iamasiam

Arisen!

Enjoying a glass of Cabernet Sauvignon at a Pan-Asian Chelsea joint, I couldn’t help but notice a boisterous group enjoying their pre-dinner cocktails at a table nearby.  The 30-something male trio relishes their time together with jubilant chatter and unhinged laughter.  From their conversation, Gladys Kravitz could intermittently decipher a word or two in English.  For the most part they’re speaking Bahasa.  They’re Indonesian. They’re gay.  They’re out.  And they’re now emphatically (flamboyantly) having a “Sex in the City” moment, with ne’er a care in the world.

Now, I can’t help but recall this Indonesian flick I’ve seen recently, “Arisan”. ^[1] Its main character is also in his thirties, but he is a closeted gay man just in the process of being pried out of his comfortable but lonely closet.  Dorothy is not in Chelsea anymore.  While Jakarta happens to be the capital of the biggest Muslim country in the world, luckily you’re not in Uganda either. ^[2]  Still, Indonesia is enough of a setting to have your heels clicking 24/7 if you were the main character in this movie. 

“Arisan” is said to have broken barriers, the first Indonesian film to breach the taboo topic of homosexuality.  While touted as a “feel-good” movie, it still feels like it is decades old compared to my restaurant scene in Chelsea.  It’s heartbreaking to witness the portrayal of reality.  Personal struggles for social acceptance of one’s identity are still such a big deal on the other side of the world.  Nevertheless, it is comforting to know that the story is not one of tragedy, as would be the case if it were a film based on David Kato’s own struggles. ^[2]

^[1] The New York Times Movie Review, Feb. 8, 2011
^[2] Bishop Pierre Whalon, “Christian Morality and the Murder of David Kato”, The Huffington Post, Feb. 7, 2011

Dual Identity. Singular Divide.

In America, do religious differences matter less today than in the past?  Yes, writes Mike Oppenheimer in his Beliefs column today ^[1], citing at least the Latino community’s widening acceptance of people with dual religious identities.  Case in point is Florida’s senator-elect Marc Rubio.  While self-described as a practicing Catholic, in his campaign, Mr. Rubio has regularly attended evangelical services at Christ Fellowship, which is affiliated with the Southern Baptist Convention.
 
It may be true that some religious institutions impose less stringent restrictions with regards their followers dabbling into practices of other faiths.  A Buddhist friend of mine attests that it is not a “sin” for her go to Christian Sunday “worship” as she does.  However, Mr. Oppenheimer points out that Protestants and Catholics have important elements in their creeds that are simply at odds with each other, such as the authority of the pope and the meaning of Holy Communion.

Critics say Marc Rubio was simply courting to both Catholic and Protestant voters in the last elections.  I disagree with his politics but, as it seems, Mr. Rubio has found a very good niche.  He has targeted a growing number of Hispanics who may view religious identity to be less important a criterion in casting their ballot.

Does this mean Americans are finally putting to heart the oft-misunderstood concept of separation of church and state? ^[2] Maybe not!  One aspiring presidential candidate does not even know that such an amendment exists.  Many in fact believe the religious beliefs of some are quite at odds with the American way of life.  And, there are those out there who would swear--to God, perhaps--that President Obama is a Muslim? ^[3]

^[1] Mike Oppenheimer, “Marc Rubio: Catholic or Protestant”, The New York Times, Nov. 27, 2010
^[2] religioustolerance.org
^[3] brookings.com

"A Bold Statement of Truth"

With the passing of the 9th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks, cooler heads may have prevailed amidst the heated rhetoric surrounding this convergence of faith and politics.  Does an imam not have a right to build a mosque near the grounds of the fallen towers?   Does a pastor not have a right to burn Qur’ans to express his views about religion with regards to the attacks?  A blitz of press coverage fed on a nail-biting countdown leading to, fortunately, a less explosive outcome.  The imam took a more open stance negotiating the construction of his mosque.  The pastor held off on the Qur’an burning.

