Tag: Majed Ashy

Religions as revolutions

Posted on by kathiemm

By guest author Majed Ashy, Ph.D.

Moses and escape from Egypt
Israel's escape from Egypt. Image in public domain

From the time of…

  • Moses, who helped guide the Israelis out of slavery and oppression to freedom, to
  • Jesus, who preached equality and love and changed the whole human understanding of power structures, to
  • Mohammad, who fought tyranny and oppression in Arabia and preached for justice and human dignity …

… one can see that these religions were in some ways revolutions, forces against existing oppressive power structures and traditions.

No doubt, some of the followers of religions established their own oppressive power structures and committed violence, but violence and oppression can be committed by non-religious as well as religious individuals and forces.

What did any religion have to do with the 20 million people killed in WWI, or the 60 million killed in WWII?  With Vietnam, Korean, or Japanese wars, the Cambodian or Rwandan genocides, or the dropping of the nuclear bombs over Japanese civilians?  Or the oppression and killing of millions in Russia and Eastern Europe by Stalin and other dictators, or the oppression committed by military dictators in the Middle East, Africa, Europe, Latin America, among many others?

Linking violence to one religion or another reflects:

  • Selective attention and reading of the history of violence and oppression that existed before and after any of these religions were established
  • Overlooking the role of religions and religious people in fighting oppression and contributing to humans’ well being in many areas of life
  • A dangerous way of offering unexamined answers that feed popular cultural prejudices and fears
  • A simplification of the problem of human violence,l which transcends race, culture, or religion

Instead of falsely attributing violence to religion, we need a serious scholarly non-ideological discussion to find the real roots of violence and the way toward greater peace.

To achieve peace, we need courage to look in the mirror and see our own faults before we point fingers at others, and we need courage in our struggle to be fair — even with those with whom we disagree.

Dr. Majed Ashy, assistant professor of psychology at Merrimack College and research fellow in psychiatry at McLean Hospital/Harvard Medical School

Proposal: International Day for Apology and Forgiveness

Posted on by kathiemm

[Note from Kathie Malley-Morrison: Today we welcome another contribution by our guest author, Dr. Majed Ashy.]

This past Memorial Day, like all Memorial days, is a good day to remember the fallen
soldiers, and an opportunity to contemplate –as individuals, communities, and
nations– ways to cultivate peace and reduce war casualties and suffering.

There are groups that have promoted the idea of an International Day of Forgiveness and a Global Day of Forgiveness.

I believe that there is an international need for an increase in education and awareness regarding apology as well as forgiveness and their roles in personal, social, and international relations.

An organization in the U.S. asked me to write a comment regarding President Obama’s speech in Cairo. In the comment I suggested the establishment of an International Day for Apology and Forgiveness. During this day, schools can discuss the roles of apology and forgiveness, do workshops on how to apologize accurately, and discuss various issues related to forgiveness.

It can be also a day for the media to present films and programs related to the topic. The United Nations and the member states might hold meetings and discussions on the roles of apology and forgiveness in world peace. States might offer apologies regarding past errors they did.

In addition, during this day, people might have the opportunity to apologize and forgive. Research showed that sometimes people are willing to apologize and forgive but they need an environment that is suitable for that–an environment that supports a peaceful mental state, and a social context that deeply understands the importance of apology and forgiveness for human progress.

Establishing such a day might contribute to such an understanding.

Majed Ashy, Ph.D., assistant professor of psychology at Merrimack College and research fellow in psychiatry at McLean Hospital/Harvard Medical School

What did Terry Jones burn? (Part 1)

Posted on by kathiemm

[Note from Kathie Malley-Morrison: Today we welcome another contribution by our guest author, Dr. Majed Ashy.]

Book burning illustration
Book Burning by Hartmann Schedel, 1440-1514. Image in public domain; from Wikimedia Commons

Jones burned a book that requires every Muslim to believe, as part of the Islamic faith, that Jesus was the messenger of God and the Messiah, born to Mary as the result of virginal conception, a miraculous event that occurred by the decree of God. Muslims also learn that Jesus spoke while he was only a baby, restored sight to the blind, healed lepers, revived the dead, was resurrected and raised, and will return to earth near the day of judgment to bring justice and defeat the Antichrist.

Jones burned a book that says the following about the Old and New Testaments:  “He has sent down to thee the Book containing the truth and fulfilling that which precedes it; and He has sent down the Torah (Law of Moses) and the Gospel (of Jesus) before this, as a guidance to the people”—Qur’an, passage 3:3-4

Jones burned a book that says: “When the angels said, ‘O Mary, God gives thee glad tidings of a son through a word from Him; his name shall be the Messiah, Jesus, son of Mary, honored in this world and in the next, and of those who are granted nearness to God… She said, ‘My Lord, how shall I have a son, when no man has touched me? He said, ‘Such is the way of God. He creates what He pleases.”—Qur’an, passage 3:38-48

Jesus teaches us: “There is a saying, ‘Love your friends and hate your enemies.’ But I say: Love your enemies! Pray for those who persecute you! In that way you will be acting as true sons of your Father in heaven.” (TLB, Matthew 5:43-48).

It is better to talk to each other and learn than to set the books to burn.

Majed Ashy, Ph.D., assistant professor of psychology at Merrimack College and research fellow in psychiatry at McLean Hospital/Harvard Medical School

Responsible democracy

Posted on by kathiemm

[Note from Kathie Malley-Morrison: Today we welcome the second of several contributions by our guest contributor, Dr. Majed Ashy. And be sure to listen to his recent interview on Internet radio; just click on the sidebar links.]

Egyptian protests, January 25, 2011
Egyptian protests. Photo by Muhammad Ghafari (licensed under Creative Commons Attribution 2.0 Generic; from Wikimedia Commons)

Some international stereotypes about the Middle East might be convenient, but can mislead those who hold them, lead to inappropriate responses, and serve as obstacles to further development in the Middle East.

It is important to acknowledge that relative freedoms already exist in several Arab countries such as the Gulf States; many of these countries adhere to Islamic laws in various degrees and many have experienced remarkable economic and social development in the past 40 years, along with good and responsible relations with many other nations.

I suggest that there is an international need to develop what I call Responsible Democracy. Responsible democracy would require that people take their freedoms seriously and understand the consequences of their choices and political participation. It entails gathering information from multiple sources on the issues at hand, and attending to principles of morality, peace, and international law before making political choices. Successful governments adapt to and respect the needs and the development of their peoples.

Responsible democracy rejects intellectual laziness, stereotyping, and adolescent tendency towards screaming, adventures, taking sides, fighting, and winning. It is based on a healthy understanding of politics, citizenship, patriotism, international law, one’s own place in the world and history, and recognition of how the world and its people are interlinked.

I think the Middle East is evolving towards responsible democracies driven by internal forces of morality, culture, and history. Some of its governments have been reforming wisely, gradually, and peacefully towards that achievement.

I believe that a fair form of government that respects, takes seriously, and responds to its peoples’ needs and aspirations, as well as their natural rights, and their historical and cultural developments, is a prerequisite for mental health. In turn, mental health can contribute to responsible democracy and governance, and to international peace.

Majed Ashy, Ph.D., assistant professor of psychology at Merrimack College and a research fellow in psychiatry at McLean Hospital/Harvard Medical School