May 4th

I've had a bit more time to reflect on the death of bin Laden and subsequent reactions from all over the country. A wave of positive reinforcement, and the continuous and tedious search and desire for bloody details promulgated by the media after bin Laden's death has left me feeling a bit empty, a bit upset, and quite ashamed. Many, it seems, have ignited in fervent, almost primal praise of the deed. Many have engaged in enthusiastic bellicosity and in-your-face nationalism. But I fear, that to many Muslim-Americans, and Muslims worldwide, the war cries of so many translate into something beyond the positive and rather benign recognition of the fall of an murderous individual. As a friend noted in a recent post to Facebook, chants of "F*** yea America!" sound much like chants of "F*** you Muslims!," especially given how powerful the ongoing wave of anti-Muslim sentiment has grown.

It is unequivocally true that US news outlets, and what seems like the greater part of the Republican Party, have engendered fierce animosity and hatred towards Muslims. Pundits and talking head warn of shari'a law as if they have any idea what it even means. Their ignorance is as dangerous as any terrorist, however, in it's capacity to be heard and believed by millions of people, and especially those people whose only understanding of Islam stems from a broader social text littered with coverage of the World Trade Center, burning and falling to the ground. A new anti-semitism has emerged too easily from the ashes of ground zero, and it's against this backdrop that the raucous nationalism projects itself as something more than a celebration of the fall of bin Laden. Images of Americans clamoring over one another, waving flags in ecstatic fashion, and bellowing "God Bless America," to me eerily mirror images fed to us of ecstatic Muslims in the Middle East, burning flags, and bellowing their own propaganda.

As such, any neo-Conservative, any American seeking to proudly assert the myth of "American exceptionalism," would be opposed to such a raucous celebration of bin Laden's death. Aren't we, as Americans, supposed to assume the moral high-ground? Aren't we, as Americans, above the tendency of our foes, to lose ourselves in moments of rage, violence, and revenge?

I am not suggesting that bin Laden's death wasn't to be received with a sense of relief and a restored sense of patriotism. Rather, I noticed the trappings of a vengeful country swept up in the moment. From my perspective, my my vantage point in Bilecik, Turkey, the celebration adopted an element of militancy and "us vs. them" fanaticism. It is natural to hope for, and to feel a sense of ease when justice is actualized. I honestly felt that way when the news flashed upon my computer screen. I felt relieved for those effected by bin Laden's insanity. I felt a sense of goodness, but in no way did I seek to assert a supremacy or invested pride in our countries ability to "get back" at the enemy. I sought not to understand the perverted details of his death. I've avoided the abundance of news stories attempting to find answers to questions that frankly shouldn't be raised. Exploring the details of bin Laden's gruesome demise turns his assassination into theatre - into a performance glorifying the very ideology he promoted - the ideology of violence, of destruction, and not of Islam. In this way, I imagine him smiling at us from afar - aware of his perverted influence and hoping our hatred towards one another will grow.

I pray, then, that the desperate voices in service of peace drown out the vengeful eruption of support for American militancy. Fighting hatred with hatred is nonsense, as so many of history's great leaders have proclaimed. I am glad that bin Laden is gone, but I refuse to bask in the projected glory of an act of violence, no matter how justified.