In the days leading up to these events, leafing through the finals chapters of a novel, I could not help but draw some albeit remote parallels.  Most disturbing was the dialogue of one of the fictional characters, a hard-line Christian televangelist promoting a right-wing politician running for office.  The character could not hide his slanted view that Islam has a direct role in terrorism, even as he tried finagling his way around his limited role in promoting his senatorial pick.  (Alert:  This is very twisted!) ^[1]

"We are surrounded by enemies of the state, my friends, and at their mercy when they explode bombs among us without warning.  Those bombs are political statements in the mind of a terrorist, but the evil behind them is religious in nature, being as it were inspired by a certain religion that is not our own."

"We know something bad is smelling up the planet but we dare not speak its name because to do so will create riots and revenge attacks and outrage that will spill innocent blood.  Because evil does not like to hear itself spoken of with disdain.  Evil is offended by that.  Evil, the practitioners of that other religion would have us believe, is sensitive, and will have its finer feelings offended by a bold statement of truth!"

And yet, reading “Callisto”, I could not help but think about the recent spate of events.  There obviously are those who believe Islam had a direct tie with the 9/11 attacks.  This would include the would-be Quran-burning pastor and perhaps some of the protestors of the mosque near Ground Zero.  So is there or is there not a cause-and-effect relationship here?  Is it because they were Muslims that the attackers dove into the towers?  Does the holy book contain terrorist propaganda that would deserve it to be burned en masse?  Perhaps, we should all read the book to make such a judgment.  (I know, for the Bible-taught, it was tough enough getting through Genesis.)

While the Quran itself is supposedly legit only if written in Arabic, it has been translated in many languages worldwide, English included.  Who’s going to enlighten us then?  Perhaps, the news media should. That should serve well to neutralize the bad press they received in firing up such a frenzy to begin with.  (Imagine FOX5 News’ 24/7 covering this.)  How about featuring a verse-a-day of Qur’an in your daily broadcasts or publications?  You can include commentaries from two perspectives, one imam and one pastor.  Certainly, that would make the “bold statement of truth” more accessible to all of us – doubters, believers, haters – even if just to forestall the next possible conflagration on this matter. 

Then there are public open spaces such as parks and plazas – and museums!  (Talk about accessible!)  Holland Cotter ^[2] of the New York Times is on the same track with me on this one. Reviewing Sandow Bark’s work, ”American Qur’an” ^[3], he writes:

For information value alone, and entirely apart from recent threats of book burnings, it would make sense for our museums to offer Koran-related exhibitions.

(See related article, "When Bells Toll, When Minarets Rise")

[1] Torsten Krol, “Callisto”, Harper Collins
[2] Holland Cotter, “Sandow Birk: American Qur’an”, The New York Times, 9/17/10
[3] Sandow Birk:  American Qur'an

 

China's Soul Searching (In English)

It is the sixth in a series of school stabbings in China.  A Time reporter aptly explores the underlying reasons for such attacks, including the Chinese citizen’s lack of access to mental health care and the legal system’s deficiency in providing ample recourse to injustice. ^[1] One could not help but argue that much soul searching is needed even if only to cushion the emotional blow such violence has impacted on its victims and their relatives.

#

In Wang Gang’s powerful novel, “English”, set in the dark days of the Cultural Revolution, the story revolves around preteens in their process of self-discovery while learning a new language in school.  In one of such revelations, one of the children called into the school principal’s office questions the punishment just wrought upon. ^[2]

“Go back to your classroom now and write a self-criticism statement.  It has to be thorough and soul-searching!”

“Mr. Principal, what is a soul?”

“Don’t worry about what it is, just go and write your self-criticism.”

