How Do We Go Beyond Polarization?
By
Jamal Rahman, New Age Islam
27 May 2021
We Need
To Spend Time With The Other And Grow In Friendship By Sharing Our Common
Humanity
Main Points:
1. The
Divine spark is present in every human being, no matter what their religion,
ethnicity or beliefs. Being mindful of this reality is really very important.
2. Can
we truly listen attentively, honour the Divine spark in the other and connect
by sharing human stories?
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Institutionalized
religion divides people on the basis of differences of belief and rituals. In
many places and throughout much of human history, such differences have been
manipulated to fuel antagonism, create polarization and even foster violent
conflict.
So, How
Can We Go Beyond Polarization? What Should We Do?
I think
that the first thing we can do is to become aware of our own prejudices, our
biases, our stereotyping of others. If we shine the light of compassionate
awareness on ourselves, we can, over time, diminish our conditioned biases and
discover within us our Divine spark. You
might call it our Buddha nature, Christ nature, Allah nature or the Breath of
God. This Divine spark is present in every human being, no matter what their
religion, ethnicity or beliefs. Being mindful of this reality is really very
important.
The second
thing is to ask, “How can I come to know others on a human level—someone who is
different from me and with whom I think I have a problem? How can I make a
personal connection with them?”
In Central
Asia, they say, “Can you share three cups of tea—listen, respect and connect?”
Can we take the time to be together and share these ‘three cups of tea’ with
the ‘other’? Can I truly listen attentively, honour the Divine spark in the
other and connect by sharing human stories?
We need to
spend time with the other and grow in friendship by sharing our common
humanity. When we get together to establish this friendship, it is not
necessary to talk about theology or politics. But what is critical is to truly
lay the foundation for a personal relationship. There is really no substitute
for this if we truly want to overcome polarization.
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Based in
the USA, Jamal Rahman is a popular speaker and author on Islam, Sufi
spirituality, and interfaith relations.
Along with his Interfaith Amigos, he has been featured in The New York
Times, CBS News, BBC, and various NPR programs.
Jamal is co-founder and Muslim Sufi Imam at Interfaith Community
Sanctuary and adjunct faculty at Seattle University. He travels nationally and internationally,
presenting at retreats and workshops.
Jamal’s passion lies in interfaith community building and activism.
URL: https://www.newageislam.com/spiritual-meditations/polarisation-hindu-muslim-conflict/d/124891