Oh, the Intricacies of Culture
There is culture and then there is culture. There is the kind of culture that elevates and inspires human nature and the makes the world a better place; the kind of culture involved with poetry, painting, music and the inspired creation of literature. Then there is the other kind of culture the type that people require to bring a sense of order and belonging to their lives, the culture that assures people they are in the right group whatever it is, and their responsibility is to reflect in their daily lives, their behaviour, values and responses and beliefs those of the larger culture of which they are a part.Take the puzzling culture of the Middle East. There seems, to the Western eye a fearsomely eerie dissonance between reality and self-absorbed, self-congratulating, self-realizing interpretative perceptions. This type of religion-inspired, mass delusional disconnect with reality is puzzling to those who value intelligent discourse based on reason, not passion.
The culture differences can be seen readily in the embrace of holy war as a concept whereby one settles affairs with one's perceived enemy. Where great hordes of people can assemble to rally in aid of a desire to hold entire countries to ransom because of an imagined insult to Islamic values. Where posters are held proudly aloft that demand the death penalty for anyone who demeans the Prophet.
The difference can be as profound (or simple) as honouring and protecting life, as opposed to honouring and inviting death. To claim proudly, as do the Islamofascists that they hold death dear and claim it as their birthright, while scorning their enemy's desire to live to see another day. That those who claim to love death love to deal in death and exhibit no scruples in causing countless deaths among their own people, while their enemy whom they scorn for their niceties of human concern do their utmost to protect against death.
Honour is not seen in upholding truth, justice and conscience, but rather in prosecuting war and claiming victory whatever the outcome of that war. Snatching victory from the jaws of defeat, interpreting events to lavishly colour their own exultation over the state of war. The enemy's Achilles heel is exploited by offering sacrifices behind which brave jihadists take refuge while dealing death.
A universal hatred and scorn directed in the name of religion toward those whose observance is deemed inadequate, toward those who are named infidel. Aspirations based on religious dominance, leading to the total destruction of a religious or values-based adversary. Against a moral life-affirming group which seeks to protect life, minimize death opportunities.
Honour in the Arab world appears not to be tied to fair and ethical constraints, integrity, forbearance and universal compassion. All these human attributes are to be directed inward, toward oneself, one's tribe; xenophobia gone utterly mad. Yet, can we really believe that these attributes are a Western-based construct? It is a humanely human value, universally shared, but a debased acculturation can drain this impulse to behave humanely.
The utmost cynicism in human behaviour is evidenced in Hezbollah terrorists armed with assault rifles emerging back on the southern Lebanese border (specifically forbidden by a UN-brokered truce) from an ambulance. Yet hear the Red Cross scream in protest when an ambulance is perceived to be ferrying fighters and as a result is targetted. The same cynicism that has Hezbollah fighters insouciantly covering their vehicles with white flags knowing full well that in so doing they place innocent civilians fleeing a war scene in danger because these fighters have seen fit to appropriate that symbol of mercy.
That's the culture I'm talking about.
posted by Pieface @ Wednesday, August 16, 2006
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