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The war on terror is not a war on Islam
Me getting ready to board a Pakistani military cargo plane. (Photo by James Royston)
Two weeks ago I was airlifted out of a flood zone in a Pakistani military cargo plane. I went to Pakistan to attend a friend’s wedding and ended up in what has now been declared the worst natural disaster in Pakistan’s history – 20 million people have been displaced and millions more are without food, shelter and clean water.
I cannot begin to express the kindness and compassion I was shown for the week I spent trying to make my way out of the water.
Admittedly, there isn’t a lot of love for the American government in Pakistan right now; the drone missiles we’ve sent in haven’t won us a lot of friends, and the millions of dollars America has sent in economic aid has been largely unfelt across the country, much of it eaten up in salaries paid to U.S. bureaucrats sent to disperse the aid, and the rest probably ended up in the pockets of the corrupt Pakistani political elite (a situation that should irritate the American taxpayer far more than the Pakistani citizenry).
But I felt nothing but kindness as an American citizen. Everywhere I was treated as a welcome guest, and everyone I met seemed very comfortable with me as an American. The Pakistanis I encountered simply understood the difference between disliking a government policy and disliking an American citizen.
This nuance of distinction is lacking in the “Mosque at Ground Zero” debate here at home.
Amazingly kind
People in Pakistan weren’t just kind, they were amazingly kind. I can’t even begin to express the compassion and help that I felt while there.
A joyful man named “Salim” played music to ease my nerves as we outraced the Himalayas, our jeep speeding along in the rain with boulders raining down on us (an hour after reaching the Karakorum Highway, the road we had taken was reclaimed by the mountain in an enormous landslide).
At one point, we must have had 20 people team up to help us tow our jeep – water up to the windows – out of a swollen river. And when, in the middle of the night, I had to wade across an area where a newly burst damn had just rendered the road impassible, I had friends whose names I will never know light up my murky path with their cell phones. Willing hands everywhere helping an American woman to escape the flood.
So when I was handed and asked about the front-page story “A proposed mosque tests the limits of American tolerance” I was embarrassed. And I really didn’t know what to say. The objection to building an Islamic center near Ground Zero implies that Islam and terrorism are one and the same, which is absurd. And those feeding the debate are simply alienating American Muslims from the incredible values of our country, the most uniquely American of which respects and values religious freedom of expression.
Even here in New Mexico, Steve Pearce has made it an aggressive point to politicize the issue.
Support the efforts of peaceful, religious Muslims
Pakistan is in a gloomy place right now – poverty, political misrule, insurgency, terrorism and sectarian violence. A state with 180 million people, a nuclear arsenal, and al-Qaeda’s global headquarters now has flooding covering nearly one-third of the country’s landmass, from one of the most far-reaching natural disasters the world has seen in decades. It is going to be a long and painful journey for Pakistan, and militant Islam will use the desperation to build a stronger base.
If anything we should be embracing the construction of the Islamic cultural center to illustrate to Muslims at home and abroad that the war on terror is not a war on Islam. We should support the efforts of peaceful, religious Muslims like the ones building the community center, who are our allies in keeping the hearts and minds of young Muslims out of fundamentalist sects.
To imply that we can’t handle a Muslim facility near Ground Zero is wading through dangerous water indeed.
Getting help. (Photo by Elisa Cundiff)
This was a road. (Photo by Elisa Cundiff)
Elisa Cundiff is the blogger behind NMPolitics.net’s Balder and Dash. E-mail her at elisa@nmpolitics.net.
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I just finished watching the animated film “Persopolis,” the autobiography of a girl growing up in Iran in the 1980′s. I highly recommend it as a look at real life in a Muslim country.
“Bill of Rights”; “ill of Rights” is hardly my greatest typo, but considering the circumstances, it was perhaps a subconscious faux pas. Also, I appear to have written “repeatedly” twice, bracketing the same parenthetical statement.
Actually, ksparks, I was pointing out to others that you were using a propaganda site (the key word was “propaganda”, not “Christian”, but we’ll get to that) as your source to uphold your belief in something that is demonstrably untrue. Your inability to see my statement as anything other than an attack on your religion essentially proves my next point – that it is you who know nothing about intelligent debate. I, on the other hand, literally do it for a living. The first rule of intelligent debate? Never get into a full blown debate on the facts with someone who is demonstrably incapable of accepting any statement other than one that agrees with preconceived notions. Someone who adds “Christian Denomination” repeatedly (in large friendly letters) repeatedly into history in an attempt to make their laughable point (and then goes on to say that the theocracies of the Islamic world are somehow different than the very one they themselves seem to be wishing we were) is hardly someone with whom I or anyone else could have an “intelligent” debate.
