Will the Real America Please Stand Up?

It is clear that there is a problem with the portrayal of Islam in popular culture, and the response at ISNA was admirable. However, there was a missing piece for me. At times, I could detect hints of Anti-Jewish sentiment and heard little if any denunciation or distancing of "real Islam" from the fringes of "extremist Islam." Also disappointing was that, at times, presenters expressed, from the plenary stage even, comments that were overtly anti-LGBTQ. I can understand the cultural distance that many of the first-generation American-Muslims in the community are stretching to make it through their lives, but at times it seemed as though ISNA was catering to this lowest common denominator of inter-cultural acceptance rather than challenging everyone to something greater and more tolerant. Overall, it further impressed upon me the importance of Quakers remaining in relationship with this community to help bear one another's burden and share our witnesses for justice, peace, and equality.

It can feel distant and not a part of one's current, immediate reality to discuss these national trends and events, but this is manifesting in small ways all around us. As I returned from my trip and went back to work, a co-worker of mine, Josh Birchard, happened to tell me of an incident that he witnessed this past Thursday morning. Here's Josh's experience, in his own words:

July 7, 2011

Taking on the July heat, I pushed through yet another city block, finding my legs damp and my brow a tributary to my face. The pedestrians that surrounded me were undoubtedly feeling similar sensations and I imagined for a moment that, stripped of their individual busy lives, each was merely on a quest to find air conditioning.  Their heat-hazed forms brought to mind the endless variety of human life, and I was reminded, as I occasionally am, the precious depth of diversity in the broadest sense of the word.

My musings were cut short as I neared my place of work, my previous concept of the harmony of things was smashed and choked with doubt. I noticed two young black women dressed in burkas and long, flowing, single-color dresses walking in the same direction I was, five or six steps ahead.  Such-dressed women are familiar to me and, my initial kaleidoscopic awareness wearing off, I positioned myself to pass them without much notice.

The two women were abruptly approached by a white man, face contorted in what I guessed was a message of mocking. I wore headphones and so could not hear the outside, but I observed this man's mouth moving as he barged his way between the two young women, thrusting his shoulder into the small amount of space between them.  Their faces turned and I saw expressions of disgust and I instantly was sure of what had happened.  The white man had uttered something vulgar to these two burka-wearing women, while at the same time invading their personal space.  I thought for a moment of confronting the man, but, an experienced recipient of thrashings, I did not want violence. I thought of offering words of support to the women, but I second-guessed myself, and walked off without making any kind of gesture or verbal reparation following the harassment. Disgusted with myself and with the assailant, I entered my work place reeling from the experience.

I will admit that at other socio-sidewalk moments I have placed such women in an "other" category, and have experienced a peculiar anxiety at the unknown, and then anxiety at the fact of having this type of discomfort at all.  At such moments I seek to fix my mild phobia, for don't I know better?  I believe in reflexivity as a sociology graduate, a Quaker, an earnest self-appraiser and I have been trained in, and have practiced, rigorous social acceptance.  Yet still, at times, I must manage my own feelings, for they stray from my ideals and create dissonance.

Concerning responses to my last post ("You Say You Want A Revolution . . . "):

Understandably, some eyebrows and questions were raised in response to my last post which supported the existence of a draft. I should clarify that I hold no illusion that such a prospect is actually politically viable at this moment, nor that such a system should look anything like our past systems of conscription. My central point is that, without a system of this sort, there is a general lack of accountability and no inherent feedback system between the populace and the military that represents their democracy. Time will exacerbate this disconnection, and lead to the further decay of a democratic system. Though I can understand why it would seem like a step backwards to those in our community who worked admirably to end the draft and the Vietnam War, I believe the point stands when one considers the long-term concern for democracy and popular government.

I believe that if we were to achieve something on the order of a draft, it should function like a system of mandatory national service, with options to suit all value systems. This would also require the creation of "selective conscientious objection"; individuals (such as those at Centurion's Guild) who embrace concepts of "Just War Theory" and conditional Pacifism, could refuse to participate in wars that they find unjust, immoral, and/or unChristian.

Lastly, I want to acknowledge that I am inspired towards these ideas because of my family's history of service, both militarily and also in civil service and humanitarian efforts. Most influential is my grandfather and middle-namesake, Lt. Col. Willis E. Schug, who advocated for mandatory national service after his experience serving as Dean of Students at Columbia Law in 1968 (when the riots occurred); this was his first civilian post after serving as a lawyer for the military in Vietnam, Korea, and the Pentagon.