Paul Raushenbush: November 2008 Archives

Look at this young kid's face.  This is a photograph taken of one of the terrorists by Sebastian D'Souza.  He is so young and was so twisted.  It reminds me of my friend Eboo Patel and his book "Acts of Faith" that I reviewed for Beliefnet.  This is an excerpt of my review:

Nothing is more chilling than Patel's fictional recounting of how easy it might have been to have been seduced by radical ideology when he was young and alienated as so many young people currently are--and not only young people in Islam, but in Christian separatist movements such as the one that influenced Eric Rudolf as well as Jewish and Hindu extremists. In a chapter titled "Youth Programs" Patel describes the history and evolution of extremists in his own faith and how persuasive these groups can be. In speaking about Osama Bin Laden, Patel makes the particularly salient point that Bin Laden is, if nothing else, a brilliant youth organizer.

How can we stop this violence and reach our young people before it is too late?  I am haunted by this boy's calm killing face...

Terrorist attacks on Mumbai have provoked Meenakshi Ravi to write this on Huffingtonpost:

Four years ago, the Hindu-dominated, right wing Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) was dismissed from government by an Indian electorate that saw through its glossy 'India Shining' campaign propaganda. The BJP's loss was the compound effect of many of its failings, but the most glaring offense was its alleged involvement in the violent Hindu-Muslim clashes that erupted in the western state of Gujarat. For over four months, the state burned and people were killed on the grounds of their religious faith. In official records you would find that 1,044 people died as a result of the communal violence. Read the reports compiled by NGOs and human rights groups and you'd find that the figure was closer to 2,000.

The Mumbai attacks heighten the threat to the Indian secular state which is already battling internal threats to minority groups. It is easy to sell situations like this to the man on the street as an attack that threatens his community. The terror in Mumbai has struck during a year in which six Indian states are going to the polls. These are crucial elections for both main parties in India since the one that makes a stronger showing is likely to be on firm footing to make gains in the General Elections scheduled for May 2009. The BJP will probably leverage this climate of fear and uncertainty to make electoral gains. For the ruling Indian National Congress, the communal card will come in handy as a tool to paper over serious lapses in intelligence and national security during its watch.

The BJP has managed to maintain a strong anti-terror image with its constituency by riding on religious rhetoric and convincing its supporters that the party will protect their interests and ensure their safety. This, despite its lamentable record of not just the horrors of Gujarat in 2002, but other incidents that go further back, such as the mishandling of the 1999 Kandahar hijacking incident, and most infamously, the BJP-led demolition of the Babri Mosque in 1992.

The Congress never had a hope of making light work of these state elections. A nervous economy and terror-struck populace was going to need serious convincing if some states were to be retained/won. The Mumbai terror attacks have made the Congress' work many times more difficult as it has struck fear in the hearts of the people and has reminded them of the indefensible performance by the party and the government it leads in the task of protecting Indians from terrorism.

More on Indian politics...

As Barack Obama appoints his cabinet there is one area upon which the president-elect and his aids, as well as the media have been largely silent - the President's Council for Faith Based and Neighborhood Partnerships.   In a speech on Faith Based Initiatives given on July 1, 2008 in Zanesville, Ohio, Obama said that that faith and values can be "the foundation of a new project of American renewal." Obama reached out to religious communities and individuals during the campaign and, aside from white evangelicals, he carried every religious grouping in America. The president elect enjoys substantial good will among these groups who are waiting to see how our multi-faith coalition will be leveraged to work for the common good in his administration.

This is especially pressing during this economic crisis. Living in Princeton just 15 minutes from Trenton, New Jersey, I am aware that religiously based charities such as The Crisis Ministry, Trento Area Soup Kitchen, and St. Francis Inn are in dire need of resources as the cupboards are bare just as more people are coming for help every day.  As part of Obama's push towards economic recovery, it is essential that he move swiftly to enlist and support religious allies: not only in helping the most vulnerable of our society, but also to provide a moral compass for the national agenda so that the poor are not forgotten in our haste to assist the middle and upper classes.

In addition to offering direct services to those in need, The President's Council for Faith Based and Neighborhood Partnerships also has the potential to model inter and intra religious cooperation.  Most agree that the religious freedom enjoyed in America is unparalleled and that our county is a great place to practice faiths of all persuasions.  The Council can be case-in-point number one for the President to promote the benefits of a religiously pluralistic society to skeptics both domestically and internationally.  The Council should be staffed with people from a range of religious traditions and encourage joint projects between faith communities that offer new and effective programs to serve the poor and educate our youth.  The President's council can be the place where the torn fabric of our society is woven back together even stronger by including the enduring threads from all of the religious traditions that thrive here.

There are still some difficult questions facing the President's Council for Faith Based and Neighborhood Partnerships.   This initiative will have to be depoliticized so that all religious groups feel equally valued within the White House.  This means maintaining relationships with worthy current beneficiaries while forging new contacts with the entire range of religious groups who can effectively reach the most vulnerable.  Using the monies from President's Council to reward political partisanship must stop, and not merely be mirrored towards Democratic leaning religious groups.   Perhaps most sticky of all is the question of non-discriminatory hiring.  If a group maintains their right not to hire say, a Muslim or a homosexual, then the President will have to draw on his time as a constitutional law professor to either draw the line, or at least make sure that there is equitable outreach to the Muslim and gay religious communities to make sure that they realize that the Council is a resource for all Americans.  Of course, none of these problems are insurmountable for a religiously sensitive, fair and pragmatic administration.  

There is enormous enthusiasm and hope in America right now, even within this difficult time.  The religious community is praying for you Mr. President Elect.   All hands are on deck as you requested.  We are waiting.