I could easily go into the history of the Constitution, cite the other writings of the founders themselves, and address over two centuries of American legislative history and jurisprudence, but that would be a waste of time, as you are seemingly incapable of seeing anything that doesn’t uphold your belief that this country was founded by people who paradoxically appeared to have held exactly the same religious and political views as the people they had just defeated in a revolution over their disagreements on those very topics. Besides, on the merits of the Founders’ beliefs, I am willing to let GBass’ excellent work speak for me as well.
As for your persecution complex regarding your religion, I suggest you find help from someone; possibly someone who can explain to you that being a member of the world’s (and, indeed, the country’s) largest and most powerful religion means that maybe you don’t need to be quite so defensive every time someone (including most of the founders) has the temerity to disagree with you, and that failing to separate your religion from your politics is something that has led to the majority of history’s strife. Come to think of it, it’s a failing common to the exact members of the Islamic faith that you’re so afraid of.
Nothing in either my earlier statement nor this one was an attack on your religion, though I can pretty much assume you’ll take it that way; it was an attack on your political values, and there is nothing I can do about the fact that you are unable to separate the two. This is why the Founders, while mostly being what one would call “men of God”, were fearful of organized religion; because combining religion with governance breeds the sort of attitudes that we’ve been discussing, and that it leads to discrimination, bigotry, and (frequently) armed conflict; in other words, it magnifies the preexisting risks of any political system by giving rhetoric a religious justification and fervor, and turns religion into exactly the opposite of that which it’s supposed to be.
Also, for the record; Thomas Jefferson didn’t write the ill of Rights – which, in comparison to your attempt to turn this country into a theocracy, is a minor point, but an important one nonetheless.
I don’t expect any of this to sway you; indeed, I rather would prefer it didn’t. One of the side-effects (and perceived weaknesses) of liberalism (not to mention my Catholicism… yeah, you might want to read that again) is a certain conscience; I’d rather not be directly responsible for someone suddenly realizing that the beliefs they’ve held their entire lives are absolute drivel. Besides, as a political strategist, my job is made so much easier when my opponents are completely unbalanced.
First Elissa – Thank you for this wonderful article. I have several friends in Pakistan who I am holding my breath waiting to hear from. I will be donating via your link, and I encourage all the readers of this article and thread to do the same regardless of you opinions on Islam or Muslims. Having said that I must digress back to our discussion of freedom of religions.
Ksparks-
I went and visited Wallbuilders, and would like to quote from the letters exchanged between Jefferson and Danbury Baptist Church. http://www.wallbuilders.com/LIBissuesArticles.asp?id=65
In their letter to him:
They go on to say:
I think this pretty clearly states that the Danbury Baptists Church supports freedom of religion and denounces those who would use attempt to use religious authority to legislates law in God’s name. They believe that this would constitute usurping God’s divine right over His Kingdom.
Jefferson responds:
Jefferson uses the word God, and even goes as far to say “between man and his God”, not man and Christ, not man and “The one eternal and true God”, but mand and HIS God, whoever s/he should believe that to be. That fact that Jefferson refers to God so frequently is evidence that he is a Deist, not a Christian. Deists do believe in God, but that fact that they use the word God, does not make them Christian. I think no matter how you choose to interpret his use of the word “God”, it is clear that he does not support a Christian nation.
Have you examined the writings of Oriana Fallaci , and her exploration of Europe becoming “Eurabia?” These writings come from a very sharp, skillful long-time investigative reporter.
I would like to thank those of you who have generously responded by donating to the Pakistan relief effort. It moves me greatly that folks here in my home state are reaching back across the world.
It wasn’t until I read your comments about donating to the effort, that I realized that this is what I was truly hoping for in sharing my thoughts and my experience. For those of you that got it, I can’t thank you enough.
Ms. Cundiff, thank you for your thoughtful and moving commentary. Thanks too for the link to the aid agency. I was able to go on line and make a contribution without difficulty.
Growing up as a Christian, I often heard Jesus’ injunction: Be not afraid. Yet we have turned into a nation full of fearful, unhappy people, complaining about everything, and afraid of our own shadows. You clearly went through some very difficult and scary circumstances. You survived by moving forward courageously and with the help of your fellow human beings. Seems like a good way to live to me.
