Where do we go from here?

Over the past month or so, there has been a noticeable increase in lectures/discussions on the subject of Sunni-Shia (sometimes known as SuShi) distinctions within the Muslim community. Personally, I never realized how much of an issue this really was until fairly recently. Of course, I was aware of the fact that there is a difference between the two communities - but have never really given a second thought to what that differences are, because for the most part they've never bothered me. I assumed from the little reading that I had done, and random conversations here and there, that it was primarily historical differences, and difference in practice. I never differentiated, and never gave a second thought to why someone would. Little did I realize that there is an entire community that is (or is made to feel like it is) marginalized, and the whole "the difference is merely historical" argument (admittedly, one that I've often put forth) is simplistic to say the least.

More recently, I've been talking to Anne (note: name changed to protect her identity) who has become my early morning commute (all five minutes of it) buddy. She happens the be Shia, and it has led to some very interesting conversations that extend past our rides to and from school. Our chats have led me to understand that there is a real problem here, and it appears that all of this sudden interest in the issue is more of knee jerk, defensive reaction to the negative media. This troubles me on a number of levels, primarily because I like to believe that the groups that I associate with are accepting, open and welcoming to all, and also because I like to think that the recent spur of apparent self-assessment isn't just a front, and we really are examining ourselves with a critical eye.

The other night, Anne and I ended up chatting for over an hour about SuShi dialogue. I think we were talking about a program at AU (admittedly, one that neither of us attended), and the general observations that irrespective of the context of discussion (and the subject matter), often the minority view is muffled and marginalized.

Our first conclusion of the evening was that our chats are better conducted over chai and "fob cookies" on sleepy Sunday afternoons, as opposed to in the car or on the phone at absurd hours of the night. Shortly thereafter, we concluded that while these panel discussions and lectures are a reflection of efforts to address a simmering problem, they seem to be superfluous in a way that alot of these events tend to be - and that sometimes the greatest efforts are made on a personal interaction, instead of in a lecture hall. The greatest weakness in the lecture setting is that it has limited application and presumably, limited purpose. At the most, a lecture can provide you with a foundation, opposing theories, and potentially, some inspiration. However, it leaves a huge void in that - when you walk out of the lecture, you need to do the ground work - and while inspiration might push you out the door with a spring in your step - its not easy to get an idea in motion.

A small aside, even though I tend to be non-confrontational, and to some extent passive, deep down inside I do think that debate is a traditional tool of understanding. I read this nytimes article today and it reminded me of my conversation with Anne, and reinforced the idea that debate is not only a path to a better understanding, but also a form of worship:

"...[in a time] when many Muslim women still don’t dare pray in mosques, let alone lecture leaders in them, Akram’s entry for someone like Umm al-Darda, a prominent jurist in seventh-century Damascus, is startling. As a young woman, al-Darda used to sit with male scholars in the mosque, talking shop. “I’ve tried to worship Allah in every way,” she wrote, “but I’ve never found a better one than sitting around, debating other scholars.” ..."*

Leaving this digression aside - essentially, this was the brick wall that we kept hitting - how can real change be initiated, how do we start a real dialogue amongst people that care about the repercussions of this divide- one that will not only build better understanding, but is pure in its intent so that it may be worship. I can imagine that there is great frustration within the Shia community that their viewpoint is not being heard, and when it is - its within the confines of a lecture where there's no real opportunity for debate and dialogue.

Anyhoo, by the end of the hour, we concluded that its something that needs to be done - and a good place to start might be ... well, the start. How did these differences arise, what is the history of our community ... what were the primary distinctions, historically; where do our histories diverge, and probably most importantly - where do they come together. While this is the natural starting point, it is a difficult one - and would probably require a foundational lecture before beginning a discussion - because as we soon realized, we didn't have the answers to alot of these questions.

So, this post ends where our conversation ended, and as abruptly so ... where do we go from here?

[*Although I crudely inserted that quote as I digressed, it really is a good article - albeit standing for an entirely different proposition!]