I still get my news from the newspaper every morning. The other day, in between the news and the funnies, I came across a letter to an advice columnist in which the writer was concerned about a relationship between 'people who believe, “thou shall have no other gods but me” and those who believe, “There is no god but allah”'. The writer mistakenly thought these beliefs are incompatible because they are saying different things or worshipping different gods.
They are not.
They are not.
Allah is the Arabic word for God. Muslims aver, “la ilahu ila allah” which translates to: “there is no god but god” – almost identical to the phrase, “thou shall have no other gods but me”. By translating the first part of the phrase and leaving the “name” of god in Arabic, the differences are emphasized rather than the similarities. By focusing on the “foreign-ness” of the religion, we create and perpetuate negative stereotypes. Yet we live in a world where the French worship Dieu, the Italians worship Dio and the Germans worship Gott! Jews are not supposed to “name” g-d at all; but no one would suggest they don’t worship g-d.
Separately, a friend who is working on her third university degree recently commented on her own ignorance of Islam. Like most Americans, her "education" on Islam has primarily come from American media reporting on terrorism.
The fundamental function of language is communication and presumably the purpose of communication is to promote understanding. Of course, language can mislead as well as inform, whether intentionally or not. The overemphasis on linking Islam to fundamentalism and terrorism is misleading. I prefer to promote understanding:
The fundamental function of language is communication and presumably the purpose of communication is to promote understanding. Of course, language can mislead as well as inform, whether intentionally or not. The overemphasis on linking Islam to fundamentalism and terrorism is misleading. I prefer to promote understanding:
There are three major mono-theistic traditions (Judaism, Christianity and Islam) and although there are important differences, they all spring from the same roots and they all worship the same god. Islam is the youngest of the three and recognizes Jews and Christians as “people of the book”. Each tradition has a sacred language: for Jews it is Hebrew, for Christians, Latin (or even Aramaic and Greek), and for Muslims, Arabic. In the 20th century, Jews and Christians gradually allowed sacred texts to be translated into “vulgar” (i.e., commonly spoken) language. Muslims around the world pray in Arabic.
It's been about 10 days since I saw that letter to the advice columnist and this emphasis on the differences that separate us over the similarities that draw us together has been weighing on me. Today is the third day of Eid al-Adha, the feast of the sacrifice, during which Muslims sacrifice a lamb to commemorate Abraham's sacrifice, a story which should be familiar to Jews and Christians around the world.
It seemed like the right time to raise this question:
Why do people who call themselves "fundamentalists", of whatever stripe, focus on their differences when fundamentally we are so similar?
To those who celebrate, I wish you "Eid saeed", or "Happy Feast".
It's been about 10 days since I saw that letter to the advice columnist and this emphasis on the differences that separate us over the similarities that draw us together has been weighing on me. Today is the third day of Eid al-Adha, the feast of the sacrifice, during which Muslims sacrifice a lamb to commemorate Abraham's sacrifice, a story which should be familiar to Jews and Christians around the world.
It seemed like the right time to raise this question:
Why do people who call themselves "fundamentalists", of whatever stripe, focus on their differences when fundamentally we are so similar?
To those who celebrate, I wish you "Eid saeed", or "Happy Feast".
0 comments:
Post a Comment