A rosary, a cross, a hijab, a burqa, a turban, a bindi or an attire.... symbols they are. Symbols of religions, cultures, traditions. Symbols of where we come from and of those who went before us. They come into our lives through our family and society and become a part of us, our appearance, our beliefs, our mannerisms and even our thoughts.
If we follow these symbols... are we doing so because of fear, respect, habit or indifference ? Does following these customs blindly mean much ? Does leaving these customs behind mean insubordination and disregard for one's roots ? Does moving away from symbolism mean rebellion against one's own ?
Does following your culture mean captivity and compulsion ?
What makes us free ?
The ability to drink, drive and use drugs ? Is that what being liberated is all about ? Does freedom translate into disregard for others, drunken binges and one-night stands ? Or is freedom all about thought... all about choice. The choice of what we believe and what we do. The choice of what we think and what we say.
Why is the world swinging between these two extremes of complete subordination to the past and complete rebellion against the past ?
Why is no one able to accept a middle ground where tradition and culture are reflected in our thoughts, where attire and mannerisms are just other superfluous extensions of our being...
Where who we are is more than what we wear or do not wear. Where freedom is best represented as freedom of thought and choice ! Where people can accept their past as what made them and yet recognize the flaws in them to make a better future...
Why is the world unable to accept a middle ground when it comes to issues of religion, morals and culture ? Wearing a saree should be just like wearing a burqa or a suit...Why then should one or the other be frowned upon ? Wearing a cross should be like wearing a kippah or wearing a sacred thread... but still, one is considered more accepted than the other by one or the other ? Why is no one able to see through these minutiae to focus on the person underneath it all.... Why do we mix the physical with the metaphysical ?
After all aren't we more than these symbols ? And in some ways, aren't these symbols irrelevant to who we really are ? Why focus on the cover when the story lies in the book ?
Will we ever be able to find a peace and security in spirit of honest questioning than in blind answering ?
Will we ?
(These thoughts have remained amorphous in my mind for a very long time. They were crystallized into words thanks to a small but unexpectedly beautiful movie called "Arranged". Dealing with the subject of arranged marriages, this movie traces the friendship between two young women who, although from very different backgrounds, are brought together by their shared experiences with the system of an arranged marriage. This movie traces the life of these two unlikely friends, an orthodox Jew and a Muslim... as they hold onto their faith, family and their culture in a world that constantly pushes them to do otherwise. Its authentic simplicity forces one to question the very essence of freedom and culture.)
If we follow these symbols... are we doing so because of fear, respect, habit or indifference ? Does following these customs blindly mean much ? Does leaving these customs behind mean insubordination and disregard for one's roots ? Does moving away from symbolism mean rebellion against one's own ?
Does following your culture mean captivity and compulsion ?
What makes us free ?
The ability to drink, drive and use drugs ? Is that what being liberated is all about ? Does freedom translate into disregard for others, drunken binges and one-night stands ? Or is freedom all about thought... all about choice. The choice of what we believe and what we do. The choice of what we think and what we say.
Why is the world swinging between these two extremes of complete subordination to the past and complete rebellion against the past ?
Why is no one able to accept a middle ground where tradition and culture are reflected in our thoughts, where attire and mannerisms are just other superfluous extensions of our being...
Where who we are is more than what we wear or do not wear. Where freedom is best represented as freedom of thought and choice ! Where people can accept their past as what made them and yet recognize the flaws in them to make a better future...
Why is the world unable to accept a middle ground when it comes to issues of religion, morals and culture ? Wearing a saree should be just like wearing a burqa or a suit...Why then should one or the other be frowned upon ? Wearing a cross should be like wearing a kippah or wearing a sacred thread... but still, one is considered more accepted than the other by one or the other ? Why is no one able to see through these minutiae to focus on the person underneath it all.... Why do we mix the physical with the metaphysical ?
After all aren't we more than these symbols ? And in some ways, aren't these symbols irrelevant to who we really are ? Why focus on the cover when the story lies in the book ?
Will we ever be able to find a peace and security in spirit of honest questioning than in blind answering ?
Will we ?
(These thoughts have remained amorphous in my mind for a very long time. They were crystallized into words thanks to a small but unexpectedly beautiful movie called "Arranged". Dealing with the subject of arranged marriages, this movie traces the friendship between two young women who, although from very different backgrounds, are brought together by their shared experiences with the system of an arranged marriage. This movie traces the life of these two unlikely friends, an orthodox Jew and a Muslim... as they hold onto their faith, family and their culture in a world that constantly pushes them to do otherwise. Its authentic simplicity forces one to question the very essence of freedom and culture.)
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