#

A close relative, obviously religious, forwarded me one of those chain letters which argues that, “even from a purely secular viewpoint”, in countries where there is “genuine humbling & seeking of God through prayer”, general prosperity follows.  I argued that China is now one of the strongest economies in the world.  What is their religious base, I asked? <sup>[3]

[1]</sup> Austin Ramzy, “China's Soul Searching as School Knifings Continue”, Time, May 12, 2010
^[2] Wang Gang, “English”, Viking, 2009
^[3] See related article, “God Vs. Gov”

God versus Gov

According to a recent study conducted by the Pew Research Center's Forum on Religion & Public Life^[1], seventy percent of the people in the world live in countries where there are heavy religious restrictions or hostilities.

Such restrictions or hostilities come from:

• The country’s governments via direct actions, policies and laws;
• Private individuals, organizations and social groups; or
• Both

Of the twenty-five most populous countries in the world, the following Asian countries land in different groups in terms of the weight and source of such religious restrictions and hostilities.

• India, Pakistan, and Indonesia have both very high or high government restrictions and very high social hostilities.
• China and Vietnam have very high or high government restrictions but low or moderate social hostilities.
• The Philippines enjoys low government restrictions but suffers from high social hostilities.
• Myanmar has very high government restrictions and high social hostilities.
• Thailand has both moderate government restrictions and social hostilities.
• Japan has the least restrictions or hostilities from both government and private sources.

According to the study, the brunt of restrictions falls on religious minorities.  Here’s an overview of the religious majorities and minorities in each of those countries.^[2]

Peace on earth, good will toward men!

^[1] pewresearch.org
^[2] cia.gov

When Bells Toll. When Minarets Rise.

There’s the case of a referendum held in Switzerland recently banning the construction of new minarets in mosques from where Koranic chants are recited to call Muslims to prayer.  It passed by a decisive margin of six to four. This development raised ire among many worldwide, some calling for a similar ban on church bells.  An American columnist argues that the Swiss have no ill intent; they just want Islamic extremism nipped in the bud. ^[1]

As grotesquely unfair as a referendum to ban minarets may have been to hundreds of thousands of ordinary, well-integrated Muslims, I have no doubt that the Swiss voted in favor primarily because they don't have much Islamic extremism—and they don't want any.

Then there’s the Brooklyn man who barely a month ago also made—interestingly, only local—headlines following his protests on church bells ringing.  All he could do however was to put up signs in his front yard to demand that the parish turn down the recorded bell sounds that occur every hour of the day.  In this case, it is already law. ^[2]

Bells and organs at places of worship are exempt from the city's noise code - even electronic bells like the ones at St. Thomas….

Meanwhile, there’s this Malaysian writer boasting of her country’s religious diversity—though predominantly Muslim.  Citing verses from the Koran, she goes in length about the need for religious tolerance.  From her article though, I gather there is no law in her country against the construction of religious icons, nor ordinances limiting noise disturbance. ^[3]

Down where I live is a Hindu temple and across the road is a mosque, and there is always something going on, but I manage to sleep. You try staying in Bali, the temples are always chiming. I once frightened myself silly wondering why the Balinese temple next door kept having prayers at night, but you know what? The moral of the story is this: you learn to adjust. Or put a pillow over your head and go back to sleep.

^[1] Anne Applebaum, “In Switzerland, towers of fear”, The Washington Post, Dec. 8, 2009
^[2] Mike McLaughlin, “Marine Park man hangs signs in front yard to protest tolling of church bells at St. Thomas Aquinas”, NY Daily News, Nov. 20, 2009
^[3] Dina Zaman, “The sounds of faith”, The Malaysian Insider, Dec. 10, 2009

True 'Tripartisanship'

Their reasons for holding the ‘tripartisan’ press conference^[1] last Friday may have been very well intended.  Three senators from different parties sought to highlight legislative common ground in the health care reform debate.  However, when the subject of a public option came up, they just blew it.

