I took a short look around the intern
et at responses to U.S. President Obama’s comments in support of the controversial Cordoba House mosque and Islamic cultural center project in New York. All I can say is – absolutely ugly!
It’s amazing that a conservative Democrat who has maintained 90% of Bush era policies is considered the number one threat to the United States. And yet he’s being called everything from “an evil socialist” to the “Sharia Law President.”
The racism and religious bigotry behind many of the responses to the Cordoba House project and Obama’s speech is so painfully obvious. The general ignorance displayed about the state of the nation, and how it got be this way, is even more painful.
What I find so fascinating is that President Obama’s comments, while referring to “non-believers” and Hindus a few times, fall almost completely within the tradition of viewing the U.S. solely in Judeo-Christian terms. And yet for some Americans (mostly of the white, Christian variety), it’s as if the wrong form of apocalypse is coming, and they fear they are about to be exterminated.
Here are just a few of the thousands of comments attached to one article I found while opening my e-mail the other day [Editor’s note: misspellings and grammatical errors in comments have not been corrected].
“The Mayor of NYC and Obama and all those who agree with them with be cursed of God according to the bible.”
“Obama is a disgusting traitor and should be treated as such!!!!”
“America was founded on Christian principals, not principals of the Karan — Islamic Faith, which deems woman as second class, no rights for woman, woman must practice shame by covering up in public, anyone who does not support the Karan is an infidel, including you. America must not allow a religion practice beliefs of hatred…its a big difference. These people are hiding behind the “freedom of religion” to destroy you, your way of life and your country.”
“After hearing about his decision, I really was not surprised. Our so called president is the biggest enemy our country has. He continues to make decisions based on his own personal beliefs, and up bringing. It makes me wonder if he is a true born citizen of the United States. I am not and have never been a supporter of Obama Hussein. I know it is hard to trust any politician, but it is sad when true citizens have to second guess every single word that comes out of our leaders mouth. We live in a great country, still the best in the world, unfortunately I believe it is being destroyed from the inside by our very own President. I greatly feel sorrow for the families and those lost or hurt in the 9/11 tragedy.”
I struggle to have empath
y for these people. They are my neighbors, fellow country-mates. Hell, some of them are even members of my extended family.
I struggle to understand the flavor of their outrageous fear and horrible hatreds, even though I know how easily intense fear and hatred can distort my own views. Most of all, I think I have a hard time maintaining some level of equanimity in the face of what I believe is complete destructive madness.
It’s one thing to disagree with the Cordoba House project. The funding of any huge building project, especially when it’s linked to a religious institution, can bring up some red flags. However, it’s quite another to make statements like those above, and yet here in the U.S., they are commonplace.
All of this is a place of practice for me. Seeing the intolerance I have for those who have such fierce intolerance, I know I have work to do. Notice I said “intolerance for those who” and not “intolerance for intolerance.” There is a difference. It’s important to not slide into easy relativism in order to placate people spreading hate and oppressing others. But at the same time, if rejecting others wholesale for hating group X or Y, is just repeating the same behavior.
So, I find it challenging to know how to respond, or what words or actions might contribute to easing some of the mistrust, fear, and hatred out there. How about you? What is your take on the uproar about the Cordoba House project? How do you respond to displays of outright hatred and ignorance?
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In the West research on this is conducted under the headings of identity, self, or ego (Loevinger, et al.), but I prefer the allied Sanskrit concept of ahamkara (from ‘aham’–Self or I, and ‘kara’–created thing), the illusory I, the created Self that our Eastern teachers are always talking about. While the centerpiece of the ego or ahamkara is the illusion of I that we have created, also residing there are our politics, our religion, and even our world paradigm, (e.g., think Creationism for many conservative religious adherents, or a scientific Mechanism for many scientists confronted with, say, action at a distance). The most succinct expression I can provide in English is to say that all these things are our defining story that we have created, and if the illusory I, or any of the allied DEFINING politics, religion, or paradigms feel threatened or under attack, we will defend it with all our being, our life if necessary.
It is hardly news that there are large swaths of the US for whom issues of national identity are intimately entwined with narratives about 9/11 and Muslims, the (purported) contents of the Koran and Muslim practice. Add in that the Cordoba House issue has been successfully framed in these terms. When any component of ahamkara is threatened, anger and/or fear is aroused. In sequence, the next casualty is rationality. For the large groups fueling the “Ground Zero mosque” controversy–(just adding to the insanity of it all, it is misnamed, as it is actually a Muslim cultural center two-and-half blocks around a corner from ground zero)–reasoned response to the issue will not be available until their passions have subsided.
The responses on the other side in the name of the “call to reason” are often just as vehement, and unyielding. For many proponents of the center, at stake is the fundamentally defining issue of what it is to be an American, that freedom of religion is basic to “American-ness,” and that symbolic reconciliation is central to healing the wounds of the 9/11 attack. (I present myself as exhibit A on this side.)
For myself, writing this has been helpful. Embracing an account of how people could come to react the way that they do, in a manner consistent with your own ahamkara, contributes to perspective on the issue. For those with a modicum of reasoning ability remaining, this is one approach. Of course, as always, the practice mindfulness of the emotional experiences as they arise in the mind can help calm the fires. I think skilled leaders on both sides of the issue could lead groups of the willing on the issue. Over time various mental technologies have been shown to loosen the grips of ahamkara on our lives over time. And to be honest with myself, writing this comment has reinforced my ahamkara about the way the world is, and distanced myself from the threat that this poses to the American-identity portion of my ahamkara. Ultimately, activities that will reinforce the ahamkaras of everybody involved will allow the passions to subside, and provide opportunities for rational discourse. Briefly, reinforce existing ahamkaras; dissipate ahamkaras as possible.
Hi Nathan
Good on you to bring this subject up. It’s just crazy how polarized the world is becoming.
Well I agree with the President in that if your founding principles respect the right to practice your religion where you want, then you need to respect their right to build the mosque among the strip clubs and seedy bars near the twin tower memorial. Is it provocative? Yes. Is there a war going on between Muslims and Christians? Yes and when hasn’t it? The problem is organized religion feeding ignorance and the US not funding education appropriately. A more educated population might be less ignorant and violent in their response. So the key is to educate the children as the current generations are pretty much a write-off.