My views are my own and not necessarily shared by the Islamic world. As a woman, a Palestinian and a Muslim who has experienced oppression from various forces, faiths, and both genders including my own - I don't believe the empowerment movement can solve our problems.
We are struggling to embrace the voices of suffering across the ocean, because we have yet to embrace those voices of suffering within.
Every decade or so a new set of immigrants come to the United States and dream of going ahead and establishing themselves. They obsess with empowering themselves to belong. In fact, empowerment is now being used to solve every problem, including between men and women. In the road of empowerment, you silence your conscience and speak to others based on what they want to hear from you, and embrace the best.
As all natives of any land know that the journey to solving our problems starts with connecting to our roots and past in a meaningful way. We cannot in the true spirit of thanks go a step forth until we embrace those before us left behind and call ourselves to embrace their humanity. Then we take this process forth to include the African Americans, Native Americans, and so on.
Palestinians have used this process for hundreds of years to build a strong relationship between the Christian and Muslim community within. It is called Sulha. People are people. Deep down they want to grow.
They are now including the Israeli Jews in this process. Watch the video.
I believe in this process and feel it has strong potential.
I do not feel that I have been courageous. Rather, I feel you have to have faith in God and faith in people you do not see or hear to understand your words if your aim is to benefit and nurture growth.
Those who bash the Islamic world, bash regardless of what we say. You cannot allow yourself to be a hostage to the bashing and refuse to share your heartfelt views.
Sometimes the words may come out wrong, but people of conscience still understand and are not provoked.
As the Middle Eastern proverb says, "What the lips say the ears hear, and what the heart says, the heart hears."
Peace in Islam is not utopia. Peace means a commitment to a process of reconciliation and healing to challenges, trials and tribulations that God places before us. In the process of reconciliation and healing, you obsess more with the right intention, the right spirit and embrace yourself for the worst. You allow people to reject you and your ideas and you do not seek to belong or rule.
I feel strongly that our insecurities here and in Israel and the "Islamic world" are due to our failure to embrace our vulnerability and not due to a lack of power and influence or the violent other.
For personal family reasons, I apologize that I cannot respond to the comments. But I encourage you to watch the 3 part sulha videos and I leave you with the following link below to reflect on until a later time.
Vulnerability: The Roots of Compassion
http://www.voicelessness.com/vulnerability.html
"What could possibly be the benefits of acknowledging and sharing our vulnerability? By pretending the opposite--to be invulnerable-- we put up walls to intimacy, empathy, and compassion...
"But the vulnerability this tragedy has engendered in the rest of us is nothing to be ashamed of. It has given us the opportunity to be closer to one another—to not pretend, to be humble, to be generous, empathic, and compassionate. We have rediscovered one of the real strengths of our country."