What does this
cartoon mean? Better question: is the Prophet depicted?
This
is a Litmus Test. There are five identical stick-figures holding a
single-word sign: renewal, peace, transcendence, redemption, or
salvation. Each idea is associated with every major religion; they
are the promised rewards of the observant. Whether you see the
Prophet or not depends on two things: one, whether or not you want
to; and two, whether or not you can read. But if you do see him, what
does the police lineup imply? Am I placing suspicion on a specific
religion or all religions? Or, am I noting the false indictment of
religion in light of their associated extremists? My intention is to
illustrate the connection between the individual actors and the
faceless group. Religion is both the suspect and the victim. On a
deeper level, the stick-figures are a juxtaposition of the
complicated archetype of a religious figure and the child-like
rendition of a few simple lines. The truth is always more complex
than the soundbite.
Radical
Islam did not invent terrorism. But what about the suicide bomber?
Let us not forget the Kamikaze or the Tamil Tigers. This cartoon is
about knowing where to place our focus. Rooting out the individuals
who create the acts of terror is important but not as important as
understanding the soil in which they sprout. It is rich with pain;
tilled continuously with injustice; soaked deep in loss; scared with
hate; and left to burn in the sun of stereotype. The zeitgeist does
not address why terrorism exists but obsesses over ways to stop it.
There is only one way to stop terrorism: stop fertilizing it; then
salt the earth with healing, justice, hope, love and respect. Only
then might it never grow back. Instead of trying to bat away every
bee, we must think in terms of nipping this in the bud.
We must address the
source. But first, we must comprehend the cause. Terrorists are not
born in a vacuum. So, is religion the problem? End-of-the-world
rhetoric and promised treasure beyond death certainly oils the
machinery but if a specific religion was to blame, all the terrorist
would belong to that religion; they don't. In fact, not all
terrorists are religious. We must look elsewhere – how about the
mirror. Our indifference to the injustice and suffering caused by the
entitlement of Western society is a singular trauma felt by those
inspired to separate from humanity and kill with joyful vigor. Covert
operations, manufactured wars, bipolar assistance, financial piracy,
sanctions, and most recently, the ultimate insult of the most high
are just a few of the injuries in need of adjudication. These
typically young men with limited personal role-models and no real
life-rudder watch the small-screen and see big money flaunted in far
off places. The disparity of opportunity to improve living standards
fuels the feelings of inequality. With no avenues of amelioration,
their feelings of unfairness have no place to go but to build to
crushing heights. If we want to stop terrorism, everyone must thrive.
Even if there is
some magically way to provide endless opportunity to each individual
on Earth, we'd still have one thing left to face: justice. Insults
are the ultimate wedge. The key to respect is understanding and
showing deference to cultural differences. Cartoons that throw fuel
on the fire are not the root of unrest but the straw that breaks the
back. However, long-term resolution cannot be swayed by abrasive
satirists who lack the wisdom to help instead of hurt. Reparations
will require more than an apology for an insult. Terrorism will end
when there is justice for unjust war, compensation for looted wealth,
prosecution of the arrogant murderer, education for everyone,
opportunity for all, and the fair distribution of resource throughout
the world. Only then will terrorism lose its grip. And until we solve
the systemic cause we will be forced to live with its continued cost.
One
can cherry-pick the past and find moments in history worse than any
on Earth today. But one will never find a time when so many hurt so
much as right now. Humanity stares into an abyss of change. The shear
power we will soon possess has the potential to either save everyone
or leave no one. We need each other and have the ability to save the
world. Resource is a matter of effective efficiency, not a number at
the end of an equation. Eventually technology will either destroy
society, leaving the one percent and their robots, or it will create
life, liberty, and justice for all. But it all starts with how we
treat each other today and where we place our efforts. We will
eliminate the terrorists once and for all when our focus settles on
their origin instead of their identity.
Experience the fate
of a terrorist in my short story Aftermath available at Amazon.com.
