Islam, democracy and Rosie

Readers respond to an interview with Tariq Ramadan, and O'Donnell's coming out.

Feb 19, 2002 | Read "Tariq Ramadan: The Muslim Martin Luther?" by Paul Donnelly

This interview resonated deeply with me. I was raised in the United States by my divorced parents, my father as a Muslim and by my mother as a Christian. I've been in between so many different worldviews that all have a heavy "us vs. them" component, that it's refreshing finally to hear someone single out that particular element for the incredible mischief it causes in the world.

When a philosophy or worldview forces you either to be "with them or against them," it makes it very hard to choose the aspects of the culture on your own terms in a way that engenders authenticity. It leads to blind adoption of tenets that have not been personally verified in the same way that they were for the individuals to whom they were revealed originally.

I definitely agree that Islam needs to undergo major reforms, but I feel that the West does too. Often, it seems that two cultures quarrel because they suffer from similar shortcomings, and rather than taking responsibility for them, decide instead to project them onto others in the form of hatred.

My personal opinion about the current political atmosphere is that America is about as Democratic as the terrorists are Islamic. In fact, I think Islam and democracy are very complementary, and people are using them for the positive association that they carry with people, which in the end represents form over substance.

Americans know that the biggest loophole in the Constitution exists in the permissible restriction of freedoms and rights when it comes to the military and warfare. As America proclaims its long, protracted struggle (see jihad) against terrorism, the state of perpetual war will likely lead to a diminution of freedom. Also, the tendency of some people to see the truths of the Quran as applicable to every other context leads to a constant longing to look backward and return to the context in which the truths applied most fully. Trying to resist change instead of working with it often seems to lead to violence.

There won't be the next Michael Jordan, until it's not "the next Michael Jordan," the next Prophet until it's not the "next Prophet," or the next Jesus Christ until it's not the "Second Coming." When people start to worship the creative endeavors of others and lose faith in their own ability to achieve the same degree of divine expression, it becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy.

As I understand it, Islam is about a struggle to surrender to something greater than oneself. In the way that it affords equality to all people, it's similar to the way that democracy provides equal opportunity to all its citizens. It also prescribes that there should be no compulsion in religion, somewhat like the way democracy represents a voluntary association of individuals absent the coercion of a dictator.

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