I just saw an MSNBC reporter summarizing Imam Feisal Abdul Rauf's latest "PR offensive." After portraying the Imam as evasive and vague, the reporter wrapped up by citing polls showing an overwhelming majority of Americans think the Imam has the right to build the center, "but just like the pastor in Florida who wanted to burn the Koran, Americans don't think it's a good idea to exercise that right."
Anchor Tamron Hall just smiled, failing to challenge the reporter's outrageously offensive analogy.
After seeing the beautiful spirit of the Imam in action this past week, I find myself descending into a spiral of depression as I become increasingly aware of the hateful ignorance taking over my country. It's the McCarthy era all over again, with Islam substituting for communism.
Apparently, it is now conventional wisdom that someone exercising their right to spit on someone else's religion (threatening national security in the process) is exactly the same as a genuinely spiritual and humanistic man attempting to build bridges (while remaining hyper-aware of national security in the process).
If you haven't seen the Imam's interview with Soledad O'Brien on CNN, I highly recommend it. O'Brien idiotically ignored the Imam's patient, heartfelt, rational responses, repeatedly asking the same question over and over in slightly varying forms: But you claim to be a man of peace... Is this any way to promote peace when you're making people so upset??
It reminded me of what some of the more polite bigots used to say in the 60s when faced with the integration of southern universities: Is it worth insisting on civil rights when it's making so many people so genuinely upset? After all, we reasonable Americans aren't telling Blacks they shouldn't go to college -- just not the University of Alabama! If Blacks really cared about their country they'd compromise by simply going to a Black University!
The Imam pleaded with O'Brien: We have to be fair, Soledad. We have to tell the truth. As he challenged her (and us) on our facile fantasy that the Park51 project is on "sacred ground," I thought to myself: how could anyone watching this interview not be ashamed of all this widespread, selfish, jingoistic posturing coming from the majority of Americans?
Minutes later, the analysis.... and, sigh, the posturing continued, amplified. ("I think he was threatening us!!") I thought to myself, Here's the latest example of how people just like us could have supported Hitler, thanks to a potent cocktail of hubris and fear. Try watching Soledad O'Brien -- even with the volume turned down -- and you'll see little but her overflowing pride, totally closed to Rauf's overflowing heart. I suppose she was proud of the "toughness" of her interview, but this pride blinded her to the stream of lies she was furthering.
Even Christiane Amanpour, when she interviewed the Imam on "This Week," under the guise of innocent journalistic questioning, fed the meme that a "reasonable compromise" might be found in the form of: Florida pastor agrees not to burn Koran in exchange for NY imam moving Islamic community center away from bars and strip clubs near Ground Zero.
I do find some hope in the fact that the one leader I've seen lately who exhibited a similar amount of compassion, reason, and truth as the good Imam is our president. I shudder to think how deep a hole of hatred we'd be digging ourselves into if John "Bomb Iran" McCain was our national leader.
I know, history tells us that when a people are fearful and in pain, that's when they are ripe for exploitation by self-interested politicians. The recession has made it way too easy to tune Obama out and Gingrich in. Nine-Eleven Families for a Safe and Strong America hear the same words from the Imam that I do as he talks about his concern for national security if Park51 is bullied out of its current location. But, while I hear only wisdom and sanity, these sad, angry 9-11 families conclude that he is practicing extortion against America.
With about 50 percent of Americans now claiming to have a negative view of Islam, we are dangerously close to entering a very dark era in our history. Please, let's demand that our media not succumb to the facile narratives that are born out of fear and ignorance.
As Imam Rauf says, the fight is not Muslims vs Christians, the fight is extremists vs moderates.
If I were religiously inclined, I'd seriously consider converting to Islam, purely out of solidarity -- especially if it can attract beautiful souls like Imam Rauf.