I met some remarkable people in my life. During the late 70s, instigated by my then Sufi teacher, Fazal Inayat-Khan, I stayed with my then partner for two months in Washington DC, at the time when President Carter was inaugurated. Our contact person was Dr Abdul Aziz Said, Professor for International Relations at the American University. We saw him almost every day at his office at the University or at his lectures, or we met him at his home, and in other places. His sincerity had a great impact on me. His words never left me. He made us think about spiritual economy (of that another time) and he introduced us to some wonderful people, many of them Sufis , in the area in and around Washington DC.
Image by Yeshen Venema
Some were Muslims some were non-Muslims, some were Christians or Hindus, and others followed no religion but had faith in mankind. One day we were invited for a meal by a young couple, a practicing Muslim and his wife, a practicing Christian. Their loving relationship impressed me deeply. They lived what Sufis call the Greater Jihad, the inner struggle.
After the atrocity in Paris, having written realms of nonsense to try and clear my mind, I wondered what Professor Said had to say on the Islamic conflicts, I searched & re-found this yourtube video, where he addresses his students. It’s three years back but worth listening to twice. Here are some of his points:
- Communicate respect and share values. Peace has been conceptualised by dominant cultures. Seek conflict transformation.
- Insist on negotiating solutions, not impose them.
- Engage – don’t exploit the rivalry between Sunni and Shia Muslims.
- Westerners and Muslims could re-frame the conflict between Israelis and Arabs as an internal conflict within the Abrahamic family.
- Peace is a fragile flower. Use public diplomacy to listen … and speak.
- Build bridges through intercultural and interreligious dialogue, engage youth,
- It’s not enough to condemn radical religions, we need positive alternative visions.
- What does your religion bring to the table to deal with the issues of poverty, violence, and the environment?
He widens the perspective. East and the West must together become architects of a new story. The West could give the East the best it had to offer in exchange for the best the East has to offer. The idea is beautiful. I hope, with patience, it comes true.
Here are some of my present thoughts. I’m totally against bombings in Syria, as I was against the interference in Iraq. The problems of Islam are for the Arabs to sort amongst themselves, should have been from the start. In international conflicts the circular blame goes, ‘They hit us back first.’ Justified anger arises from having suffered abusive power, threats to livelihood, resources, security, chosen identity, religious or otherwise, or simply unbearable disillusionment, the loop has repeated itself throughout known history in the form of wars.
There is no denying the grit in the shells of democratic systems. Present irritations I observe in the UK are the dissemination of local community shops and enterprises, since anything small and beautiful can’t be economic, can it? Then the privatisation of essential resources, the absurd discrepancy between the rich and the poor, the lack of jobs due to a runaway technology, depriving innumerable young people of meaning. Add crime, insufficient support for mothers, depression and marginalisation … all in no small way due to excesses of a capitalism that feeds greed, consumerism and the exploitation of the earth. I’m not alone in feeling disheartened about such developments.
And yet, here’s the amazing thing, I can express my thoughts without being persecuted as an enemy of the state. Cognitive dissonance and the battle for tolerance are uncomfortable, but rewarding. Maybe because of their faults, democracies have an evolutionary edge. Here’s why?
Self-examination serves the growth of human qualities, or, if you like, the expansion of consciousness. I have an inner terrorist that battles with ambiguity, confusion, anger and vulnerability, at the same time I value being able to think independently. I feel privileged to live in a country where creativity and innovation are encouraged, individual voices can be heard, disagreements are allowed, and negotiations can be reached. Yes, hypocrisy and corruption are also rife, but with it the means to expose them.
Dresden, Feb 1945
Ideas can of course be subverted. Academics, innovators and scientists can’t control how their insights and inventions are applied, especially when social unrest becomes the manure for another utopian uprising, and more kneejerk reactions.
Are we brave enough to face the latent dangers of injustice, poverty and disillusionment that could call in another despot who sedates with propaganda and naive solutions that promise to solve all problems? For this reason, I think, a debate weighing the benefits of market-oriented enterprise against ways to curb the excesses of capitalism needs to happen, to search for a dynamic balance.
When it comes to the killing of civilians by militants in the name of Islam, ordinary Muslims do not condone these atrocities. Many may well be too dumbfounded and embarrassed to comment on the bizarre brainwashing of young the name of their faith, as in this video, which, however, given the puzzled expression on the children’s faces, I suspect has been commissioned to incite outrage in the west. I dearly hope Muslims will find ways to open a dialogue amongst themselves and with other faiths.
Lovers of life – don’t look away, don’t reject conflict and doubt, don’t numb your hearts. Secular societies with their temporary guardians, for better or worse, challenge us towards unlearning. Editing out complex thoughts will keep us stranded in the flatland of the known, unable to empathise with the physical and spiritual starvation suffered around the globe. Listen to the lecture of Dr Abdul Aziz Said again – and seek conflict transformation in all spheres of life.
One could say we are the particles of multiverses becoming conscious of embodied spirit. It’s no mean feat to shield our little lights from the winds of ignorance.