Thinker I have heard of the Sufi Muslims and in essence would agree with you if the radicals that preach death and destruction weren’t infiltrating and taking control of all the Muslim religions. It is not the religion that the Americans are against, it is the terrorists infiltrating all levels and branches of the religion we object to.
Elisa, Thanks for sharing your story and the pictures. I share your feelings and thoughts totally. Some of the folks that have made statements just seem to love to argue and can’t see any other viewpoint but their own. Too many ugly things have been done in the name of religion. Christians, Jews and Muslims are guilty. This is why I have given up on organized religion. I try to be decent to all my fellow human beings. Hope the community center/mosque is built near Ground Zero. From what I have heard and read even some of the relatives of those killed that day agree it should be built there. Hope the hate dies down and those who fan the flames stop. Some of our founding fathers were practicing Masons. Read the history and the negative things that were believed about that group.
Why is it that this nation of late seems to be so full of hysterical fear? I thought we were supposed to be rugged and courageous, steady and sensible.
I bet most opponents of this community center have never heard of “Sufi Muslims”, the sect that is behind the project. It’s a peaceful and loving mystical sect of Islam known for it’s famous poet, Rumi and for it’s devotion to the promotion of goodness. Why any American would want to oppose the promotion of this type of Islam, for the life of me I can’t understand.
The really sad–actually, disgusting– thing about this “debate” is the collective dementia people seem to have in regards to American history, especially all so many people’s lack of knowledge about the lessons we have learned about religious witch hunts of our past which were allowed to hurt perfectly innocent people.
We now are confronted with a cacaphony of Father Coughlin imitators on radio, tv and internet blogs who have gone completely and totally over the top with irrational conspiracies about the very neighbors we all have known for years as good and decent members of our own communities.
I agree with Elisa–we need to be talking about the human beings that are suffering around the world, and remember how much we share in their humanity, not turning them into monsters under the bed. I am donating to one of the organizations she has linked to today.
@IcarusPhoenix: The material that is produced by Wallbuilders is made of of first hand quotations from the founding fathers and based on conversations thoroughly documented as the initial meetings and ongoing progress toward the founding of these United States were in their embryonic and advanced stages. As for not knowing anything about this, maybe you should tell that to my First Amendment Law Professor so that he can take away my award for receiving the highest grade in the class. My reference materials were made up of mostly publications from Wallbuilders and I argued that the Founders were predominantly Christian men who wantede to form a Christian government. I earned an A+ from a very liberal minded (but, open-minded) professor.
Your assertion that just because Wallbuilders material is flawed because they are a Christian site serves as proof positive that you know nothing about legitimate debate.
I think President Obama’s positions on this are the best. Yes, they have a right in this country (unlike in other, less free ones, like Pakistan) to build this Islamic Cultural Center and Mosque two blocks from Ground Zero. However, it is the wisdom of this that is under debate. I would argue about the motives and inclinations of this Imam and his financial sources, they seem a bit secret and the Imam’s past words are far from reassuring about how he feels about terrorism, Sharia Law (which will be taught here), etc. There is a passage in the Koran about building mosques on the bones of the infidels, perhaps this is just old fashioned religious rhetoric, or not?
If you think the war on terror is not about the war on Islam, look around the world. It is a war that has been raging for more than a thousand years and will continue until Islam can kill all infidels and people who have turned away from Islam.
Elisa Condiff is living in a dream world if she thinks the Muslims are not intent on world domination. All one has to do is read the Koran and look at the history of their takeover of other countries. She may change her tune if the Muslims take this country and make it into what they have in the Middle East.
Thanks for the responses. I definitely didn’t think this would evolve into a debate about whether or not our country supports freedom of religion.
If any of you feel compelled to give individually to relief efforts in Pakistan, this is an organization I would recommend – https://www.donate.bt.com/dec_form_pfa.html
Or any organization that you feel comfortable with. For one reason or another, people are not giving, even though this disaster has affected more people than the Haiti earthquake and the Tsunami of a few years ago, combined. Assistance is dearly needed.
You have to love ksparks’ insistence that a Christian propaganda site is a good source of information on why he is right about things that he obviously knows nothing about.
Here is a quote of Thomas Jefferson that is at the Jefferson Memorial:
“God who gave us life gave us liberty. Can the liberties of a nation be secure when we have removed a conviction that these liberties are the gift of God? Indeed I tremble for my country when I reflect that God is just, that his justice cannot sleep forever.”
