Earlier today, my mother sent me a link to a video and said that the guy who made it had some "good points". I took a look at the video, wrote the response below, and sent it to everyone who received the e-mail. Based on what I wrote, I'm guessing anyone who reads this can understand the gist of the video's message.
Mom,
Forgive me if this email seems blunt, but the video you sent doesn't have one "good point" in it. The man who created the video uses ancient history, emotional hotpoints, and generalities to spread a message of division, distrust, and seperation.
First of all, a "13 story mosque" isn't being built at all. Here's a link for your review:
http://politics.usnews.com/opinion/blogs/robert-schlesinger/2010/08/16/the-ground-zero-mosque-is-not-a-mosque-or-at-ground-zero
The building that's being built is akin to a Jewish culture center, a Salvation Army building, or an older version of a YMCA.
On top of that, discussing what "Muslims did when they went into Mecca" is like talking about what Christians did during the Middle Ages. Religions of all types have destroyed the temples or worship areas of places they've conquered for generations. However, the Islam of that time is not the same Islam of today just as the Christianity of that time is not the same Christianity of today.
Another thing the creator of the video does is he quotes from the Qu'aran. Taking key passages out of a religious tome and quoting one well-known public religious figure that validates the speaker's point is a tactic I've seen used by anti-Christian speakers to ridicule, degrade, and demean Christianity. It is a gutless, self-serving act that seeks to divide and advance a preferred cause. There is no other reason to grab a specific one or two sentence religious quote in this manner. When that is done, it's generally taken out of context which allows the speaker to twist the passage's meaning to his own ends.
The 9/11 attacks were a very emotional, violent, and horrific occurence. All I see it being used for is an emotional tool to further the political and cultural aims of various groups. What it should be doing is drawing people together as Americans, but they'd rather spread division, spite, and ensure that Americans don't trust each other.
The Muslims that performed that attack are a part of a radical sect of the religion. Stating that "Muslims", without any other qualifying remarks, committed the attacks is a deliberate act to blame an entire religion for the actions of just a number of its followers. I do not believe that "Christians approve of bombing abortion clinics" either. So, why should I believe his statement about "Muslims" and not question it?
The three main weapons that terrorists use are fear, division, and distrust. This video uses ALL THREE of these things and encourages them. In other words, this guy is helping the terrorists get what they want! Muslims will take this video and others like it and they will show it to other Muslims. Then, they can say, "You see? THIS is what Americans believe! They hate us!" Is that what we really want?
The 9/11 attackers didn't attack New York City because it was a "religious center" or anything of the sort. The creator of the video even states NYC is an "economic center". Which means that we were attacked because of our cultural beliefs and not because of religious ones. That means that Americans should work together to fight this fight instead of shoving Mulsims into one evil group of people.
Does this mean that I approve of the images he showed or that I'm ignoring the situation? No, it does not. However, that does not mean that I approve of divisive materials that only seek to seperate Americans from each other by sowing seeds of distrust. The anti-Muslim movement has seized on this emotional issue so greatly, there are already groups publicly calling for a complete ban on mosques in the entire country:
http://www.google.com/search?q=group+wants+to+ban+mosques+in+the+US&rls=com.microsoft:en-us&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8&startIndex=&startPage=1
I categorically refuse to encourage or take part in any movement that seeks such ends. I do not mind, and encourage, people to question the motives of groups and to discover why things are being done. But, I cannot abide knee-jerk emotional reactions supported by emotional prompting and vague language. Especially those that lambast and demean an entire group of people with such a broad brush.
Thanks,
Drew
Thursday, August 19
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6 comments:
Where the damn 'like' button when you really want it? }:P
Good post.
I wonder how far away from "ground zero" these people want mosques to be kept? I'm willing to guess at around 3000 miles.
When someone at work said "I don't think they should build a mosque here in town," I replied "Too bad for you it's a free country."
I get this kind of thing from my sister and friends get this crap from their families and friends. I am amazed considering my sister and I were raised in the same community by the same mother and grandmother, how she can whole heartedly believe things that are such lies and hate filled.
How did you become enlightened and your mom did is not? Or is she being influenced as an innocent by other "good" people who are afraid of the world?
We must speak up and every time we get sent examples of someone making the case for righteous hate, we must turn it back and illustrate it for what it is.
Honestly, I'm in the same boat as you are, Charlene. I don't see how people can condemn an entire group of people like this.
My parents are pretty enlightened on the whole, but I think that they've been fed fear and distrust from the news and possibly their friends. What boggles my mind is that they don't question ANYTHING. I don't see how someone can say, "This is how it is!" and the response is "Really, why do you say that and what sources do you have to back it up?" Perhaps I'm too naturally cynical to buy that sort of thing. Who knows?
Yes, wolves can shuffle things around...even (hopefully) rearrange the the order of uninformed lazy thinkers. This is a great post.
Wow! That shit's rules:-P
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