CONteNDiNg ViSiONS oF the MiD EASt--LOCkMan

Lockman's book is interesting because it provides a perspective that many people refuse to see, which is the fact that the "west" and "east" have more in common than the media and government want us to think. For example, the United States prides itself on its modernity and progressiveness (countering traditionalism and regression). One issue that Lockman brought up was the separation of church and state. The United States claims it is more democratic and modern than other countries in the East because "we" do not conflate religion with politics. But Lockman discusses how many right-wing evangelical Protestants in the United States "abhor the notion of the separation of religion and state." Lockman includes another side of Americans who share the same values with Muslims. I would dare to say that there are so many suppressed/ignored similarities between Muslims, Christians, and Jews that is undeniable; however, with strategic propaganda, events, and images the Bush administration managed to create a cosmic struggle between "us" and "them" aka "Americans" vs the "Terrorists."

It is important to remember how powerful and how much authority the minority can have in America. The Bush administration was a group of officials who believed and imposed an exclusive ideology. In class one time I had to make the distinction between myself and the American government, realizing that I am the "other" in my own country. The more I think about the government and especially the impact of the Bush administration, I have a disturbing realization that the minority controls the majority. Instead of engaging and supporting the "good and evil" dichotomy and separating "us" from "them," we should be capitalizing on our similarities. Throughout Lockman's book there were countless examples of the "other" and it is frustrating to see how nations and peoples do not learn from history. Fears and prejudices need to be invalidated in order for people to take the next step into tolerance and acceptance.