Interfaith Voices Commentaries

The Trouble With Egypt

Feb. 1, 2011

When I first heard about the recent uprising in Egypt, like many others, I asked simply “why?” Why did these young people take to the streets of Cairo and other cities in Egypt in such overwhelming numbers and demand the ouster of their president?

Analysts answered by citing the long and repressive dictatorship in Egypt, the suppression of free speech and assembly, the inability to form political parties, and rigged elections. But they also cited a growing and obvious wealth gap in Egyptian society. About 20 percent of the population live below the poverty line, and 20 percent more are very close to it. There are thousands of Egyptians who live – literally – in what are called garbage cities in Cairo. They make what living they can by recycling, or eating, garbage. And then there are the rich, the ostentatiously rich. They have built mega-mansions in Cairo’s wealthy suburbs, a constant reminder of gross inequality.

Then, I began to think about the United States. Many economists have pointed to a widening wealth gap and income gap right here. According to a recent study by the Internal Revenue Service, the income gap has nearly doubled in 25 years. Since 1980, the incomes of 90 percent of Americans dropped nearly 1 percent, while the incomes of the wealthiest grew 14 percent. And here, as in Egypt, mega-mansions dot our suburbs, and lavish bonuses on Wall Street reinforce feelings of inequality.

Wealth gaps are not only destabilizing, there is something profoundly irreligious about them, especially in societies where most people embrace one of the Abrahamic faiths: Judaism, Christianity or Islam. All three religions, in their core teachings, give strong emphasis to social justice. That’s the idea of fair distribution of goods in a society, a sense of social responsibility, an obligation to share with the poor and the downtrodden.

The great prophets of the Jewish tradition – Isaiah, Jeremiah, Amos – preached these values. Jews often summarize them in the phrase, “tikkun olam,” or “repair of the world.” The Prophet Amos was often quoted by leaders like Martin Luther King: “…let justice flow like a river and righteousness like an ever-flowing stream.”

In Christianity, Jesus named justice as central to his mission. Quoting the prophet Isaiah, he described his mission as “bringing good news to the poor.” He later said, "Amen, I say to you, whatever you did for one of the least of these, you did it for me."

In Islam the tradition of social justice is central. One of the five pillars of Islam is a practice of sharing called the Zakat. This is not optional charitable giving, but an obligatory payment made annually under Islamic law to be used for charitable and religious purposes.

So, I began wondering why there is such inequality and injustice in nations where Judaism, Christianity and Islam are the major faith traditions. How often, I wonder, is the justice message preached? Are there too few prophets today willing to challenge the wealthy and powerful?

Jeremiah, Isaiah, Jesus and Mohammed would not have hesitated to denounce injustice today. And then, I wondered: perhaps the young people of Egypt are today’s prophets, preaching the justice to the world from the heart of the Abrahamic traditions.

Burning the Quran

Sept. 10, 2010

Listen to Maureen's commentary here

When I first heard the news that Rev. Terry Jones, a minister at the Dove World Outreach Center in Gainesville, Fla. was planning a “Burn the Quran Day” on Sept. 11, I wondered if I had been transported back in time several centuries.

When I checked the history of book burning, I discovered that it is long and nefarious, dating back to early Chinese emperors who set fire to works of philosophy that did not comply with state dogma. It includes the destruction of the magnificent ancient library of Alexandria, Egypt, many burnings of the Torah and Talmud, and at the time of the Reformation, Protestants burned Catholic books, and Catholics burned Protestant books. In fact, the Catholic Inquisition was an equal opportunity arsonist; inquisitors burned Protestant books, Jewish books and even the Quran itself. In recent times, the Nazis conducted public book burnings that included the works of many Jewish intellectuals, among other publications.

All these burnings had much in common: they were acts of gross intolerance and stupidity, born out of fear and intending to spread fear. Historical book burners thought they were stamping out heresies or threatening ideas in their respective societies. And they sought to frighten and silence anyone who harbored even a small independent thought or sympathy for the contents of these books.

Rev. Terry Jones, whose congregation numbers about 50 people, stands squarely in this tradition of intolerance, stupidity and fear-mongering. But, as reprehensible as this action is in itself, he is not operating in ancient China or medieval Europe. He made his announcement in the age of the Internet and mass communications. So it is not surprising that it has sparked large protests in places like Jakarta, Indonesia and Kabul in Afghanistan.

No less a figure than Gen. David Petraeus, the commander of U.S. forces in Afghanistan, has warned that the protest could “endanger troops and it could endanger the overall effort in Afghanistan.” And it will surely have a grossly negative impact on our relations with the Muslim world generally.

And that’s why I find the name of the church in Gainesville ironic: the Dove World Outreach Center. The symbol of a dove usually stands for peace, so a casual reading of this name might lead one to assume that this church wants to spread peace throughout the world. And this action does precisely the opposite.

And it is surely an un-American act. Even though the First Amendment protects this pastor’s right to do this deed, it violates another part of that same amendment: our belief in religious freedom and religious tolerance. This act is nothing less than an affront to our ideals as a nation, and an affront to the traditions of Christianity itself.

But perhaps it is most important to recall at this time the words of the German Jewish poet Heinrich Heine almost two centuries ago. In a theatre piece he wrote called “Almansor,” he said simply, “Those who begin by burning books will end by burning people.” He might have been predicting the history of his own Jewish people, but he was addressing the Inquisition’s burning of the Quran. We are certainly not at that point in the United States, but this minister is surely playing with fire.

And you know, I wonder if Terry Jones has ever read the Quran. But whether he’s read the Quran or not, he might profit from reading his own New Testament, especially the part that says, “love one another as I have loved you.”