n the beginning 21 st
century, faith here and there is a way to live and also to die for.
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Hagia Sophia,
Turkey |
The best illustration of
those flourishing beliefs can be watched here in America. This fact
matters because it is a time when America, the western watchdog or so
considered, is at war not only for oil, as many tend to believe it, but also
because on both sides, people continue to convince themselves that their gods
are the best ones and so their values and way of life.
Henceforth fanatics are on the rise.
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| Mosque |
No doubt that in some
remote parts of America far away from the East Coast, hard
core believers doesn’t want to act open mildly
nor show comprehension and tolerance. But, in the rest
of America, despite attempts to mix church and state, the vast majority
accepts and shares other values different from their ones. America, as an
immigrant-shaped country, continues to welcome visitors and others. That is a
sort of unavoidable destiny. America for long will remain a country
of opportunities and diversity.
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| African Dance |
Anywhere, we continue to
observe this swirling diversity. Jamaica Estates used to witness at dust
Muslims hurrying up to mosque for evening prayer. Inside, adults, youngsters
and growing ups offer a display of moving back and bowing
chests while uttering guttural words sounding like prayer or
theatric rehearsal. Not far away, Indians gather at a funeral home to pay
their final respects to their loved ones. Others sell religious articles
in stores smelling perfumes. Nearby, Christian churches display size-nature
statues, glittering from inside to outside, as monuments of the early
Christianity. Here and there, Guyanese, Jamaicans worship
Rastafarian deities, with long hair atop their
heads. Bangladesh protesters walk bare foot and chest while punching
their bellies .Religiously speaking, America also is a mosaic.
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| Happy Boy |
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| Mecca |
Last July, at the St
James’ celebration day, many Haitians came dressed in red and blue. According
to voodoo mythology, St James has an equivalent named Ogou that corresponds to
the Roman war god, Mars. His colors are precisely red and blue. In Haiti,
some 75 years ago, or less, the popular religion Voodoo has been despised and
almost banned. It is unthinkable for voodoo adept to enter the Catholic Church,
let alone the way many worshipers were dressed this 26 July in
this Brooklyn church. Now, however, the Haitian Catholic church
became more open and more tolerant. At St James, we could observe how majestic
was a voodoo priestess walking straight forward to the bishop, Father Guy
Sansaricq to receive the host without fear of being rejected. Only
in America, can be watched such a so deep religious. It is not
exaggerated to say that at this time of religion-fed terror, American
tolerance is at its best as a weapon against fanatics, rejection, frustration
and the likes
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| Chapel Sixtine, Vatican |
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