Connecticut’s Democrat turned-Independent Joe Lieberman was quick to spew the F-word (filibuster) should the public option remain in the bill.  Turning into a debate between Lieberman, Arlen Specter (D-PA) and Susan Collins (R-MN), it became a silly display of the usual gridlock.  It became the antithesis of what they were trying to achieve.

What brings to mind what true 'tripartisan' might be like is recent article about three tightly knit clergymen of different faiths.^[2] Rabbi Ted Falcon, the Rev. Don Mackenzie, and Sheik Jamal Rahman are “interfaith amigos”, bound by a common desire to promote interfaith understanding.  Their collaboration works by addressing their conflicts head-on and, more importantly, by honoring the truth.

“We try to honor the truth. This is the truth for you, and this is the truth for me. It may not be reconcilable, but it is important to refuse to make the other the enemy.”

The minister said that one “untruth” for him was that “Christianity is the only way to God.” The rabbi said for him it was the notion of Jews as “the chosen people.” And the sheik said for him it was the “sword verses” in the Koran, like “kill the unbeliever.”

Politics and religion are killer topics at any dinner table.  For the holidays, I think I wouldn’t mind having over the “interfaith amigos” for dinner to discuss religion.  With regards the three untruthfully ‘tripartisan’ Senators, I don’t think we’ll get past the appetizers.  Cheers!

^[1] George Stephanopoulos, “'Tripartisan' Press Conference Becomes Public Option Debate”, ABC News, Dec. 4, 2009
^[2] Laurie Goodstein, “Three Clergymen, Three Faiths, One Friendship”, The New York Times, Nov. 23, 2009

1.57 Billion Muslims Worldwide: "Asia Predominates"

The Pew Forum recently released the results of their comprehensive research on Muslims worldwide.¹  The study provides the size and distribution of the Muslim population across the world. The Forum, a project of the Pew Research Center, seeks to promote a deeper understanding of issues at the intersection of religion and public affairs.²

The study brings the total estimate to over 1.57 billion Muslims in the world.

There are more Muslims in the Asia-Pacific region than anywhere else in the world combined.  The countries with the largest number of Muslims in that region are Indonesia, Pakistan and India, which together accounts for more than a third (34%) of the world’s Muslim population.  Indonesia alone houses 202.9M Muslims, just a few percent shy of the entire Sub-Saharan African region’s Muslim population of 240.6M.  In fact, the Muslim population in Indonesia and Pakistan combined (376.9M) outranks the region known to be the center of Islam, the Middle East-North Africa (315.2M).

Together, Europe (38.1M) and the Americas (4.6M) have less than a two-digit share of the total count of Muslims in the world.  The United States has an estimated 2.5M, followed by Argentina and Canada respectively who each have less than a million Muslim residents.

The 2.5M count for the U.S.A rests within the wide range of previous estimates of 1M to 7M made over the past decade.³ Various sources also indicate that the largest group of Muslims in the country identify themselves as African American and that many reside in California—although New York has a larger share of Muslims based on total state population.

In New York City, the 24th United American Muslim Day Parade is expected to draw crowds on Sunday, October 18th.⁴  The parade will be along Madison Avenue starting at 41st Street and ending at 23rd Street where there will be a Food Festival and Bazaar.  Spearheaded by The Muslim Foundation of America and supported by several other organizations, the annual parade began to achieve their objective:  “to provide a platform to the Muslim community in the Tri-State to get together and join the main stream political arena of this country as we have adopted it as our homeland”.  The parade’s theme this year is “Understanding-Tolerance-Love”, lofty ideals that hopefully translate well both within our diverse U.S. communities and the rest of our conflict-ridden world.

¹Erik Gorski, ”Report: Global Muslim population hits 1.57 billion”, Associated Press, Oct. 8, 2009
²pewforum.org
³islam101.com
⁴muslimdayparade.com

A Muslim American Drama: To heal and bring us together!

"Art can heal and art can be a bridge that brings cultures together", says Wajahat Ali, a Pakistani American playwright, in a recent TV interview about his play entitled "The Domestic Crusaders."

