Written by Wajeh al-Huwaider, memri.org, aafaq.org –this appeared in Thomas Friedman’s article in the NYT 3-2-2007 titled “The Silence That Kills.”
When you cannot find a single garden in your city, but there is a mosque on every corner -- you know that you are in an Arab country.
When you see people living in the past with all the trappings of modernity -- do not be surprised, you are in an Arab country.
When religion has control over science -- you can be sure that you are in an Arab country.
When clerics are referred to as "scholars" -- don't be astonished, you are in an Arab country.
When you see the ruler transformed into a demigod who never dies or relinquishes his power, and nobody is permitted to criticize -- do not be too upset, you are in an Arab country.
When you find that the large majority of people oppose freedom and find joy in slavery -- do not be too distressed, you are in an Arab country.
When you hear the clerics saying that democracy is heresy, but seizing every opportunity provided by democracy to grab high positions -- do not be surprised, you are in an Arab country.
When you discover that a woman is worth half of what a man is worth, or less -- do not be surprised, you are in an Arab country.
When land is more important than human beings -- you are in an Arab country.
When fear constantly lives in the eyes of the people -- you can be certain you are in an Arab country.
[Given the way Muslims, as a whole, are prone to dealing with dissenting ideas Mr. al-Huwaider, who is Saudi, will probably be hunted down and jailed or beheaded. Rhetorically asking, how is that a religion whose name means “peace” can be one of the most violently disturbing paradigms human-kind has ever created?]
Because Arab countries are certainly not alone in their irrational belief based oppressions, here is a parallel “when” poem I did for America, god bless us all.
When 47 million people don’t have health insurance, but there’s a church on every corner – you know that you’re in America.
When you see people longing for white life on the prairie in the face of the luxuries of modernity – do not be surprised, you are in America.
When religion supercedes science – you can be sure that you're in America.
When priests are referred to as “moral authorities,” “Dr.,” or “father” – don’t be astonished, you’re in America.
When you see the only requirement for a Congressional or Presidential candidate is to pass a religious litmus test – don’t be too upset, you’re in America.
When you find that a large majority of people oppose civil liberties and seek joy in intellectual slavery – do not be too distressed, you are in America.
When you hear priests rail against child abuse, homosexuality, and other “sins,” yet stand tall and silent when one of their own is exposed to be a meth-using, wife-beating, homosexual pedophile – do not be surprised, you are in America.
When you discover that a woman, a Black, a Jew, a Latino, a homosexual, an Asian, an anything-besides-a-white-male is worth less than a white male – do not be surprised, you are in America.
When profit-margin is more important than human beings – you are in America.
When sexual repression, moral proselytizing, and irrationality constantly live in the eyes of the people – you can be certain you are in America.
Nevertheless, god bless (the white heterosexual Christian males of) America, right?
5 comments:
how does this piece work rhetorically? who is the audience? what types of appeals are made? what is this rhetor trying to persuade us to believe? is it persuasive?
It seems strange doesn't it? If a pasty white guy like myself had written such a disparaging 'poem' about Arab countries, he/I would almost certainly have been shouted down and labeled "insensitive" or "racist," yet when a gentleman with a "Middle-East-sounding-name" writes one we prima facie lend credence to what he has to say, especially if it confirms our previous intellectual leanings. Such is the power, sadly, of ethos; where the argument gets bumped instead for the analysis of the arguer.
In 'all' reality Mr. al-Huwaider's poem (and mine following) is/(are) nothing more than 10 assertions. I don't think I'll hold him (nor myself) to the argumentative rigor that is normally required, such as presenting evidence as premises, however, as we are just dealing with 'poems' here.
In addition he seems to be making a logical appeal with a suppressed conclusion that religion is partly, if not wholly, the problem with Arab countries', and that's even assuming he's referring to the antecedents as minuses and not pluses. I too, analogously, make this suppressed conclusion by leading up to the problem of, and with, America is its drunkenly obnoxious, Puritanical religiosity.
As far as pathetic appeals go, their use seems to be on the conservative side, as they mostly pertain to a "liberal" civil liberties view of how humanity 'ought' to be.
Lastly, the poem's Kairotic effect should resonate loudly, as we've become too accustomed to the euphemisms spewing from politically correct liberals, among others. The time and opportunity to call out the barbarities undertaken by religious persons/groups, while the level of extremity makes no difference, is omnipresent. The Sunni-Shi'a conflict in Iraq is not "ethnic cleansing," it's religious party membership contingent genocide. The Northern Ireland-England conflict is little more about land than it is about Irish catholics vs. English protestants. Ethiopian christians vs. Eritrea muslims, Egyptian christians vs. Egyptian muslims, Malaysian hindus vs. Malaysian muslims, vs. Malaysian christians, Nigerian muslims vs. Nigerian christians, the entire Balkan conflict is an ongoing religious war; isn't all this a little silly? For one moment I want you to just pause and think how much persecution, suffering, oppression, and violence there would cease to exist if human-kind just erased its penchant for the irrational.
(moment)
Wow, it certainly is astounding the level of psychological, emotional, and physical violence one can trace directly to needless and senseless religious roots. It becomes even more objectionably stupefying when some of the loudest proponents of religiosity are Black, such as King Jr., women, such as Ann Coulter, homosexual, such as Andrew Sullivan, or drug users, such as Ted Haggard -who rail against the very things they partake in, when religion has been used since its very inception to keep the privileged in power and the subordinates aforementioned hitherto subjugated. I almost keel over an 'die' when I witness a Black minister propagating the very system of intolerance that has left him bruised, battered, and disadvantaged for centuries the same as I do when I read a book, "The Conservative Soul," written by a homosexual, Sullivan, blessing and praising the very church that would like nothing more than to see him rot in "hell" (wherever that may be) for his "sinful" life.
But don't think you're off the hook whitey, because if it weren't for you and your nasty Roman roots the scourge of religious oppression and violence would likely be nonexistent. Let's briefly and objectively look at the facts: we're handed down with a system of "Truth" that conveniently empowered some while subjugating most all from a people who didn't know enough to keep their feces out of their drinking water. Something stinks, and this time it's not the feces.
I said this: "Given the way Muslims, as a whole, are prone to dealing with dissenting ideas Mr. al-Huwaider, who is Saudi, will probably be hunted down and jailed or beheaded."
In retrospect, and after rereading, I think this might be a little extreme and/or hyperbolic. It seems to border a little too close to a stereotype on the stereotype/over-generalization border and it appears to denigrate a people with which, even though I'm fairly well-read on, might extend too far, especially considering my lack of premised evidence to support that claim.
I retract the statement.
Yahoo news, 7:45am, 3-7-07 -yet another instance of religious violence and extremism:
"Violent debate on women's rights in Pakistan," by David Montero, Correspondent of The Christian Science Monitor
Tue Mar 6, 3:00 AM ET
"GUJRANWALA, PAKISTAN - Working for the public was a gift from God for Zille Huma Usman, Punjab's provincial minister for social welfare. But two weeks ago, Muhammed Sarwar violently disagreed, killing her before a crowd because, he said, God does not allow women to work. He later told police that he felt no remorse for his crime..."
Yahoo news, 7:30am, 3-9-07; this should be considered child abuse:
"Ga. close to OKing Bible classes," by DOUG GROSS, Associated Press Writer
Thu Mar 8, 11:32 PM ET
"ATLANTA - Georgia is poised to introduce two literature classes on the Bible in public schools next year, a move some critics say would make the state the first to take an explicit stance endorsing —and funding — biblical teachings..."
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