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Sherry Rehman, Pakistani Ambassador To The U.S., To Be Investigated For Blasphemy: via HuffPost http://huff.to/13oB7Nb
In America, it's all the rage to talk about rights. "I have rights. You have rights. We have rights. You have no right," Americans might say.
Suffice to say that these rights are not universal, a chilling challenge to the prospect of a God given right. After all, why would God give some rights, but not others? The weight of such a challenge lends me the personal perogative of referring to such rights as privileges.
Indeed, Americans take privileges for granted. The above article indicates how one such woman can slip into the pitfall of cultural difference, making a very Western comment in a Middle Eastern country, under the illusion of privilege, and paying the price for it years later.
In Pakistan, speaking ill of the prophet Mohammed results in legal persecution, where life imprisonment or death is the penalty. Obviously, freedom of speech is not the right endowed to the people of Allah, even if Allah translates to the very same God Catholics would worship.
Now, don't get me wrong. I do not mean to desecrate the name of God nor Mohammed, although this piece might fall under the suspicious eye of Pakistani authorities. No, I merely suggest that to punish one for an attempt at progress, under a guise such as religious blasphemy, is deserving of critical evaluation.
In the article, the U.S. ambassador, I think, took the right action in fighting for social change, albeit her tact might have been better self-serving were she to have been more sensitive in her wording. But, as the texts of this class have suggested, hers was an act of leadership by providing service--not to herself, but to the countries of which she is the bridge.
Social action, therefore, can involve the denigration of social capital, and the creation of enemies. As Paolini's Eragon taught me, if you do not make enemies along the path of making friends, then you are either a coward or worse. This is what it means to move beyond moral spectatorship: privilege or not privilege, legal or illegal, choosing to stand for justice in the wake of self devastation is the right thing to do. Anything else would be a disservice, and that's not leadership.
Great example of the possible negative value of social action.
ReplyDeleteI thought so too. Although, negative consequences of truly revolutionary social actions seem all too common.
DeleteGreat article. I agree with the view point in regards to rights being viewed a privileges. Where do we draw the line? I think maybe as MLK puts is in Chapter 2 of our text, most of us would fall into the category of "passive good people", guilty of silence. This being said, are we being morally wrong to respect another's ways even if we don't agree personal? Should we place a high level of respect on some back asswards country we then gain the right (not privilege) to demand the same respect of our ways when their people come to our world. I think for peace to enter into actuality this concept needs to be balanced with privileges and rights of individuals. The world is changing faster than ever; information is available at a moments notice, in addition to change happening when a group or a person has reached the line in the sand, there is also a natural progression or cycle that moves forward. Knowledge is a river that wears down anything in time.
ReplyDeleteThis is a wonderful example of the differences between the eastern and western world. Claiming no religion is one thing in the states, this is a completely different situation for the people of countries like the one used above. 101 lashes for a woman that is accused of laying with a married man, butshe has no right to deffend herself. Though such acts of voilence are not practiced as punishment where I live, I also have the right to speak against my accuser and am seen innocent until proven guilty. A privilege that no American should take for granted.
ReplyDeleteI feel like this is a subject of ethics that has been divided between east and west. It is true, sometimes as Americans, we do take our freedoms for granted. I always ponder at these types of situations because at times eastern culture can sometimes shock us, especially on the subject of freedom of speech; but we have to keep in mind that our culture and our viewpoints may shock them just the same. It is the conundrum getting the world on the same page, which is extremely difficult to do.
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