Doesn’t sound very deist to me. Madison definitely wasn’t deist. Read some materials from Wallbuilders.com
Here is the Revolutionary hero Ethan Allen:
I have generally been denominated a Deist, the reality of which I never disputed, being conscious I am no Christian, except mere infant baptism makes me one; and as to being a Deist, I know not strictly speaking, whether I am one or not. [Ethan Allen, preface, Reason the Only Oracle of Man].
Deism seems to have played a big role in the American revolution!
Here is Thomas Paine whose writings sparked the American Revolution:
“The most detestable wickedness, the most horrid cruelties, and the greatest miseries that have afflicted the human race have had their origin in this thing called revelation, or revealed religion. It has been the most destructive to the peace of man since man began to exist. Among the most detestable villains in history, you could not find one worse than Moses, who gave an order to butcher the boys, to massacre the mothers and then rape the daughters. One of the most horrible atrocities found in the literature of any nation. I would not dishonor my Creator’s name by attaching it to this filthy book.”
” Ido not believe in the creed professed by the Jewish Church, by the Roman Church, by the Greek Church, by the Turkish Church, by the Protestant Church, nor by any Church that I know of. My own mind is my own Church. he Christian system of religion is an outrage on common sense.”
So there were many so-called Founding Fathers who had different views about a so-called Christian nation.
ksparks –
Jefferson was not a Christian, but a Diest, or a Unitarian. I think that a quick Google search will provide you with ample evidence of such. Where history revisionists come up with the idea that he was an evangelical I don’t know. There exist myriad quotes, documents, and his autobiography that support the notion that he respected people of all faiths, not just Christianity. For example, in reference to the Virginia stature cited below:
“Where the preamble declares, that coercion is a departure from the plan of the holy author of our religion, an amendment was proposed by inserting “Jesus Christ,” so that it would read “A departure from the plan of Jesus Christ, the holy author of our religion;” the insertion was rejected by the great majority, in proof that they meant to comprehend, within the mantle of its protection, the Jew and the Gentile, the Christian and Mohammedan, the Hindoo and Infidel of every denomination.”
-Thomas Jefferson, Autobiography, in reference to the Virginia Act for Religious Freedom
Probably the simplest overview of Thomas Jefferson on religions is the wikipedia entry titled as such, which covers extensive ground on his beliefs:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thomas_Jefferson_and_religion
Suggesting that our founding fathers did not support freedom of any religion in non-sense. Many of our founding fathers were in fact Christian, but that does not make us a Christian nation. The principles that they set out were intended to protect free men of all religions, not to give people a choice between denominations. As eloquent as our founding fathers were, I suspect that had they meant “one may choose any Christian Denomination one wishes,” they would have written it clearly and without equivocation. They didn’t though. They wrote religion.
From the Statute of Virginia for Religious Freedom, drafted by Thomas Jefferson in 1777 and adopted by the General Assembly in 1786. Jefferson thought it was important for the republic because it gave freedom not only for Christian sects but for all beliefs including “The Jew, the Mahometan, and the Hindoo.” You get tired how history is distorted to justify religious toleration for only Christian sects – that is untrue. It is freedom of religion for all religions.
Our forefathers did advocate our religious freedom as they laid forth the foundation of America. They were tired of a particular Christian denomination being forced upon them, i.e. the Church of England or Anglicanism (in the U.S. Episcopalian). In drafting Bill of Rights, Jefferson, et. al., meant for all Americans to have the rights to worship in whatever CHRISTIAN DENOMINATION they chose, get it…CHRISTIAN DENOMINATION. This is what they are all refering to in their writings and is especially what Jefferson is referring in the letter that he was writing to a friend where he advocated, “the separation of Church and State.” The Founders did not want the newly formed U.S. Government from sponsoring or emphasizing a particular CHRISTIAN DENOMINATION as the official religion of the United States.
Unlike Muslim countires such as Pakistan, Afghanistan, Iraq, Iran, the Sudan, etc. where they have state sponsored Islam and tortue and/or kill those who choose to become Christian or are Christian, we misinterpret the desires of our founders and allow people to choose anything or nothing and torment those of us who are Christian under the fallacy of religious tolerance. One huge mistake the Founders made was mistakenly choosing the word religion instead of denomination in writing our founding documents. Perhaps an amendment to address this mistake is necessary.
For inspiration one should read Thomas Jefferson’s “Virginia Statute for Religious Freedom.”
http://www.stephenjaygould.org/ctrl/jefferson_vsrf.html
Religious freedom is a cornerstone of the American republic. We need to fight religious intolerance in all its odious forms.