‘One does not become enlightened by imagining figures of light, but by making the darkness conscious.’ – C G Jung
‘We are not meant to agree with each other, but to create beauty.’ – Fazal Inayat-Khan
And I can’t help it, I admire the graceful poet and singer, Leonard Cohen, who loves his country though he can’t stand the scene. Here is … Anthem … Ring the bells that still can ring, forget your perfect offering – there’s a crack in everything, that’s how the light gets in …
Course of Mirrors 
first time I visited your blog, ashen – nice one
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Very deep inside … Tank you Ashen
Maristella
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A very measured and balanced appeal. I thought Abdul Said’s speech, and proposals self evidently necessary. Set against the Jihadi school film ( (which I agree looked staged, OR showed that no child eagerly embraced the doctrines of violence) Said was almost Utopian. Nothing wrong with Utopian, it is the best beginning, and faced with the art of the possible is a steep ascent. One aspect that was not mentioned was the treatment of women, and I would like to hear from Muslim women what they bring to the table of interfaith dialogue? Said had some great definitions of the ‘public good, both security and morality, which need addressing on all sides. The East West Divan Orchestra of Barenboim shows that the possible may be easier than supposed,given security. Great post Ashen.
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Thank you Philippa. The media does not share much about the consistant attempts towards dialogue in the Community of International Relations by some wonderful people, like Dr Abdul Aziz Said. These efforts around the world are not sensational enought to make headlines. He retired this year. I witnessed how he hugely inspired his students, and obviously has continued to do so over the decades he held his post at the Washington University. A great human being.
Edward Said, too. Looked up the The East West Divan Orchestra of Barenboim 🙂 brilliant. His double vision, as outsider, chimed with my own outsider and antiauthoritarian position. Remember reading his books ‘Culture And Imperialism’ and ‘Orientalism,’ while at film school. They were eyeopeners.
There are of course many inter-religious and inter-cultural events happening around the world, which don’t get media attention.
Elias Amidon, the present Pir of the Sufi Way, and his wife, Rabia did/do work in this field. http://sufiway.org/about-us/pir-elias
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Well done Ashen. So wonderful to hear this … my husband and I had begun to think we are alone with the desire that eventually communication will have to happen for any change. Starting with talking to myself has been painful enough. You have done your personal conversation well and have an outcome here that can send a few ripples across a pond.
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Thank you. It’s a difficult conversation, and will be ongoing, and worthwhile. It’s heartening to know that we as individuals can open a questioning wavelength that doesn’t slip into easy answers. I’m convinced that even when not expressed, the inner experience we have carries an influence.
I seem to remember you had a blogspot. I can’t find it.
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Wonderful post Ashen thank you … by paying heed to our inner jihad (love that!) and it’s ambiguities we’ll hopefully have a broader vision of the world – and our role in it. It’s not a question of bringing the light to the darkness, it’s more bringing the darkness up and out to the light, so that the darkness can be seen – for what it is, or isn’t maybe…
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Thanks Susan. The dark seems to be a necessity for physical existence. Been inspired by speculations about dark matter 🙂 I think of light as intelligence. I may just have found my New Year Greetings:
behind the mirror
another – beyond our reach
holds us in its sway
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A recent supposition about the nature of dark matter suggests it is ‘light from the future’ I suppose that means light not yet encountering observation? Not necessarily unintelligent, but perhaps a wave function not yet ‘collapsed’ because not yet measured?
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Yes – a wave function not yet collapsed. I believe everything has its twin somewhere.
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Ashen you never fail me. You write with such ease and the message is constantly challenging.
Cognitive Dissonance is a genuine challenge to us all. It’s difficult to have our cages rattled without our prior consent, yet random episodes provide for our best.
There is a degree of superiority complex within us all which makes us look at things from only our own perspective albeit unconsciously, consequently, the ways of others seems alien to us.
Humility is an important and comforting friend in such circumstances. All of us want the very best however the multitude of approaches to this end, somewhat complicates things.
Our concentration is becoming finer and finer by the day, and thus our world shrinks. Every event is now scrutinised as if it happened personally and ‘Fight or flight ‘ is triggered.
Maybe now is indeed the time to reach out.B
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Thanks, B. Yes, reaching out would be the intelligent thing to do. Sadly hard won power in personal, economic, political or ideological fields, tend to use strategies that demean the opponent, with no room for intelligent debate.
Same with our inner opponents. I grew up to distrust authority, so the attitude to my inner authority is ambivalent. Interesting, even mind expanding, but not always in my favour.
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Professor Said statements are absolutely accurate and they particularly resonate these days when Terrorism and Fundamentalism have become a threaten ….
There is a quote by Voltaire which says as following:
~~I disapprove of what you say but i will defend to the death your right to say it~~.
I guess things would be different and so much better if we just tried to be more tolerant when it comes to religions and other subjective and relative standpoints…
Thanks for sharing… Great post… All the best to you. Aquileana 💫
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Thanks Aquileana ☼ Best things for you.
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read this twice now, this time with the anthem of LC in my ears. this post needs no comment, you said it all.
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Beautifully and eloquently said as always, it’s words of wisdom, compassion and empathy which are needed to help fan the flame of peace, so few speak them though. Louder, brasher voices in harsh tones seem to rue the day. 😦
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Thanks. Quite. Sensational media tends to pick people who loudly react to situations they dislike. It must provide some kind of gratification to people who find thinking too complicated.
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Sadly that’s so true… 😦
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