Courage by definition; mental or moral strength to venture, persevere, and withstand danger, fear, or difficulty. No where is the word abused more than in Hollywood. We often here how courageous an actor was for his or her speaking out on something they consider of significant import. Or perhaps a screen writer in the comfort of his American home bangs out a few words that might shed light on a subject or pry open a taboo. When the stream of endless award shows come along we are likely to hear how courageous he is.
Another arena in which the word is abused is politics. Yes, there have been instances of courage in our past by politicians however it has usually come after some group of activists have taken the lead and suffered greatly in order to move the issue to the forefront.
I think of courage more in a vision than in words. When I see a fire truck headed down the street to what ever unknown event awaits the occupants, I often wonder to myself whether I could have such courage. In recent memory we have the Worcester cold storage facility and the twin towers experience to vividly etch a vision of courage in our minds. What could have been in the minds of these men when they willingly walked into these inferno's for the benefit of others?
Courage is the word that came to my mind immediately when I viewed the following clip. Please, do yourself a favor and watch and hear what this woman has to say. http://switch5.castup.net/frames/20041020_MemriTV_Popup/video_480x360.asp?ai=214&ar=1050wmv&ak=null
This is a video excerpt of an Al-Jazeera interview featuring a Syrian born but now American psychologist by the name of Dr. Wafa Sultan. It is an extraordinary display of courage in that it most certainly places her life in jeopardy. It does not enrage just one or two nuts that might take her life. Instead it directly attacks and ridicules the entire concept of militant Islam as well as the over all supernatural aspects of any religion. It heaps ridicule upon the hierarchy of the religious elite in the Middle East. In one short interview this woman directly challenges the people of Islam to drive out the elements that hold it adherents back from participating in a 21st century world.
The other two participants in the exchange are reduced to witch doctors shouting heretic when faced with the overwhelmingly logical presentation by Dr. Sultan. What could millions of Muslims been thinking when they witnessed a woman embarrassing Islamic "experts" in a verbal conflict over the direction of their lives and their entire history and culture?
What must not be overlooked as well is the importance of the role that Al-Jazeera played in the showing of this interview. We have seen much criticism of the Qatar based television station here in the US but one must wonder after viewing this exchange whether or not that criticism is accurate. That Al-Jazzeera would have the audacity to air such statements that are viewed as blasphemy by Islamic clerics is an enormous display of freedom of speech in the cloistered world of Muslim countries. This was more than printing a couple of cartoons.
The winds of change are beginning to blow even more strongly in the lands of the Prophet.
