyone's lips, or at the very least on everyone's holiday card messages.
Mr. Ahmad's short letter reminded me, poignantly, that the majority of people are more alike than we are different, and most of us are happy to share the planet peacefully. The fanatics of this world who would use their beliefs to harm others to enforce their narrow vision of faith, have not only, in my estimation, garbled and misused scriptures and ancient text, they've also missed the boat to enlightenment, which in my mind, is the goal of true religious belief.
Mr. Ahmad, with all due respect, it is not just the growing majority of moderate Muslims that must to learn to raise their voices; moderates of every faith and persuasion need to show up for this important sound check. If we can strive to get beyond race, religion and creed to communicate as humans before our personal brands take over, our moderate voices might actually be loud enough to be heard, and heeded.
I was raised a Protestant Christian, and over time I've learned to appreciate all faiths that inspire kindness, compassion, love, and that peacefully seek personal enlightenment. I am married to an Israeli, have raised my two youngest children in the Jewish faith, and I believe God is watching, and listening.
Follow Cheryl Saban Ph.D. on Twitter: www.twitter.com/csaban
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