The Command Center

COMMANDOpera writes on this topic especially for readers in New York City.

It is impossible to not own an opinion on the concern of building a mosque within the environs of the massacre which is now known through the corridor of history as ’9/11′. While one immediately owns a flinch reaction to the very idea of such an occurrence, Islam itself does not merit vilification. The issue facing western societies today regarding Islam has generally been one of its own making. There are many branches of Islam which are as diverse as one may find in the main religions of Christianity or Judaism or Hinduism for example. Back in the day when one attended university in Atlanta, evangelicals were wingnuts from the back roads of Tennessee and not much regarded by mainstream America at that time. Today in evangelical regions of Judaic Israel, female candidates who run for election are regarded as sluts simply for showing their face on posters. In India, the caste sytem ingrained within Hinduism is unfortunately alive and well. A religion as vast and varied as Islam is assuredly not exempt.

Nevertheless, to wholly vilify the religion of Islam in its entirety, is as ridiculous a concept as one would think of if the same were to occur with the other great religions of the world. More fundamentally, there is indeed a byproduct from the decades of insular living post WW II from which derived a more xenophobic society globally. It has been a slow process which arrived to us today most sereptitiously, combining many distinct emergences of the modern age. Notably the Internet, whose intent was to widen the world, yet has narrowed perspectives to only what we wish to see. Not to mention the 20 second media sound bite: only the most shocking aspects are used so that attention deficit disorder does not set in. Society forged today by our own hands, is now too fearful, wary and weak, becoming most inclined to accept all too readily what is fed without questioning. It has become the norm to react rather than to behave proactively with understanding and logic. Responsibility resides within those individuals who think it correct and reasonable to be herded by the fashion of the moment.

There is indeed an element of Islamic society which has bastardised the great religion to suit thier own deficient structure. Arab society remains patriarchal in its element, which has given rise to notional misinterpretations of the great Koran. In the 1950′s, Arab women largely dressed in a most secular manner with national garb maintaining positioning for traditional festivals (Islam is the first great religion which actually gave women equal rights). However, consider that same society whose traditions have been largely patriarchal, the rise of women could not be tolerated within certain male quarters. What man, who from birth, had become quite used to being waited on hand and foot was going to give up such servitude willingly? None. Ergo, when the radical few chose to manipulate Islamic code to suborn women, there was a deafening silence from within. Today women are veiled where their grandmothers were not. This notable silence from within assuredly would embolden those radical elements within Islam which western society now take as the complete voice of Islam. However, one must consider what circumstance that occurred in Islam, is the same which gave voice to the Religious right evangelicals in America who so assiduosly dominated the George W. Bush agenda and that society as well. There exists no wall of immunity for herd mentality.

A few years ago a major Bollywood film by the name of Jodhaa Akbar was released. The overt theme was of tolerance for other religions. It was a predictable love story set in 16th century India tracing the romance between the great Islamic Mughal Emporor Jalaluddin Mohammad Akbar, and the Hindu Rajput Princess Jodhaa Bai. Jodhaa Akbar starred perhaps the two most extraordinarily beautiful examples of the female and male form on the planet: Miss Aishwarya Rai as Jodhaa, and Mr. Rithik Roshan as Jalaluddin. The music (it is a Bollywood film and there must be music) was composed by the Tamil A.R. Rahman, who is also accorded legendary status similar to Miss Rai and Mr. Roshan. Mr. Rahman who is of the moderate Sufi sect of Islam, writes some of the most timeless and brilliant music known in that sphere of the world. COMMANDOpera offers two clips of one hymn from the film: ‘Khawaja Mere Khawaja’. The first is taken from the actual movie in which Mr. Rahman himself leads the hymn in most interesting make up. The hymn has become so popular to all in India, Mr. Rahman performs the work in a concert this year in the second clip.