Overcoming Us and Them; The near ground zero mosque
Protesting the mosque (washingtontimes.com)
By Sydney Smith
I have often wondered why the idea of ground zero mosque inspires such bile and negativity. I think our natural tendency to simplify is a large part of the problem. Even calling it the ground zero mosque, for example, is misleading. But I suppose the mosque planned to be built near ground zero doesn’t roll off the tongue as easily—even if it is more accurate. Some of the loudest voices against the mosque seem to come from people who otherwise deride New York as a city of East Coast Elites and speak as if its inhabitants are out of touch with the heartland of America (yes, I’m talking to you Sarah Palin).
It seems that anyone can become an “us” and anyone a “them” whenever it’s convenient. Another oversimplification. And a dangerous one.
Like Joseph Hill, who has an excellent article on the debate, my anthropological background has trained me to ask questions of views I don’t agree with or understand before criticizing, but that’s often a much harder task than it seems. Before reading this article it was easy for me to dismiss the anti-mosque voices as reactionary, xenophobic and racist. But if I do that, I am playing into the “us-them” dichotomy and I’m siding with people who think of in the world in terms of clashing civilizations.
Hill’s article is a stirring call to abandon the clash of civilizations theory which is used by people the world over to mobilize groups against each other. He writes:
“Cosmopolitanism isn’t mushy-headed ‘tolerance’ or ‘open-mindedness’ (or ‘multiculturalism,’ as right-wing politicians never tire of saying). It’s the insistence that we all share a common humanity and the refusal to allow culture to be used as a weapon or a facile explanation. Likewise, anti-cosmopolitanism (the ‘clash of civilizations’ narrative) is not simply a culture of closed-mindedness. It’s a tool that powerful people use to convince ordinary, well-meaning people that ‘we’ are fundamentally different from ‘them.’”
Read the rest of the article here on Salon.
Comments are closed.
The folks responsible for Sept 11 were terrorists.
They happened to be Muslim, but the Oklahoma terrorist was Christian, and I think we could find terrorists of every persuasion.
How sad. You write as if you know what the Ground Zero mosque is all about. You mention nothing about the man behind the mosque who blamed 9-11 on US policies and recently refused to denounce Hamas. Your words might mean something if you had.
Hi Gus,
This wasn’t meant to say what the mosque is all about. This is the start of a conversation rather than the end of one. I didn’t mention many things about the mosque as the main point was to share the article by Joseph Hill.
The man behind the mosque is Imam Feisal Abdul Rauf who has been a moderate voice calling for improved relations between the Islamic world and the West. Time Magazine recently had an article on him that you might be interested in: http://www.time.com/time/nation/article/0,8599,2008432,00.html
I don’t think his refusal to denounce Hamas (a party that, whatever you may think of it, won the Palestinian elections) means there can’t be dialogue or is a reason to write him off.
Rauf did not blame 9/11 on US foreign policy, rather he said that US foreign policy was “an accessory to the crime.” And in this he was very specifically talking about the US engagement in Afghanistan (Operation Cyclone) which armed and trained Afghan Mujahideen for the goal of ending Soviet occupation. That’s not the same as agreeing with the terrorist attacks of 9/11 which he has strongly denounced.
I also think this page on Hamas from the Council on Foreign Relations is a good evenhanded resource: http://www.cfr.org/publication/8968/hamas.html#p6
If you scroll down to the question: “Is Hamas only a terrorist group,” it does a good job of explaining why Hamas gains popular support from many Palestinians.
As a mediator you often must explain beliefs and motivations that you yourself do not espouse. Would it be fair to say that Rauf has tried to act as a mediator?
~Sydney
The terrorists blew up a building of capatilism and power. It was a symbol of war on Iraq when so many American troops (CHRISTIAN) went to kill. Sadam Hussein was a man of power but when is that last time we saw Arabic or Middle Eastern troops land in Ground Zero to destroy the Uprising of Capatalism and power. There were none, they were terrorists.
Neither did the Americans attack Iraq or Afghanistan because of Religion, and Muslim nations have not attacked USA or Christian countries. A Muslim faith is different from a Christian faith. Now will USA make sure that the same leaders they wanted in Iraq be put in power of the Mosque in New Yorks Ground Zero and see if the number of terrorists increases, or if the Muslims mutually put who they think is best to represent their faith as the nation of Islam in charge of the Mosque. Sure who will visit the mosque then? True believers of Allah I would expect who come to pay their significant prayers to those that died in September 11th.
Its a great idea what is happening. If it is a success then those rats that increase the hostilities created by media wars will come out from hiding.
I havent just thought this through but this is my reaction to the photograph of that terrible placard and slogan. She obvious does not have the Holy Spirit within her heart.
Sorry to get heated there, but the person in the photo cannot seriously compare “Ground Zero” to “Bethlehem”.