Creating an enemy...but is that enemy really an enemy?

Have I mentioned  how much I love my classes?

Well, in case I haven't, I'll say it now: I LOVE my classes.

Today in my gender class, we had an incredible guest speaker. Her name is Janaan Hashim. I don't think that I can do much justice to how incredible this woman is, so I'm just going to give you a little excerpt from her bio:

"By profession, Janaan is a criminal defense attorney with Amal Law Group, the nation's first law firm founded by six Muslim women. Prior to this, she worked at the State Appellate Defender’s Office with over 100 other attorneys as an Assistant Defender, filing criminal defense appeals ranging from simple theft to first-degree murder. Janaan is an adjunct professor at McCormick Theological Seminary where she team-teaches “Religious Pluralism and the Ministry” and “Arab Reawakening! Christian and Muslim Arabs in Chicago.” She is also an adjunct professor at American Islamic College where she teaches Arabic. You can hear Janaan on Tuesday nights on WCEV’s Radio Islam program where she hosts its live call-in talk show produced
by Muslims for the mainstream American market. Janaan has volunteered with Radio Islam since 2001 as both a producer and host, interviewing a wide range of well-known intellectuals, activists, civil servants and leaders. Janaan maintains a steady public speaking schedule having been invited to share her thoughts on Shariah, women in Islam, Islam and the media, and the Interfaith movement spanning from Australia to Spain and throughout the United States. Janaan also serves as Trustee of the Council for a Parliament of the World's Religions; member of the Sound Vision Foundation Board of Directors; and member of the Interfaith Committee of the Council of Islamic Organizations of Greater Chicago."

This woman is incredible. She is an American by birth, and a Muslim since birth. Her mom converted and then she was born into the faith. Her stories, her experiences, her thoughts and her life are really interesting to hear. She told us about her decision to wear a hijab and how that came about. She told us about how difficult 9/11 affected her life and her family's life. She talked about how Islam is changing in the USA, and how unique it is because of the American culture that is attached. Mrs. Janaan said the American values are very similar to the values of Islam, which makes it easy to be a Muslim in America. She also stated that because we have such a diverse and pluralistic culture/society and place high emphasis on justice (as does Islam), the culture is not dictating  religion, and the religion is not necessarily dictating the culture.  She talked about the differences between Cultural Islam and Normative Islam, and how culture has different effects on the religion. She told us about opening her own law firm with six other Muslim women and the amazing things that came out of that. She also told us a horrifying story about how she not only received hate male, but death threats (empty thankfully) from  Christians saying things like "this is a Christian world and you are not welcome" and from Muslims saying that a woman had no right to do what she was doing, and that Allah wouldn't allow it. Interesting how people think they can become the Ultimate Judge, and they seem to know who this world belongs to...

copy of the letter she received

One point to keep in mind: you cannot separate religion from culture. Or can you? Interesting thought to ponder on...but I believe the two are inseparable.

Basically, this woman has my utmost respect. She had an amazing personality, a unique perspective on life...she was smart (boy was she smart), she was strong, and determined and showed no signs of fear or intimidation. She also had this amazing charisma, and along with that, so much compassion, empathy, and understanding. She never judged anyone that had done her wrong--rather, she chose to see their actions in a different light, one where she either grew from it or simply made light from it. How many of us wish we could do that?

The original picture in featured in the paper

the pictures sent via hate mail (same person who wrote the letter)

There are two pieces of information that I find fascinating and worth-while. One is a poem, and the other is a short clip. I hope that you take a look at both of them and that you take something, anything from either of the two pieces. I hope that they can change the way you look at how we view certain people in this world. The poem can be seen not only in light of the Islam-phobia that exists in this world, but also for anything or anyone that we seem to dehumanize. Should it be that easy to create an enemy? Is that enemy really that much different than ourselves? Could it be that it is easy to see people as evil because we tell ourselves that if they are different, if they stand for something different, if they believe something different or look different or speak a different language...have different colored skin...etc....then it is easy to justify hating them and killing them? Isn't intolerance and misunderstanding the root of so many of our problems? What would happen if we just opened up, created inter-communication, allowed for peaceful and educative dialogue...wouldn't that really be more peaceful and more "Christian" and more whatever else we call ourselves or deem ourselves to be than seeing someone else as the enemy when they really aren't? And lastly, is this the kind of hatred that we want our children to grow up with and pass on to our future generations?

If there is anything I have learned from today's class, it is to always remain open minded, ask questions and seek answers from appropriate sources, not believe what the media spins, and to learn to look beyond the "iceberg" surface that so many of us can't see past. I, myself, have fallen into that trap, but if we are to be true global citizens and leaders and followers of our faith/ideals/morals/values/etc, then don't we owe it to ourselves to facilitate this change?
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How to Create an Enemy by Sam Keen

Start with an empty canvas

Sketch in broad outline the forms of

men, women, and children.

Dip into the unconsciousness well of your own

disowned darkness

with a wide brush and

strain the strangers with the sinister hue

of the shadow.

Trace onto the face of the enemy the greed,

hatred, carelessness you dare not claim as

your own.

Obscure the sweet individuality of each face.

Erase all hints of the myriad loves, hopes,

fears that play through the kaleidoscope of 

every infinite heart.

Twist the smile until it forms the downward

arc of cruelty.

Strip flesh from bone until only the 

abstract skeleton of death remains.

Exaggerate each feature until man is

metamorphasized into beast, vermin, insect.

Fill in the background with malignant

figures from ancient nightmares – devils,

demons, myrmidons of evil.

When your icon of the enemy is complete

you will be able to kill without guilt,

slaughter without shame.

The thing you destroy will have become

merely an enemy of God, an impediment

to the sacred dialectic of history.