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HUM 314: Encountering the Other
Thursday, September 12, 2013 (Class 6)
Where were you when the World Trade Towers were attacked? Are you old enough to remember? This is our generation’s Pearl Harbor. We remember and we honor today (September 11th) those who lost their lives, directly or indirectly, from a brutal, horrific, terrorist attack. We sought and still seek justice. Yet, while we must remember (and honor the fallen), we must also not forget that the terrorists did not and do not represent all Muslims. If we claim to welcome diversity, then we must also extend that welcome to anyone who comes to this country for the right reasons – for a better life, to raise good citizens, to worship without censure, and to contribute to our democratic society. We do not have to accept terrorists; we do not have to welcome them and we do not have to tolerate a terrorist ideology, but we must also remember to separate the wheat (good) from the chaff (bad). We should do this for all nationalities and ethnicities who wish to come to America: Muslims, Jews, Palestinians, Africans, Mexicans, Cubans, Asians, and Europeans. The good ones – they too, have something valuable to contribute. They too, have narratives. And unless one is a full-blood indigenous person, all other ancestors came from somewhere else. So let us see with eyes and minds wide open so that we can learn the difference between the good and the bad.
The article posted below is a commentary based on a religious dialogue between a Christian and Muslim. The article is from Australia and you will notice some spelling differences – i.e., “Demonisation” rather than demonization, and one or two other oddities. Also it is not written particular well in terms of clarity. That said, it opens up an opportunity – especially this week – to consider the “other” in another perspective. Read this article and take the weekend to reflect on it. Make notes of comments that speak to you and seek to understand why those
Thursday, September 12, 2013 (Class 6)
Where were you when the World Trade Towers were attacked? Are you old enough to remember? This is our generation’s Pearl Harbor. We remember and we honor today (September 11th) those who lost their lives, directly or indirectly, from a brutal, horrific, terrorist attack. We sought and still seek justice. Yet, while we must remember (and honor the fallen), we must also not forget that the terrorists did not and do not represent all Muslims. If we claim to welcome diversity, then we must also extend that welcome to anyone who comes to this country for the right reasons – for a better life, to raise good citizens, to worship without censure, and to contribute to our democratic society. We do not have to accept terrorists; we do not have to welcome them and we do not have to tolerate a terrorist ideology, but we must also remember to separate the wheat (good) from the chaff (bad). We should do this for all nationalities and ethnicities who wish to come to America: Muslims, Jews, Palestinians, Africans, Mexicans, Cubans, Asians, and Europeans. The good ones – they too, have something valuable to contribute. They too, have narratives. And unless one is a full-blood indigenous person, all other ancestors came from somewhere else. So let us see with eyes and minds wide open so that we can learn the difference between the good and the bad.
The article posted below is a commentary based on a religious dialogue between a Christian and Muslim. The article is from Australia and you will notice some spelling differences – i.e., “Demonisation” rather than demonization, and one or two other oddities. Also it is not written particular well in terms of clarity. That said, it opens up an opportunity – especially this week – to consider the “other” in another perspective. Read this article and take the weekend to reflect on it. Make notes of comments that speak to you and seek to understand why those