Really, Y'all?!? YAY, Russell Simmons!

Granted, I'm weighing in on a subject without being fully informed, which could be dangerous.  But I read today in chron.com, a blog of the Houston Chronicle, that some Florida nutjobs (why are all the crazies from Florida?) have launched a letter writing campaign to the people who advertise on "All American Muslim."

I didn't choose to watch "All American Muslim," mostly because it didn't seem interesting.  It's like watching "All American Black Folks," or "All American Asians," or "All American Buddhists."  American is a country built on diversity.  To juxtapose someone's Americanism with their diversity (as if the two were by definition mutually exclusive) is to somehow, very subtly imply that to be "other" is the opposite of being American.  At least that's how it felt to me.  The show is a look in the lives of Muslims in America. 

Unlike some other TLC shows, it doesn't seem to be aimed to highlight the differences and challenges "other" people face (like the shows on the little people or the shows on the humongous families).  This show's purpose seems to be to show that Muslims are Americans, too.

I'm not watching a show like that.  If we need a show like that in this country, then it's already too late.

At least, that's the way my idealist (and apparently simplistic) mind thinks.  But the Florida Family Association seems to think the exact opposite.  They're leading a campaign to have companies pull their advertising from the show.  It's apparently been effective.  The report says that 65 of the 67 companies it targeted have pulled their advertising. 

I found particularly interesting the excerpt from their letter that states "The show profiles only Muslims that appear to be ordinary folks while excluding many Islamic believers whose agenda poses a clear and present danger to the liberties and traditional values that the majority of Americans cherish, ...”

First of all, you idiots, what's the number of people who "pose a clear and present danger to the liberties and traditional values that the majority of Americans cherish?"  Who has decided that?  If we were to do a poll, would we find there are more Muslims or more fundamentalist Christians who pose the clear and present danger to those liberties and traditional values?  THERE ARE CRAZIES IN EVERY REALM OF LIFE (as your actions so clearly demonstrate).  Wouldn't the greater good be served by calming the hysteria and instead focusing on loving our neighbor?

I'm reminded of the Parable of the Good Samaritan, and Dr. King's Mountaintop Speech, where he talks about the Road from Jerusalem to Jericho and the dangers inherent in that winding and treacherous pass.  He imagines how the priest and the Levite might have asked, "If I stop to help this man, what will happen to me?"  That seems to be the position of the Florida Family Association:  "If we think of 'others' as normative, what will happen to our Traditional American Values?"

The greater question, said Dr. King, was posed by the Samaritan.  "If I do not stop to help this man, what will happen to him?"  I will turn the question around and ask "If we do not begin to think of 'others' as normative, if we do not begin to embrace the diversity that is America, what will happen not only to those "others," but what will happen to America?  What sort of putrid cesspool of hatred will we become when we are unwilling to look beyond someone's difference and see their essential humanity?  How shallow are our minds and our vision when we cannot look beyond another's religion and see their souls or spirits? 

I'm really glad to hear that Russell Simmons bought up all the remaining ads.  And if what I read is true, then shame on Lowe's, Bank of America, Campbell Soup, Dell, Estee Lauder, General Motors, Goodyear, Green Mountain Coffee, McDonald's, Sears, and Wal-Mart.  I can't believe they're really that stupid and insensitive.  I would hate to believe that.

Here is Sheila Musaji's blog on The American Muslim and her reports on this anti-Muslim campaign.  For those who don't know -- Islam, like Judaism and Christianity, is a religion "of the Book."  The Qu'ran includes the first five books of the Bible, and Islam understands both Jesus and Mary.  As one of my Muslim friends says, "We believe in Issa (Arabic name for Jesus); we just don't believe he's Allah's son.  If we can live side by side with Jewish people, why can't we live side by side with Muslim people.  Terrorism, you say?  Do you know how the Nation of Israel was founded?  Fundamentalism, you say?  Islam is about 1200 years old.  Look at what we Christians were doing when Christianity was about 1200 years old.

Come on, folks.  God has put us all together on this Big Blue Marble.  We are way more alike than we are different.  It's not that hard -- learn to love the Lord your God with all your heart, your soul, your mind, and your strength (which leaves you no available resources for hatred and judgement, btw) -- and then learn to love your neighbor as yourself.  You put your effort and energy into that, and I guarantee you the rest of the stuff will sort itself out.

So I apologize for calling the Florida Family Association a bunch of idiots.  They, too, are God's people, and today my struggle is to love them just as Jesus has loved me in the midst of my own insanity.

Yeah.  That's enough for today.

*******************
12/14/2011
Adding this link because Jon Stewart says it so much better than I could....