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Author | Topic: Media and Religion today | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Theus Inactive Member |
The past two months have changed much of my views of religion, media, and terrorism. This is a bit ironic, as my goal was to learn about archaeology. I have just returned to the states after working at Tel Megiddo in Israel, some 20 kilometers south of Haifa. I was working specifically on a Bronze Age Monument and the Iron Age Solomon's Stables (that may not be stables and may not be Solomon's). However, some three weeks ago Hezbollah terrorists killed one Israeli soldier and kidnapped the other two, resulting in Israel's bombing of the Beirut International Airport and the subsequent raining of Katyusha rockets over northern Israel, including the area where I was working.
My mother, when I would talk to her in this period, always was very frantic which though understandable, seemed a bit too much. Though I was within range of the rockets Tel Megiddo just didn't seem too attractive a target, and the chance of strays in this area was very low. Nevertheless, about half of the "Megiddoim" left Israel, including most of the Americans, Canadians, and French. All that were left were Europeans, Israelis, and only two or three members of the previous nations mentioned (including myself). Coming back to the states earlier this week, I can now see why there was such panic. I was a mixture of mortified and disturbed to see the sensationalist yellow journalism on this event. The words "Armageddon" were in bold, the evangelical ministers talking about "getting right with god", and the dramatic news coverage, all of this ran counter to my own experience. Granted, some nights were terrifying, and I developed a new appreciation for life, but life itself went on as usual. It was war, a dangerous war, but not one worth putting life on hold. We still traveled, still went to Arab and Israeli towns, even to the Muslim quarter of Jerusalem. Yet here, it seems that America was holding its breath for the rapture, precisely because this is what kept them watching. As far as I'm concerned CNN and Fox News are the worst dangers to that region (and ours) because they give a voice to the extreme elements of any conflict and isolate (and thus discourage) the more moderate majority. I would like to know what others think, because I think more than any one war or one political controversy this is a problem that needs to be addressed. If our "eyes" for the rest of the world are so jaded and nearsighted, we have the obligation to do our best to change it, but only if everyone sees the same problem. Tiens,Theus
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Theus Inactive Member |
...that it is newsworthy is true, but once again the Americain media is the problem. It has taken a war story and inflated it to biblical proportions. There were reports of this being "Armageddon" on Fox News. Where else you might ask? CNN even jumped on this overblown bandwagon.
This won't turn into WW3, and can't. The conflict misses the essential ingredient that makes a world war, alliances. Granted, Israel is surrounded by enemies. This doesn't mean that other countries in the region aren't already surrounded by enemies. Remember Syria pulling out of Lebenon last year? Or how despised Sadaam was by surrounding nations? Each nation in this region has antagonistic relationships with each other. That a nation such as Iran would support a group such as Hezbollah is not evidence of an alliance with a nation, it is a demonstration to the contrary! The region is too easily simplified into muslim vs. jew. Either way, it is a war fought only when the media is present. Americain media basically hands a microphone to the most extreme elements in the conflict and asks "what do you think?" ~ Guess what behavior this encourages. ‘ ‘ — — ‘
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Theus Inactive Member |
Where is your information for such an assertion? In the absence of a political or media focus on a particiular group the moderates completely dillute extremist opinions, the fact that they are moderates isolates the extremists. The right wing in America, prior to the mid 1990's did not receive much spotlite and more moderate views of Christianity kept it from being overwhelming in politics. With the advent of Fox News and key political acts by the Republicans we now see more extremist views, but initial "energy" must be pumped into these groups in terms of money and media to get change started. In a sense, the media acts as a willing catalyst.
Specific to my earlier assertion, if you give media attention to a militant extremist group, then that is where subsequent funding will go to. Look at Arafat and how he set himself and his key group of Fatah friends during his lifetime. They were squeeky and they got the grease. While it is true that moderates generally won't rise up in revolution, it also means that in absence of the "alpha-extremist" (in this case Arafat), the money disapears as well as votes. People in this region rely on outside support, in a sense they must compete against each other for that role. ‘ ‘ — — ‘
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Theus Inactive Member |
Tal, I spent a month working with Palestinians from near the Jenin Refugee camp this summer, as well as with Arab Israelis from Afula and Nazareth. I've studied with Muslims from Mauritania and Iraq over the past year. And they have displayed greater tolerance, wisdom, and understanding then you with all your jingling swords.
I am disgusted to see you label a religion as such. There are extremists in every religion, from Hinduism to Islam to Christianity. The trick is not to use that shade of color when painting stereotypes.
quote: Yeah, Amadinejad is a nasty guy, I've volunteered for Amnesty International and from the information I've seen he's a lot worse than threatening words to the people of Iran. But he's also a radical minority ruling over a growing secular population and much of his anti-Israel rhetoric is as much maintaining internal control through an artificial enemy (like Iraq) as it is foreign policy. The best way to defeat such ignorant, self-gratifying fundamentalists is by NOT replicating their worse traits.
quote: How about instead of complaining about an inevitable war, doing a little bit to disarm conflict when you see it. Join Amnesty, or if you've already stereotyped that group try just saying "hi" to a Muslim to let them know that they're not isolated from the rest of the world. Many Arabs and Muslims who have moved to the western world are often isolated because of their different appearance and beliefs, helping to ease them into our societies will go a long way in keeping them from falling in with the wrong crowd.
quote: My aim isn't on any religion, yours or theirs. It is on individuals, such as yourself and Amadinejad who seem to think that some apocalyptic conclusion is necessary to justify your beliefs. The power of such a sentiment, particularly when espoused by leaders of nations, is very dangerous. Such religious and apocalyptic religion fueled the Crusades, particularly in the latter half concerning the re-conquest of Jerusalem. We can see how accurate such reasoning was then, and guess how accurate it is now. The apocalypse always looms, and we are always special for it.
quote: So, after this post I see cards are on the table. There is a difference between Arab and Muslim, ask any Christian who lives in Nazareth or Jerusalem. And I am no more threatened by Chavez if he followed Islam than if he followed Christianity. Actually, not afraid of him at all. That he as a leftist and was elected in his country and has survived a coup suggests that a large body of his people share his beliefs, and our behavior as a nation (I'm assuming you're American here), has stimulated this response. It’s our responsibility to be better at foreign relations and do better business to disarm such anti-American sentiment at its root. Very few people do things because they are trying to be evil, the vast majority of us are doing things we think are good based on the limited information we have. Hopefully with time the internet and other mediums will help corrode such differences in reality perception. The world will never perfect, but there's no reason that it can't be reasonable for everyone. ‘’‘’ ‘’’’‘’Theus Edited by Theus, : Small typo at the front and forgot to add a title ‘ ‘ — — ‘
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Theus Inactive Member |
quote: Seems clear, though non-PC enough, then
quote: Would you argue that the people you've had experience with in quote #2 are the same danger posed in quote#1? Such sweeping generalizations seem to wash away individuals. — —Theus ‘ ‘ — — ‘
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Theus Inactive Member |
A) Members of the Muslim religion should not be compared to Nazi's (though that's in vogue), and
B) There are many Palestinians and Israeli Arabs who don't want to see Israel destroyed, thus not uniting the WHOLE religion. Where is your evidence for this war that's coming? Or is this another baseless conservative claim such as WMDs? I, and hopefully a few others, will not give you the benefit of the doubt on such a white-washing claim against followers of Islam. Au revoir,Theus ‘ ‘ — — ‘
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