Interfaith Battles Discrimination

Posted on May 4, 2008 by Dawan
Filed Under Religion |

Before we broach the subject of interfaith, we need to establish the foundation and ground rules for substantiating our positions, so that we can stay focused on the main objective of this article, which is to take a deeper look into promoting interfaith as a means for overcoming discriminatory practices.

The conflict between church and state is commonplace in America and in spite of confusion and discomfort surrounding this great conflict, there is this vague concept of democracy that attempts to justify everything. Today, political ideas completely over rule religious beliefs and practices in almost every situation! Under the auspices of a particular brand of democracy, America has dispatched missionaries throughout the world with very little regard for the folkways, mores and religious traditions of the world’s indigenous cultures. As a result, people of all faiths must turn to their own religious scriptures and doctrines for guidance through this terrible dilemma. Repeated indulgence in religious scripture reminds us all that there is One God, who is Creator, Sustainer and Terminator of all things. While we may look different, speak different languages, follow different paths, perform different rituals and demonstrate different ways of bearing witness that there is only One God, declaring belief in The One God is at least one thing that Believers have in common. We worship putting our trust in The Creator of everything! So, we ask ourselves the question, why is it so difficult for us to worship in peace? An obvious answer is, leading a religious way of life today, is not popular or politically correct. Many people subscribing to the “Big Bang” theory verses “Creation Science,” view religion as a belief system that causes problems for the mundane world, so people from strong religious traditions are playing with semantics, saying “I believe in God, but I’m not religious, I’m spiritual.” The Creator knows their intentions however, evidence of true Believers and Non-believers is revealed in their deeds and actions. On the surface and in principle, Believers and Non-believers acknowledge the different cultures and profess to support the right for people to worship The Creator in their own tradition, however, the fact remains that beneath the surface, a lack of respect and appreciation for differences continues to brew and emerge as discrimination. Why?

Discriminatory practices, which have dominated thinking and behavior in America since the Pilgrims landed on Plymouth Rock, are based in fear and have now become institutionalized. People who are not strong in faith have a tendency to fear and dislike things that they do not understand. America’s population and its “melting-pot” of cultures are increasing in diversity along with on-going discrimination problems that are more subtle, much more complex and vastly misunderstood. The influx of people coming to America from other countries, settling and raising families here, also heightens the level of fear amongst those Americans who feel that they have a greater stake in this country. On the other hand, foreigners, immigrants, refugees, etc., manifest a fear of not being accepted as legitimate Americans even though they may have been born in this country. Although they desperately try to assimilate into the dominant culture, they usually end up adopting habits that conflict with their own religious and cultural traditions. Consequently, modern American leaders attempting to uphold democratic ideals, continue to face on-going challenges of identifying and addressing old and new discrimination issues. America’s continuous struggles with race, gender, age, social, political and economic discrimination directly relates to religious interpretations and perceptions. The indigenous Indians, Asians, Africans and Latin Americans are just a few of what is known today as ethnic groups that have been persecuted and discriminated against over the years for attempting to practice their religious rituals in America. After being physically tortured and terrorized, their souls were dominated by fear and their psyche confused and manipulated by “double standards.” For the vast majority of the population, these conditions are lodged so deep in the subconscious mind that both perpetrators and victims are completely unaware of how they are being used by an elite few, who are seeking to control everything. The conditioning is so thorough that the “powers that be” can let their strategies and tactics be known and we still won’t get it.

For example, in old American movies (westerns in this case), Caucasians played both cowboy and Indian roles and usually somewhere in the films we heard the popular phrase “paleface speaks with forked tongue.” Although this powerful message is camouflaged under the cloak of entertainment, when taken seriously, it is really warning us to watch out for “double standards,” which due to the advent of modern technology and the information age is more prominent and complex today than ever before. Throughout the history of this country people practicing, endorsing or not speaking out against the use of “double standards,” have perpetuated discrimination and oppression to the degree that even religious scriptures have been altered to justify this diabolical practice. The two edge sword of religious “double standard” wiled by manipulators is a major contributor to discrimination problems because it psychologically cuts through original cultural traditions and actually renders people fearful of being who they are. Through politically oriented language, media professionals in allegiance to their superior’s interpretation of the Constitution and their reporting oaths either knowingly or without awareness use this blade to manipulate, take advantage of and control the Believing masses.

There are many differences in religious paths and for those who believe that there is only One Creator, the paths all lead to the omnipotent One. However to begin comprehending America’s current discrimination situation, one simply must realize and accept the differences between Believers and Non-believers:

Non-believers follow and stay with concepts that support and justify their own limited abilities to conceptualize things, mostly from political perspectives, while Believers rely on an innate sense of right, wrong and justice that is refined by seeking divine guidance through studying legitimate religious scriptures and adhering to the natural laws of Creation Science.

The egos of Non-believer’s won’t allow them to submit to The Creator or recognize His signs, so their endeavors tend to go against the laws of nature. While Believers see submission to The Creator as the only natural path for all of Creation.

The interfaith movement promotes understanding and tolerance between different religions, focusing on the common ground and opening pathways to sharing. Differences in religious schools of thought or interdenominational ideology are insignificant in comparison to understanding the fundamental differences between Believers and Non-believers.

Dawan Muhammad, Co-Chair

SBIA Media Committee

Cross-Cultural Media Consultant, AMICC