In her NY Times column, Laurie Goodstein does a good job describing the background and theme of Wajahat’s play. It seems as far-reaching in its goals as its content is deeply personal, culled directly from the playwright’s own family drama.¹

Very few dramas about the contemporary Muslim experience in America have made it to the stage. Muslims from Pakistan, India and Bangladesh have been slow to embrace writing and acting, which was not considered a viable profession by the older immigrant generation. Mr. Ali and the actors in “The Domestic Crusaders” are among a younger group interested in mining their experiences for theater. These are dramas not about terrorism or war, but about the cultural cacophony that ensues when you drop three generations of a Pakistani family into Silicon Valley.

Hopefully, his play which opened last Friday, September 11, at the Nuyorican Poets Café² in New York City, does some healing especially of the virulence that still pervades among us and brings together families caught in a similar cultural cross-fire.

¹Laurie Goodstein, "A Pakistani-American Family Is Caught in Some Cultural Cross-Fire", New York Times
²Nuyorican Poets Café, New York City

A Hindu Temple 'Choir', An 'American' Koran, A 'Catholic' Mantra

Recently reconnected with someone who has found new interest in studying the Hindi language, I learned about recent activities celebrating the festival of the Ganesha festival.  Ganesha, deemed Lord of Success, is one of the most widely worshipped of the many Hindu deities.¹

The son of Shiva and Parvati, Ganesha has an elephantine countenance with a curved trunk and big ears, and a huge pot-bellied body of a human being. He is the Lord of success and destroyer of evils and obstacles. He is also worshipped as the god of education, knowledge, wisdom and wealth. In fact, Ganesha is one of the five prime Hindu deities (Brahma, Vishnu, Shiva and Durga being the other four) whose idolatry is glorified as the panchayatana puja.

How the practice of such religious beliefs adapts following its migration to America is exemplified by the formation of choir performing for the first time—also in celebration of the Ganesha festival—in a Hindu temple in Flushing Meadows, Queens.  Growing up Catholic, I recall nothing extra-ordinary singing in a church choir.  However, in his recent NY Times article, Jonathan Allen reveals that choir singing is new in Hindu worship, which tends to be more individualistic and free flowing. Quoting Professor Vasudha Naryanan, director of the Center for the Study of Hindu Traditions at the University of Florida, Mr. Allen writes:²

She sees the choir as a “gentle process of Americanization” — a kind of adaptation of Hindu traditions to be more “recognizable” to the children of Hindu immigrants and the broader American public.

Not everyone views any American adaptation of religious practice—or even, the artistic representation of a religious book—with the same openness.  Even before the exhibition opens, there is already mounting opposition to “American Qur’an”, Sandow Birk’s latest project of transcribing English translations of the holy book accompanied by paintings of contemporary American scenes. Jori Finkel of the New York Times writes:³

After viewing an artist’s statement on koplindelrio.com, the gallery’s Web site, Usman Madha, director of public relations at the King Fahad Mosque in Culver City, cautioned that many Muslims might nonetheless find the project “insulting to the Islamic faith,” starting with its title. “There is no such thing as an American Koran, or European Koran, or Asian Koran,” he said. “If someone calls a work their own version of the Koran, they are misrepresenting the Koran as revealed to the prophet Muhammad by the angel Gabriel.”

In exhibiting his work, I doubt Mr. Birk’s intention to “make it more accessible to Americans, more relevant to American life” will precipitate any serious conversion, because technically his work does not count as a bona fide copy of the holy book, which can only be written in Arabic.  In her studying Hindi, I surmise my friend is driven more by her personal interest in it and won’t soon become a Ganesha follower herself.  I don’t think a Hindu hymnal will hit publication any time soon either.  I digress form this deliberation with a thought of my old church choir singing this John Lennon song.

Imagine there's no countries
It isn't hard to do
Nothing to kill or die for
And no religion too
Imagine all the people
Living life in peace...

