Attention: You are about to read a rant.
My husband brought a news story to my attention this evening. The story announced that Muslims fire-bombed the offices of a satirical newspaper in Paris because of a drawing of Muhammad. I immediately began to question what happened. Was it really "Muslims" who did this as the story he paraphrased indicated... or was it unknown who took this violent action? While it is commonly characterized in our post-9/11 world that Muslims are violent, and make no compromises about their faith. But I think the more violent, disruptive groups of people always get more attention than they deserve. Within Christianity we don't hear news about moderates who are leading welcoming communities and ordaining GLBT persons as ministers. Instead we hear about suicides, molestation and murder. I detest that most of the media we encounter keeps affirming these stories rather than the ones I know to be true.
So...Why do some people keep drawing provocative pictures of the Prophet and why do some other people keep responding in violence?
Why are we not having conversations about this with real Muslims, not fundamentalists or whomever responded to these depictions?
Here's the most informative article. It shows two French Muslims speaking out criticizing both the actions of Charlie Hebdo as well as the violent attack. These are the people that should be highlighted in this debate. Western world-- these are what rational Muslims look like! Pay attention.
Is the "right to mock" greater than someone's religious freedom? I know this is a sensitive issue involving free speech but that doesn't cover this issue adequately enough for me. I have had conversations with Muslims that take the depiction of Muhammad seriously and There was a time not too long ago that religion was bound up in culture, politics, and every facet of life. Some of us who attempt to live our faith in the modern world act daily in ways that our religions affirm.
As a Unitarian Universalist I believe respecting the interdependent web of life of which we are all a part. What hurts my neighbor impacts me. On a larger scale, to see two neighbors (a satirical newspaper and a radical group) hurt one another disappoints me greatly. I hope that examples like this news story can begin more interfaith conversations and eventually understanding. Because what we need more of is human connection which occurs in relationships between two people whose aim is to create a more respectful, less violent world.
p.s. Sorry it has been a year since my last post. I hope to re-start this blog now that I am on my seminary journey. We shall see.
