Illusions and perceptions
November 21, 2006
Jillian Snyder
When countries are engaged in foreign hostilities, dehumanization is often the indoctrinating principle used by governments and culture as justification for hating the enemy. Dehumanization is a defense mechanism that allows us to turn people into ‘the other’ - those against whom we create a barrier that separates them from ourselves. If we are able to make the other less than human, then we are able to justify almost any actions against them.
This principle can be seen in some of the justifications for the current conflicts in the Middle East. In the description of the war as a battle for the preservation of democracy and freedom, there is the notion that our culture is entitled to a safe society. Anyone who interferes with our safety is a dangerous enemy who threatens what those to the south refer to as “the American way of life.” One recent country hit, Toby Keith’s famous ballad, “Courtesy of the Red, White, and Blue,” accurately reflects this sentiment:
Oh, justice will be served and the battle will rage:
This big dog will fight when you rattle his cage.
An’ you’ll be sorry that you messed with the U.S. of A.
‘Cos we’ll put a boot in your ass, it’s the American way.
This dehumanization of people and cultures is easy to create in society, but difficult to tear apart. But when we find ourselves facing ‘the other,’ we are forced to reevaluate the stereotypes and prejudice that were justifications for hate.
* * * * * * *
Yousef Al Hasan became the beginning of my understanding of what my society considers ‘the other.’ Yousef came to Trinity Western University two years ago from Saudi Arabia to study the English language and, eventually, business. A devout Muslim, Yousef did not know that the university had any religious affiliation, let alone that of Christianity, before arriving. He simply signed up for a university that is approved to teach English by his nation’s Ministry of Education. Like many of us, Yousef simply wanted to fit into his society, to be successful, and to honor his family by doing well in university.
My interaction with Muslims and my knowledge of Saudi Arabia were dim and mostly negative before I talked with Yousef. However, I wanted to know if what everyone said was true for myself and I took the risk to get to know Yousef.
One of the first things I learned about Yousef was the importance of family in his life. With his five sisters and four brothers, he has close ties and seeks his family’s input in many areas of his life. Missing two of his sisters’ weddings, as well as the death of an uncle, has put strain on his time in Canada, as he wishes to be at home celebrating or mourning with his family.
This separation is sometimes aggravated by the alienation he feels in Canada and at TWU. Being one of a handful of Middle Eastern students, Yousef has struggled in an English language program that includes, for the most part, students from Asian countries. Even his interaction with North American students has been, at times, less than successful, as evidenced by his dorm life.
When he arrived in Canada, Yousef first resided in downtown Vancouver, living with several home-stay families before moving onto campus. Dorm life, however, has not been easy. Yousef was not given a roommate and he barely knows his dorm mates. He notes that even the location of the room, at the far end of the dorm, seems evident of a separation between he and the rest of the hall. However, Yousef admits that his age is also a barrier. At twenty-seven, his interests lie more in studying rather than goofing off. He says that he often sits by himself at dinnertime.
Though living on a Christian campus, Yousef says that attending TWU has actually helped him to live out his Muslim faith. His strict adherence to his faith prohibits him from partaking in certain behaviors such as drinking alcohol or having women over to his room.
Still, he feels that sometimes North American values simply do not align with his own. He finds it difficult to understand why North Americans consistently live so far from home and why families are so distant, not only physically but also emotionally, from one another. He was surprised that both men and women would live in the same hall in apartments on campus, and he questions the wisdom behind this kind of dorm model.
When we have talked about religious matters, our conversation has focused upon areas of agreement rather than disagreement. I have found at times that his views on certain issues have more wisdom than those of my own faith. Once, while discussing the man who protests at the campus entrance, I asked him what he believes in regards to creation. He replied, “We believe that God created the world in six days, but that those days were ‘God’s days’ and who are we to question how long those days were?”
Another time, we discussed why there is such a great variety of faiths, races, and ethnicities. Yousef pointed out that the greatest purpose of human relationships is to teach us to love and respect one another, because underneath all the misunderstandings, misconceptions, and misnomers, we are all, in fact, human.
Being a Muslim in North America, Yousef has also been confronted with Christian evangelism. During his time living as a home-stay, a man came to his door to distribute Christian materials. Yousef sat by in silence, embarrassed to interrupt the man eagerly sharing his faith, knowing he is comfortable in his faith and has no compulsion to change any time soon. Yousef believes that it is not his place to judge another human being until he fully knows their position on a topic.
I once asked Yousef what he would say to the TWU community if he could tell us anything. He said he would tell us that we must remember that we as a campus and as a collective humanity belong to one body, and that when one part of the body hurts, we all hurt. Consequently, we must care for one another as members of the body and make sure that all have a chance to succeed.
My interactions with Yousef have taught me that when we free ourselves from the prejudices and fears and we approach ‘the other,’ we realize that they are completely and painfully human. Approaching ‘the other’ may be more dangerous than prejudice, for if we become acquainted with their humanity, we become capable of identifying with them. We may even become capable of loving them as we would ourselves.
In a society that is constantly searching for security, I often wonder now, after meeting Yousef, who is truly dangerous. Might it be members of our society who have chosen ignorance and hate as a way to cope with the fear that their way of life may be disturbed by the presence of ‘the other’? Or is it ‘the other’ themselves—people like Yousef who receive the brunt of our fear?
Now you go...
One Response to “Illusions and perceptions”
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Jillian’s well-written commentary on the life of Youssef among us is a great contribution to this issue of Mars Hill. I think she is right, that when the “other” is recognized as a person, it has the potential to change our perceptions significantly.