1Subhamoy Das, “Ganesha: Lord of Success—All About the Hindu Elephant-Deity”, About.com
2Jonathan Allen, ”Old Faith Innovates in a New Land”, New York Times
3Jori Finkel,“’Personal Meditations’ on the Koran”, New York Times

Asian Americans Under The Habit

Laurie Goodstein of the New York Times reports the changing face of the Roman Catholic clergy in this country.  Ms. Goodstein alludes to a recent study conducted by The Center for Applied Research in the Apostolate at Georgetown University.  The findings show that “an aging, predominantly white generation is being succeeded by a smaller group of more racially and ethnically diverse recruits who are attracted to the religious orders that practice traditional prayer rituals and wear habits.”

Asian Americans are at least poised to be potential leaders in this large, albeit shrinking, congregation of Catholics. “Asians and Pacific Islanders are disproportionately represented among the newcomers, accounting for 14 percent, far above their 3 percent share of the Catholic population in the United States.”  The latest figures reported in the 77th annual edition of the Yearbook of American & Canadian Churches indicate that its membership ranks highest with 67.1 million followers in this country.

Undressing

A recent NY Times article has prompted me to see “The Seen and the Hidden: [Dis]Covering the Veil” at the Austrian Cultural Forum.  The exhibit features a collection of contemporary artwork about women donning the veil, especially though not exclusively in the context of Muslim faith.

In Deborah Sontag’s article, “The Intersection of Islam, America and Identity” (June 7, 2009), the author focuses on two artists based in the New York area—one with origins from Pakistani, Asma Ahmed Shikoh, and the other from Iran, Negar Ahkami.  The works of these two Asian Americans reveal issues of identity in deeper layers than what I would have imagined before my bare eyes touched them last week.  The forum’s official description brushes the surface, “The donning of the veil conveys conflicting ideas of faith, sexuality and public life and thus raises a host of questions and tensions between religion and identity.”

Miss Sontag writes about the parallel progression of the two artists’ personal lives and their art with their coming to America.  It is a very touching narrative that prompts one to wonder about how the stories of other women enfold here and overseas.  President Obama’s landmark speech in Cairo “at a time of tension between the United States and Muslims around the world” encourages a wider a conversation addressing the many issues, including our policy “to protect the right of women and girls to wear the hijab, and to punish those who would deny it.”

There are also parallel perspectives from the 15 artists in the exhibition.  In Negar Ahkami’s “Persian Dolls”, eight nesting dolls are each painted to reflect the progression of a woman’s image from the stern-faced outer doll clad in black chador to the smiling unclad inner one.  (Interestingly enough, a photograph of the artwork in the forum’s official pamphlet shows—perhaps, a different version—only five dolls of which the inner doll is not completely naked but, in fact, draped partly by the American flag.)

It is difficult not to liken Miss Ahkami’s artwork to that of another exhibitor, Nilbar Güres, a Turkish Austrian.  Her video entitled “Undressing” shows a woman (Soyunma) gradually removing different layers of veil each owned by, or representing, female relatives.  Heavy tension is obviously laden with the initial shot where all layers of covering are still intact.  Upon the removal of the last veil that is preceded by a rather tentative pause, a genuine smile of relief and joy is finally revealed.

Like Miss Ahkami’s dolls which can also be viewed from right (inner) to left (outer doll), Miss Güres’ video can technically be played back in reverse order.  In many parts of the world, the rights of women still tread a backward track.  The veil itself is still a stinging symbol of oppression that can only be reclaimed over time.  Time alone is not enough.  We need more un-tethered discussions especially in societies where women’s rights are still trampled upon and even criminalized.  In freer societies, I deeply respect the women who decide to don the veil as a proud assertion of their beliefs and their freedoms.  However, they carry the burden of illuminating others of all the ills the wearing of the veil still represents to a vast number of women worldwide.